Iran News | Iran Daily News | Middle East News - Yahoo Maktoob News

Iran protests Nigeria army crackdown on Shiites

Wed, 16 Dec 2015 00:08:14 +0300

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has telephoned his Nigerian counterpart to protest the army's deadly crackdown on pro-Iranian Shiites in the north of the African country, media reported Tuesday. Rouhani called President Muhammadu Buhari to say that "minor disputes must not be allowed to turn into deep differences" among Muslims, the reports said. Nigeria's charge d'affaires was told by the foreign ministry in Tehran late Monday that Iran "demands the Nigerian government immediately shed light on the incidents, treat the injured and compensate for damages", IRNA said.

Iran to continue military advisory assistance to Syria

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 20:48:18 +0300

Tehran, Dec 15 (IANS) Iran has assisted Syria with military advisors in its fight with terrorism and will continue to do so, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said here on Tuesday. Iran has followed a straight and clear policy about the Syrian crisis and fighting terrorism and has never slacken about it, Ansari said in his weekly press briefing. Asked whether Syria has demanded Iran to send military forces to Syria, he said that Syria has made no request in this regard and in case of any request Iran will consider it within the framework of its principles, he said.

Iran missile launch 'violated UN resolution'

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:24:44 +0300

Iran's test-launch of a medium-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead was in violation of a UN resolution, a UN panel of experts has concluded in a report that could lead to sanctions.

UN adopts resolution to close probe on Iran's n-activities

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:12:26 +0300

Vienna, Dec 15 (IANS) The UN nuclear agency board members on Tuesday adopted a resolution to close the probe into Tehran's alleged nuclear activities in the past, upon a review of Iran's implementation of its commitments under a nuclear deal endorsed by the UN security council in July. After a 12-year investigation of the suspected Iran's nuclear plan, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) decided to finalise the whole process in light of the historic nuclear deal, Xinhua reported.

WHO planning major aid delivery during Yemen ceasefire

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 18:49:45 +0300

The World Health Organization on Tuesday outlined plans to take advantage of a ceasefire in Yemen to distribute medical supplies across the crisis-hit country. The WHO representative in Yemen, Ahmed Shadoul, told reporters in Geneva that the UN agency had received assurances from the warring factions that its staff were free to move with the supplies while the ceasefire holds. Yemen's healthcare system has been devastated by the conflict pitting pro-government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition against Huthi rebels supported by Iran.

UN atomic agency 'closes' Iran nuclear bomb probe

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 18:14:07 +0300

The UN atomic watchdog's board Tuesday drew a line under a long-running probe into Iran's past efforts to develop nuclear weapons, removing an important obstacle to implementing July's landmark deal with big powers, diplomats said.

Swine flu toll up by 15, reached 57 in Iran: Official

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 16:39:21 +0300

An outbreak of swine flu has claimed 57 lives since mid-November in Iran, where hundreds of people have been diagnosed with the virus, the health ministry said Tuesday. "Around 900 patients have been diagnosed with the H1N1 flue virus across the country," the head of the ministry's communicable diseases department, Mohammad Mehdi, told AFP. The deaths from the H1N1 virus have been mostly in southeastern Iran: 33 were recorded in Kerman and five in Sistan-Baluchistan provinces.

Iran seizes thousands of cars for women's veil offences

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 15:07:43 +0300

Iran has impounded tens of thousands of cars since March because women inside the vehicles had not properly covered their hair with a headscarf, Tehran's traffic police said Tuesday. "Over the past eight months, more than 40,000 cases of bad hijab (headscarf) have been dealt with," said Brigadier General Teymour Hosseini, quoted by ISNA news agency. Police warned in November that women who fail to observe hijab, the mandatory Islamic dress code in Iran, while driving would have their cars impounded for a week.

Iran summons Nigerian envoy after Shia clashes

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 14:46:21 +0300

Iranian foreign ministry calls deadly clashes between Nigerian army and Shia Muslim movement "unacceptable".

Sydney to mark first anniversary of cafe siege

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 14:20:24 +0300

Sydney, Dec 15 (IANS) Australia's Sydney city on Tuesday marked the first anniversary of a cafe siege which left three people, including the gunman, dead. Iranian self-styled Muslim cleric Man Haron Monis held 18 hostages inside the Lindt chocolate cafe on December 15, 2014. The families of victims barrister Katrina Dawson and cafe manager Tori Johnson have gathered to join thousands of people at a twilight vigil outside the cafe, ABC reported.

Germany welcomes 34-state Islamic military alliance against terrorism

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 13:17:57 +0300

Germany's defence minister said on Tuesday she welcomed Saudi Arabia's announcement of the formation of a 34-state Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism. Ursula von der Leyen told German broadcaster ZDF the alliance would be of help if it joined other countries fighting Islamic State (IS), adding that IS had gained strength from disagreement among various opposition parties on how to fight or who to protect. "I think it's right that the opposition is forming a group but it needs to be - and this is important - part of the Vienna process that includes all countries fighting against IS like the U.S., Europe, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia but also Iran and China," she said.

Clashes in Yemen ahead of planned truce, peace talks

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 12:29:05 +0300

Fighting raged in Yemen on Tuesday before the start of a planned ceasefire called by the Saudi-led coalition battling Iran-backed rebels, as warring parties prepared for UN-brokered peace talks in Switzerland. Clashes shook the flashpoint city of Taez and coalition warplanes bombed rebel positions ahead of the expected truce, due to take effect at 0900 GMT. The coalition, which launched an air campaign against the Huthi Shiite rebels in March, said the ceasefire would go ahead at the request of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Saudi Arabia forms 34-nation anti-terrorist coalition

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 08:29:28 +0300

Saudi Arabia has formed a coalition of 34 countries to fight terrorism including powerful Gulf states, Egypt and Turkey but excluding Iran, the SPA state news agency announced Tuesday. The coalition will tackle "the Islamic world's problem with terrorism and will be a partner in the worldwide fight against this scourge" said Saudi defence minister and crown prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud at a press conference in Riyadh.

Kerry in Paris for allies' meeting on Syria

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 21:36:28 +0300

Kerry met with his counterparts from France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Turkey, the French foreign ministry said. Monday's talks in Paris would involve preparations for a meeting in New York on Friday with Russia and Iran -- the two main backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Yemen: Shiite, Sunni militants fuel chaos

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:48:00 +0300

Armed groups have led the slide into chaos in Yemen, where a truce between Arab-backed loyalist forces and Iran-backed Shiite rebels is expected to enter into force at midnight Monday. Shiite militiamen and Sunni extremists have sought to exploit a power vacuum since 2011 nationwide protests forced veteran president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. The Huthis The Shiite Huthi militiamen, also known as Ansarullah (Supporters of God), have long complained of marginalisation by authorities in Sanaa.

Tehran's air pollution hits worst level in months

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 16:14:26 +0300

Air pollution in Iran's capital hit its worst level -- for a day without a sandstorm -- in at least nine months on Monday, prompting warnings that all citizens should stay indoors. "Tehran's air is unhealthy for all," said the city's transport and traffic department on a municipality-owned website. Monday's Air Quality Index showed an average level of 162, within a "red status" that means the air is unhealthy for everyone, according to World Health Organization standards.

Two top Gulf commanders killed in Yemen rocket strike - sources

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 13:58:16 +0300

(Adds tens of others also killed) DUBAI, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Two senior commanders from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were among dozens of Gulf, Yemeni and Sudanese soldiers killed in a rocket strike in Yemen as fighting flared before Tuesday's peace talks, local media and Yemeni sources said. The Tochka rocket strike on a Red Sea army camp south-west of the besieged city of Taiz early on Monday appears to be one of the bloodiest setbacks for Gulf forces in months of fighting against Iran-allied Houthi forces and Yemeni army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Senior Saudi officer killed in Yemen fighting: coalition

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:53:16 +0300

A top Saudi commander and an Emirati officer were killed Monday during Arab coalition operations against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, the Riyadh-led alliance announced in a statement.

In Iran, sharing photos on mobile apps can mean jail

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:52:47 +0300

The tattooed young Iranian initially sparked wonder and some envy when pictures of him with scantily-clad, heavily made-up women, often more than one at a time, went viral. When the people who patrol Iran's heavily filtered Internet found out, the man known only as Vahid landed in jail. Jokes about Vahid -- the authorities have not released his surname -- proliferated yet he remains in custody and could be prosecuted.

Analysis: Is Iran really pulling out of Syria?

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:17:55 +0300

The notion of an imminent Iranian retreat from Syria should be viewed with scepticism.

Yemen ceasefire to begin Monday at midnight: official

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 10:48:31 +0300

A ceasefire in Yemen is set to begin on Monday at midnight, on the eve of UN-brokered peace talks in Switzerland, a government delegate at the negotiations told AFP. Mueen Abdulmalek, a member of the government delegation, said "we hope the militias will commit to the ceasefire this time," referring to Iran-backed rebel forces in Yemen.

Tehran's Damascene moment?

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 08:36:44 +0300

The wider regional conflict between Riyadh and Tehran has influenced much of the machinations of the Middle East.

Iran seeks leap in petrochemical sector

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 06:20:24 +0300

Tehran, Dec 14 (IANS) Iran has planned for a leap in its petrochemical industry following the possible lift of sanctions against its energy and financial sectors early next year, Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh has said. Iran aims to boost its petrochemical output to $70 billion in the following years, and, to this end, it needs "massive investment, transfer of modern technology and marketing," Xinhua quoted Zangeneh as saying on Sunday. Iran's private sector and foreign investors can take part in the projects, Zangeneh was quoted as saying by Iran's Oil Ministry-affiliated SHANA news agency.

Iran's possible next Supreme Leader being examined - Rafsanjani

Sun, 13 Dec 2015 20:14:08 +0300

* Elections to body appointing leader due in February * President hoping to leverage popularity after nuclear deal * Succession of Supreme Leader rarely discussed By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin DUBAI, Dec 13 (Reuters) - An Iranian committee is examining potential candidates to be the next Supreme Leader, former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on Sunday, breaking a taboo of talking publicly about succession in the Islamic Republic. Moderate President Hassan Rouhani and his allies are hoping to cash in on the popularity they have gained by striking a nuclear deal with world powers that could see sanctions lifted to win the majority of seats in the assembly and a parliamentary election that will be held on the same day.

Yemen rivals set for Swiss talks on deadly conflict

Sun, 13 Dec 2015 18:31:15 +0300

Yemeni government and rebel representatives meet in Switzerland Tuesday for UN-brokered peace talks, likely to be accompanied by a ceasefire, aimed at ending a deadly conflict exploited by jihadists. More than a year after Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels swept into Yemen's capital Sanaa in the first sparks of civil war, none of the fighting factions has emerged victorious. The United Nations says more than 5,800 people have been killed in Yemen, about half of them civilians, and more than 27,000 wounded since March.

Manish Arora digs into travel diaries for new line

Sat, 12 Dec 2015 23:14:29 +0300

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) Ace fashion designer Manish Arora on Saturday left the guests mesmerised with his "Indian by Manish Arora Festive 2015-16", a collection inspired by his globe-trotting experience, at the Embassy of France here. The designer's concept, he said, was inspired by his travel through countries like Iran, Africa, Turkey, America, Bali, China and India, and was interpreted in a beautiful mix of bead and mirror work. "I cannot tell you the theme of the garments...but there were many things that were involved," Arora said after showcasing his collection here.

Yemen's warring sides say ceasefire to begin on Monday

Sat, 12 Dec 2015 18:30:51 +0300

(Adds Yemeni foreign minister, latest U.N. casualty figures) By Mohammed Ghobari DUBAI, Dec 12 (Reuters) - A 7-day ceasefire in Yemen will start on Monday, the day before planned U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Switzerland, senior officials on both sides of the civil war that has killed nearly 6,000 people said on Saturday. "Based on what had been agreed upon, there will be a halt of the aggression on the 14th of this month," Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam told a news conference broadcast live from the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The Houthis, allied with Iran, have been locked for nine months in a civil war with forces loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's exiled government, who are backed by air strikes and ground forces from a mainly Gulf Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

Yemen rebels say truce depends on 'aggression' ending

Sat, 12 Dec 2015 17:45:14 +0300

Yemen's Iran-backed Shiite rebels will only commit to a ceasefire expected next week if loyalists and the Saudi-led coalition supporting them end their "aggression", their spokesman said on Saturday. The ceasefire was first announced by the government earlier this week to coincide with UN-mediated peace talks in Switzerland on Tuesday. "We will stop (fighting) when the aggression against us stops," Mohammed Abdulsalam, spokesman for the Ansarullah party, told a news conference in the rebel-held Yemeni capital before heading to Geneva for the talks.

Yemen's Houthi group says ceasefire to start on December 14 - spokesman

Sat, 12 Dec 2015 13:43:02 +0300

A ceasefire in Yemen's civil war will start on December 14, on the eve of planned peace talks in Switzerland next week, the head of the Houthi delegation to the peace talks said on Saturday. "Based on what had been agreed upon, there will be a halt of the aggression on the 14th of this month," Mohammed Abdel-Salam told a news conference broadcast live from the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The Iran-allied Houthis describe military operations by a Saudi-led Arab alliance in Yemen as an aggression.

Days before peace talks, Yemen's PM says determined to stop the war

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 21:23:05 +0300

(Adds foreign minister, fighting, context) By Angus McDowall RIYADH, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah said on Friday he was determined to end an eight-month civil war that has killed 6,000 people and caused widespread damage to the economy and infrastructure. "We are determined to stop the war that has ruined lives and property in Yemen," Bahah was quoted as saying by Saudi state television. Bahah was speaking in the Saudi capital Riyadh where he met Saudi Defence Minister Prince Mohammad bin Salman and a group of negotiators from Yemen's government who are preparing to fly to Switzerland for U.N.-sponsored peace talks with the Iran-allied Houthis who control Yemen's capital.

Swedish singer-model pardoned in drug case after plea through a song

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 09:48:40 +0300

Farzan Athari, a 31-year-old Swedish-Iranian multi-talented model, actor, singer, TV host and personality, was released last week following a special pardon, a chief prosecutor told Gulf News. In 2014, the Appeal Court commuted Athari’s life imprisonment to 10 years in jail after he was convicted of possessing 21 grams of cocaine that he was caught promoting near Burj Khalifa in Downtown Dubai. Drug enforcement officers arrested Athari near Armani Hotel following a tip off that he possessed 11 plastic pouches of cocaine for promotional purposes.

Assad must quit or be forced out, asserts Al-Jubeir

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 09:48:31 +0300

SYRIAN President Bashar Al-Assad has two choices: “Either to leave through negotiations or be forcibly removed from power,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said in Riyadh on Thursday. “As I said before, Bashar Al-Assad has two solutions: Leave through negotiations, which is easier and better for all. Talking about Iran, Al-Jubeir said it was playing a “negative role” in the region.

Khomeini's grandson to enter Iranian politics

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 18:56:18 +0300

Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the Islamic Republic of Iran's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, is entering politics with plans to seek election next year to the country's powerful Assembly of Experts. Khomeini, 43, the best-known of the former supreme leader's 15 grandchildren, has chosen to stand in the February 26 ballot after receiving broad support, the ISNA news agency reported. "Hassan Khomeini, after the massive urging of different groups and after consulting various personalities, decided to register for Assembly of Experts elections," family member Seyed Ali Khomeini was quoted as saying Thursday.

Iran says groups linked to IS are at Riyadh talks

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 18:49:29 +0300

(Adds detail, background) ANKARA, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Iran said on Thursday groups linked to Islamic State were involved in talks on forming a delegation for negotiations on the future of Syria, the semi-official Iranian news agency Fars reported. Delegates from Syrian opposition and rebel groups agreed in Riyadh on Thursday to bring together political and armed factions in a single body in preparation for possible peace talks with the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Iran is a crucial ally of Assad in Syria's four-year-old civil war.

Iran recruits Pakistani Shi'ites for combat in Syria

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 18:43:36 +0300

* Pakistani Shi'ites join others recruited by Tehran for conflict * Increasing casualties in recent months reported on Internet * Another international dimension to regional sectarian conflict By Babak Dehghanpisheh BEIRUT, Dec 10 (Reuters) - For years, websites linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard have posted articles eulogising Shi'ite fighters who die in Syria. The men were part of the Zeinabiyoun, a unit of Pakistani fighters named for a granddaughter of the prophet Mohammad buried in the shrine, the latest contingent in an Iranian drive to recruit Shi'ites from the region to fight in Syria. While there has been no official announcement of their total numbers, a regional source familiar with the issue said there were hundreds of Pakistanis fighting in Syria, many stationed around the shrine of Mohammad's granddaughter Zeinab.

Swine flu outbreak nears Tehran as Iran death toll tops 40

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 18:24:52 +0300

An outbreak of swine flu in Iran has claimed 42 lives since mid-November, including in a province neighbouring Tehran, Health Minister Hassan Hashemi said Thursday. Hashemi, quoted by ISNA news agency, said 33 deaths from the H1N1 virus were recorded in Kerman and five in Sistan-Baluchistan, both provinces in southeastern Iran. Hashemi has said the number of deaths from flu was similar to previous years, but that it was becoming harder to treat.

ISIL is GCC's 'number one threat'

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 15:58:11 +0300

A clear strategy to fight ISIL and dialogue with Iran are among key challenges facing GCC, Gulf analysts tell Al Jazeera

The delicate question of Iraq's sovereignty

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 13:45:24 +0300

Outcry over Turkish troop deployment turns spotlight on other foreign forces - notably Iranian - operating in Iraq.

How GCC overcame hurdles to make historic achievements

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 10:03:22 +0300

One of the military cooperation results was the completion of studies and negotiations for secure network communications, and the continuing work on development and maintenance of a private cooperation system linking the leaders of air defense centers in GCC countries. On joint security cooperation, the GCC has witnessed many achievements in the field of security cooperation, the most prominent of which is the continued GCC traffic week, modernization and development of pilot systems, and the adoption of a joint training plan for those working in the field of counterterrorism. Recently, the Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm received considerable support from GCC members which led the Kingdom to defeat the Houthi militia and foil Iran’s disruptive attempts in the region.