Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Latest News and Views from Iran and the World

Judiciary: Death sentence for controversial Iranian singer Tataloo undergoing final appeal

Iran’s judiciary confirmed that the Iranian pop singer Amirhossein Maghsoudloo, known as Tataloo, faces a potential death sentence currently under review by the Supreme Court, but dismissed his recent claim of imminent execution as premature.

US blocking G7 statement denouncing Russia’s attack against Sumy: Bloomberg

The U.S. has told the other G7 member states it would not support a joint statement condemning Russia's deadly attack on Ukraine's Sumy last week so as not to disrupt peace efforts, Bloomberg has reported, citing undisclosed sources.

Witkoff overstepped his authority when discussing Ukraine’s territory: Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelensky sharply reacted to a statement from US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who said a Ukraine peace deal will include settling the issue of Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.

Argentina Envoy Summoned to Iran Foreign Ministry over AMIA Allegations

In reaction to the "unlawful and internationally inappropriate" actions of the Argentine Prosecutor’s Office in accusing high-ranking Iranian officials, Issa Kameli, Director General for the Americas at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, summoned Argentina’s Chargé d’Affaires in Tehran. 

WHO says member states reached deal to tackle future pandemics

The Members of the World Health Organization have reached an agreement to prepare the world for future pandemics after more than three years of negotiations, the organisation announced on Wednesday.

Iranian chess players make history, secure three spots in FIDE World Cup

Iranian chess players delivered an outstanding performance at the West Asian Zonal Championships, earning three coveted spots in the upcoming FIDE World Cup.

Israel has killed over 70 civilians in Lebanon since ceasefire: UN

The United Nations has announced at least 71 civilians have been killed by Israel in Lebanon since a ceasefire was struck at the end of last year.

Trump’s envoy reverses stance on Iran nuclear enrichment

US President Donald Trump’s foreign envoy Steve Witkoff has backpedaled comments he made a day earlier about the US position on nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Iranian president expresses gratitude to outgoing strategic deputy Zarif, appoints Esmaeili as successor

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian has expressed his appreciation for the contributions of Mohammad Javad Zarif during his tenure as Strategic Deputy to the President who stepped down, largely due to the far-right Perseverance Front's pressure, over his children’s American citizenship.

Gaza death toll surges past 51,000 as Israel continues onslaught

Israeli air attacks on the Gaza Strip killed at least 17 more Palestinians in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll from the war since October 2023 to 51,000, the Health Ministry announced on Tuesday.

US says Russia open to Ukraine peace deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to a “permanent peace” agreement with Ukraine, United States special envoy Steve Witkoff has stated.

Iran warns Israel seeks eradication of Palestine, urges UN Security Council intervention

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Esmail Baqaei, has warned about Israel's plans to annihilate the Palestinian nation, calling on international bodies, particularly the UN Security Council, to stop the Zionist regime's crimes and its genocide of Palestinians.

Iran Leader says national issues must not be tied to Oman talks, highlights distrust of US

The Leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, referring to the recent Iran-U.S. talks in Oman, emphasized that the country's affairs must not be tied to negotiations, and neither excessive optimism nor pessimism should be adopted toward the talks.

IRGC: Iran’s defense capabilities ‘non-negotiable’

A spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has emphasized that Iran's national security and military capabilities are not up for any negotiations under any circumstances.

US says approved sale of Eitan PowerPack engines to Israel

The US State Department approved the potential sale of Eitan Powerpack engines and related equipment to Israel, the Pentagon has announced.

European energy giants consider restoring gas supplies from Russia’s Gazprom: Reuters

A number of energy companies in France and Germany are considering resuming gas supplies from Russia amid the war in Ukraine, Reuters has reported.

Iranian teacher suspended over alleged student corporal punishment

A teacher in a village in Iran’s western Kordestan province has been suspended following allegations of physically punishing students at an elementary school, according to the Province's Education Department.

Iran’s culture minister: Decline of domestic media authority poses national security threat

Iran’s Minister of Culture, Seyed Abbas Salehi, has issued a stark warning about the erosion of domestic media’s credibility, calling it a direct threat to national security.

Over 70% of Gaza schools directly hit by Israel: UN

More than 70% of schools in the Gaza Strip have been directly hit by Israel since October 2023, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has announced.

Thousands of Israeli academics, teachers, medics sign petitions to release hostages in Gaza

More than 9,500 Israeli academics, teachers, and medical professionals, as well as approximately 1,000 parents, signed petitions urging the government in Tel Aviv to secure the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, even if it meant ending the war in the besieged enclave.

Dust Storm in Iran’s Khuzestan Province Sends Hundreds to Hospitals; Government, Educational Institutions Shut Down

An official from Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Khuzestan Province, southern Iran, reported that a dust storm engulfing the province since Monday evening has sent 800 patients with heart and respiratory conditions to hospitals and medical centers.

Turkey detains Iranian academic in controversial arrest, Iran demands immediate release

Turkish authorities have detained Ahmadreza Beyzaie, an Iranian university professor and writer, in an unexplained arrest that has drawn sharp criticism from Iranian officials.

US lawmakers look to bolster Ukraine, sanction Russia: Reuters

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced legislation to boost Ukraine in its war with Russia, another attempt to pressure the administration of President Donald Trump to back the Kyiv government, sources familiar with the effort have stated.

Gaza facing ‘worst’ humanitarian crisis since Israel’s attacks began: UN

The United Nations has warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is now "likely to be the worst it has been" since Israel's relentless attacks began 18 months ago.

Trump blasts Zelensky for Russia’s war against Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin started the war against Ukraine, but he also continued to cast blame on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former US President Joe Biden.