Iran

Syrian youth will resist incoming govt, says Iran's supreme leader

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

Iran hires locals, including minors to attack Israeli targets in Europe

Britain's MI5 has also issued warnings of an increase in Iran-linked attacks. But the Nordic countries are particularly vulnerable

Israeli fighter jets strike Houthi targets in Yemen in retaliation: IDF

According to the IDF statement, the Houthis "with Iran's guidance and funding" have acted together with Iran-backed militias over the past year to target Israel

Iran puts brakes on hijab laws amid backlash, President hints at law reform

Debate reignites as Iranian police detain Parastoo Ahmadi over her hijab-less performance in an online concert

Two charged in Iran-backed drone strike case that killed 3 US troops

Two men, including a dual Iranian American citizen, have been arrested on charges that they exported sensitive technology to Iran that was used in a drone attack in Jordan that killed three American troops early this year and injured dozens of other service members, the Justice Department said Monday. The pair were arrested after FBI specialists who analyzed the drone traced the navigation system to an Iranian company operated by one of the defendants, who relied on technology funnelled from the U.S. by his alleged co-conspirator, officials said. We often cite hypothetical risk when we talk about the dangers of American technology getting into dangerous hands, said U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy, the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, in this situation, we are not speculating. The defendants were identified as Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, who prosecutors say works at a Massachusetts-based semiconductor company, and Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, who was arrested Monday in ..

Oil prices decline as weaker Chinese retail sales pressure demand

The Fed is expected to cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point at its Dec. 17-18 meeting, which will also provide an updated look at how much further Fed officials think they will reduce

Iranian singer arrested for not wearing hijab while performing online

Iranian authorities have arrested a female singer who performed a virtual concert on YouTube, a lawyer said. Milad Panahipour, an Iranian lawyer, said Parastoo Ahmady, 27, was arrested in Sari City, capital of the northern province of Mazandaran, on Saturday. On Thursday, the judiciary had filed a case regarding Ahmady's concert performance, in which she performed wearing a long black sleeveless and collarless dress, but no hijab. She was accompanied by four male musicians. Ahmady had posted her concert on YouTube the day before, saying: I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right I could not ignore; singing for the land I love passionately. The online concert has been viewed more than 1.4 million times. Panahipour told The Associated Press: Unfortunately, we do not know the charges against Ms Ahmady, who arrested her, or her place of detention, but we will follow up on the matter through legal authorities. He also said two musicians in Ahmady's

India, Iran, and Armenia hold second trilateral consultations in Delhi

The second India-Iran-Armenia trilateral consultation was held on Thursday, where the three sides discussed a wide range of matters, including connectivity initiatives, engagement in multilateral fora, and regional developments, the Ministry of External Affairs press release stated.The discussion in the trilateral consultations was led by Joint Secretary of the Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran Division JP Singh from the Indian side, along with delegations from Iran and Armenia. From Iran, the Director General of the South Asia Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Hashem Ashja' Zadeh, led the discussion; meanwhile, Armenia was represented by the Head of the Asia-Pacific Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Anahit Karapetyan."The 2nd India-Iran-Armenia Trilateral Consultations took place in New Delhi today. Discussions covered connectivity initiatives, multilateral engagement & regional developments. Emphasis was placed on enhancing trade, ...

Hamas finds itself with few options for the day after the Gaza war

Israel's recent ceasefire agreement in Lebanon has further damaged Hamas' prospects by curbing Hezbollah's direct support in Gaza and by extension that of Iran

US Judge orders CIA analyst accused of Israel-Iran leak held pending trial

A CIA analyst charged with leaking top secret details ahead of a planned Israeli attack on Iran earlier this year will remain jailed pending trial, a judge ordered Wednesday. The ruling by US District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles overrules a magistrate who said last week that Asif Rahman, 34, of Vienna, Virginia, could be free on restrictions while he awaits trial on charges of disclosing national defence information. The fight over Rahman's detention revealed additional details about the government's investigation of the leak and the analyst who allegedly disclosed the classified documents in October on the Telegram messaging app. At Wednesday's detention hearing, prosecutor Troy Edwards said Rahman was motivated by ideology, though he did not discuss what that ideology might be. In fact, he said the conclusion that Rahman's motive was ideological was essentially process of elimination, noting that Rahman comes from a wealthy family and has access to a multimillion-dollar family

Trump's national security pick vows return to maximum pressure on Iran

During his first term, Trump pulled the US out of an agreement that imposed limits on Iran's nuclear program

Iran's increasingly vulnerable leadership takes a hit after Assad's fall

The theocracy already faces major levels of internal dissent and economic pain

Netanyahu warns Syria against aiding Iran or arming Hezbollah, vows action

Netanyahu had further acknowledged that while the collapse presents great opportunities, it also poses significant dangers

Trump's pick for intel chief, Gabbard, faces questions amid Syria fallout

President-elect Donald Trump's pick for intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, faced fresh scrutiny on Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country's hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump's unusual nominees. But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump's America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. I want to address the issue that's in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria, Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president's Cabinet and top administrative choic

Syria falls to Islamist rebels, Assad flees to Moscow: All that happened

Bashar-al Assad's autocratic regime fell on December 8, marking an end to a 13-year-old civil war. Here's all you need to know about the latest rebellion

Syria at crossroads after 54 yrs: Four priorities to avoid yet another war

With Assad's departure, the pressing question now is what lies ahead for Syria's immediate future

Collapse of Syria's Assad is a blow to Iran's 'Axis of Resistance'

For Iran's theocratic government, it keeps getting worse. Its decades-long strategy of building an Axis of Resistance supporting militant groups and proxies around the region is falling apart. First came the crushing Israeli campaign in Gaza triggered by the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Iranian-backed Hamas. That war spawned another in Lebanon, where Israel has mauled Iran's most powerful ally, Hezbollah, even as Israel has launched successful airstrikes openly inside of Iran for the first time. And now Iran's longtime stalwart ally and client in Syria, President Bashar Assad, is gone. As dawn broke Sunday, rebel forces completed a lightning offensive by seizing the ancient capital of Damascus and tearing down symbols of more than 50 years of Assad's rule over the Mideast crossroads. Ali Akbar Velayati, a key adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, once called Assad and Syria the golden ring of the resistance chain in the region. Without the Syrian governm

US imposes sanctions on 35 entities, vessels for transporting Iranian oils

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on 35 entities and vessels, including two from India, for transporting Iranian oil to other countries. The two India-based entities are Vision Ship Management LLP that manages and operates the PHONIX, and Tightship Shipping Management (OPC) Private Limited. Entities and vessels from the United Arab Emirates, China, Liberia, China, Hong Kong among others have also been slapped with sanctions. In a statement, the Department of Treasury said this action imposes additional costs on Iran's petroleum sector following Iran's attack against Israel on October 1, as well as Iran's announced nuclear escalations, building upon the sanctions issued on October 11. Petroleum revenues provide the Iranian regime with the resources to fund its nuclear program, develop advanced drones and missiles, and provide ongoing financial and material support for the terrorist activities of its regional proxies, it said. Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and ..

Turkey calls for reconciliation between Syria govt, Oppn to end conflict

The recent rapid advance by opposition fighters in Syria shows that Syrian President Bashar Assad must reconcile with his own people and hold dialogue with the opposition, the Turkish foreign minister said Monday. At a joint news conference in Ankara with his Iranian counterpart, Hakan Fidan said Turkey and Iran, which support opposing sides in Syria's civil war, have agreed to resume diplomatic efforts along with Russia to restore calm days after insurgents launched a lightning offensive and captured almost all of the country's largest city, Aleppo. The swift advance by fighters that Turkey supports was a huge embarrassment for Assad and it comes at a time when his allies Iran and groups it backs and Russia are preoccupied with their own conflicts. The push is among the rebels' strongest in years and raises the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups. Fid

Iran-backed Iraqi militias enter Syria to help govt fighting rebels

At least 300 fighters, primarily from the Badr and Nujabaa groups, crossed late on Sunday using a dirt road to avoid the official border crossing