About: Iran
Chizhov: Russia is well-placed to play a constructive role in Afghanistan
In a wide-ranging interview, the Russian ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov discussed Afghanistan, the ‘Crimea Platform’, carbon border tax, COVID and vaccines, and the new political season.
Factbox: Will the Afghan crisis trigger a new refugee crisis for Europe?
The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has stoked fears of an exodus of Afghans and a repeat of Europe's 2016/16 migration crisis, when more than a million people from the Middle East fled to the continent and resettled there.
Russia says Kabul seems safer under Taliban than it was under Ghani
Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan praised the Taliban's conduct and said the group, still officially designated a terrorist organisation in Russia, had made Kabul safer in the first 24 hours than it had been under the previous authorities.
Iran’s Raisi names US-sanctioned Mokhber as first VP
Iran's new ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday (8 August) named the chairman of a powerful state-owned foundation sanctioned by the United States as his first vice-president, the president's official website said.
Hardline cleric Raisi sworn in as Iran president amid tensions with West
Hardline Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took the oath of office before parliament on Thursday (5 August), with the Islamic Republic's clerical rulers facing growing crises at home and abroad.
New Iranian president to take oath before parliament
New President Ebrahim Raisi takes the oath before parliament Thursday, with Iran facing an economy battered by US sanctions, a grinding health crisis and thorny negotiations on the 2015 nuclear deal.
Half of EU vaccinated as Covid returns to China’s Wuhan
Half of the European Union's population has now been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, an AFP tally showed Tuesday, as China's Wuhan said it would test all 11 million residents after the virus returned to where it first emerged.
NATO warns Iran to respect shipping after tanker attack
The NATO alliance Tuesday condemned a deadly attack on an Israeli-operated tanker last week, and urged Iran to respect international shipping rules.
Israel says EU diplomat should not attend Iran inauguration
Israel's foreign ministry on Monday (2 August) said a European Union decision to send diplomat Enrique Mora to this week's inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi showed "poor judgment".
Borrell: Janša doesn’t represent the EU on Iran
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday (12 July) sought to distance the bloc from comments made by Slovenia’s Prime minister at a meeting of an Iranian opposition group that enraged Tehran. Iran’s foreign ministry has slammed Slovenian premier...
Biden to host Merkel at White House in push to improve ties
US President Joe Biden will host a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel next Thursday (15 July) to affirm "deep and enduring" ties between the NATO allies while also tackling some areas of disagreement, the White House said on Friday.
Undeclared conflict? America’s battles with Iran-backed militia escalate
US President Joe Biden’s latest strikes against Iran-backed militia in Syria and Iraq were not the first nor likely the last of his young presidency.
Republicans urge Biden to end Iran talks over Hamas rockets
US Republicans on Thursday (13 May) stepped up calls on President Joe Biden to end talks to return to a nuclear agreement with Iran as the clerical state’s ally Hamas fires rockets into Israel. The United States has been holding...
Blinken in UK as G7 foreign ministers discuss in-person Russia, China
Britain this week hosts the first face-to-face meeting of G7 foreign ministers in two years, joined by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as world powers tackle pandemic recovery plus growing tensions with Russia and China.
Israel retaliates after Syrian missile lands near nuclear reactor
A Syrian surface-to-air missile exploded in southern Israel on Thursday (22 April), the Israeli military said, in an incident that triggered warning sirens in an area near the secretive Dimona nuclear reactor.
Beijing huddles with autocratic friends, seeks to fracture US-led ‘clique’
China is shoring up ties with autocratic partners like Russia and Iran, as well as economically dependent regional countries, while using sanctions and threats to try to fracture the alliances the United States is building against it.
Iran suspends cooperation with EU in various fields over sanctions
Iran's foreign ministry said Monday (12 April) it is suspending cooperation with the European Union in various fields following the bloc's decision to blacklist several Iranian security officials over a 2019 protest crackdown.
Twitter removes hundreds of accounts linked to Iran, Russia, Armenia
Twitter said on Tuesday (23 February) it had taken down 373 accounts which it said had ties to Russia, Armenia and Iran and had breached its platform manipulation policies.
In first for Europe, Iranian diplomat faces sentencing for terrorism
An Iranian diplomat accused of planning to bomb a meeting of an exiled opposition group is to be sentenced in the first trial of an Iranian official for suspected terrorism in the European Union since Iran's 1979 revolution.
Turkey blocks Cyprus from joining UN disarmament talks
Talks aimed at overcoming a years-long deadlock over disarmament at the United Nations began in acrimony on Monday (18 January) with two countries blocking rivals from taking part in widely criticised manoeuvres that sparked concern about the forum’s future.
Fearing famine, UN calls on US to reverse Huthi ‘terrorists’ label
The United States must cancel its decision to classify Yemen's Huthi rebels as "terrorists" to avoid a catastrophic famine, several United Nations officials told the Security Council on Thursday (14 January).
EU criticises US labelling Yemen Huthi rebels as ‘terrorists’
The European Union on Tuesday (12 January) hit out at the decision by the United States to label Yemen's Huthi rebels as "terrorists", warning it could hinder peace efforts and aid deliveries.
France, other European countries withdraw from Iran business forum over execution
France said on Sunday (13 December) its ambassador to Iran would not participate in an online business forum in Tehran this week, in a growing row between Iran and European nations over the execution of Iranian dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam.