Kiran Sharma

  A senior  Iranian  official warned on Monday (Aug 18) that war with Israel could erupt at any moment, describing the current lull after June’s 12-day conflict as only a temporary halt. “We must be prepared at every moment for confrontation; right now, we are not even in a ceasefire (agreement); we are in a cessation of hostilities,” said First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref. TEMPORARY PAUSE, NOT PEACE The June fighting saw Israel bombard Iranian nuclear and military sites, as well as residential areas, killing more than 1,000 people, including senior commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes that killed dozens in Israel. The United States announced a halt in fighting on Jun 24, two days after it joined the war by bombing Iranian nuclear facilities. But no formal ceasefire was agreed, only an undeclared pause in hostilities. On Sunday, Yahya Rahim Safavi, a military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told I...

  Iran’s Saeed Khatibzadeh met Turkey’s Nuh Yilmaz in Ankara to review bilateral relations, regional issues, and support for Gaza. Saeed Khatibzadeh, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, met on Thursday in Ankara with Nuh Yilmaz, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Turkey. The two sides reviewed the latest developments in bilateral relations, regional issues, and the Islamic world, stressing the importance of expanding cooperation between Iran and Turkey. They also highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the continuation of Israeli aggression, emphasizing the urgent need to support the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza, and to strengthen international efforts to stop the attacks and lift the blockade. Khatibzadeh thanked the Turkish government and people for condemning Israel’s aggression against Iran. Yilmaz expressed Ankara’s interest in deepening ties with Tehran and readiness to expand cooperation in various fields, including support for ...

  The Democratic Alliance (DA) has described comments on Iran by Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) General Rudzani Maphwanya as reckless grandstanding, which comes as relations with the US remain fraught. In a statement, the DA says the comments made by Maphwanya while on an official visit to Tehran were blatant political diplomacy that fell far outside the General’s constitutional and professional mandate. The DA says Maphwanya went well beyond military-to-military discussions — publicly pledging “common goals” with Iran in global affairs and endorsing Tehran’s political positions on the war in Gaza. The party states that foreign policy is the domain of the elected Government of National Unity and must be conducted exclusively through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. The Department of International Relations says only the government or those responsible for South Africa’s foreign policy can make statements. DIRCO spokesperson Chris...

  According to a readout of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, on Monday, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan held a phone conversation with Foreign Minister of Iran Seyed Abbas Araghchi. Minister Mirzoyan touched upon the outcomes of the meetings held in Washington on August 8, including the agreements reached and further activities regarding the unblocking and development of regional communications. Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized that, as previously stated by Armenia on multiple occasions and reflected in the Washington declaration, the operation of infrastructures, including those to be built in Armenia with the partnership with the United States, will take place within the framework of the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and jurisdiction of the respective countries. In this regard, Minister Mirzoyan expressed gratitude to Seyed Abbas Araghchi for the principled stance expressed on the Washington agreements. The interlocutors exchanged views on the preparations for upcoming ...

  Iran said it has executed a man caught working as a spy for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, accusing him of passing on secrets — including information about an Iranian nuclear scientist who was killed in Israel’s recent attacks. Newsweek  has contacted the Israeli Foreign Ministry for comment. Why It Matters The reported execution reflects Iran’s intensifying efforts to root out suspected espionage following the  “12-day war” in June , which saw Israel and the U.S. strike Iranian nuclear facilities. Amir Hatami, the commander in chief of Iran’s military, warned on Sunday that threats from Israel persisted and that Iranian forces “were ready for operations,” Iranian state media reported. Iran executed  three men charged with spying for Israel  on June 24 as part of a sweeping crackdown. Human rights groups have condemned a wave of hundreds of arrests and warned that the  government is using the June conflict  as a pretext to escalate repression. ...

  A group of Iranian scientists linked to Tehran’s controversial defense research unit visited Russian scientific facilities in August 2024, in a covert mission to explore nuclear-related technologies with potential weapons applications. According to the  Financial Times  on August 5, the delegation  sought  access to Russian expertise in dual-use technologies, including tools for simulating nuclear explosions and radioactive isotopes that can enhance the yield of nuclear warheads. The investigation is based on internal correspondence, travel records, and corporate documents obtained from Iranian and Russian sources. The five-member Iranian group was led by nuclear physicist Ali Kalvand, who Western officials identify as a senior figure in Iran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND). The United States has designated SPND as the successor to Iran’s pre-2004 nuclear weapons program. The delegation included representatives from DamavandTec, a Te...

  The human rights organization Hengaw has reported that Iranian authorities executed five Afghan nationals in the month of July 2025. According to the group’s statement released on Sunday (August 3), a total of 96 prisoners were executed in Iran during July, with Afghan citizens among those put to death. The report highlights a significant surge in executions compared to the same period last year. In July 2024, at least 55 individuals were executed, while the July 2025 figures represent a 74.5% increase, amounting to 41 more executions. Earlier this year, the Iran Human Rights Organization reported in its annual review that at least 80 Afghan citizens were executed in Iran in 2024, raising serious concerns over due process and the treatment of foreign nationals within the Iranian judicial system. The rising number of executions, particularly of foreign nationals, has drawn renewed criticism from international human rights advocates, who continue to call for greater transparency an...

  In northwest Iran, three people have had their hands amputated for allegedly committing theft. The men were arrested last year. They had refused to cooperate with the judiciary and return several kilograms of gold and jewelry, the media quoted the judicial authorities in the city of Urmia as saying. The forced amputation of hands for repeat offenders is enshrined in Islamic criminal law and is intended to encourage offenders to repent and prevent further offenses. As a rule, the amputation is carried out by forensic doctors. Internationally — and in Iran itself — draconian punishments such as amputation or stoning are strongly condemned and classified as inhumane.