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Iran said Sunday it would consider negotiations with the United States if the talks were confined to concerns about the militarization of its nuclear program. In a statement posted on X, the country's U.N. mission said: If the objective of negotiations is to address concerns vis--vis any potential militarization of Iran's nuclear program, such discussions may be subject to consideration. A day earlier, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had rejected talks with the U.S., because he said they would be aimed at imposing restrictions on Iran's missile program and its influence in the region. Khamenei's remarks came a day after President Donald Trump acknowledged sending a letter to him seeking a new deal with Tehran to restrain its rapidly advancing nuclear program and replace the nuclear deal he withdrew America from during his first term in office. Khamenei said U.S. demands would be both military and related to the regional influence of Iran. He said such talks would not solve probl
All architecture student Amirhossein Azizi wanted for his 19th birthday was the latest iPhone and for Iran's cash-strapped theocracy, it was just the gift they needed as well. Just buying a top-of-the-line iPhone 16 Pro Max in Iran's capital cost him on the day 1.6 billion rials ($1,880). An additional 450 million rials ($530) is required for import fees and registration on government-managed mobile phone networks. I'm very happy to own one of the most expensive phones in the country," Azizi said. His father, Mohammad, laughed nearby and added: Maybe if they had to earn the money themselves, they wouldn't be so quick to spend it. The purchase is only possible after Iran lifted import bans on expensive goods like foreign cars and new iPhones, yielding to public demand for the products while also trying to mask the dire straits of its economy. While being described as a way to boost Iran's much-vaunted resistance economy," the decisions trapped Iranians into buying more affordable .
Tens of thousands of Iranians marked the anniversary of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution, the first such rally since President Donald Trump returned to the White House and restarted his maximum pressure campaign targeting Tehran. The annual commemoration of the end of the rule of the American-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the creation of Iran's Shiite theocracy comes this year as deep uncertainty lingers across the country. Iran faces crushing sanctions wrecking its economy and the threat of more coming from Trump, even as the American president suggests he wants to reach a deal with Tehran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday criticised proposed talks with the United States and described negotiations with America as "not intelligent, wise or honourable. Khamenei also suggested that there should be no negotiations with such a government, though stopped short of issuing a direct order not to engage
Iran's government seems to be welcoming some recent decisions by the United States even though they happen to come from a man Iranian operatives have allegedly been plotting to assassinate. President Donald Trump's moves to freeze spending on foreign aid and overhaul, maybe even end, the US Agency for International Development have been lauded in Iranian state media. The reports say the decisions will halt funding for opponents of the country's Shiite theocracy pro-democracy activists and others supported through programs as part of US government's efforts to help democracy worldwide. At the same time, Iranian officials appear to be signalling that they are waiting for a message from Trump on whether he wants to negotiate over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. At stake are potentially billions of dollars withheld from Iran through crushing sanctions and the future of a program on the precipice of enriching weapons-grade uranium. And even when signing an executive order
Syria's interim president made his first trip abroad Sunday, travelling to Saudi Arabia in a move likely trying to signal Damascus' shift away from Iran as its main regional ally. Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was once aligned with al-Qaida, landed in Riyadh alongside his government's foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani. The two men travelled on a Saudi jet, with a Saudi flag visible on the table behind them. Saudi state television trumpeted the fact that al-Sharaa, first known internationally by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, made Riyadh his first destination. Syria's new three-star, tricolour flag flew next to Saudi Arabia's own at the airport as al-Sharaa in a suit and tie walked off the plane. He later met with a smiling Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, at al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. The state-run Saudi Press Agency described their discussions as examining ways to support the security and stability of sisterly Syria. Syria's state-run SA
Iran test-fired an anti-warship cruise missile with a range of 1,000 kilometres capable of reaching US Navy ships in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, state TV reported on Saturday. This is a Ghadr-380 mile type L. It has over 1,000 kilometres range. It has anti-jamming capability, said Gen. Ali Reza Tangsiri, the head of the navy of the Revolutionary Guard, in a report that showed an underground missile facility on the southern coast of Iran. The report elaborated neither on warhead that the missile carried, nor the time of the test. Tangsiri said the facility is only one part of the missile systems of the Guard, adding that the missiles can create a hell for the enemy's warships. The report said the new weapon was a sophisticated missile, without elaborating, which could be launched from the underground facility. The missile was launched from central Iran into the Sea of Oman, it said. It said the missile can be made ready and launched by one member of personnel in less than fiv
Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting his Iranian counterpart Friday for the signing of a broad pact between Moscow and Tehran. The Kremlin says the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will take their cooperation to a new level. The signing comes ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to broker peace in Ukraine and take a tougher stance on Iran. What to know about the Russian-Iranian relationship: Historic rivals become allies Russia and Iran fought wars in the 18th and 19th centuries, with the Russian Empire capturing broad territories in the Caucasus and the Caspian region previously controlled by Persian rulers. In the early 20th century, Russian troops occupied large parts of northern Iran, but the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution ended their presence. In World War II, the Soviet Union and Britain invaded Iran, which still evokes painful memories in Tehran. Tensions ran
Iran is looking at ways to resume supplying crude oil to India and is keen on expanding the overall trade basket including in the petro-chemical sector through the strategically-located Chabahar port, a senior Iranian official said on Thursday. Tehran is also keen to expand counter-terror cooperation with India as the possibility of rise in the terrorist activities looming large over West Asia in view of the fragile situation in the region, especially in Syria, he said. The senior Iranian official told a group of journalists that the incoming Donald Trump administration is unlikely to be similar to that of his first term towards Tehran as the global geopolitics have undergone significant changes with China increasing its strategic heft. In his first term as the US president, Trump tightened the noose of sanctions on Iran, eyeing over 80 per cent of the country's economy and even ended Washington's participation in the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. On the overall situation in West
The United States has imposed sanctions on two groups linked to Iranian and Russian efforts to target American voters with disinformation ahead of this year's election. Treasury officials announced the sanctions Tuesday, alleging that the two organizations sought to stoke divisions among Americans before November's vote. US intelligence has accused both governments of spreading disinformation, including fake videos, news stories and social media posts, designed to manipulate voters and undermine trust in US elections. The governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns, Bradley T. Smith, Treasury's acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement. Authorities said the Russian group, the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise, oversaw the creation, financing and dissemination of disinformation about American candidates, ...
Iran's government on Tuesday said it had lifted a ban on access to WhatsApp and Google Play after more than two years, the official IRNA news agency reported. The report said the country's Supreme Council of Cyber Space made the decision in a meeting led by reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has vowed to remove restrictions on social media. Iran's telecommunication minister Sattar Heshemi in a post on X called the decision a first step in removing restrictions and said the path will continue" indicating the possibility of unblocking other services. Many people reached by The Associated Press across the capital, Tehran, and other cities said they had access to the services on computers but not yet on mobile phones. WhatsApp has been the third most popular messaging platform in Iran after Instagram and Telegram. The ban on WhatsApp and Google Play was put in place in 2022 during mass protests against the government over the death of a woman held by the country's morality po
Iran's supreme leader on Sunday said that young Syrians will resist the new government emerging after the overthrow of President Bashar Assad as he again accused the United States and Israel of sowing chaos in the country. Iran had provided crucial support to Assad throughout Syria's nearly 14-year civil war, which erupted after he launched a violent crackdown on a popular uprising against his family's decades-long rule. Syria had long served as a key conduit for Iranian aid to Lebanon's militant Hezbollah. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in an address on Sunday that the young Syrian has nothing to lose" and suffers from insecurity following Assad's fall. What can he do? He should stand with strong will against those who designed and those who implemented the insecurity," Khamenei said. God willing, he will overcome them. He accused the United States and Israel of plotting against Assad's government in order to seize resources, saying: Now they feel victory, the