Iran

US bargains over Iran’s unrest

The US has voiced willingness to end support for Iran’s protest movement if Tehran stops selling drones to Moscow and makes concessions on its nuclear program. There is a long history of western powers fuelling public unrest in Iran, even pre-dating the establishment of the Islamic Republic. But what makes …

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The Saudi-Iran rivalry stumbles into Pakistan

Riyadh’s interest in Pakistan’s Gwadar port is of particular concern for Tehran and its vital oil trade with China. A $10 billion Saudi Aramco refinery is being built near the port city of Gwadar in Pakistan, about 169 kilometers (km) east of Iran’s Chabahar port in the western Sistan and …

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Can Hungary act as a bridge between Iran and Europe?

As Budapest actively implements its own “Look to the East” policy, Tehran will find a potentially useful partner in Europe. Upon signing the protocol of the third session of the joint commission for economic cooperation between Iran and Hungary on 16 November, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó expressed support for …

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Iran: To veil or not to veil

During a two-week visit to Iran in November, I witnessed women of all ages walking freely on the streets without the hijab. But, what we’re not told, is that they have been doing so for years. The explosion of protests in Iran that began in September were not about the …

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Iran: FM Reasserts Sovereignty Over Persian Gulf Trio Islands

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian described the three islands in the Persian Gulf as inseparable and eternal parts of Iran, stressing that Tehran will by no means compromise on its territorial integrity.  “The islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb in the Persian Gulf are inseparable …

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Iranian Influence Fuels Injustice In Iraq – OpEd

An Iraqi court judgment imprisoning a young man for criticizing a governmental entity sparked anger and rejection in the southern province of Nasiriyah last week, prompting hundreds of young people to demonstrate and confront the security forces, who killed at least two demonstrators. The story began when 20-year-old Haider Al-Zaidi …

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The Turkish connection: How Erdoğan’s confidant helped Iran finance terror

On March 22 of 2021, several of the world’s most dangerous men descended on Beirut’s historic seaside Summerland Hotel — not to swim in the Mediterranean or explore the sumptuous resort’s “Le Beach Pop Up,” but to talk Turkey.   The meeting was a secret one, between a delegation of senior Iranian …

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U.S. Internationalizes Iran’s Unrest

The ongoing unrest in Iran since mid-September following the death of a Kurdish woman in police custody shows no signs of abating as of now. The unrest has drawn support from all social strata and assumed anti-government overtones. The efficacy of suppressing the unrest is doubtful. Iran is entering a …

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‘Not a choice, but necessity:’ Iran, India recalibrating ties amid geopolitical shifts

Following a drop in trade brought on by US sanctions, New Delhi and Tehran – boosted by their mutual strong relations with Moscow – are set to revamp ties in a new era of Eurasian multipolarity. “Not a choice, but a necessity.” That’s how Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri …

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Iran-linked militia in Iraq threatens Saudi Arabia as Iraqi PM visits Tehran

Kataib Hezbollah are calling for more attacks on Saudi Arabia amid wrangling over who should protect the country’s borders. As Iran warns of a possible cross-border ground operation into Iraqi Kurdistan, an armed faction operating within Iraq has called for Iran-linked armed groups across the region to take the fight to …

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