Drought forces Iran to halt power generation at major dam
Iran’s Karkheh Dam hydroelectric power plant has stopped generating electricity because of a sharp drop in the reservoir’s water level, state media reported on Saturday.
Iran
Iran army chief says foreign powers must leave region
Iran’s army chief said on Saturday that foreign forces should leave the region, saying regional states are capable of maintaining security in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, state media reported.
Defiance of hijab now widespread in Iran – AP
Defiance of compulsory veiling is now widespread in Iran, the Associated Press reported, after a government-approved visit in November found women and girls appearing in public without headscarves in one of the most visible social shifts since Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022.
Iran says it seized two vessels carrying 80,000 liters of smuggled fuel
Iranian authorities said they seized two vessels carrying 80,000 liters of smuggled fuel near the island of Kish in the Persian Gulf on Saturday.
Iran Navy adds repaired destroyer and new floating base
Iran added the floating base Kordestan and the destroyer Sahand to its navy on Saturday, the army said, in a move it described as a boost to its maritime power and technical self-reliance.
US pressure on Venezuela doubles as warning to Iran, ex-CENTCOM chief says
A vast US military buildup in the Caribbean aims to pile pressure not just on Venezuela but fellow adversaries of the United States like Iran, retired four-star General and ex-commander of US Central Command Joseph Votel said on Eye for Iran podcast.
US slams Iran for giving unrestricted internet to officials and loyalists
The US State Department on Friday hit out at Iran's government for providing officials and loyal elites access to uncensored internet through so-called “white SIM cards,” while ordinary Iranians remain restricted and forced to rely on VPNs.
Tehran faces worsening smog as officials issue new health warning
Authorities in Tehran have issued an orange pollution alert, warning that stagnant air and rising emissions could push pollution levels into the “very unhealthy” range in the days ahead.
Journalists silenced over coverage of water crisis in western Iran, rights group says
Authorities in the western Iranian city of Baneh have increased pressure on local journalists and social media administrators following days of severe water shortages, a Kurdish rights group reported.
Fuel price hike will drive up living costs, Iranian MP says
An Iranian lawmaker has warned that the government’s new three-tier gasoline pricing system will drive up the cost of goods and services nationwide, saying the move was made without coordination with parliament or the public.
EU lawmakers urge sanctions over Iran’s persecution of Baha’is
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Thursday condemning the systematic persecution of Iran’s Baha’i community and urging EU governments to impose sanctions on officials involved in rights abuses.
US doubles down on preconditions for talks in response to Iran’s overture
The Trump administration has responded to a message from Iran’s president, conveyed through the Saudi crown prince, by saying its three conditions for any negotiations with Tehran remain unchanged, sources told Iran International.
US says Iran has consistently rejected negotiations
Iran has repeatedly turned down talks with the Trump administration while Washington keeps the door open for serious dialogue, a State Department spokesperson told Iran International on Thursday.
Canada says mere IRGC conscription won’t render Iranians inadmissible
Canada told Iran International on Thursday it does not automatically reject Iranian men’s permanent residency applications solely for compulsory IRGC service, after a conscript said he was ruled inadmissible for his involuntary service.
UAE emerges as hub for Iranian funding of Hezbollah - WSJ
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) remains a central conduit for Iranian funds reaching Hezbollah despite international sanctions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
Iran rebuilding nuclear program, former Mossad official says - HuffPost
Iran is steadily rebuilding its nuclear program and stalled talks with the United States have increased the likelihood of another direct confrontation with Israel, HuffPost Italy reported citing a former senior Mossad official.
Iran says US preconditions render talks impossible for now
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that Tehran remained open to resuming talks with Washington but US preconditions rendered negotiations impossible for now.
Iran's Khamenei denies seeking Saudi mediation with US
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Thursday denied reports that Tehran had sought to enlist Riyadh as an intermediary in talks with Washington, saying outreach to President Donald Trump was beneath Iran's dignity.
Iran denounces Australia’s terror designation for Revolutionary Guards
Iran on Thursday condemned Australia's listing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a state sponsor of terrorism, calling it a politically motivated and unjustified move.
Anti-drugs body sees Iran, Syria shifting illicit trade to Yemen - AFP
Syrian and Iranian drug manufacturers have shifted their activities to Yemen after the overthrow of the Assad dynasty last year, according to a global anti-drug body and a Yemeni official cited by AFP on Thursday.
At Khamenei HQ in Iran, religious official taunts Trump with nigh death
At an official ceremony in Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's compound on Thursday, a religious official chanted to congregants that US President Donald Trump's death was nigh and that Iran would vanquish Israel.
Local Iraqi officials blame gas field rocket strike on Iran-backed groups
A rocket strike on Iraq’s Khor Mor gas field late on Wednesday forced its closure and caused widespread power outages across the Kurdistan region, in an attack local officials cited by Reuters blamed on Iran-backed militias.