Kiran Sharma

  Irans Foreign Ministry strongly condemned a new round of US sanctions targeting the countrys energy and oil industries, calling them a direct attack on the Iranian people and national dignity. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement Thursday that the sanctions, which target115 individuals, institutions, and vessels, reveal Washingtons deep-seated hostility toward Iran. These sanctions are a clear sign of the American authorities enmity against the Iranian nation, Baqaei said. He stressed that the aim of the US pressure campaign is to paralyze Irans development, incite internal unrest, and undermine the livelihoods and rights of ordinary citizens. Baqaei noted that such hostile measures have been a consistent feature of US policy toward Iran over the past seven decades. He also pointed to the USs throwing unprecedented support behind the Israeli regimes unprovoked war on the Islamic Republic last month. The Iranian people, fully aware of the malicious intent ...

  Baghaei made the remarks in response to IRNA asking about US President Donald Trump’s recent claims regarding the involvement of Iran in the Gaza ceasefire talks. Speaking alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer following their meeting on Monday, Trump claimed that Iran “interjected themselves” into the latest round of ceasefire talks in Qatar. “I think they got involved in this negotiation, telling Hamas and giving Hamas signals and orders. And that’s not good,” he further claimed. In response, Baghaei noted, “Iran, in unison with the majority of nations, strongly condemns the genocide in Gaza and supports any process that can halt the atrocities and alleviate the sufferings of the oppressed people of Gaza.” He underlined that Hamas negotiators are “fully capable of discerning and pursuing the best interests of the oppressed people of Gaza, rendering any third-party interference unnecessary.” He categorically dismissed allegations of Iran’s interference in the negotiations...

  The United Nations nuclear watchdog will make a visit to Iran within the next two weeks, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says, a few days after the watchdog’s director said Tehran is ready to restart technical conversations. Baghaei adds that a manual regarding the future of Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency will be presented, based on a recent parliamentary bill restricting such cooperation. The bill was passed following Iran’s 12-day war with Israel last month, in which Israel targeted Iran’s nuclear program. Shortly before the war, the IAEA issued a scathing report accusing Iran of violating nuclear safeguards, angering the Islamic Republic.

  Blistering temperatures across several provinces in Iran led the government to declare a public holiday on Wednesday, a step taken to protect citizens and a power grid that critics say is aging and mismanaged. Temperatures soared over 125 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the country, and banks, businesses and government offices in the capital, Tehran, shut down.  Similar public holidays have been announced in recent years  due to sweltering heat. The extreme temperatures have put a strain on the country’s power infrastructure, which was already reeling from devastating attacks by Israel during a 12-day war, and could develop into a full-blown water and energy crisis. Tehran resident   Mahsa Karimi, 35, took her 6-month-old son to the doctor at a clinic in the city and found there was no electricity. “I couldn’t stand it so I just turned around and went home,” she told NBC News. “When there’s no power, banks are closed, the whole system just stops,” Tehran restaurant ...

  Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi met with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in Tehran on Tuesday to discuss the situation of Afghan refugees in Iran and ongoing efforts to facilitate their return to Afghanistan. According to a statement from Iran’s Foreign Ministry, the two sides reviewed the current level of cooperation between the Iranian government and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), with a focus on repatriation strategies and support for returnees. Araghchi highlighted Iran’s decades-long role as a host to millions of Afghan refugees and displaced persons, stating that Tehran remains committed to advancing a comprehensive plan for the voluntary return of refugees and the repatriation of undocumented migrants. He urged stronger cooperation from both the Afghan authorities and the UN in accelerating return efforts and called for concrete steps to create employment and reintegration opportunities for returnees inside Afghanistan. “After mor...

  The Wall Street Journal reported that a 12-day cyber campaign, attributed to Israel, targeted  Iran ’s financial infrastructure, specifically aiming to undermine the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The hacker group Predatory Sparrow, which the report links to the Israeli government, claimed responsibility for attacking Bank Saderat (referred to as Bank Seraph in some contexts), Iran’s oldest and largest state-owned bank and a central financial institution for the IRGC. The cyberattack deleted critical banking data, halted military payroll systems, and disrupted both online and in-branch services, causing ATMs to go offline and stopping salary and pension payments across the country. The operation extended to Nobitex, Iran’s dominant cryptocurrency exchange, where hackers extracted $90 million in digital assets tied to the IRGC. Predatory Sparrow reportedly transferred these funds to blockchain addresses where they could not be recovered, effectively “burning” the a...

  Nearly 12,000 Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan in the past 24 hours via the Islam Qala crossing in Herat and the Silk Bridge crossing in Nimroz, marking a drop in returnees against the daily rate for the past few weeks. According to the High Commission for Refugees of the Islamic Emirate, this figure of 12,000 included more than 2,000 families. Officials report that while the daily number of returnees has dropped compared to recent weeks, humanitarian response mechanisms at key border points have improved considerably. At Islam Qala alone, over 10,000 individuals reportedly crossed the border within a single day. Local authorities credit enhanced coordination and the activation of multiple relief committees for the more organized delivery of aid. “The process is becoming more structured, and support mechanisms are now better aligned with the needs of returnees,” a Herat provincial official stated. Afghan security forces have also been deployed to manage border operations a...

  The United States has just escalated its economic pressure on Iran, slapping fresh sanctions on a key player in the country’s lucrative liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector.  Seyed Asadoollah Emamjomeh, a powerful Iranian energy magnate, and his corporate network have been targeted by the U.S. Treasury, accused of funneling hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian LPG and crude oil to global markets. This bold move comes at a critical moment — just as Washington and Tehran engage in delicate negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. Is this a strategic play to force concessions, or could it derail the talks entirely? The timing of these sanctions is no coincidence. Over the past two weeks, U.S. and Iranian officials have held two rounds of talks — first in Oman, then in Rome — with both sides describing the discussions as “positive and constructive.” Yet, the Treasury’s latest action, framed as part of the Biden administration’s “maximum pressure campaign,” sen...

  Amidst a pollution crisis sparked by rampant use of substandard fuels and poor industrial infrastructure, Iran’s government has found a new scapegoat for Tehran’s toxic air: the June 2025 conflict with Israel. On July 13, 2025, Iran’s Department of Environment  claimed  that Israeli airstrikes on two fuel depots in Tehran on June 15 released “47,000 tons of greenhouse gases” and that this was responsible for the capital’s air pollution crisis. But the science does not add up. Pollution from a fuel depot explosion might linger for a few days, possibly a week in extreme cases, but not a full month. More importantly, Iran is among the world’s top polluters. According to the  Global Carbon Project  and  BP’s energy data , Iran emits over 800 million tons of carbon dioxide annually from fossil fuels, making it the sixth-largest emitter globally. To put that in perspective, the government’s cited 47,000 tons represents less than one-thousandth of Iran’s monthly...

  The energy landscape is shifting, and Russia and Iran are making a bold move. During high-level talks, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and Iran’s Minister of Petroleum Mohsen Paknejad agreed to advance plans for new overland gas corridors between the two nations.  This strategic partnership could reshape global energy trade, reducing Western influence and creating a powerful alliance in the East. But what does this mean for Europe, and how will it impact the already volatile energy market? Russia, facing Western sanctions and dwindling European demand, is aggressively seeking alternative markets. Iran, rich in natural gas but hampered by U.S. sanctions, sees an opportunity to leverage Russia’s infrastructure and expertise. The proposed gas corridors would strengthen both economies while undermining traditional energy routes to Europe. With the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) deepening ties with Iran, this could signal a new era of energy independence for both na...

  Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has called on the country’s judiciary to seriously pursue legal action, both domestically and internationally, against recent US-Israeli “criminal” acts. Speaking to top judicial officials on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that “the collar of the criminal must not be released,” urging long-term legal follow-up even if it takes decades. Highlighting a national display of strength, the Leader praised the Iranian people for their resolve in the 12-day conflict in June, stating that the confrontation was not merely military but a demonstration of national will and self-confidence. “A nation that can stand face-to-face against the power of the US and its Zionist proxy in the region is demonstrating a very significant value,” he said. Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that Iran will not appear weak in any arena, be it diplomacy or military confrontation, declaring, “We have all the necessary tools: logic and power. Whenever we enter a fie...

  Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to promptly review the situation regarding the recent Israeli aggression against Iran, urging the body to adopt measures offering Tehran essential political backing and related support. Speaking at the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO held in China on Tuesday, Araghchi submitted several proposals by Iran aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and standing of the organization. He proposed “establishing a permanent mechanism to monitor, document, and coordinate responses to military aggression, acts of sabotage, state-sponsored terrorism, and violations of member states’ national sovereignty.” He also called for creating a “Center for Sanctions Studies and Countermeasures” tasked with developing operational strategies to combat unlawful unilateral sanctions, safeguard supply chains, protect banking systems, and secure trade exchanges among member states. The top Iranian di...

  The influence of the Muslim brotherhood is not a conspiracy in France but is a recorded fact. A 73-page report released by the French government documents how the group, under its French arm named Musulmans de France, is creating parallel ecosystems to substitute the republican values with religious power. Reach: The report also cites the Averroes School in Lille which is teaching anti-secular curricula as well as 280 associations linked with Muslim Brotherhood. The rhetoric of the Brotherhood is cautious: it publicly condemns extremism and privately administers norms of living in accordance with Sharia. Active measures: The steps which have been undertaken by President Macron are reactive and include asset freezes and enhanced financial controls. Analysts believe that France must launch an active ideological attack on both the extremists and the mainstream Muslims, particularly in their fight against the Brotherhood that has started turning their attention to Europe, since they ...