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  • Muhrram 2018/09/17

    By: Syed Zafar Mehdi

    Karbala to Kashmir: Brief history of ‘Azadari’

    TEHRAN - It’s that time of year again when the campaigners of truth and justice, cutting across ethno-sectarian and ideological lines, rally to pay homage to the ‘master of the martyrs’, a 7th century revolutionary historical figure who redefined the ideas of resistance and resilience on the desert plains of Karbala (Iraq) 1400 years ago.

  • Muharram 2018-09-17 21:48

    Syed Zafar Mehdi

    Ban on Muharram procession in Kashmir mockery of religious freedom

    TEHRAN - Muharram is the month of bereavement and remembrance. Every year, around this time, massive processions are taken out across the world to pay glowing tribute to the martyrs of Karbala. Reciting soul-stirring elegies and hymns, mourners wear black dresses and beat their chests in a spirit of devotion. They carry replicas of Imam Husain’s mausoleum in Karbala and parade the streets.

  • Hans Ucko 2018-09-17 11:14

    Hans Ucko: Silence replaces the right to peace in the contemporary world

    TEHRAN - The Islamic World Peace Forum (IWPF) take a Virtual Roundtable about 21 September 2018 International Day of Peace by scholar Dr. Hans Ucko.

  • Trump 2018-09-17 10:58

    By Saeed Sobhani

    Intensification of disputes in the White House

    TEHRAN - Disputes between U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense James Mattis have increased. Many media sources in the U.S. are reporting the probable dismissal of Trump's Secretary of Defense in the coming days. Meanwhile, after the presence of people such as John Bolton and Mike Pumpeo at the White House, Mattises' power in the U.S. Department of Defense actually dropped.

  • India-Pakistan 2018/09/16

    By Syed Zafar Mehdi

    U.S. is roadblock to peace between India, Pakistan

    TEHRAN - The inaugural 2+2 ministerial dialogue between India and the U.S. held in New Delhi last week has again threatened to jeopardize recent efforts made by New Delhi and Islamabad to bury the hatchet and open a new chapter in their bilateral ties. The joint statement issued at the summit has drawn sharp reaction from Islamabad, making it amply clear that the Americans don’t want India and Pakistan to be friends and they don’t want peace and stability to prevail in this region.

  • UN 2018-09-16 01:00

    CPEC violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Indian envoy tells UN

    TEHRAN - China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is grabbing headlines for all the good and bad reasons. U.S. opposition to it is known to all and sundry because of the escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing. Now India has also raised concerns over the ambitious project, asserting that it violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

  • Syed Mohammad Anis Kazmi 2018-09-16 00:16

    By Syed Zafar Mehdi

    ‘Islamic revolution in Iran paved new course for Muharram commemorations in Kashmir’

    We are again in the month of Muharram, the month in which blood triumphed over sword and truth prevailed over falsehood. In this month, the campaigners of truth and justice across the world reaffirm their pledge to the principles exemplified by Imam Hussain (as) and his companions in the desert plains of Karbala 1400 years ago.

  • Mike Pompeo 2018-09-15 14:01

    U.S. studying possible Iran sanctions waivers: Pompeo

    U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Washington is studying issuing possible waivers for countries and businesses that want to continue buying oil from Iran beyond November 4, the White House’s designated deadline for them to halt oil imports from the Islamic Republic or face punishments.

  • Israeli army 2018-09-15 11:07

    By Farzad Farhadi

    Fear of war among Israeli army

    TEHRAN - The Zionists are very worried about the situation of their internal front. However, they have tried to practice military maneuver in case of possible war with Hezbollah, and they have a huge budget of 30 billion shekels for its military to protect its internal front from missile attacks from Gaza or by Hezbollah.

  • Ashura 2018-09-15 11:02

    By Sondoss Al Asaad

    The legacy of Ashura: Resistance and Victory

    BEIRUT - Shiite Muslims around the world mark the holiest lunar months of Muharram and Safar to mourn the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein Ibn Ali.

  • Trump 2018-09-15 10:50

    By Hanif Ghaffari

    Trump failed in Swedish elections!

    TEHRAN - Undoubtedly, one of the losers of the recent Swedish election was Donald Trump, President of the United States. Although there is now a tough competition between the two traditional coalitions in Stockholm for the formation of a (coalition or minimalist) government, it should not ignore the most important message of the recent national election in Sweden!

  • Turkey’s Ministry of Education to stop sending grad students to the U.S. 2018-09-14 13:52

    Turkey’s Ministry of Education to stop sending grad students to the U.S.

    The Turkish Ministry of Education will no longer grant scholarships to students pursuing graduate studies at U.S. universities, the Yeni Şafak daily reported on Thursday based on the remarks of Deputy Minister Mustafa Safran.

  • Sweden's Election 2018-09-14 11:33

    By Hanif Ghaffari

    Did the Far-right Really Win the Sweden's Elections?

    General elections were held in Sweden on Sunday 9 September 2018, to elect the 349 members of the Sweden Parliament (Riksdag). They in turn will elect the Prime Minister of Sweden. Regional and municipal elections were also held on the same day.

  • India-Pakistan 2018-09-13 02:30

    By: Syed Zafar Mehdi

    ‘U.S. focus in South Asia gradually shifting from Pakistan to India’

    TEHRAN - After the recent turn of events, regional alliances have changed and a paradigm shift has been witnessed in the foreign policy priorities of countries in South Asia. The U.S. has lost an important ally and is now wooing another regional bulwark for a potential ‘marriage of inconvenience’.

  • Muharram 2018/09/13

    By: Syed Zafar Mehdi

    Why Muharram commemorations haven’t lost their significance

    TEHRAN - Muharram, contrary to the popular perception, is not merely a poignant chapter in history, orbiting around a grief-centric ritual. It is a profoundly illuminating philosophy that defines the relationship between truth and falsehood, between righteousness and impiousness, between dignity and ignominy.

  • Pakistan dam 2018-09-13 02:24

    By: Syed Zafar Mehdi

    To tackle water scarcity, Pakistanis crowdsourcing a mammoth dam project

    TEHRAN - According to a recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan ranks among the top three countries with acute water scarcity. UN agencies like United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) have also sounded alarm bells that Pakistan, which has the world’s fourth-largest rate of water usage, might run entirely dry by 2025.

  • Iran- Iraq 2018-09-12 10:02

    By Ramin Hossein Abadian

    Investigation on attacks on Iranian consulate general in Basra

    TEHRAN - Iraq is going through some tough days. The Iraqis have not yet succeeded in electing a speaker of parliament and his deputies as well as a new president and prime minister. In the midst of it all, what has drawn the world’s attention to Iraq is Basra’s incident and the unrest that claimed the life of seven people and left 50 people injured, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Health.

  • Ghaderi 2018-09-12 09:32

    By Mohammad Ghaderi - Twitter: @ghaderi62 - Email: m.ghaderi62@gmail.com

    Europe's Hollow Threats

    Although there has recently been lots of controversies on issues such as developing an "independent payment system" Europe and a "pseudo-swift structure" to maintain the nuclear deal with Iran, many analysts and experts in economic affairs believe that there's no real intention to actualize this idea among the EU authorities. In the meantime, there are deterrent factors that have hampered European independence from the United States, and it seems that these factors are now highlighted under the presidency of Donald Trump.

  • John Bolton 2018-09-11 14:26

    Palestinians say will stick to principles after U.S. decides to close PLO office in Washington

    The Palestinian Authority says it will not abandon its principles following the U.S. decision to close the Palestinian Liberation Organization's office in Washington, ABC News reported on Monday.

  • Federica Mogherini 2018-09-11 09:22

    By Mohammad Ghaderi - Twitter: @ghaderi62 - Email: m.ghaderi62@gmail.com

    Mogherini is happy, why not!

    EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is now satisfied over Iran's commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). As it was recently reported by Xinhua, Mogherini said that Tehran complies with all its nuclear related commitments and that is a "good news", when EU is still working on preserving the Iranian nuclear deal.

  • Pakistan-China 2018-09-10 22:43

    Pakistan PM says China is cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy

    TEHRAN - The new all-weather allies, Pakistan and China, took another big leap to strengthen their bilateral ties during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's first official visit to Islamabad since the formation of new government in Pakistan.

  • Jan Achakzai 2018-09-10 22:37

    By Syed Zafar Mehdi

    ‘With declining U.S. influence and ascending Chinese power, a new EuroAsia is emerging’

    TEHRAN - The new government in Pakistan led by Imran Khan faces challenges on multiple fronts, in combating corruption, rebuilding institutions, fighting extremism and reshaping foreign policy. Khan has in first few weeks reaffirmed his commitment to bring economic reforms on domestic front, and bolster ties with neighboring countries, notably India, China and Iran. His government has charted a new course for itself, in which Pakistan will be less dependent on U.S.

  • America 2018-09-10 12:43

    By Marco Carnelos

    Why America can't understand the ME

    A recent editorial in the Washington Post, written by columnist David Ignatius, offers a shining example of the United States' difficulty in understanding today's world and, most of all, the Arab world.

  • Post: Trump’s nuclear deal exit has antagonized the world 2018-09-10 12:31

    By Arshad M. Khan 

    Fear in the White House and Trump’s Foreign Policy

    The sensation this week is Bob Woodward’s book on the Trump White House titled, “Fear:  Trump in the White House.”  It shows a President Trump universally disparaging his own White House staff, even cabinet members.  His first Chief of Staff Reince Priebus is likened to a rat, “He just scurries around.”  Attorney General Jeff Sessions is, “mentally retarded.  He’s this dumb Southerner.  He couldn’t even be a one-person country lawyer down in Alabama”.  To commence Secretary Wilbur Ross:  “You’re past your prime.”  He could well be, otherwise he would have resigned following such a clear and direct indication of no confidence.

  • Martin Love 2018-09-10 12:21

    By Martin Love

    Faint stars in a blackened heaven still exist

    Trump, in fighting parlance, may be on the ropes, may be impeached sometime in the coming months, and it does appear that the Democrats may achieve a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in the midterm elections in November. The so-called “Deep State” and the MIC (Military Industrial Complex) are now going full tilt to bring Trump down, and Trump, given the loose cannon he has been, may prove his stupidity once again and try to deflect attention from his woes by starting another war.

  • Chabahar 2018-09-09 06:41

    Iran to hand over Chabahar Port to India in October, sticking to agreed timeframe

    TEHRAN - In an important development that is likely to cement ties between India and Iran further, Indian officials said on Friday that Iran plans to hand over the operational responsibility of the strategic Chabahar Port to India in October, sticking to the agreed timeframe.

  • Kate Sullivan 2018-09-09 06:39

    By Syed Zafar Mehdi

    ‘Notion of zero imports of Iranian oil to India is economically and politically unrealistic’

    TEHRAN - India and U.S. held the inaugural 2+2 talks in New Delhi on Thursday, in which the issue of Iranian oil imports figured prominently, according to sources. While the U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged India to completely halt Iranian oil imports, New Delhi refused to give any clear and categorical response, thereby thwarting the agenda of the visiting delegation.

  • U.S.- India 2018/09/08

    By: Syed Zafar Mehdi

    Why U.S. attempts to woo India would fail

    TEHRAN - After a lot of dilly-dallying, the inaugural India-U.S. ministerial 2+2 dialogue was held in New Delhi on Thursday. The high-profile U.S. delegation was led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis, who flew to New Delhi from Islamabad where they held deliberations with the newly-elected government led by Imran Khan on Wednesday.

  • Idlib 2018-09-08 10:28

    By Ramin Hossein Abadian

    Tripartite summit in Tehran; Idlib operation and the end of terrorist crisis in Syria

    Tehran hosted a tripartite summit with the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran on September 7, 2018. According to many observers, the summit result can determine the fate of Idlib in the northwest of Syria.

  • Trump - Macron 2018-09-08 10:14

    By Hamid Bayati

    Did Trump deceive Macron again?

    Speaking at a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Vienna, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's remarks on the necessity of holding missile and regional negotiations with Iran surprised many of his addressees!