Category: Middle East

Iran Sentences Former President’s Daughter to a 5-Year Prison Term

DUBAI—The activist daughter of former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been sentenced to five years in prison, her lawyer said on Tuesday. The lawyer did not give detail of the charges against Faezeh Hashemi. But Tehran’s public prosecutor indicted Hashemi last year on charges of “propaganda against the system,” according to the semi-official ISNA…


UK Condemns Iran’s ‘Barbaric’ Execution of British-Iranian Dual National Alireza Akbari

The UK government has condemned Iran’s execution of British-Iranian dual national Alireza Akbari, saying the Islamic regime’s behaviour “will not stand unchallenged.” Akbari, a former deputy defence minister of Iran, was arrested in 2019 and accused of espionage for British intelligence agency MI6, a charge he denies. The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported the…


Iran Executes British-Iranian National, UK Condemns ‘Barbaric’ Act

DUBAI/LONDON—Iran has executed a British-Iranian national who once served as its deputy defense minister, its judiciary said on Saturday, defying calls from London for his release after he was handed the death sentence on charges of spying for Britain. Britain, which had declared the case against Alireza Akbari, 61, as politically motivated and called for…


Iran Executes British-Iranian National

DUBAI/LONDON—Iran has executed a British-Iranian national who once served as its deputy defense minister, its judiciary said on Saturday, defying calls from London for his release after he was handed the death sentence on charges of spying for Britain. Britain, which had declared the case against Alireza Akbari, 61, as politically motivated and called for…


ISIS Claims Responsibility for Kabul Attack That Killed 5

KABUL, Afghanistan—The ISIS terrorist group claimed responsibility Thursday for a deadly bombing that killed at least five people near the Foreign Ministry in the Afghan capital the previous day. The bombing was the second major attack in Kabul in 2023 and drew condemnation from the international community. The extremist group said in a statement that…


UK Urges Iran to Halt Execution of British–Iranian Alireza Akbari

The UK government has condemned the planned execution of a British–Iranian dual national by Iran and has appealed for it not to go ahead. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Twitter on Wednesday: “Iran must halt the execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari and immediately release him. This is a politically motivated act by a…


UAE to Ban Single-Use Plastic Shopping Bags Starting in 2024

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday announced a ban on single-use plastic shopping bags to take effect next year, the latest initiative aimed at reducing pollution in the oil-rich nation. The law would prohibit the import, production and circulation of such bags from Jan. 1, 2024, according to an announcement carried by…


Greens Push Albanese Government to Get Tough on Iran

The Greens Party has denounced the federal government’s response to Iran’s crackdown on Iranian freedom protestors as slow and falling short of what the community wants. Australian Greens spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Peace, and Nuclear Disarmament, Senator Jordon Steele-John called out the Albanese government over what the Greens say is a lack of concrete actions on…


Greens Push Australian Government to Get Tough on Iran

The Greens Party has denounced the federal government’s response to Iran’s crackdown on Iranian freedom protestors as slow and falling short of what the community wants. Australian Greens spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Peace, and Nuclear Disarmament, Senator Jordon Steele-John called out the Albanese government over what the Greens say is a lack of concrete actions on…


US Navy Makes ‘Illicit’ Discovery on Iranian Smuggling Vessel

The U.S. Navy seized thousands of AK-47 rifles after stopping a suspected smuggling vessel on its way from Iran to Yemen, the Navy confirmed Tuesday. The Navy said the USS Chinook deployed a team to a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Oman, discovering a crew of Yemeni nationals. There, naval officials found about 2,116…