Iran

Iran Refusing to Allow Independent Medical Examination of Nobel Winner

Iranian authorities are refusing to allow an independent medical examination of Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi after she was beaten during her arrest last week, her family said on Tuesday. Her brother Hamid Reza Mohammadi, who lives in Norway, told reporters in Paris via video link that she had informed her other brother in Iran in a ...

White House: U.S. Backs Israel Against Hezbollah, Warns of Military Action

The U.S. administration supports Israel’s military efforts to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas and Hezbollah, arguing that diplomacy has failed to disarm Hezbollah in Lebanon.  “The United States backs Israel’s efforts to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas and Hezbollah, as diplomacy has failed to disarm Hezbollah in Lebanon,” a ...

Iran’s Female Bikers Push Limits

Once riding at night to avoid scrutiny, Maryam Ghelich now teaches motorcycle riding to hundreds of Iranian women. Despite legal and social barriers, female motorcyclists are becoming increasingly visible on the streets of Tehran.

Lebanon Must Pick the Abraham Accords over the Muslim Brotherhood

Lebanon must pick a side in the regional map of alliances. One seeks peace, prosperity and higher standards of living for all and consists of the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Bahrain, and Morocco, enshrined by the Abraham Accords. The rival alliance—Qatar, its ATM, and Turkey, its NATO muscle, as well as Syria, Algeria, and Tunisia—dismisses ...

Araghchi "Surprised" by Raggi’s Decision to Decline Tehran Visit

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi voiced surpirse after his Lebanese counterpart, Youssef Raggi, declined an official invitation to visit Tehran, citing “unsuitable conditions” at the present time. Araghchi noted that countries maintaining “brotherly relations and full diplomatic ties” should not require neutral ...

LAF Refutes Hezbollah Infiltration Claim

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) on Thursday firmly rejected claims published in Iranian media alleging that a substantial share of its personnel are affiliated with Hezbollah. In an official statement, LAF stressed that all its members operate “strictly under a unified military doctrine” and pledge loyalty solely to the army institution and ...

Iran: Tehran dams reach critical levels

The water level in Tehran’s dams and those in its surrounding areas is less than half of what it was last year due to a historic drought, according to state media, as Iranian authorities warn of the risk of shortages. Iran is facing its worst drought in six decades this year, and in Tehran, the capital, the low level of rainfall is “almost ...

Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Sentenced in Absentia Amid Cannes Triumph

Iran has sentenced Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker Jafar Panahi in absentia to one year in prison and a travel ban over "propaganda activities" against the country, his lawyer told AFP on Monday. The sentence includes a two-year travel ban and prohibition of Panahi from membership in any political or social groups, lawyer Mostafa Nili told AFP, ...

Iran Reportedly Transfers Hundreds of Millions to Hezbollah via Dubai

Iran has reportedly transferred hundreds of millions of dollars to Hezbollah over the past year via currency exchange offices and private companies in Dubai, raising concerns in the United States, according to a Wall Street Journal article published on Thursday. According to the report, disruptions through traditional smuggling routes in Syria ...