Latest News and Views from Iran and the World

NATO member states ‘considering’ sending troops to Ukraine: Report

Several US allies within NATO are “inching closer” to sending military forces into Ukraine to train its armed forces, the New York Times has reported. Some American military contractors are already on the ground to repair Washington-supplied weapons systems.

Sixteen Democrats join Republicans to override White House’s halt on bomb transfers to Israel amid Gaza war

Sixteen Democratic lawmakers have joined Republicans to pass a bill that would force the administration of President Joe Biden to expedite all approved arms shipments to Israel, including those that the White House has delayed over concerns about its attack on Rafah in the Southern Gaza Strip.

Ukraine calls on US to help locate targets in Russia

Kiev has urged Washington to provide intelligence on targets on Russian soil, as the Ukrainian Armed Forces lose ground on the battlefield, the Wall Street Journal has reported, saying US administration officials have begun to review the request.

Iran’s national Taekwondo team stand on top of Asia

Iran's national men's Taekwondo team won the Asian championship by scooping 3 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals.

French report slams Turkey for interference in New Caledonia unrest

A popular French radio station has claimed that Ankara is suspected of stirring unrest in the overseas French territory of New Caledonia, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean near Australia.

Most Britons support immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli arms embargo: Poll

More than 70 percent of British people back an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, a new survey indicates as pressure rises on the government to adopt a firmer stance against Israel.

Iranian, Azerbaijani presidents to inaugurate dam on Aras River on Sunday

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi will jointly inaugurate with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev a dam on the Aras River on Sunday.

Iranian discus thrower Amiri stripped of silver medal at Tokyo world championship games

Iranian discus thrower Hamed Amiri’s silver medal at the 2024 World Championships in Tokyo was stripped after several other competing athletes made technical objections.

Hamas: US floating pier for Gaza aid publicity stunt

The Palestinian group Hamas has rejected Washington's establishment of a temporary floating pier designed to increase the amount of aid getting into the besieged Gaza Strip as a publicity stunt “to beautify its ugly face".

Egypt has destroyed over 2,000 Gaza tunnels: Report

Secret military documents obtained by Middle East Eye revealed the scale of Egyptian operations to destroy tunnels between the Sinai peninsula and the Gaza Strip built to circumvent the Israel-imposed blockade of the enclave.

Official: Some 12% of US aid to Ukraine ‘delinquent or unaccounted for’

Some 12 percent of US security aid provided to Ukraine from January 1 through March 31 was delinquent or unaccounted for, the US Defense Department Inspector General has announced in a quarterly oversight report of US support for Ukraine.

Israeli military says bodies of three hostages found in Gaza

The Israeli military has announced the discovery of the bodies of three Israeli hostages taken by Hamas in the October 2023 attack.

Putin says Russia has no plan to seize Ukraine’s Kharkiv

Moscow has no intention of capturing the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which is close to the Russian border, President Vladimir Putin has claimed. The remarks came as the Russian armed forces have been making notable gains in the area in recent days.

Huge rallies in Iran in tribute to Imam Reza

Huge rallies took place in 10 cities across Iran to pay tribute the 8th Shia Imam Ali Ibn Moussa al-Reza, whose shrine is in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.

Heavy rains cause new flooding in northeastern Iran

Torrential rains once again trigger flash floods in Iran’s northeast.

Iranian UN envoy: US spreads lies about Tehran to justify attacks on Yemen

Iran’s permanent representative to the UN Amir Saeed Iravani strongly rejects US claims that the Islamic Republic is supplying arms to Yemen’s Ansarullah movement.

Republic of Azerbaijan to relocate embassy in Tehran; mission to resume work soon

The Republic of Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has announced it is moving it embassy in Tehran to a new location and will resume its diplomatic activities after it shut the premises over a year ago.

Veteran Iranian actress Zahra Khoshkam passes away

Renowned Iranian actress Zahra Khoshkam, whose acting career spanned over five decades, passed away at the age of 77 on Friday. The cause her death was not publicized.

Iran raps Arab League stance on three Persian Gulf islands

The spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Kanaani, has condemned as unacceptable the clause related to the three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf in the statement of the 33rd meeting of the Arab League leaders in Bahrain.

Iran UN envoy stresses Tehran still a neutral party in Ukraine war

Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations Amir Saeed Iravani says his country’s impartial position since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict has remained unchanged.

Russia and China say their relations at “the best period in their history”

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed to strengthen ties across energy, trade, security and geopolitics, as both parties displayed their close relationship against the backdrop of regional unrest.

Israel says to send additional forces for Rafah operation

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday revealed plans to send additional troops to join an ongoing ground attack in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, defying international calls for a halt to the invasion.

Arab League calls for UN peacekeepers in occupied Palestinian territory

The Arab League has called for the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping force in the occupied Palestinian territory at a summit dominated by the war on the Gaza Strip.

Zelensky says military situation in Kharkiv ‘extremely difficult’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted the military condition in the northeastern Kharkiv region was "extremely difficult", but still "under control", after a meeting with his military chiefs near the front line.

South Africa calls on ICJ to halt Israel’s ‘genocidal’ Rafah invasion

South Africa has urged an end to Israel's "genocidal" war in the Gaza Strip and for its attack on the southern city of Rafah to be halted, in a new submission at the International Court of Justice  (ICJ).