Iran

Reports Israel sent messages to Tehran to avoid Iranian response to embassy attack

Israel sent messages to Tehran via Egypt that it would "compromise" in Gaza to avert an Iranian response to an attack on Iran's embassy in Syria, the Tasnim news agency…

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No sign of attack on Iran president’s helicopter before fatal crash, armed forces say

Moving briefly away from Gaza and Israel developments, Iran’s military says the helicopter carrying late President Ebrahim Raisi caught fire soon after it crashed into a mountain and there was…

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US says it was ‘unable’ to provide Iran assistance after helicopter crash

The United States said it had been unable, due largely to logistical reasons, to accept an Iranian request for assistance following a helicopter crash over the weekend that killed President…

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UPDATED: Iran declares five days of mourning

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced five days of public mourning for president Ebrahim Raisi after his death in a helicopter crash and confirmed Mohammad Mokhber as interim head of…

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Commissioner’s offering of EU ‘solidarity’ with Iran creates storm

EU commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič has insisted he was not offering “political support” to the Iranian regime after ending a post confirming the provision of satellite assistance to…

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UPDATED: Reactions to the death of Iran’s president in a helicopter crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner long seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan…

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Who is Mohammad Mokhber, the man set to become Iran’s interim president?

Here are some key facts about Mohammad Mokhber, 68, Iran's first vice president who, based on the country's constitution, is expected to become interim president following the death of Ebrahim…

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Who was Iran’s President Raisi

Ebrahim Raisi, who died aged 63, rose through Iran's theocracy from hardline prosecutor to uncompromising president, overseeing a crackdown on protests at home and pushing hard in nuclear talks with…

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What happens if an Iranian president dies in office?

Rescuers in Iran have found the crash site of a helicopter that was carrying President Ebrahim Raisi with indications that all those on board died. Below is brief outline of…

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The Bell 212 helicopter

The Bell 212 helicopter in which Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were travelling when it crashed is the civilian version of the ubiquitous Vietnam War-era…

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What is known so far about the Iranian president’s helicopter crash

A rescue operation is under way in the mountains close to the Iranian-Azerbaijani border after one of the helicopters in a convoy carrying Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, was involved in…

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Iranian President Raisi and FM Involved in Helicopter Accident

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were involved in a helicopter accident in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, reportedly caused by adverse weather conditions according to Iranian state…

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Turkey’s Erdogan meets Hamas leader Haniyeh

A cease-fire in the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel were the subject of a meeting between Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul. Erdogan…

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Updated: Israel carries attack inside Iran – US Officials

Al Jazeera, CNN, APIsrael has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official tells CNN, in a move that threatens to push the region deeper into conflict. Israel had…

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EU foreign policy chief warns ‘we are on the edge’ of ‘a regional war in the Middle East’

According to a report by the Associated Press (AP), the EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the existing EU sanctions regime on Iran would be strengthened and expanded to…

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Iranian army chief commander warns of “regret-inducing response”

Iranian army chief commander, Maj Gen Abdolrahim Mousavi, has said that any aggression against Iran’s interests will be met with a “firm and regret-inducing response”. “We are ready to fight…

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US and allies plan more Iran sanctions; Israel war cabinet to meet again

The U.S. and its allies planned fresh sanctions against Iran over its unprecedented attack on Israel, seeking to dissuade Israel from a major escalation as its war cabinet was set…

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Putin tells the Middle East to pull back from a catastrophic clash

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged all sides in the Middle East to refrain from action that would trigger a new confrontation which he warned would be fraught with catastrophic consequences…

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What are Israel’s options to strike back at Iran?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his immediate war cabinet are considering what action to take following Iran's attack on Saturday. Allies including the United States have urged Israel not…

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China’s foreign minister says Iran able to ‘handle situation’ and spare Middle East more tension

China said it believed Iran could "handle the situation well and spare the region further turmoil" while safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity, referring to an attack on Iran's embassy in…

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Israeli military vows response to Iran attack

Israelis awaited word on how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would respond to Iran's first-ever direct attack as international pressure for restraint grew amid fears of an escalation of the conflict…

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Iran warns of bigger attack if Israel retaliates, Israel’s war cabinet convened

CNN reports that Israel's war cabinet will meet today at 2:00 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET) to discuss its response to Iran's unprecedented attack on Saturday night, an Israeli official has…

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UPDATED: UN Security Council to Convene on Israel’s request

The United Nations Security Council will be meeting on Sunday after Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, requested the council to condemn Iran's attack on Israel. Israel is…

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UPDATED: Iran strikes on Israel an ‘unprecedented escalation’: Borell

The European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, has condemned Iran’s strikes on Israel as an “unprecedented escalation”. “The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel,” he wrote…

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UPDATED: Biden says US commitment to Israel’s security is ‘ironclad’

US President Joe Biden has confirmed he met his national security team to discuss Iran's attack against Israel. The US president cut his weekend trip to Delaware short to return to…

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Iran’s missile capabilities

Iran has developed a range of ballistic missiles and drones in a programme that has long worried the West. The missiles are an important part of the arsenal at Tehran's…

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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards: powerful group with wide regional reach

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards launched a drone attack against targets in Israel on Saturday, Iranian English-language press TV cited Iranian sources as saying. A senior commander in the Corps' Quds…

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UPDATED: Benjamin Netanyahu: ‘Whoever harms us, we will harm them’

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has released the following statement on Saturday evening amid Iran’s launch of drones towards Israel: "In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has…

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UPDATED: Iran launches attack against Israel; Israeli official predicts ‘significant response’ to attack

Iran has launched a salvo of drones at Israel, the Israeli military has said late Saturday night. Iran has also launched missiles at Israel, its Revolutionary Guards has said. In…

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US restricts travel for employees in Israel amid fears of Iran attack

The United States has restricted travel for its employees in Israel amid fears of an attack by Iran. The US embassy said staff had been told not to travel outside…

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Russia, Germany, UK urge restraint as Iranian threat puts Middle East on edge

Russia, Germany and Britain urged countries in the Middle East to show restraint and Israel said it was preparing to "meet all its security needs" in a region on edge…

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Biden vows ‘ironclad’ support for Israel amid Iran attack fears

President Joe Biden has promised Israel "ironclad" US support amid fears that Tehran could launch reprisals for an attack that killed senior Iranians. Mr Biden warned that Iran is threatening…

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Lufthansa suspends Tehran flights, Middle East on alert for potential Iran attacks

German airline Lufthansa announced it had suspended flights to Tehran due to the situation in the Middle East, which is on alert for possible Iranian retaliation for a suspected Israeli…

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Israel threatens to strike Iran

Israel’s foreign minister threatened on Wednesday that its country’s forces would strike Iran directly if the Islamic Republic launched an attack from its territory against Israel, as tensions between the…

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Iran says Israeli presence in UAE is a threat

The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards navy said on Tuesday Israel's presence in the United Arab Emirates was a threat to Tehran and this "should not happen". Iran has…

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Israel says prepared to handle any Iran scenario

Israel is ready to handle any scenario that may arise with Iran, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said, after Tehran threatened to retaliate for the killing of Iranian generals on April…

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Iran warns ‘enemy’ will ‘regret’ Guards killings in Syria

Iran on Saturday again threatened retaliation for the deaths of seven Revolutionary Guards in a strike on Damascus, with the army chief saying his country’s enemies will “regret” the killings,…

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US on high alert for Iran threat in region after Israeli strike in Syria

By Steve Holland The United States is on high alert and preparing for a possible attack by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the region in response to Israel's…

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Israel boosts defences after Iran revenge threat

The Israeli military halted leave for all combat units on Thursday amid concerns of a possible escalation in violence after the killing of Iranian generals in Damascus this week drew…

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Many Iranian options to retaliate against Israel, but all carry risk

By Idrees Ali and Arshad Mohammed Iran faces a dilemma following an Israeli attack on its embassy in Syria: how to retaliate without sparking a wider conflict that Middle East…

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Iran alerted Russia to security threat before Moscow attack

Iran tipped off Russia about the possibility of a major "terrorist operation" on its soil ahead of the concert hall massacre near Moscow last month, three sources familiar with the…

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Hezbollah tells Iran it would fight alone in any war with Israel

By Samia Nakhoul, Parisa Hafezi and Laila Bassam Quds Force, Hezbollah chiefs met in February: sources Risk of Israel-Hezbollah war discussed: sources Iran advises militia allies to avoid wider conflict:…

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Russia to hold warship drills with Iran and China

MOSCOW, March 11 (Reuters) - A group of Russian warships has arrived in Iran for military exercises in which China will also take part, the Russian defence ministry said on…

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Iran rulers seek big turnout in election amid mounting discontent

By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI, March 1 (Reuters) - Iranians voted for a new parliament on Friday, seen as a test of the clerical establishment's legitimacy at a time of growing…

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Iran sends Russia hundreds of ballistic missiles

By Parisa Hafezi, John Irish, Tom Balmforth and Jonathan Landay Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, six sources told Reuters, deepening the military…

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US intends further strikes against Iran-backed groups – White House

After two days of strikes, U.S. indicates more to come U.S. hit militias in Iraq, Syria in response to Jordan attack Iran not interested in direct conflict - analyst By…

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Iran says US strikes are a ‘strategic mistake’

Iran has called US air strikes on Iraq and Syria a "strategic mistake" after 85 targets were hit across the region on Friday. The US has launched retaliatory strikes in…

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Iran won’t start a war but will respond to bullies, says president

Feb 2 (Reuters) - Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said on Friday that his country would not start a war but that it would "respond strongly" to anyone who tried to…

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Iran’s Guards pull officers from Syria after Israeli strikes

Iran pulls top officers from Syria after Israeli attacks-sources Tehran draws on allied Shi'ite militia to help preserve sway Top Iranian general among high-level casualties of strikes Iran avoids direct…

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Iran warns of decisive response to any type of attack

Iran's envoy to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani warned that Tehran would respond decisively to any attack on its territory, its interests, or Iranian nationals outside its borders, state…

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China presses Iran to rein in Houthi attacks in Red Sea, sources say

By Parisa Hafezi and Andrew Hayley Iran-backed Houthis attacking commercial ships in Red Sea Trading powerhouse China has called for attacks to stop Oil trade gives China leverage over Iran,…

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Iran-Pakistan flare-up rooted in restive borderlands, not Mideast strife

Iran strike sought to shore up internal security, sources say Iran says security of its people 'a red line' 'We have warned everyone' not to attack Iran - Iranian official…

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What is behind Iran-Pakistan attacks and could conflict escalate?

By John Davison Iran launched missile strikes on three different countries this week - Iraq, Syria and Pakistan - while proxy militant groups it backs continue to target U.S. and…

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Iran launches air defence drill amid rising regional tensions

Iran said on Friday that it successfully carried out an air defence drill using drones designed to intercept hostile targets in an area stretching from its southwestern to southeastern coasts,…

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Who are the separatists targeted by Pakistan’s strikes in Iran?

ISLAMABAD, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Thursday it had carried out airstrikes against separatist militants in Iran, the latest step in a tense standoff after Iran's missile and…

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Pakistan carries out ‘series of military strikes’ in Iran

By Asif Shahzad and Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam ISLAMABAD, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Pakistan conducted strikes inside Iran on Thursday, targeting separatist militants, the Pakistani foreign ministry said, two days after…

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Pakistan says Iran violated airspace, killing two children

By Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam KARACHI/DUBAI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Pakistan said neighbouring Iran has violated its airspace resulting in the death of two children, hours after Iranian state media said…

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