Page 8 - Iran

19 killed, including 3 elite guard members, in Iran attack by separatists

An attack by armed separatists on a police station in a southeastern city killed 19 people, including three members of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported on Saturday. The assailants in Friday's attack hid among worshippers near a mosque in the city of Zahedan and attacked the nearby police station, according to the report. IRNA quoted Hossein Modaresi, the provincial governor, as saying 19 people were killed. The outlet said 32 Guard members, including volunteer Basiji forces, were also wounded in the clashes. It was not immediately clear if the attack was related to nationwide antigovernment protests gripping Iran after the death in police custody of a young Iranian woman. Sistan and Baluchestan province borders Afghanistan and Pakistan and has seen previous attacks on security forces by ethnic Baluchi separatists, although Saturday's Tasnim report did not identify a separatist group allegedly involved in the attack. IRNA on Satur

Iran says it has arrested nine foreigners over anti-hijab protests

Iran's intelligence ministry says it has arrested nine foreigners over recent anti-hijab protests sweeping the country. In a statement carried by the state-run news agency IRNA, the ministry said Friday that those arrested included citizens of Germany, Poland, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Sweden. The death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was detained for allegedly wearing the mandatory Islamic headscarf too loosely, has triggered an outpouring of anger at Iran's ruling clerics. Her family says they were told she was beaten to death in custody. Police say the 22-year-old Amini died of a heart attack and deny mistreating her, and Iranian officials say her death is under investigation. Iran has claimed that the daily protests that have swept the country for the past two weeks were instigated by foreigners. Protesters have denied such claims, portraying their actions as a spontaneous uprising against the country's strict dress code, including the compulsory hijab for women in ...

US imposes sanctions on many companies for shipping Iranian petrochemicals

The US on Thursday imposed sanctions on several companies including those based in China, Hong Kong, India and the UAE for facilitating financial transfers and shipping of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products. The US is taking further action to disrupt efforts to evade sanctions on the sale of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Specifically, the Department of State is imposing sanctions on two People's Republic of China (PRC)-based entities: Zhonggu Storage and Transportation Co Ltd, which operates a commercial crude oil storage facility for Iranian petroleum that provides a vital conduit for the Iranian petroleum trade, as well as WS Shipping Co Ltd, the ship manager for a vessel that has transported Iranian petroleum products, he said. The Department of the Treasury is also designating eight entities for their involvement in Iran's petrochemical trade. These entities are based in Hong Kong, Iran, India, and the United Arab

UN secretary-general asks Iran to avoid 'unnecessary force' on protesters

The United Nations Secretary-General called on Iran early on Wednesday to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force against protesters as unrest over a young woman's death in police custody spread across the country. Antonio Guterres said through a spokesman that authorities should swiftly conduct an impartial investigation of the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, which has sparked unrest across Iran's provinces and the capital of Tehran. We are increasingly concerned about reports of rising fatalities, including women and children, related to the protests, UN spokesman Stphane Dujarric in a statement. We underline the need for prompt, impartial and effective investigation into Ms. Mahsa Amini's death by an independent competent authority. Protests have spread across at least 46 cities, towns and villages in Iran. State TV reported that at least 41 protesters and police have been killed since the protests began September 17. An Associated Press count of official statements

Iran to soon deploy homegrown over-the-horizon radar: Military commander

A high-ranking Iranian military Commander said a homegrown over-the-horizon (OTH) radar with a range of 3,000 km will soon become operational in the country

Iran urges 'impartial, independent' IAEA verification of nuclear activities

The Iranian nuclear chief has said that the verification of Iran's nuclear activities by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should be "impartial and independent,"

Iran indicts 14 individuals for nuclear scientist's assassination in 2020

Ali Salehi, Chief Prosecutor of Tehran, said his office has filed criminal charges against 14 individuals for involvement in the assassination of the country's nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh

Iran regrets Ukraine's decision to downgrade diplomatic ties, vows reaction

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani has expressed regret for the decision of the Ukrainian government to downgrade diplomatic relations with the Islamic republic

Musk deploys 'Starlink' in Iran after govt restricts internet amid protests

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has deployed his satellite-based 'Starlink' service in Iran amid widespread protests in the country following which authorities had restricted internet access.Iranian authorities had cut off internet access for many of its citizens on Wednesday amid widespread protests over the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody, according to reports.On Friday, SpaceX founder Elon Musk had indicated that he will make Starlink available in Iran.US State Secretary Antony Blinken earlier announced on Twitter aboout advancing internet freedom and the free flow of information for the Iranian people by issuing a General License to provide them greater access to digital communications to counter, what he claimed, was the Iranian government's censorship.Replying to Blinken's tweet, Musk wrote, "Activating Starlink ...."Protestors have been demanding basic rights of freedom and holding demonstrations against the mandatory dress codes including the compulsory ...

Iran restricts internet as protests over Mahsa Amini's death intensify

Iranian authorities on Saturday announced to restrict internet access in the country over intensified protests after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after her arrest

Fighting for dignity: 'Iranian women are furious' over headscarf death

The tears come quickly to Masih Alinejad when she talks about the messages she's received in recent days from women in Iran protesting against their government after a young woman died in police custody over a violation of the country's strict religious dress code. They talk about the risks, possibly fatal ones, in facing off against government forces that have a long history of cracking down on dissent. They share stories of saying goodbye to their parents, possibly for the last time. They send videos of confrontations with police, of women removing their state-mandated head coverings and cutting their hair. I feel the anger of people right now through their text messages, Alinejad told The Associated Press in New York City, where the 46-year-old opposition activist and writer in exile has lived since fleeing Iran following the 2009 election. They have been ignored for years and years, she said. That is why they are angry. Iranian women are furious now. The spur for this latest .

Iranian govt scrambles to contain unrest as it spreads to more towns

The large-scale protests against the Iranian government over the custodial death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who was arrested by the country's notorious "morality" police for allegedly violating the strict law on headscarves has reportedly spread to about 80 cities and towns. Hundreds of protesters, mostly women, took to the streets following the death of Mahsa Amini - a Kurd native, chanting anti-government slogans that target the core of the Islamic regime and its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The death toll in the violent clashes with security forces has reached as high as 26, Iranian state TV indicated on Friday. The unrest, said to be the worst in recent years, has also spread to about 80 Iranian cities and towns. At least five security personnel have also been killed and several others injured while trying to confront protesters in Mashhad, Quchan, Shiraz, Tabriz, and Karaj, it added. Amini's tragic death has fuelled an outpouring of long-simmering anger over ...

At least 26 dead during protests over Mahsa Amini's death in Iran: Report

Iranian state television suggested that the death toll of protests over the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody has risen to over two dozen, without providing more information as the unrest continues. An anchor on Iran's state television suggested the death toll from the mass protests could be as high as 26 on Thursday, but did not elaborate or say how he reached that figure. Unfortunately, 26 people and police officers present at the scene of these events lost their lives, the anchor said, adding official statistics would be released later. Clashes between Iranian security forces and protesters have killed at least 11 people since the violence erupted over the weekend, according to a tally Thursday by The Associated Press. The demonstrations in Iran began as an emotional outpouring over the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman held by the country's morality police for allegedly violating its strictly enforced dress code. The police say she died of a heart attack and was

Iran holds military parade to mark 42nd anniversary of 8-year war with Iraq

Iranian armed forces held a military parade to mark the 42nd anniversary of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war beginning in 1980

Internet disruptions, Instagram inaccessible in Iran as protests spread

Iranians experienced widespread internet disruptions on Wednesday amid days of mass protests against the government, including a loss of access to Instagram, one of the last Western social media platforms available in the country. An Iranian official had earlier hinted that such measures might be taken out of security concerns, and the loss of connectivity will make it more difficult for people to organise protests and share information about the government's rolling crackdown on dissent. Iran has seen nationwide protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained for allegedly wearing the mandatory Islamic headscarf too loosely. Demonstrators have clashed with police and called for the downfall of the Islamic Republic itself, even as Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. London-based rights group Amnesty International said Wednesday that security forces had used batons, birdshot, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse ...

Instagram disrupted across Iran amid protests over woman's death; 6 killed

Iranians saw their access to Instagram, one of the few Western social media platforms still available in the country, disrupted on Wednesday following days of mass protests over the death of a woman who was detained by the morality police. NetBlocks, a London-based group that monitors internet access, reported widespread disruptions. Witnesses inside Iran, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said they were unable to log on using mobile phones or home connections. There was no immediate comment from Iranian authorities on the disruption to Instagram, which would limit the ability of protesters to organize and share information. Iran already blocks Facebook, Telegram, Twitter and YouTube, even though top Iranian officials use public accounts on such platforms. Many Iranians get around the bans using virtual private networks, known as VPNs, and proxies. In a separate development, the website of Iran's Central Bank was briefly taken down on Wednesday as hacker

3 killed in protest against Iran's morality police over Mahsa Amini's death

Protests erupted Iran on Tuesday where three people have been killed during the unrest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, following her detention by the country's morality police

Musk needs permit from Treasury Dept to operate satellite internet in Iran

Elon Musk's hope to operate his satellite internet firm in Iran requires permission from the Treasury Department, which said Tuesday it welcomes applications to support internet freedom in the country that is largely isolated from western economies. The Tesla CEO tweeted Monday that his satellite internet firm Starlink would seek permission to operate in Iran. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said it's up to Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control to decide on Starlink's next steps. "We have of course, in the past, provided for various forms of exemptions for the Iranian people's ability to communicate with each other and with the world," Sullivan said during a White House press briefing Tuesday. Starlink, a division of spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX, also owned by Musk, has been in operation since 2019. It disperses thousands of satellites orbiting the Earth to provide broadband access globally. The firm has attempted to provide internet access to the Ukrainian people .

Iran police fire tear gas at protests over Mahsa Amini's death in custody

Iranian police fired tear gas to disperse a protest in the western, mainly Kurdish city of Sanandaj, where hundreds rallied to decry the death of a young woman while in police custody in Tehran last week, reports said. The case of the 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained last Tuesday after Iran's so-called morality police found fault with her headscarf, or hijab, has set off a public outcry in the country, mainly on social media. Police said she died of a heart attack and have denied any allegations of torture or abuse. The semiofficial Fars news agency reported late Sunday that police also arrested several people from about 500 protesters who had gathered on Sunday at Azadi Square in Sanandaj, the capital of Iran's Kurdistan province. Fars said the protesters smashed car windows and set fire to street garbage cans. The agency's website carried a brief video showing scores of men and women protesting, claiming the police's explanation about Amini's death was not ...

No plan to meet Biden at UN General Assembly, says Iranian President Raisi

Iran's president headed on Monday to New York, where he will be speaking to the UN General Assembly later this week, saying that he has no plans to meet with President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the U.N. event. President Ebrahim Raisi spoke at the Tehran airport before his departure as talks to revive Iran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers remain stalled. There is no plan for a meeting or negotiations with US leaders," Raisi said. We have no plans whatsoever for meeting them. The Iranian president called his appearance at the United Nations an opportunity to explain to the world about alleged malice that unspecified nations and world powers have toward Iran. He did not elaborate. Raisi, who is accompanied by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani, is to address both the General Assembly and a UNESCO meeting on religions. Talks between Iran and world powers over reviving a 2015 nuclear deal remained stalled though Tehran