Iran

Reuters: Iran Prepared to Mine Strait of Hormuz Following Escalation with Israel

The Iranian military loaded naval mines onto ships in the Persian Gulf last month, fueling concerns in Washington that Tehran might try to block the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli strikes, Reuters reported on Monday, citing two US officials. According to these sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the operation took place after ...

Echoes of Iran: The Forgotten Golden Age of Persian Pop Music

At the dawn of the 1960s and 1970s, Iran entered one of its most culturally vibrant eras. Amid rapid transformation, young Iranians eagerly embraced electric guitars and Western harmonies, seamlessly fusing them with the poetry and melodies of Persian tradition. Psychedelic rock bands thrived in Tehran’s underground clubs, drawing inspiration ...

French Diplomat Visits Two French Detainees in Iran

A French diplomat on Tuesday visited two French nationals detained in Iran, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, the foreign minister said, after their families demanded proof that they were alive after Israeli strikes. "We obtained a visit today from our chargé d'affaires in Iran," Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told ...

Disarming Hezbollah Is Here, Lebanon’s Peace with Israel Is Next

Now that the leaders of Lebanon are certain that Israel and America would not shy away from using force against Iran when need be, and now that they are sure that the bark of China and Russia in the Middle East is louder than their bite, Beirut is finally moving on Hezbollah’s arms. Lebanon’s normalization with Israel will come next. Druze ...

Tehran Downplays Quick Resumption of US-Iran Talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday ruled out a quick resumption of talks with the United States and said Tehran will first need assurances it will not be attacked again. Araghchi, in an interview with CBS Evening News, was asked about US President Donald Trump's remarks that nuclear negotiations with Iran could resume as early ...

Iran Unleashes 'Wave of Repression' after Israel War

Iranian authorities have arrested hundreds of people and executed dozens in a wave of repression following the 12-day war with Israel, activists say, accusing the Islamic republic of using fear to compensate for weaknesses revealed by the conflict. Campaigners have been detained on the street or at home, executions expedited, prisoners ...

Hezbollah’s Arms and the US Ultimatum: Lebanon Faces Critical Decisions

The question of Hezbollah’s weapons cannot be resolved solely within Lebanon. As an ideological, military and political extension of Iran, Hezbollah’s arsenal is intrinsically linked to broader regional dynamics, especially the power balance between Tehran and Washington. Experts agree that local initiatives will be ineffective unless ...

Iran Defends IAEA Break, Accuses Agency Chief of Bias

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, that Tehran halted cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog due to what he called the agency chief's "destructive" behavior towards the Islamic republic, his office said Monday. "The action taken by parliament members... is a natural response to the unjustified, ...

What’s Next, the Scope of Negotiations?

The truce finalized by US President Donald Trump should presumably pave the way to the end of the war and tentatively usher in a peace agreement. Otherwise, the restoration of the status quo ante and the rehabilitation of the older scripts of negotiations are highly questionable. The viability of the truce depends largely on the alternative ...

Netanyahu says 'victory' over Iran yields 'opportunities' to free Gaza hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his country's "victory" over Iran in their 12-day war had created "opportunities", including for freeing Israeli hostages held in Gaza. "Many opportunities have opened up now following this victory. First of all, to rescue the hostages," Netanyahu said in an address to officers of the ...

US Envoy Urges Syria and Lebanon to Pursue Peace with Israel

With the Iran-Israel war opening up a new road for the Mideast, Syria and Lebanon need to reach peace agreements with Israel, the US special envoy to Syria said Sunday. "President (Ahmed) al-Sharaa has indicated that he doesn't hate Israel... and that he wants peace on that border. I think that will also happen with Lebanon. It's a necessity to ...

Iran Voices 'Serious Doubts' over Israel Commitment to Ceasefire

Iran on Sunday said it was not convinced Israel would abide by a ceasefire that ended their 12-day war this week. The most serious escalation to date between the arch-foes erupted on June 13, when Israel launched a bombing campaign in Iran that killed top military commanders and scientists linked to its disputed nuclear program. Israel said its ...