Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Pakistan and called on both India and Pakistan to "exercise restraint" amid rising tensions between the two countries following the Pahalgam terror attack. Araghchi, who is scheduled to travel to India on Thursday, emphasized the importance of easing tensions and preventing further escalation. During his talks with Pakistani officials, Araghchi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reaffirmed their commitment to strong Pakistan-Iran ties and agreed to boost cooperation in trade, energy, and connectivity. Both sides also exchanged views on the situation in South Asia and the US-Iran talks, while agreeing that complex regional issues could be resolved through diplomacy and negotiations.
With few exceptions, female fans have been banned from sports events in the Islamic republic since the 1979 revolution and FIFA faced calls for the men's team to be banned from the 2022 World Cup over the issue.
The BRICS nations condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, advocated for a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, and criticized rising tariffs during their summit in Rio de Janeiro. They also addressed global challenges and called for reforms in international institutions.
"It is still not too late. India must speak clearly, act responsibly, and use every diplomatic channel available to defuse tensions and promote a return to dialogue in West Asia," Gandhi asserted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the violation of Qatar's sovereignty following Israeli air strikes on Doha, targeting Hamas leaders. He conveyed India's deep concern to the Emir of Qatar and reiterated support for peace and stability in the region.
An inconclusive end to this war will pose high risk for Netanyahu of a cascading demand for a regime change in Israel, predicts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after talks in Beijing between officials from the two rival Middle East powers, Iranian state media reported on Friday.
The decision, which comes after a meeting with top government officials, marks a new phase in the easing of internet blockades that have restricted access to major global platforms for some time.
The United States Soccer Federation temporarily displayed Iran's national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic as a show of solidarity with protesters in Iran ahead of the two teams' World Cup clash on Tuesday.
At the end of the day, for many worldwide, the ongoing mutual attacks between Israel and Iran would seem a contest devoid of any moral high ground and only a bout between two ordinary adversaries, one that nevertheless risks spinning out of control into a larger conflagration, notes Shyam G Menon.
While the Iranian citizen Hamid Asefi, 67, was sentenced to 23 months, a US citizen Behzad Karimian, (52), also known as "Tony" Karimian who holds a valid Iranian passport and is employed as a Mesaba Airlines Pilot, was sentenced to 52 months in prison on Monday.
President Pezeshkian on Saturday said that Iran unequivocally denounces such "inhumane acts", Iran's embassy in New Delhi said in a post on X.
The Indian diplomatic missions in Israel and Iran on Sunday issued fresh advisories for its nationals after Tehran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on the Jewish state, advising them to stay calm, adhere to safety protocols along with activating additional helpline numbers.
The Pakistan government, as well as the country's military establishment, have come under severe criticism from netizens on social media for recommending United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday night in Qatar and agreed to cooperate for 'fully achieving' the goals of Hamas and the Palestinian people the Jerusalem Post reported.
Iran had one of the best moments of the Rio Olympics opening ceremony when archer Zahra Nemati carried the Iranian flag into the Maracana Stadium on Friday.
Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar.
Iran has urged the Indian government to relax its visa norms and extend the facility of visa-on-arrival for its citizens who are visiting India, a senior diplomat said on Friday. Hassan Nourian, Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Hyderabad, said currently over 10,000 Iranian students are pursuing studies in various educational institutions in India.
United States President Donald Trump will host Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir for lunch at the White House on Wednesday.
Khamenei, who has the last word on all state matters and is also the commander in chief of the armed forces, instructed military commanders from the Revolutionary Guards and the army to prepare plans for both an attack and a defence in case the war expands and Israel or the US strike Iran, the officials said.
President Rouhani will be accorded a ceremonial reception on February 17. He will call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Modi.
Iran was ousted from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women on Wednesday evening in the wake of the Mahsa Amini protest.
Pezeshkian gained the attention of people for his stance against the crackdown on the 2009 pro-democracy protests and the violence perpetrated by the notorious morality police in 2022 after Mahsa Amini's death.
Should Jerusalem decide to launch a military offensive against Iran, Washington will find it difficult not to join hands with its "great ally", a top ranking former US official has said.
The partial withdrawal would mean that Iran would stop exporting enriched uranium stocks as stipulated by the 2015 agreement.
Israel launched missile strikes against Tehran during early hours on Friday (local time), ABC News reported citing a senior United States official.
A one-day state mourning will be observed across India on Tuesday as a mark of respect for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash, the Union Home Ministry has announced.
Bahram Ghasemi, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued a telegram message on Sunday noting that visas would be issued for the Americans partly because of the decision by a US federal judge to "halt the execution of discriminatory restrictions against the entrance of Iranian citizens to America", IRNA reported.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, led the prayers at assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's funeral in Tehran, on August 1, 2024, a rare honour for someone who is not Iranian.
India pays 55% of the value of oil its imports from Iran in euro payments through Turkey's Turkiye Halk Bankasi.
Businesses that help supply Iran with refined petroleum or help develop the country's own refining capacity would be penalised by the legislation.
Rediff.com presents some pictures of modern-day Iran where normalcy has found its legitimate space amid supposed fanaticism.
'With China investing in Iran's energy sector, India cannot afford to lag behind.'
Taking to Twitter, United Nations Human Right Council said, 'At its 35th special session, the @UN Human Rights Council decided to create a new fact-finding mission to investigate alleged #HumanRightsViolations in the Islamic Republic of #Iran related to the protests that began on 16 September 2022.'
'Of course, our thoughts are with the Iran people, the players and the whole country, but our focus is on this match.'
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation on Wednesday decided to associate Iran as an observer making it the sixth nation of the grouping to have that status.
The United States on Sunday said time was running out for Iran to address the growing concerns of the international community about its nuclear programme, as the Islamic republic approved plans to build 10 new uranium enrichment facilities in defiance of United Nations' demands.
"With respect to Iran, I will have more to say about Iran after January 20th. I have said in the past during the course of the campaign that Iran is a genuine threat to US national security. But I have also said that we should be willing to initiate diplomacy as a mechanism to achieve our national security goals," Obama said, referring to his speech during the election campaign days, on Friday.
Iran's Attorney General Mohammad Javad Montazeri said that the morality police 'was abolished by the same authorities who installed it', The New York Times reported.
"I am well aware of the difficulties involved in thwarting Iran's attempts to acquire a nuclear weapon... however, it is clear to me without a doubt that dealing with the threat itself will be far more complicated, far more dangerous and far more costly in resources and human life," Barak was quoted as saying by the Haaretz online.
