Business Standard

Tuesday, January 21, 2025 | 09:45 PM ISTEN Hindi

Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

Iran Economy

Iranian court sentenced death penalty to singer Tataloo for blasphemy

The court found Tataloo guilty of insulting the Prophet Mohammed and sentenced him to death for blasphemy. Tataloo, however, has the option to appeal again

Iranian court sentenced death penalty to singer Tataloo for blasphemy
Updated On : 20 Jan 2025 | 2:52 PM IST

Iran braces for Trump takeover with economy buckling from sanctions

As Trump prepares for a second term as US president, all eyes are on whether he will revive his so-called maximum pressure policy against Iran that came to mark his first spell

Iran braces for Trump takeover with economy buckling from sanctions
Updated On : 24 Nov 2024 | 2:49 PM IST

Iran's currency falls to all-time low as Donald Trump claims US presidency

Iran's currency, the rial, fell on Wednesday to an all-time low as former President Donald Trump was on the verge of clinching the US presidency again. The rial traded at 703,000 rials to the dollar. In 2015, at the time of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, it was at 32,000 to USD 1. On July 30, the day that Iran's reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn in and started his term, the rate was 584,000 to USD 1. Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord in 2018, sparking years of tensions between the countries that persist today. The slide comes as Iran's economy has struggled for years under crippling international sanctions over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, which now enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels. Pezeshkian, elected after a helicopter crash killed hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi in May, came to power on a promise to reach a deal to ease Western sanctions. However, Iran's government has for weeks been trying to downplay the effect

Iran's currency falls to all-time low as Donald Trump claims US presidency
Updated On : 06 Nov 2024 | 3:03 PM IST

Khamenei pledges 'crushing response' to US, Israel for actions against Iran

Sharing a post on X, Iran's supreme leader wrote, 'United States of America and the Zionist regime will definitely get a crushing response for what they do against #Iran and the #Resistance Front'

Khamenei pledges 'crushing response' to US, Israel for actions against Iran
Updated On : 03 Nov 2024 | 6:56 AM IST

Locked in Mideast wars, battered by sanctions, Iran wary over US election

America's presidential election next week comes just after Iran marks the 45th anniversary of the 1979 US Embassy hostage crisis and for many, tensions between Tehran and Washington feel just as high as they did then. Iran remains locked in the Mideast wars roiling the region, with its allies militant groups and fighters of its self-described Axis of Resistance battered as Israel presses its war in the Gaza Strip targeting Hamas and its invasion of Lebanon amid devastating attacks against Hezbollah. At the same time, Iran still appears to be assessing damage from Israel's strikes on the Islamic Republic last Saturday in response to two Iranian ballistic missile attacks. Iran's currency, the rial, hovers near record lows against the dollar, battered by international sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme of enriching uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. In public spaces, women still openly defy Iran's mandatory law on the headscarf, or hijab, a result of the mass .

Locked in Mideast wars, battered by sanctions, Iran wary over US election
Updated On : 31 Oct 2024 | 12:55 PM IST

IAEA chief shows willingness from Iran to re-engage on nuclear file

Iran has stepped up nuclear work since 2019, after then-US President Donald Trump abandoned an agreement reached under his predecessor Barack Obama

IAEA chief shows willingness from Iran to re-engage on nuclear file
Updated On : 25 Sep 2024 | 11:02 AM IST

You have officially become Iran's useful idiots: PM Netanyahu to protestors

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday slammed Iran for funding and supporting groups against Israel and asserted that defeating the brutal enemies requires both courage and clarity. For all we know, Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests that are going on right now outside this buildingnot that many, but they're thereand throughout the city. Well, I have a message for these protesters: When the Tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran's useful idiots, Netanyahu said. It's amazing, absolutely amazing. Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming 'Gays for Gaza'. They might as well hold up signs saying 'Chickens for KFC'. These protesters chant 'From the river to the sea'. But many don't have a clue what river and what sea they're talking about. They not only get an F in geography, they get an F in history. They call Israel a colonialist ..

You have officially become Iran's useful idiots: PM Netanyahu to protestors
Updated On : 25 Jul 2024 | 10:43 AM IST

Reformist Pezeshkian wins Iran elections, promises to reach out to west

Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian won Iran's runoff presidential election Saturday, besting hard-liner Saeed Jalili by promising to reach out to the West and ease enforcement on the country's mandatory headscarf law after years of sanctions and protests squeezing the Islamic Republic. Pezeshkian promised no radical changes to Iran's Shiite theocracy in his campaign and long has held Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the final arbiter of all matters of state in the country. But even Pezeshkian's modest aims will be challenged by an Iranian government still largely held by hard-liners, the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, and Western fears over Tehran enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels with enough of a stockpile to produce several nuclear weapons if it chose. A vote count offered by authorities put Pezeshkian as the winner with 16.3 million votes to Jalili's 13.5 million in Friday's election. Overall, Iran's Interior Ministry said 30 million people ...

Reformist Pezeshkian wins Iran elections, promises to reach out to west
Updated On : 06 Jul 2024 | 10:38 PM IST

Reformist Pezeshkian wins Iran's presidential runoff election, beats Jalili

Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian won Iran's runoff presidential election Saturday, besting hard-liner Saeed Jalili by promising to reach out to the West and ease enforcement on the country's mandatory headscarf law after years of sanctions and protests squeezing the Islamic Republic. Pezeshkian promised no radical changes to Iran's Shiite theocracy in his campaign and long has held Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the final arbiter of all matters of state in the country. But even Pezeshkian's modest aims will be challenged by an Iranian government still largely held by hard-liners, the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, and Western fears over Tehran enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels. A vote count offered by authorities put Pezeshkian as the winner with 16.3 million votes to Jalili's 13.5 million in Friday's election.

Reformist Pezeshkian wins Iran's presidential runoff election, beats Jalili
Updated On : 06 Jul 2024 | 10:00 AM IST

Iran holds runoff presidential election to replace late President Raisi

Iranians began voting on Friday in a runoff election to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi, killed in a helicopter crash last month, as public apathy has become pervasive in the Islamic Republic after years of economic woes, mass protests and tensions in the Middle East. Voters face a choice between the hard-line former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon and longtime parliament member who has allied himself with moderates and reformists within Iran's Shiite theocracy. An initial round of voting June 28 saw no candidate get over 50 per cent of the vote, forcing the runoff. It also saw the lowest turnout ever for an Iranian election, leaving turnout Friday a major question. There have been calls for a boycott, including from imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, though potential voters in Iran appear to have made the decision not to participate last week on their own as there's no widely accepted opposition movement operating

Iran holds runoff presidential election to replace late President Raisi
Updated On : 05 Jul 2024 | 11:03 AM IST

As Iran votes for new President, rise in gasoline prices may spark protests

As Iran's runoff presidential election nears, comments by an official in the campaign of reformist Masoud Pezeshkian raised the possibility of his government increasing government-set gasoline prices a move that has sparked nationwide protests in the past. While still tentative, economists long have warned Iran needs to overhaul its system of subsidies, estimated to cost the Islamic Republic tens of billions of dollars a year. In 2019, a similar hike triggered mass demonstrations and a bloody crackdown that grew even more intense after the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. On Saturday, Pezeshkian campaign head Ali Abdolalizadeh told journalists that his possible presidency would see price hikes for fuel and other items handled without any outcry. Don't worry, petrol at any ... price, you will see that it would be allowed with calmness and cooperation by the people, Abdolalizadeh said. Hard-liners immediately accused Pezeshkian of planning to increase fuel prices by a ..

As Iran votes for new President, rise in gasoline prices may spark protests
Updated On : 04 Jul 2024 | 11:56 AM IST

Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon, running to be Iran's next president

After the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, Iranian lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian wrote that it was unacceptable in the Islamic Republic to arrest a girl for her hijab and then hand over her dead body to her family. Days later as nationwide protests and a bloody crackdown on all dissent took hold, he warned that those insulting the supreme leader ... will create nothing except long-lasting anger and hatred in the society." The stances by Pezeshkian, now a 69-year-old candidate for Iran's next president, highlight the dualities of being a reformist politician within Iran's Shiite theocracy always pushing for change but never radically challenging the system overseen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. After Iran's June 28 presidential election saw the lowest turnout in history, Pezeshkian now must convince a public angered by years of economic pain and bloody crackdowns to go vote in a runoff poll on Friday even though a majority of them earlier decided not to cast ballots at all. We

Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon, running to be Iran's next president
Updated On : 04 Jul 2024 | 11:51 AM IST

Iran goes to runoff polls between reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, Saeed Jalili

Iran will hold a runoff presidential election to replace the late hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, an official said Saturday, after an initial vote saw the top candidates not secure an outright win. The election this coming Friday will pit reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian against the hard-line former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. Mohsen Eslami, an election spokesman, announced the result in a news conference carried by Iranian state television. He said of 24.5 million votes cast, Pezeshkian got 10.4 million while Jalili received 9.4 million. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf got 3.3 million. Shiite cleric Mostafa Pourmohammadi had over 206,000 votes. Raisi, a 63-year-old protege of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died in a helicopter crash in May.

Iran goes to runoff polls between reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, Saeed Jalili
Updated On : 29 Jun 2024 | 2:27 PM IST

Iran concludes polls to replace president killed in helicopter crash

Iranians voted on Friday to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a May helicopter crash in the country's northwest along with the foreign minister and several other officials. Analysts broadly described the race as a three-way contest. There are two hard-liners, former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and the parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. Then there's the reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian, who has aligned himself with those seeking a return to the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. After record-low turnout in recent elections, it remains unclear how many Iranians will take part in Friday's poll. While 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has final say on all matters of state, presidents can bend Iran toward confrontation or negotiations with the West. Currently: As Iran's presidential vote looms, tensions boil over regarding a renewed headscarf crackdown. An analysis explores how no matter who wins Iran's election, much may

Iran concludes polls to replace president killed in helicopter crash
Updated On : 29 Jun 2024 | 6:56 AM IST

Iran's presidential race: Candidates debate foreign policy ahead of vote

Iran's presidential candidates discussed the country's foreign policy Monday in a three-hour live debate, promising to seek better relations with other nations and work to have sanctions on their country lifted. The televised debate was the fourth in a series of five ahead of Friday's election, which follows a helicopter crash last month that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others. The final debate will be Tuesday. All the candidates pledged to try to have Western sanctions on Iran lifted, but they expressed different attitudes about the issue. "We will definitely negotiate and reach an agreement to revive a nuclear deal with world powers that President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of in 2018, said Mohamad Bagher Qalibaf, the hardline pragmatic parliament speaker, who is seen as a prominent candidate. However, he said that under his presidency Iran would choose a gradual policy, taking step in return to step that the other side would take in lifting ...

Iran's presidential race: Candidates debate foreign policy ahead of vote
Updated On : 25 Jun 2024 | 7:43 AM IST

Iran's presidential candidates debate economic policies ahead of voting

Six presidential candidates discussed Iran's economic problems in a four-hour live debate on state TV, ahead of the June 28 presidential election following a helicopter crash last month that killed President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others. The debate on Monday was the first of five planned in the 10 days remaining before the vote in a shortened campaign to replace Raisi, a hard-line protg of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei once floated as a possible successor to the 85-year-old cleric. The candidates were to discuss their proposals and plans for Iran's spiralling economy, struggling under sanctions from the United States and other Western nations. They all promised they would try and get the sanctions lifted and introduce reforms but none offered any details. The candidates also discussed inflation, the budget deficit, Iran's housing problem and ways to fight corruption. The June 28 election comes at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the West over Tehran's rapidl

Iran's presidential candidates debate economic policies ahead of voting
Updated On : 18 Jun 2024 | 8:32 AM IST

Iran's centre of power moves from clerical slippers to combat boots

With Raisi gone, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the most powerful arm of Iran's military is now well placed to become more powerful

Iran's centre of power moves from clerical slippers to combat boots
Updated On : 22 May 2024 | 10:44 AM IST

Houthi rebels claim they shot down another drone; US army denies claim

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed on Tuesday they shot down an American drone over the impoverished Arab county. The US military did not immediately acknowledge the claim. If confirmed, this would be the second MQ-9 Reaper drone downed by the Houthis over the past week as they press their campaign over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Last Friday, the Houthis claimed downing an American drone over the province of Marib, hours after footage circulated online of what appeared to be the wreckage of an MQ-9 Reaper. And early Saturday, a vessel also came under attack in the Red Sea. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said Tuesday the drone was shot down with a locally made surface-to-air missile. He did not say when it took place but alleged the drone was carrying out hostile missions over Yemen's southern province of Bayda. The US Mideast-based Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press regarding the

Houthi rebels claim they shot down another drone; US army denies claim
Updated On : 21 May 2024 | 3:06 PM IST

Mourners begin funerals for Iran's prez, others killed in chopper crash

Mourners in black began gathering Tuesday for days of funerals and processions for Iran's late president, foreign minister and others killed in a helicopter crash, a government-led series of ceremonies aimed at both honouring the dead and projecting strength in an unsettled Middle East. For Iran's Shiite theocracy, mass demonstrations have been crucial since millions thronged the streets of Tehran to welcome Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 during the Islamic Revolution. An estimated 1 million turned out in 2020 for processions for the late Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was slain in a US drone strike in Baghdad. Whether President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others draw the same crowd remains in question, particularly as Raisi died in a helicopter crash, won his office in the lowest-turnout election in the country's history and presided over sweeping crackdowns on all dissent. Prosecutors already have warned people over showi

Mourners begin funerals for Iran's prez, others killed in chopper crash
Updated On : 21 May 2024 | 2:50 PM IST

President Ebrahim Raisi declared dead: What's next for Iran's leadership

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others, were confirmed dead on Monday, a day after their helicopter crashed in the mountainous northwest

President Ebrahim Raisi declared dead: What's next for Iran's leadership
Updated On : 20 May 2024 | 9:45 PM IST