Sunday, December 21, 2025

Iran News

Iran Front Page offers a handpicked set of the latest news and views from Iran and the Middle East

UK behind anti-Iran moves at Manama conference: Leader’s advisor

The United Kingdom played a behind-the-scenes role in driving anti-Iran positions at the 21st Manama Dialogue Conference in Bahrain, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser on international affairs to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has stated.

Ukraine facing widespread power cuts after generating capacity reduced to ‘zero’ by Russian strikes

Power will be cut for between eight and 16 hours across most regions of Ukraine on Sunday, state transmission system operator Ukrenergo has announced, after Russian raids targeting energy infrastructure reduced the country’s generating capacity to “zero”.

Iran facing severe drought and water supply crisis, officials warn

Iran is experiencing one of the most severe drought periods in the last five decades, the head of the National Center for Climate and Drought Crisis Management said, warning that major cities are under growing pressure due to water shortages.

MbS doubles down on terms for Israel ties before talks with Trump: Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump has been talking up the prospects of Saudi Arabia agreeing to normalise ties with Israel, but it is unlikely to happen when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits Washington this month.

Iran FM says no basis for resuming talks with US

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi said there is currently no possibility of resuming negotiations with the United States, citing “lack of constructive behavior” from Washington.

Iran says underground missile, nuclear infrastructure remains intact after US-Israeli strikes

Iran’s senior civil defense official said the country’s underground missile infrastructure and fortified military facilities sustained no significant damage during the recent 12-day conflict with the US-Israeli alliance, emphasizing that decades of planning have ensured continuity of Iran’s defense capabilities.

Syrian president arrives in US for landmark visit

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa has arrived in the United States for a landmark official visit. It comes a day after Washington removed him from a terrorism blacklist.

EU economies will suffer without tapping Russia’s funds: Brussels

European Union member states will face ballooning deficits and debt unless they agree to use frozen Russian assets as collateral to fund Ukraine amid the war, the European Commission has warned in a document seen by the Financial Times.

Gaza death toll surges past 69,000

Israel’s military has killed at least three Palestinians in attacks across the Gaza Strip despite a United States-brokered ceasefire, as authorities in the war-torn territory reported that the overall death toll has now risen above 69,000.

Israeli attacks kill 3 in Lebanon

Three people have been killed in an Israeli air attack in Lebanon, according to the country’s National News Agency (NNA), in the latest flagrant violation of a one-year-old ceasefire.

Ukraine hits desertion record amid war with Russia: BBC

More than 21,000 soldiers deserted the Ukrainian armed forces and left without leave last month, BBC Ukraine has reported.

Germany says NATO to deploy 800,000 troops in case of war with Russia

Berlin is prepared for a war with Moscow and stands ready to facilitate the deployment of 800,000 NATO troops towards the Russian border, the head of the nation’s joint operations command, Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank, has stated.

Israeli settler attacks hit highest monthly toll in nearly 2 decades: UN

The United Nations has warned of a sharp rise in illegal Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, marking the highest monthly toll in October in nearly 20 years.

Israeli military lawyers doubted legality of Gaza onslaught: Reuters

Israeli military lawyers were reportedly concerned about the growing body of evidence suggesting that Tel Aviv’s actions in the Gaza Strip could amount to war crimes, according to US intelligence gathered during the first year of the conflict, five former American officials told Reuters.

EU tightening visa rules for Russian

The European Commission adopted stricter rules on issuing visas to Russian citizens, who will be largely banned from receiving multi-entry visas, the EU has announced.

Turkey issues genocide arrest warrant against Israeli PM over Gaza war

Ankara has issued arrest warrants for alleged genocide against the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and senior officials within his government over the war in the Gaza Strip.

Tehran unveils “Kneeling Before Iran” monument at Enghelab Square

The unveiling ceremony for a new public monument titled “Kneeling Before Iran” was held on Saturday at Enghelab Square in the capital.

Statue depicting Roman Emperor Valerian installed in Tehran after public unveiling

A large crowd gathered on Friday evening in Tehran’s Enghelab Square for the unveiling of a new statue depicting the Roman Emperor Valerian kneeling before the Sassanian ruler Shapur I.

Iran calls for U.S. accountability and reparations after Trump admits involvement in Israeli strikes

Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations has urged the United States to be held accountable and to compensate the Iranian people, following President Donald Trump’s public acknowledgment of Washington’s role in Israel’s attacks on Iran.

Türkiye rejects US pressure to give up S-400s: Bloomberg

Ankara continues to resist Washington's demands to abandon its Russian-made S-400 air defense systems, but is eager to make some concessions to the Americans on the issue, Bloomberg has reported.

Kremlin dismisses Lavrov fell out of favor with Putin after canceled Trump summit

Speculation that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov fell out of favor with Russian President Vladimir Putin is not true, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has stated.

Afghanistan says peace talks with Pakistan failed again

Afghanistan's Taliban government has announced the latest round of peace negotiations with Pakistan had failed, blaming Islamabad's "irresponsible and uncooperative" approach and stoking fears of further violence.

Britain lifts sanctions on Syrian president

London has lifted sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, following a United Nations decision to remove him from its terrorist list. The move comes ahead of the Syrian leader’s planned visit to the United States.

US admission ‘irrefutable’ evidence of its ‘direct involvement’ in Israeli attacks: Iran

Iran has stressed that the United States has a direct involvement in Israel’s June aggression on Tehran, citing recent remarks by American President Donald Trump as clear evidence of Washington’s complicity.

Britain and Baltic countries simulate war with Russia: Politico

Several northern European countries, including the United Kingdom, Nordic, and Baltic states, rehearsed a military conflict with Russia at a gathering in northern Norway this week, Politico has reported. Ukrainian Defense Minister Denis Shmigal reportedly also attended.