Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Latest News and Views from Iran and the World

US denies visa to Iran’s polo team

Iran’s national polo team has been barred from participating in the Polo World Cup finals in the US after Washington failed to issue the required visas for the players.

Larijani warns European troika against activating snapback mechanism                  

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has warned that if the so-called “snapback mechanism” is implemented, Tehran will suspend its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Over 2,500 Palestinians killed while seeking food aid in Gaza: Report

Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has affirmed that Israeli soldiers have killed more than 2,500 Palestinians in recent months while they tried to access food aid in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands remain trapped amid acute famine.

Iran, Russia sign $25bn agreement to build four nuclear power units

Iran and Russia have signed a $25 billion agreement to construct four new nuclear power units in southern Iran, officials announced on Friday.

Iranian parliament to debate lawmakers’ call for nuclear strategy shift

Iran’s parliament will review a letter signed by 71 lawmakers calling for changes to the country’s nuclear strategy, according to Deputy Speaker Ali Nikzad. The discussion is scheduled for Sunday, following a two-week recess.

Top Iranian diplomat: US, NATO Responsible for Afghanistan’s Challenges

The Iranian Foreign Minister held the United States and NATO responsible for many of the current challenges facing Afghanistan and the region, saying that the re-establishment of foreign military bases inside or around Afghanistan would constitute a violation of its sovereignty, pose a threat to regional peace and security, and fuel extremism and instability.

Iran’s President: Israel, Backed by US, Has Violated Humanitarian Laws

In a message written in the United Nations guestbook, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian stated while he along with the Iranian delegation attended the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2025, the Zionist regime had trampled upon all UN regulations and human rights laws.

Iran says will never compromise on its rights or security

The Iranian Foreign Minister said the country will never compromise on its rights or security, writing that the agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will remain valid only as long as no hostile action is taken against Iran — including the reinstatement of the revoked UN Security Council resolutions. Otherwise, Iran will consider its practical steps to have come to an end.

Iran FM: E3 Snapback Move in Line with US Maximum Pressure

Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araqchi, asserted that the decision by the three European states to trigger the snapback mechanism against Iran was, from the outset, aligned with the inhumane policy of maximum pressure pursued by the U.S. administration.

Iran nuclear chief dismisses U.S. demands: “We take orders from no one”

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has rejected remarks by the U.S. Secretary of Energy calling for the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, stressing that the Islamic Republic follows its own path and produces all required nuclear products domestically.

Iran’s second-highest peak Alam-Kuh turns white with first autumn snow

The 4,850-meter peak of Alam-Kuh, along with the surrounding Takht-e Soleyman heights, was blanketed in white as the first snowfall of the season touched the towering mountains on the third day of autumn.

Several countries, including US, developing copies of Iran’s Shahed drone: WSJ

Several Western states have begun manufacturing copies of Iran’s Shahed drone, which are not expensive but efficient and accurate, a leading American daily reports.

US pushes 21-point Gaza plan with ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, new administration: Report

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, presented Arab and Muslim leaders with a 21-point plan in New York this week to end the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip and establish a post-Hamas governing framework, Axios news website reported.

Pezeshkian: No talks if only Iran abides by commitments

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized the double standards of the West in a meeting with anti-war activists in New York, questioning the logic of negotiations in which Iran fulfills its obligations while the other side openly violates them.

Ukraine: International institutions are too weak to stop Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed the United Nations as a weak institution that is helpless in stopping war amid his country’s 3 1/2-year defense against Russian soldiers.

Tehran has no plans to pursue nuclear weapons: Iran’s president

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that Tehran considers the development of nuclear weapons to be forbidden according to the fatwa of the Supreme Leader.

Iran’s relations with Europe have not progressed as planned: Pezeshkian

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that the process of strengthening relations with European countries has not progressed as anticipated, leading to current efforts by three European states (Britain, France and Germany) to activate the snapback mechanism.

Syria’s president urges end to all sanctions in his first UN speech

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has called for the lifting of international sanctions against Damascus in his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the country’s first head of state to speak at the gathering in nearly 60 years.

Shooting down Russian fighter jets ‘on the table’: EU chief

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated that shooting down Russian warplanes entering NATO airspace is “on the table.”

Iran’s President Pezeshkian, France’s Macron discuss prospects for agreement

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said a “frank and extensive” conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron has opened a path toward resolving European concerns while safeguarding Iran’s interests.

One million Syrian refugees returned home since al-Assad’s overthrow: UN

The United Nations has announced that one million Syrian refugees have returned to their country since the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last December, while warning that funding for humanitarian operations is falling.

President Pezeshkian warns dialogue will be meaningless if snapback is activated

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has emphasized that if the snapback mechanism is triggered, negotiations would lose their significance.

Yemen’s Houthis conduct drone attack on Israel’s Eilat, wounding 22

Israel’s military announced that a drone launched from Yemen has struck the southern city of Eilat, and rescuers report that at least 22 people are wounded, including two in serious condition.

President Pezeshkian slams US-Israeli attacks against Iran at UN speech

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has condemned the US and Israeli air attacks on Iranian territory during his speech at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Iran announces seizure of massive Israeli weapons intelligence archive

Iran’s Minister of Intelligence Esmaeil Khatib says a substantial cache of Israeli weapons-related intelligence has been successfully transferred to the country.