TEHRAN, IRAN- Iran executed Swedish-Iranian dissident Habib Chaab for "terrorism" on Saturday, according to the judiciary."The death sentence for Habib Chaab... nicknamed Habib Asyud, the head of Harakat al-Nidal terrorist group... was executed today, Saturday morning," the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported.Chaab had been held in Iran since October 2020 after...

Tehran, Iran--Iran's head of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) considers the United States to be responsible for all of Israel's actions targeting the Iranian nuclear facilities and the people working for the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.Ali Shamkhani made the remarks in a tweet on Friday. According to Mehr News Agency,...

Tehran, Iran -- Iran has expelled four Azerbaijani diplomats, state media reported Friday, saying the move was "in response" to Baku's expulsion of Iranian embassy staff in April after months of tensions."Four diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, declared personae non gratae, were expelled...

During late-night talks Thursday, Raisi and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad discussed "ways to develop and strengthen bilateral relations" and "emphasized existing cooperation in the field of reconstruction", according to a joint statement.

Iran's president hailed his visit to Damascus as a "turning point", after Tehran's support helped Syria retake most of the territory it lost in 12 years of war. Ebrahim Raisi's two-day trip is the first such visit to Tehran's close ally since 2010. "This trip will be a turning point...

Tehran, Iran - Russia and Iran are set to sign a bilateral agreement on the construction of the Rasht-Astara section in Iran, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. "We just discussed the signing of a bilateral agreement between the two countries on extension of the Rasht-Astara railroad with [Iranian]...

Tehran, Iran -- Iranian authorities have arrested managers at a major petrochemical company for backing a workers' strike over pay and conditions in an energy-producing region in the south, Iranian media reported Wednesday."A number of managers" were arrested for "having supported the acts of counter-revolutionary elements" and "organized strikes" at...

Iranian forces seized a Panama-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the US Navy said, the second such incident in less than a week. The tanker, Niovi, was sailing from Dubai towards Fujairah, another port in the UAE, when it was stopped by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.

Preparations for Raisi's visit have been underway for days in the Damascus district housing Iran's embassy, with concrete barriers in front of the mission removed, an AFP correspondent said. Iran's president leads a senior "economic-political delegation" for his two-day trip at Assad's invitation, Iranian state media reported.

Diplomatic efforts have intensified to end more than two weeks of war in Africa's third-largest country as warnings multiply about a "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis. Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), "have agreed in principle...

Former president Michel Aoun's term expired in October, with no successor lined up. Countries including France, the United States and Saudi Arabia hold regular consultations on Lebanon. Their representatives met in February in Paris to discuss the crisis, without achieving any tangible progress.

Tehran, Iran - Iran and Turkey have traded $1.379 billion worth of goods in the first quarter of 2023, according to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute. This represents a 14 percent decrease year-on-year, with Turkish exports at $702 million, up 2 percent, and Iranian exports at $677 million, down...

Iran's parliament voted in an impeachment session to remove the industry minister amid soaring prices as the Islamic republic's economy reels under the pressure of international sanctions. Reza Fatemi Amin failed to garner enough support in a vote of confidence that saw 162 MPs vote in favor of his removal...

The visit comes against the backdrop of a rapprochement between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, and increased Arab engagement with Damascus. Iran is a major ally of President Bashar al-Assad.

Tehran, Iran--Iran and the European Union traded $847 million worth of goods during the first two months of 2023, registering a 9.2% fall compared with the same period of the year before.Data released by Eurostat show Germany was the top trading partner of Iran in the EU region during the...

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - The first Iranian evacuees to escape the Sudan conflict through Saudi Arabia arrived on Saturday in Jeddah, relieved that their country has settled its differences with the regional rival.The 65 Iranians were among about 1,900 people on the latest boat to arrive from Port Sudan as the...

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi slammed the United States' presence in the Middle East, as he hosted his counterpart from neighboring Iraq for wide-ranging talks. Decades-old arch enemies the United States and Iran have vied for influence in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. Both helped Iraq...

Tehran, Iran - Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, has offered to solve Lebanon's electricity shortage issue through bilateral cooperation despite US sanctions, mehrnews reported on Saturday. During his visit to Beirut, Amir-Abdollahian stated that Iran can solve the problem if both countries agree on joint cooperation, despite US pressure and failed...

Tehran, Iran--Accompanied by a large delegation, Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid arrived in Tehran to deepen economic, trade and political ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.Upon his arrival early on Saturday, the Iraqi chief executive was welcomed by Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance of Iran Ehsan Khandozi at the...

The US is "showing that one cannot engage in this sort of awful behavior of using human beings as pawns, as bargaining chips, without paying consequences," said a senior US official. Both agencies have already been hit with punitive measures by the US State and Treasury Departments in the past.

The US Navy demanded the immediate release of the tanker, saying it was transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman and slammed Iran's "continued harassment of vessels". It is one of a spate of incidents since 2018, when then US president Donald Trump pulled out of a nuke pact...

Iran's foreign minister called on Lebanon to overcome political deadlock and elect a president, urging foreign governments not to interfere in the choice. "We will support any election and agreement reached between all Lebanese sides... and we call on other foreign parties to respect the choice of the Lebanese," Hossein...

The 62-year-old Iranian director, whose films have won numerous international awards, was freed on bail in early February after nearly seven months in detention in Tehran. The lawyer said Panahi was travelling to France to visit his daughter.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu hosted four-way talks aimed at normalizing ties between Ankara and Damascus, which were severed at the start of Syria's civil war in 2011. "Practical steps were discussed in the field of strengthening security in the Syrian Arab Republic and normalizing Syrian-Turkish relations," the Russian defense...

Tehran, Iran— Claiming that Iran has received numerous “requests” from different countries for purchase of its defense equipment and cooperation, Brigadier General Afshin Khajeh Fard has hailed the achievements in producing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and manned drones with fixed and moving wings.The brigadier general, the head of the Iran...

Tehran, Iran— Iran has announced new sanctions against the UK and European Union “individuals and entities” for supporting what it terms as terrorist groups in the Islamic Republic.According to MEHR News Agency, sanctions have been imposed on 17 individuals and four entities for inciting and encouraging terrorist acts and violence...

Tehran, Iran -- The West has intensified economic pressures on Iran in recent months and imposed nearly 800 sanctions on Iran since September last year alone, an Iranian expert has said.Mohsen Pakaeen, a foreign policy analyst, told the official Islamic Republic News Agency that US, Europe along with Canada and...

Tehran, Iran-- Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid will make an official visit to Iran in the near future as the two countries seek to consolidate their relations amid the warming of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran.The visit of the Iraqi president to Iran was confirmed in a phone conversation...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amir-Abdollahian, during which they discussed a number of issues of common interest between the two countries.The two sides discussed the next steps in light of what...

TEHRAN, IRAN- Iran said on Thursday it had "forced" a US submarine to surface as it was crossing the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf, a claim the Americans promptly denied.Admiral Shahram Irani, the commander of Iran's navy, told state TV the USS Florida nuclear submarine was "approaching and passing...

In one of the deadliest stampedes in a decade, more than 80 people died and hundreds were injured at a charity distribution event in Yemen, according to Houthi officials. The tragedy struck the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country a few days before Eid al-Fitr. A Houthi official said many women and...

If China successfully mediates the Israel-Palestine peace talks, it will cement its status as a global peacemaker, a role that has long been reserved for the United States.

"The technical committees are now doing their work in this context, and it is expected that there will be exchange visits to consider the procedures we need to reopen embassies." foreign ministry spokesperson Majid Al-Ansari told a briefing. A UAE official confirmed that the reopening of embassies is "under process".

The Syrian president met with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in Damascus. This is the first visit to Syria's capital by a Saudi official since the start of the country's civil war in 2011, marking a new era in ties betwee the two countries.

The two countries had severed ties seven years ago after Saudi Arabia executed a revered Saudi shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. They have pledged to work for stabilizing the situation in the Middle East, where they have been supporting opposite sides in the conflicts of Syria and Yemen.

A day after a major prisoner exchange, more than 100 prisoners of war were flown from Saudi Arabia to Yemen on Monday, raising hopes for peace in the future. Two ICRC planes carrying 48 prisoners each flew to Sanaa, Yemen's rebel-held capital, while a third with eight captives took off...

Iran's judiciary had said in November 2021 that a trial had opened in Tehran for 10 military members in connection with the jet's downing.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ -  Iraq's Minister of Water Resources Aoun Diab said on Sunday that the releases of the Tigris River will improve in the coming days.He also said that an invitation was extended to the Iranian Minister of Energy to attend the third Baghdad Water Conference.Diab said that "meetings and...

The closures were announced a day after police said they have now implemented a plan to deal with women who violate the law, using surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology. The requirement for women to wear the headscarf in public was enshrined in law shortly after the Islamic revolution of...

Iranian police said they will deal with women who violate the Islamic dress code. The number of women defying the dress code that headscarves must be worn in public has risen since a protest movement triggered by the death in custody of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini, 22, for allegedly flouting it.

Arab countries gathered in Jeddah on Friday to discuss ending Syria's long spell in the diplomatic wilderness as regional relations shift following Saudi Arabia and Iran's decision to resume ties.

The pro-Palestinian rallies follow months of unrest in Iran sparked by the September death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young women arrested for an alleged breach of strict dress rules. The rallies, an annual fixture since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, are held on the last Friday of Ramadan.

The first plane departed Sanaa, the rebel-held capital, for government-controlled Aden hours after a Saudi delegation departed without a fresh truce but with plans to meet again. Both initiatives come a month after Gulf heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Iran, who back opposing sides in the Yemeni conflict, agreed to re-establish...

Friday's nine-nation talks in Jeddah, the Red Sea gateway to Mecca, come after Syria's foreign minister arrived on a previously unannounced visit - the first since the outbreak of the country's civil war in 2011.

Friday's nine-nation talks in Jeddah come after Syria's foreign minister arrived on a previously unannounced visit -- the first since the outbreak of the country's civil war in 2011. It was one in a flurry of events that were nearly unthinkable before Saudi Arabia and Iran announced to restore ties.

It's raining peace in the Arab world. Saudi Arabia has taken lead in normalizing ties with countries such as Turkey, Iran and Syria in the past few months.

Nearly 900 prisoners, most of whom were fighting with Houthi rebels, will be flown between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, which leads the military coalition fighting on behalf of the ousted government, the official said on Tuesday.

TEHRAN, IRAN  -  Iran's parliament has adopted proposals to toughen penalties for perpetrators of violence against women which could be voted into law within months, state media has reported.Initiated more than 10 years ago, discussions in parliament led to the adoption on Sunday of the general principles of a draft bill...

The delegation's arrival comes roughly a month after China helped broker a surprise rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, fuelling hopes for progress on ending the Yemen conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Omani mediators arrived in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Saturday.

Iran's foreign ministry said a delegation will visit Saudi Arabia by April 14 to pave the way for reopening its diplomatic missions there following a similar move by Riyadh. The announcement comes a day after a Saudi delegation arrived in Tehran and follows a historic meeting between the two Gulf...