Iran

Iran dancing couple given 10-year jail sentence

BBC reports they were reportedly convicted for promoting corruption, prostitution and propaganda.

The video showed them dancing by Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) Tower.

Authorities are handing heavy sentences to people seen to be involved in protests after the death of a woman who was detained by morality police.

The couple did not link their dance to the ongoing protests in Iran.

A source has confirmed to BBC Monitoring that the couple's arrest came after they posted the video to their Instagram accounts, which have a combined following of nearly two million.

Iran 'foils drone attack' on military facility in Isfahan

The ministry said three drones were involved but there were no casualties.

One drone was destroyed by air defence systems and two were caught by "defence traps", causing minor damage to a building, the ministry added.

The extent of damage to the site has not been confirmed by the BBC, and there has been no immediate claim of responsibility.

Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said the "cowardly" incident was an attempt to destabilise the country.

Iran's new hardline President Ebrahim Raisi sworn in

Mr Raisi, a hardline cleric, succeeds Hassan Rouhani, seen in the West as a relative moderate.

It comes at a time of growing challenges for Iran, whose economy has been crippled by US-led sanctions.

There are also heightened tensions with foreign powers who have blamed Iran for a deadly drone attack on a tanker near Oman last week, which Iran has denied.

Two people - British and Romanian security guards - were killed when the MV Mercer Street, operated by an Israeli-owned company, was struck. Britain, the US and Israel accused Iran of carrying it out.

Ship hijacked off UAE ordered to sail to Iran

The bitumen tanker MV Asphalt Princess is heading into the congested approach to the Strait of Hormuz, it said.

It is not clear who has seized the ship but analysts says Iranian forces will be suspected.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards dismissed the reports as a pretext for "hostile action" against Tehran.

The incident comes less than a week after an oil tanker operated by an Israeli-owned company was attacked by a drone off Oman, killing two security guards - one British and the other Romanian.

UK and Iran summon diplomats after tanker attack

The UK, US and Israel blame Iran for the attack, in which two crew members - a Briton and a Romanian - were killed.

Tensions are high between Israel and Iran and each has regularly accused the other of targeting shipping in the region.

Iran dismissed accusations it was behind the latest attack as baseless.

On Monday, the UK summoned Iran's ambassador over what the British government called the "unlawful attack".

Deadly street protests over Iran water shortages

Security forces in Iran's southwest Khuzestan province have been firing bullets at people protesting due to severe water shortages.

The shortages are happening in one of the country's hottest regions, where temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius.

Iran has called claims of a crackdown on protesters, by the UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet, "false accusations".

But the protests have developed into dissent against the government, the country's Supreme Leader and have spread to different cities.

     

Israel attacks Iran as talks progress

Naftali Bennett said Iran's "regime of brutal hangmen" wants nuclear weapons - something Iran has repeatedly denied.

Diplomats said progress was made in Vienna today to renew the deal, which the US withdrew from under President Trump.

Israel opposes the agreement.

Iran elected hardliner Ebrahim Raisi as its new president on Friday.

Hardliner Raisi will be Iran's new president

He thanked Iranians for their support, after securing 62 percent of the votes.

Raisi is Iran's top judge and holds ultra-conservative views. He is under US sanctions and has been linked to past executions of political prisoners.

Iran's president is the second-highest ranking official in the country, after the supreme leader.

Israel ex-top spy reveals Mossad operations against Iran

Yossi Cohen gave details about the theft of Iran's nuclear archive.

The warehouse raid in 2018 ferried tens of thousands of documents out of the country to Israel.

He also hinted at Israeli involvement in the destruction of Iran's nuclear facility at Natanz, and the assassination of a nuclear scientist.

Cohen retired as the head of Mossad last week.

He spoke to journalist Ilan Dayan on Channel 12's Uvda documentary programme, which was broadcast on Israeli television on Thursday night.

Iran arrests US dual national on spying charges

Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili did not identify the man, but said he "had been free on bail".

Iranian media reported last week that a US-Iranian businessman named Emad Shargi had been arrested has he tried to cross a western border illegally.

It could complicate plans by new US President Joe Biden to re-engage diplomatically with Iran.

His predecessor Donald Trump subjected the Tehran government to a "maximum pressure" campaign of crippling economic sanctions.