Nuclear watchdog chief says room to manoeuvre on Iran ‘shrinking’
The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog warned Tuesday that "the margins for manoeuvre… Read More
1 week ago
Iran
Iran was known as the Persian Empire. The first great dynasty in Iran was the Achaemenid which ruled from 550 to 330 BC. It was founded by Cyrus the Great. This period was followed by the conquest of Alexander the Great from Greece and the Hellenistic period. In the wake of Alexander’s conquests, the Parthian dynasty ruled for nearly 500 years followed by the Sassanian dynasty until 661 AD.
Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the more formidable powers in the Middle East region—a land where lyrical Persian poetry vies with strict interpretations of Islam for the soul of a people.
Not surprisingly in such an ethnically diverse nation, Iranians speak dozens of different languages and dialects. The official language is Persian (Farsi), which is part of the Indo-European language family.
Along with the closely related Luri, Gilaki and Mazandarani, Farsi is the native tongue of 58% of Iranians. Azeri and other Turkic languages account for 26%; Kurdish, 9%; and languages like Balochi and Arabic make up about 1% each.
Iran’s majority centrally-planned economy depends upon oil and gas exports for between 50 and 70% of its revenue. The per capita GDP is a robust $12,800 US, but 18% of Iranians live below the poverty line and 20% are unemployed.
Iran has long borders in common with Iraq. Iran defended itself against Iraqi invasion in 1980, a war that lasted till eight years. Many Arab countries including Americans have provided weapon support to Iran for its defense.
Iran says missile production unaffected by Israel strikes
Iran said on Wednesday that its production of missiles remained intact, following Israeli air strikes… Read More
3 weeks ago
Iran plays down Israel’s strikes, says they caused ‘limited damage’
Iran on Saturday played down Israel's overnight air attack against Iranian military targets, saying it… Read More
4 weeks ago
Pakistan strongly condemns Israeli attacks on Iran
Pakistan on Friday strongly condemned Israel's strikes against Islamic Republic of Iran in the early… Read More
4 weeks ago
Iran says Israeli attacks on military sites repelled, caused ‘limited damage’
Iran's National Air Defense Headquarters has announced the successful interception of attacks on military sites… Read More
4 weeks ago
Israel drops leaflets over Gaza showing Yahya Sinwar’s body with a message
Israeli planes dropped leaflets over southern Gaza on Saturday showing a picture of the dead… Read More
1 month ago
Sinwar’s death will not halt ‘Axis of Resistance’: Iran’s Khamenei
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday the death of Hamas leader Yahya… Read More
1 month ago
Israel military confirms killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar
The Israeli military on Thursday announced the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by its… Read More
1 month ago
Iran’s foreign minister makes rare trip to Egypt
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi landed in Cairo late on Wednesday for talks with Egyptian… Read More
1 month ago
Hezbollah says it will cause Israel pain
Hezbollah's deputy chief Naim Qassem said on Tuesday the group would inflict "pain" on Israel… Read More
1 month ago
Israel tells US it will not hit Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities
Israel has assured the White House that a planned retaliatory attack on Iran won't target… Read More
1 month ago
THAAD: The anti-missile system US is sending to Israel
Despite its controversial deployment in Israel, The Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system stands as… Read More
1 month ago
Greta Thunberg leads pro-Palestinian, climate protest in Milan
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg attended a climate change and pro-Palestinian rally in Milan on Friday,… Read More
1 month ago
Oil prices jump 4% on US storm and Israel-Iran fears
Oil prices jumped about 4% on Thursday on a spike in U.S. fuel use before… Read More
1 month ago
Stop Israel from bombing Iran’s oil sites, Gulf states urge US
Gulf states are lobbying Washington to stop Israel from attacking Iran's oil sites because they… Read More
1 month ago
Israel vows lethal retaliation against Iran
US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a call on Wednesday… Read More
1 month ago
Gulf states must not allow use of airspace against Iran, Iranian official says
Tehran has told Gulf Arab states it would be "unacceptable" if they allowed use of… Read More
1 month ago
Iran air traffic resumes after suspension: state media
Iranian authorities announced Monday the resumption of air traffic after flight cancellations at some airports… Read More
2 months ago
Hassan Nasrallah’s possible successor out of contact since Friday: source
The potential successor to martyred Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been out of contact… Read More
2 months ago
Trump says he thinks Israel should ‘hit’ Iran nuclear facilities
Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump said Friday he believes Israel should strike Iran's nuclear… Read More
2 months ago