Sunday, December 14, 2025

Latest News and Views from Iran and the World

Iran says Tehran-Beirut diplomatic relations remain intact

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei has stated that diplomatic relations between Iran and Lebanon remain in place.

Iran urges US to respect Iranian people, their elected establishment

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has called on the United States to respect the Iranian people and the ruling establishment they have chosen.

Iran says IAEA Chief repeating claims, calls for technical and balanced approach

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said comments by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi regarding Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium merely repeat previous claims and do not change existing realities.

Russia ready to ‘test’ Europe in real conflict in next 4 years: Defense commissioner

EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius has warned that Russia could be ready to "test" Europe in a conflict within the next three to four years, stressing the need for the European Union to strengthen its defense capabilities.

Iranian FM Araghchi: Imported solutions cannot bring stability to Afghanistan

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said externally imposed solutions and extra-regional decision-making have failed to bring stability to Afghanistan, stressing that regional cooperation remains the most effective path forward.

Snowfall in the Heights of Tarikdarreh, Iran’s Hamadan

With the drop in temperature and the autumn rain and snow in Hamadan province, western Iran, the heights of Tarikdarreh in Hamadan were covered in white snow.

BRICS offers new model for stronger member cooperation: Iran’s President

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has highlighted the potential of the BRICS group as a valuable platform for enhancing interactions and deepening economic and political ties among member states.

Moscow says EU’s tampering with Russian assets is ‘theft’ no matter how it’s framed

Any endeavours by the EU to tap into the frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank would be illegal under international law, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has stated.

Israel claims to have killed senior Hamas commander in Gaza

The Israeli military claimed it has killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saad in an attack in Gaza City.

Trump vows retaliation after three Americans killed in Daesh attack in Syria 

United States President Donald Trump has pledged to pursue “serious retaliation” against the terror group Daesh after an ambush in central Syria killed two American service members and one civilian interpreter.

Lebanese newspaper claims Beirut has halted acceptance of new Iranian ambassador

The Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar has claimed that Lebanon’s foreign minister has effectively suspended the exchange of ambassadors between Beirut and Tehran by refusing to complete the legal procedures required to accept Iran’s new ambassador.

One-fifth of Iran’s population to be elderly by 2050, expert warns

Iran is facing a rapidly accelerating population aging trend, with people aged 65 and over expected to make up around one-fifth of the country’s population by 2050, according to Amirhossein Ghasemi, CEO of the Hamyari Institute.

Iran’s women’s youth goalball team wins gold at Para-Asian Youth Games in Dubai

Iran’s women’s youth goalball team has claimed the championship at the Para-Asian Youth Games in Dubai.

Marble Palace, Iran Art Museum

The Marble Palace is considered one of the most beautiful and valuable tourist attractions in Tehran, located in the city center. This building, known as the Iran Art Museum, dates back to the era of the first Pahlavi dynasty.

Israel approves several new West Bank settlements in major annexation push

Israel’s security cabinet has signed off on plans to formalise 19 illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank—a move that Palestinian officials say deepens a decades-long project of land theft and demographic engineering.

Minister: Worst of flu wave to end in Iran in 3 weeks   

Iran’s Minister of Health Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi has said the country is expected to exit the peak of the influenza outbreak within two to three weeks.

US stormed cargo ship travelling from China to Iran: Wall Street Journal

United States raided a cargo ship travelling from China to Iran last month, according to the Wall Street Journal, in the latest reported instance of increasingly aggressive maritime tactics by the administration of American President Donald Trump.

Trump’s envoy to meet Zelensky, European leaders over US peace plan: WSJ

U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and European leaders in Brussels over the weekend as discussions on Washington-proposed peace framework aimed at ending Russia's war continue, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has reported.

US withheld intelligence from Israel during Biden era: Reuters

US intelligence officials temporarily suspended sharing some key information with Israel during the Joe Biden administration over concerns about its conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip, six people familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency.

Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant produces more than 72bn kWh of electricity: Iranian official

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has announced that Unit One of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in southern Iran continues to operate with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts and has so far generated more than 72 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.

Iran says seized foreign tanker carrying 6mn liters of smuggled diesel in Oman Sea

The Chief Justice of Hormozgan Province in Southern Iran has announced that Tehran has seized an oil tanker carrying 6 million liters of smuggled diesel fuel off the coast of the Oman Sea.

EU indefinitely freezes Russian funds, moves closer to financial lifeline for Ukraine

The European Union has agreed to indefinitely freeze Russian central bank reserves, moving the bloc a step closer to securing a financial lifeline to Ukraine as the war heads into its fourth year.

UN General Assembly adopts resolution asking Israel to allow aid into Gaza Strip

The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly supported a resolution demanding that Israel open unrestricted humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, stop attacking UN facilities, and comply with international law in line with its obligations as an occupying power.

Covid-19 vaccines linked to heart damage: Report

Certain Covid-19 vaccines can trigger immune responses that may inflame heart tissue and lead to potentially fatal complications in rare cases, with young men being especially susceptible, a new study has revealed.

Turkish-owned vessels damaged in Russian attack on Ukrainian ports

Russia has attacked two Ukrainian ports, damaging three Turkish-owned vessels, including a ship carrying food supplies, according to Ukrainian officials and a shipowner.