The spacecraft, which will remain on the Moon for a year, will be tasked with "taking (samples) and analysing the soil" as well as "conducting long-term scientific research", the Russian space agency said. The launch is the first mission in Russia's new lunar programme, which gets underway at a time...

Based on the agreement, five Iranian prisoners in the US and five American prisoners in Iran will be exchanged," the official IRNA news agency reported, quoting an informed source. It reported that the deal with the US includes releasing an amount of $6 billion of Iranian money frozen in South...

TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran on Sunday appointed Mohammed Jafar Montazeri, who is under US and British sanctions, to head the Islamic republic's top court. Montazeri was named the supreme court chief after the "opinions of all the court judges" were taken into consideration, the judiciary's Mizan Online website said. The 75-year-old,...

On July 11, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced that Iraq would start paying for Iranian gas with oil, as a way of circumventing the complicated mechanism. "Work is continuing with the American side concerning unpaid bills, which have fallen to 9.2 billion" euros ($10 billion), Sudani told reporters at...

Avoided by western tourists, Iran is turning to wealthy Arab states and other nearby countries to bolster its sanctions-hit economy. It is also drawing visitors from Russia and China. Owing to the thaw in relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran is now interested in closer ties with the Arab world.

The Iraqi prime minister said the decision to pay for Iranian gas imports with oil corresponds with the mechanism agreed with the US in order not to violate the sanctions. Gas is crucial for Iraq's electricity generation, but US sanctions on Iranian oil and gas impose restrictions on how Baghdad...

The new British sanctions regime will expand existing penalties imposed by creating new criteria under which individuals and entities can be hit. They include any Iranian activities "undermining peace, stability and security in the Middle East and internationally", and the "use and spread of weapons technologies from Iran".

The peace deal has ignited debates on its potential to transform Middle East from a region hit by conflicts to a peaceful place. Dive into an in-depth analysis from TRENDS.

The bilateral peace agreement has sparked intensified debates about its potential to transform the Middle East from a conflict-ridden region to peaceful and prosperous place.

Tehran, Iran-- In spite of the US sanctions against the Islamic Republic, Iran has seen a huge surge in the export of crude oil in 2023 to China, Syria, Venezuela, according to reports. According to media reports, Iranian crude shipments continued to rise in 2023 with higher shipments to China,...

In Venezuela, Raisi and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro announced that they signed 25 accords, across sectors ranging from education and health to mining. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said he and Raisi signed a "basic memorandum of these steps that we are going to continue developing" to increase exchange between the...

"The shift to a clean energy economy is picking up pace, with a peak in global oil demand in sight before the end of this decade as electric vehicles, energy efficiency and other technologies advance," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement. "Oil producers need to pay careful...

A landmark deal in 2015, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program to guarantee that Tehran could not develop a nuclear weapon -- something it has always denied wanting to do.

Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last year, economic sanctions have seen a significant cut in its oil and gas exports to the EU and US. However Pakistan, in the midst of an economic downturn worsening a long-running energy shortage, in May confirmed it had struck a deal with Moscow...

Washington, United States -- The White House on Thursday announced economic and visa sanctions against Sudanese leaders responsible for breaking a ceasefire and provoking "appalling" bloodshed. "We are following through by levying economic sanctions, imposing visa restrictions against actors who are perpetuating the violence," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said...

Following the shipment suspension and "as a result of the economic outlook, Nintendo of Europe has decided to wind down operations of its Russian subsidiary", the company said. Nintendo's eShop was already "under maintenance" in Russia because its payment provider had stopped ruble transactions.

Indonesia and Iran signed a trade agreement in Jakarta where President Joko Widodo hosted his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi. Tehran is aiming to boost its international trade. Raisi's two-day visit to Indonesia, Southeast Asia's biggest economy, comes in the shadow of fresh European Union sanctions this week on Iran's Revolutionary...

The European Union imposed an asset freeze on the investment arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, over Tehran's brutal crackdown on protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. The sanctions - the eighth imposed by the EU over the repression - came after Iran hanged three more men convicted in relation...

Bakhmut, which once had a population of 70,000 people, has been the scene of the bloodiest battle in Moscow's more than year-long Ukraine offensive. The fall of Bakhmut, where both Moscow and Kyiv are believed to have suffered huge losses, would allow Moscow to bring home a key victory after...

G7 leaders, including the heads of nuclear-armed Britain, France and the United States, arrived at the city's Peace Park to a sodden red carpet welcome from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is from Hiroshima. The leaders were also scheduled to speak with survivors of the bomb, which killed some 140,000...

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida is hosting leaders from six other wealthy democracies in his hometown -- a city synonymous with nuclear destruction and now peppered with peace monuments. Leaders including US President Joe Biden will try over three days to forge a united front on Russia and China, where the...

Erdogan made the announcement one day before it had been due to expire, scoring a diplomatic coup ahead of a May 28 runoff election in which he will try to extend his two-decade rule until 2028. He thanked "my precious friend", Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and...

ABU DHABI, UAE -  The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) imposed administrative sanctions on eight banks operating in the UAE. The administrative sanctions take into account the banks' failures to comply with the CBUAE's instructions not to grant any loans or credit facilities to the beneficiaries of loans granted...

The EBRD forecasts Turkish GDP will expand 2.5 percent this year, cutting prior guidance of 3.0 percent and citing the impact of "unorthodox" loose monetary policy alongside one of the world's highest inflation rates. The death toll of Turkey's worst disaster of modern times stands at more than 50,000 and...

The United Arab Emirates has invited Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to attend the UN climate summit in Dubai later this year, Syrian state media said. Assad's first invitation to a global summit since the start of Syria's war in 2011 comes as the Arab world warms to Damascus after a...

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...

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...

Netflix, which spent more than 1 trillion won ($750 million) developing Korean content from 2015 to 2021, had previously said it would be expanding its South Korean show output, without giving details of spending plans. South Korea has cemented its status as a global cultural powerhouse in recent years, thanks in...

The state company said in a statement on its website that it was "launching its own version" of a chatbot, which will be called GigaChat -- a first for Russia. The Russian-language app is now only available by invitation in test mode.

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...

A joint statement issued after the tenth US-EU Energy Council in Brussels said competitive, liquid and transparent global energy markets remain critical to ensuring a reliable, sustainable, affordable, and secure energy supply for Europe to serve the transition to climate neutrality. The Council asked Russia to withdraw its forces from...

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The Central Bank of the UAE Friday revoked the license of Russia's MTS Bank's, which was granted last year. The bank said that under its supervision, the operations of MTS bank, which is licensed in Abu Dhabi, would be wound down within six months. Revocation of...

Its net profit recorded a drastic drop to US$5.2 billion.

Firm said non-monetary factors played a role in earnings.

There might be a global slowdown in the property market, but thanks to Russian buyers, the UAE, in contrast, has seen a stunning growth in the sector.

MTS Bank, approved for its licence last year, was one of more than 200 entities and individuals targeted by the fresh sanctions on the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Central Bank of UAE said MTS earned its license because it "fulfilled the criteria for licensing branches of...

The EU measure will last for six months and was taken "in view of the gravity of the humanitarian crisis in Syria exacerbated by the earthquake". The massive 7.8-magnitude quake on February 6 has killed more than 42,000 people in Turkey and more than 3,600 in Syria.

Taking retaliatory action for imposition of sanctions against the Islamic Republic, Iran has slapped 36 individuals and entities from the European Union and Britain with sanctions. According to the Iranian foreign ministry, Tehran has placed the names on its "sanctions list for supporting terrorism and terrorist groups" as well as...

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said the measures taken following Russia's invasion of Ukraine helped European nations whether Russia cutting off most of its gas supplies. The IEA said the meeting is expected to identify and endorse measures to improve the balance between gas supply and demand.

Brent, the international benchmark, and its US counterpart WTI, which had been down earlier in the day, jumped more than two percent after Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said production would be cut by 500,000 barrels per day, or five percent of output, in March. "Crude prices reacted positively...

Hunger rates in Syria have escalated to record highs after more than ten years of brutal conflict, according to the World Food Program. The UN agency believes that years of economic crisis and damage to vital infrastructure from war have put some 2.9 million at risk of sliding into hunger.

The central bank "took a decision to freeze all the accounts" of Hassan Moukalled as well as those of his sons Rayyan and Rani and two businesses that he owns, it said in a statement. The US Treasury had issued the sanctions on Tuesday, calling Moukalled "a corrupt money exchanger...

The EU and Britain on Monday slapped another round of sanctions on Iran which has been rocked by protests since the September 16 death of Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd who had been arrested for allegedly breaching the country's strict dress code for women. "The move by the European Union...

The EU will impose new sanctions on 37 Iranian officials and organizations over the crackdown on protests, but is still debating listing the Revolutionary Guard as a "terrorist" group, diplomats said. Foreign ministers from the bloc are to agree to adopt the fourth package of sanctions on Tehran over its...

ABU DHABI, UAE - European countries will eventually resume higher imports of Russian gas, Qatar's energy minister and gas company CEO predicted on Saturday, warning that market volatility could last for years. Russian gas exports to Europe plunged after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine but Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, head of QatarEnergy,...

How the war in Ukraine has played out -- both on the world stage and the battlefield -- serves as a cautionary tale on the potential dangers of launching such an invasion, and offers other lessons as well. General Mark Milley, the top US military officer, said the war was...

Russia has assembled a "shadow fleet" of more than 100 vessels seeking to circumnavigate the Western sanctions regime. These ships are reportedly using non-Western insurers and selling oil at higher prices to countries that have not subscribed to the new sanctions.

Russian forces have missed most of their key military goals since February, raising fears that the battlefield stalemate could see Russia resort to its nuclear arsenal to achieve a breakthrough.

Major oil-producing countries led by Saudi Arabia and Russia agreed to maintain their current output levels. Representatives of 13 members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries led by Riyadh, and their 10 allies headed by Moscow, decided to stick to a production cut of two million barrels per...

Morocco is set to chalk up record revenues for a second year running as farmers worldwide scramble for phosphate, made scarce by sanctions against top world producer Russia and a Chinese ban on exports.