• Syria strikes kill 17 including Iran Guard, WHO worker

    According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards adviser, his two Iranian security escorts, and four Syrian and nine Iraqi fighters with pro-Iran groups were killed in strikes on a villa in Deir Ezzor city and on the town of Albu Kamal on the Iraqi...
  • Hamas leader Haniyeh visits Iran: state media

    Haniyeh's visit comes after a resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on Monday called for an "immediate ceasefire" for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan, leading to a "lasting" truce. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani described Monday's resolution as a "positive but insufficient step".
  • Iraqi PM to visit Washington for troop talks

    Washington, US – President Joe Biden will welcome Iraq's prime minister on April 15 for talks on the US troop presence, the White House announced on Friday, as tensions subside following US clashes with pro-Iran militias. It will mark the first trip to Washington by Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, who...
  • Iran signs deals worth US$13bn to boost oil production

    The oil ministry and Iranian businesses signed deals worth $13 billion to increase daily oil production in six major fields. The deals have been labelled as Iran's "biggest oil contracts in the past decade" that are aimed to add 350,000 barrels per day to the Islamic republic's daily production.
  • Iran signs big contracts to increase oil production

    Iran sealed contracts worth billions of dollars with domestic companies to boost its oil production in the face of Western sanctions. In a ceremony broadcast on state TV, the oil ministry and Iranian businesses signed deals worth $13 billion to increase daily oil production in six major fields.
  • US sanctions network smuggling American tech to Iran’s central bank

    US Treasury sanctioned a number of alleged ISC subsidiaries and front companies based in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, and three individuals allegedly linked to them including Pouria Mirdamadi, a French-Iranian dual national. "The United States will continue to use all available means to disrupt the Iranian regime's illicit...
  • G7 vows ‘significant’ new sanctions if Iran sends missiles to Russia

    Washington, US - G7 countries warned Iran on Friday that they will impose "significant" new sanctions if Tehran transfers ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine. "We reiterate our call on third parties to immediately cease providing material support to Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine or...
  • Iran’s aluminum ingot output up 7% in Feb 2024

    Tehran, Iran -  Iran’s production of aluminum ingot in the country registered a 7% growth in the first 11th month of this Iranian year, the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO).  Iran’s four major aluminum production companies produced 54,893 tons of aluminum ingots in February 2024,...
  • Baghdad, Tehran in talks to import gas from Turkmenistan

    Tehran, Iran - Baghdad and Tehran are currently engaged in negotiations to facilitate the import of gas from Turkmenistan, with the Iraqi Minister of Electricity Luay Al-Khatteeb revealing that discussions are underway to utilize Iran's extensive network for the transportation of Turkmenistan's gas. Highlighting the challenges in establishing direct lines...
  • China, Russia and Iran to launch joint navy drills in Gulf of Oman

    Beijing, China - The navies of China, Russia and Iran are staging joint drills in the Gulf of Oman this week, Beijing said Monday. The military activities -- to be conducted from Monday through Friday -- are aimed at "jointly maintaining regional maritime security", according to a statement published on social...
  • Iran agricultural, food exports hit US$5.5bn in 11 months

    TEHRAN, IRAN – The Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade said that Iran exported fisheries, livestock, agricultural and food products worth US$5.5 billion to over 130 countries during the first eleven months of the year. Rouhollah Latifi, the spokesperson for the Trade Development Commission at the Iranian Ministry of Industry,...
  • Iran hits out at UN experts report on 2022 protests

    TEHRAN, IRAN – Tehran on Saturday strongly condemned a UN report on the Islamic republic's response to mass protests in 2022, denouncing Western countries' "Iranophobia". The report was built on "baseless claims" and "false and biased information, without a legal basis", foreign affairs ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement. International experts...
  • Muslims pray for end to Palestinian suffering as Ramadan nears

    Other parts of the Islamic world may be grappling with their own challenges, from conflicts to high inflation. But many Muslims say their thoughts are with Palestinians this year.
  • US vows to hold Houthis ‘accountable’ for deadly strike

    The Houthi rebels have been defiantly hitting ships in vital commercial waters in professed solidarity with the Palestinians as Israel pounds Hamas-ruled Gaza in response to the October 7 attack. Asked if the latest attack showed a failure of the US and UK strikes on the Houthis, Miller said, "We...
  • Iran declares 41 percent voter turnout in key elections

    Tehran, Iran - Iran on Monday announced a turnout of 41 percent in last week's elections for parliament and a key clerical body -- a record low since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to voting records. Conservatives were reported to have secured the bulk of seats in Friday's elections for the...
  • Western countries shelve plans to censure Iran at UN nuclear meet

    Western powers will not censure Iran over its lack of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog at its Board of Governors meeting for fear of aggravating geopolitical tensions, diplomats said. Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in confidential quarterly reports that Tehran's cooperation with the agency remained poor...
  • Iran and Russia to sign new contracts to develop oil, gas fields

    Tehran, Iran-- Iran and Russia have agreed to sign new contracts on developing oil and gas fields, according to the oil ministers of the two countries. Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji held talks with Nikolay Shulginov, the Minister of Energy of Russia, on the sidelines of the GECF Summit in Algeria...
  • Iran conservatives secure bulk of seats in elections: media

    Authorities were still counting ballots two days after Friday's vote for members of parliament and for the Assembly of Experts, which selects the Islamic republic's supreme leader. The official IRNA news agency put the turnout at around "41 percent" among 61 million eligible voters. No official figure had yet been announced.
  • Conservatives tipped to win in Iranian elections as counting begins

    Tehran, Iran - Iran began counting ballots on Saturday after a vote for parliament and a key clerical body, with local media estimating a low turnout and conservatives expected to dominate. Friday's elections were the first since widespread protests triggered by the September 2022 death in police custody of Mahsa Amini,...
  • Three Hizbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon

    An Israeli strike on a car in south Lebanon killed three Hizbollah fighters, a security source said, the latest in almost five-months of escalating cross-border fire between the Iran-backed group and Israel. Since war erupted between Israel and Hamas on October 7, Hizbollah has been launching near-daily attacks from Lebanon...
  • Global criticism of Israel after ‘massacre’ of Gazans lining for food

    Global condemnation flowed after Israeli forces in war-ravaged Gaza opened fire as Palestinian civilians scrambled for food aid during a chaotic incident which the Hamas-run territory's health ministry said killed over 100 people. The Israeli military said a "stampede" occurred when thousands of desperate Gazans surrounded a convoy of 38...
  • Iran launches imaging satellite Pars 1 from Russia

    Iran announced the launch of a remote sensing and imaging satellite into orbit from Russia, according to state media. The launch of "Pars-I" with the Russian Soyuz-2.1b launcher was broadcast live by state television in Iran. The satellite was launched "from Russia's Vostochny launch base", some 8,000 kilometers east of...
  • Iran gears up for elections dominated by conservatives

    Conservative daily Vatan-e-Emrouz hailed what it called the population's "interest in the candidates' electoral campaigns", which began on February 22. In Tehran, where less than 20 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots in 2020, election banners are visibly less prevalent than the previous elections.
  • US envoy blames Iran, Hizbollah for aiding Houthi attacks

    The US special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, told a Senate subcommittee that Iran was "equipping and facilitating" the Huthi attacks, which have triggered retaliatory US and British strikes on Yemen. He said many Iranian and Hizbollah operatives support Houthi attacks from inside Yemen.
  • Iran becomes world’s ninth biggest steel producer, says WSA

    TEHRAN, IRAN – The Middle Eastern country has improved its global standing in steel production, becoming the ninth largest producer in January 2024, according to new data released by the World Steel Association (WSA). In the first month of 2024, Iranian steel mills produced a total of 2.6 million tons...
  • Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline recommences after 10-year delay

    Tehran, Iran -- In a significant step towards enhancing energy cooperation between Pakistan and Iran, Islamabad has given the green signal for advancing much-delayed work on gas pipelines within its territory. This marked considerable progress in the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project, Mehr News Agency reported. The approval comes as Pakistan...
  • Two Hizbollah members killed by Israeli strike in Lebanon

    Baalbek, Lebanon - Israeli strikes near the Hizbollah-dominated city of Baalbek killed two group members on Monday, two security sources told AFP, in the first strikes on Lebanon's east since clashes began after the Gaza war. "Two Hizbollah members were killed in the Israeli strikes near Baalbek," a security official told...
  • Pakistan greenlights construction of long-awaited Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline

    Tehran, Iran -  Pakistan has decided to link the gas pipeline from the country's Gwadar port city to the Iranian border as part of the Iran-Pakistan project. According to Pakistani media, the country will expedite the project, which faced significant delays, in two phases. Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC)...
  • Houthi missile attack damages British-owned ship off Yemen

    Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired two missiles at a British-owned cargo ship passing through the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, causing one minor injury and damage to the vessel. The rebels, who control much of Yemen, have carried out months of attacks on merchant vessels in...
  • Israeli air attack kills two in Damascus, says state media

    An Israeli strike on a residential area of Damascus killed at least two people, Syrian state media reported, the latest deaths from an escalating Israeli air campaign since the Gaza war erupted in October. Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes in Syria since civil war broke out in 2011.
  • Iran oil minister blames Israel for gas pipeline sabotage

    Tehran, Iran--Iran said Wednesday that Israel was behind twin sabotage attacks against gas pipelines that disrupted supplies in at least three provinces last week. The February 14 explosions hit pipelines in the cities of Safashahr in the southern province of Fars and Borujen in the southwestern province of Chaharmahal and...
  • Iran-EU trade surpasses US$5bn in 2023, says Eurostat

    TEHRAN, IRAN - The Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) reported that Iran and the 27 European Union member states traded over US$5 billion (€4.7 billion) worth of goods in 2023. Trade between Iran and the member states of the European Union recorded a decrease of 9 percent from...
  • Iran unveils air defense systems amid rise in Middle East tensions

    Tehran, Iran - Iran unveiled two new air defense systems on Saturday, state media reported, with tensions high in the Middle East amid the war in Gaza. "The Arman anti-ballistic missile system and the Azarakhsh low-altitude air defense system, built by the ministry of defense, were unveiled this morning," the official...
  • Iran, Armenia eye $3 billion bilateral trade volume

    Tehran, Iran – Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan on Thursday said that Iran and Armenia have the potential to increase the volume of their bilateral trade to $3 billion. Grigoryan made the remarks during the 18th meeting of the Iran-Armenia Joint Economic Commission where he also described Iran...
  • Saboteurs hit Iran pipelines disrupting gas supply: state media

    The saboteurs hit pipelines in the cities of Borujen in the southwestern province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, and Safashahr in the southern province of Fars, Aghli said, adding that there were no casualties in the explosions or the ensuing fires.
  • Qatar’s ties with Iran closer than ever: Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad

    Doha, Qatar-- Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has affirmed that the ties between Qatar and Iran have never been closer. The emir stated this in a meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Doha. During the meeting, Amir-Abdollahian conveyed the greetings of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi...
  • Iran fires first ship-based long-range ballistic missiles

    TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday it has launched long-range ballistic missiles from a warship for the first time. The launch from the Shahid Mahdavi during naval maneuvers involved firing two ballistic missiles capable of striking targets up to 1,700 kilometerees (1,050 miles) away. "The...
  • IMF, World Bank say Gaza and Red Sea attacks risk to world economy

    World Bank President Ajay Banga said that "what's going on Gaza, but also the challenges of Ukraine... and the Red Sea" are among the top challenges to the global economic outlook. "When you add variables to what is turning out to be probably the lowest growth of the last 55...
  • Israel offensive on Lebanon would ‘spell end’ of Netanyahu, says Iran’s FM

    Amir-Abdollahian met top officials in Beirut including Hizbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a powerful ally of the group. He also met Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhaleh, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan, and deputy chief of the People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine Jamil Mazhar,...
  • Yemen-based Houthis say 17 fighters killed in US strikes

    A total of 17 Houthi fighters were killed in US strikes, the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group said through its official media. "The bodies of a number of martyrs of the nation as a result of the bombing of the American-British aggression were carried through Sanaa in a solemn funeral procession,"...
  • War monitor say Israeli strikes kill three in Syria

    Beirut, Lebanon - Israeli air strikes that targeted a building in an upscale area near the Syrian capital killed three people early on Saturday, a war monitor said. State media reported that Syrian air defenses responded to an Israeli "air attack". Since Syria's civil war broke out in 2011, Israel has...
  • Qatar eyes second successive Asian Cup in final against Jordan

    Doha, Qatar - An Asian Cup full of late goals and surprises reaches a climax on Saturday when hosts and holders Qatar face a Jordan side looking to make yet more history. The 88,000-capacity Lusail Stadium, where Lionel Messi's Argentina beat France in the World Cup final 14 months ago, will...
  • Iranian President Raisi accuses US of disrupting Middle East security

    "The presence of US forces in our region has no justification," Raisi said in a Tehran ceremony ahead of the 45th anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution on February 12.
  • Israeli strikes kill 10 including six civilians in Syrian city of Homs

    "Ten people, including six civilians and two Hizbollah fighters, were killed in Israeli strikes on a building in the Hamra neighborhood of Homs," the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP. The strikes completely levelled the building in one of the city's most affluent...
  • Iran’s long-lasting love for gemstones believed to have divine power

    Common beliefs associated with gemstones are largely what motivates people to buy them, said Hassan Samimi, a lapidary at the market near the shrine of Shah Abdolazim. Iran subsequently declared the ring "cultural heritage" and a "national asset", Samimi says demand for gemstones has remained relatively steady despite Iran's severe...
  • Iran agricultural, food exports hit US$4.8bn in 10 months

    TEHRAN, IRAN – The country has exported more than 6.7 million tons of agricultural and food products worth US$4.8 billion during the first 10 months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2023 – January 20, 2024), an Iranian economic official said. Rouhollah Latifi, the spokesman of the Iranian House...
  • Saudi, UAE ‘prior’ countries for Russia’s inbound tourism push

    Moscow, Russia -- China, India, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia will become prior countries for Russia in development of inbound tourism in 2024, according to the concept for promoting Russia’s tourism potential on foreign markets presented by Director General of the Center for Strategic Research Pavel...
  • Iran starts construction on new 10MW nuclear research reactor

    Tehran, Iran -- Iran said Monday it had started building a new nuclear research reactor in Isfahan, days after it announced it was constructing a nuclear power plant complex in the south. "Today, the process of pouring concrete for the foundation of the reactor started at the Isfahan site," said Mohammad...
  • Blinken to arrive in Middle East to press for truce

    The US secretary of state is expected to discuss a proposed truce hammered out in a Paris meeting in January of top US, Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials. The diplomatic push has become more urgent with the surge in attacks by Iran-backed groups in solidarity with Hamas, triggering counterattacks by...
  • Houthis vow response after US, UK strike dozens of Yemen targets

    Saturday's strikes hit "36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen in response to the Houthis' continued attacks against international and commercial shipping as well as naval vessels transiting the Red Sea", the United States, Britain and other countries that provided support for the operation said in a statement.
  • US and UK bomb Houthi targets in joint air raids

    Scaling up attacks in the Middle East, US and UK carried out joint air raids in Yemen after a separate wave of US strikes on targets in Iraq and Syria carried out in response to the killing of three US soldiers in Jordan. It is the third time the western...