Latest news with #IslamicRegime
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran considering relocating its capital over severe water shortage
At least 20 of Iran's 31 provinces are now suffering a water crisis. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is reportedly not ruling out relocating the capital city of Tehran over the severe water shortage that has gripped the country, Der Spiegel reported on Thursday, citing Iranian media. "The situation is serious, and Tehran truly has no water left," Pezeshkian said. Iran hit by climate crisis Iran declared a public holiday in Tehran Province last week due to the severe water shortage and energy crisis affecting the country. Schools and governments are expected to be closed until at least Saturday as a way to reduce the country's energy and water usage. At least 20 of Iran's 31 provinces are now suffering a water crisis, and one of the country's largest reservoirs is expected to dry up completely within a matter of weeks, according to Iranian state media site IRNA. The water crisis follows a 2 degrees centigrade rise since the 1960s, according to UNICEF, and a 20% reduction in rainfall over the past 20 years. Tehran's failures Tehran's failure to tackle the climate crisis has caused significant blowback from the regime's critics and Israeli officials. Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, in a social media post written in Persian, shared that Iranian "suffering" had directly resulted from the Islamic regime. 'Instead of addressing the needs of the Iranian people, they spend resources on terrorist branches in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza,' Cohen wrote. 'Israel has managed to overcome water shortages, and thanks to our knowledge and innovation, we now have abundant water resources that we even export to our neighbors.' 'To the Iranian nation: The day this oppressive regime is overthrown, your lives will be much better, and you too will be able to benefit from Israel's water technologies,' he concluded Alex Winston contributed to this report. Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The Ayatollahs are falling, but they still threaten the West
Iran's Islamic regime is weaker than it's ever been. Reeling from Israel and the US's historic attacks and the devastation of its terror proxies across the region, the Supreme Leader's ruthless 35-year grip on power is wobbling. Desperately trying to cling to power, the regime's clerics have resorted to issuing a fatwa against President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This religiously decreed death warrant is an appeal to Muslims world-wide and Iran's latest attempt to radicalise Western societies. As we mark the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 terror atrocities in London, it is especially disturbing that the fatwa even gives licence to suicide attacks. This isn't, however, merely a case of statecraft by death threat. The fatwa is just as much a warning to ordinary Iranians bravely campaigning for their freedom, as the fatwa broadly includes the punishment of death for anyone challenging the Supreme Leader. The alarming return of the fatwa has been accompanied by mass detentions across Iran with over 700 arrested in recent weeks. Having casted any opposition to the regime as a crime against God, Iran's theocratic authorities have been carrying out a horrifying wave of executions. I myself have lived with the threat to my life from the regime. I've already endured threats of beheading while standing outside the Foreign Office in London and I'm endlessly grateful to the British security services for their exceptional work in protecting me and my fellow peace-loving travellers. Since founding the Iranian Front for the Revival of Law and National Sovereignty to provide a voice to the people of Iran, the danger has only increased. Fatwas aren't something to be taken lightly. Tehran's long arm extends all the way around the world courtesy of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps terror army, proxies and lone wolf extremists. They all stand ready to enforce the hardline religious will of the regime. It is high time that the international community recognised that fatwas are as much of a threat as Iran's nuclear ambitions and ballistic missile programme, for which we owe Israel and the US much gratitude for degrading. Nearly four decades ago, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against British author Salman Rushdie, accusing him of blasphemy for the simple act of writing a book. This seemingly historical relic returned abruptly to global prominence when, in 2022, a murderous Islamist, inspired by this dormant fatwa, brutally assaulted Rushdie and nearly killed him. This chilling incident reminded the world that fatwas retain their lethality long after issuance. Fatwas constitute an international license for assassination and terror, activating sleeper cells composed of indoctrinated youth worldwide. Western leaders must urgently recognise that these fatwas are not meaningless religious proclamations; they are strategic tools of international terrorism. Through vast financial resources plundered from Iran's population, Tehran meticulously finances global information networks dedicated to brainwashing vulnerable young individuals who seem utterly impervious to the brutal nature of the regime, including here in the UK. Indoctrinated and radicalised, these youths become human weapons, primed to act upon the mere whisper of a cleric's command. This may start with harmless, if misguided, slogans and protests but it can quickly accelerate into criminality and acts of violence. Like a scorpion whose nature is to sting, the Iranian regime's defining immutable characteristic is violence, and its growing number of fatwas suggests that it is seeking to export incitement and terrorism while it desperately attempts to reassert control over the long-suffering Iranian public. The international community must respond decisively to neutralise this threat. Much of the hard work has been achieved through the military strikes on Iran's nuclear programme and military assets but its international terror franchises, radicalised useful idiots and fatwas remain strategic weapons. Only by dismantling this regime can the world effectively eliminate an existential threat and provide the Iranian people with the opportunity for a better future.
Metro
23-06-2025
- Business
- Metro
Oil prices - what will happen if Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz?
Global oil prices are surging. It is the clearest signal yet that instability in the Middle East will spill over, after Israel's bombardments on Iran – bolstered by US airstrikes on three nuclear sites – entered a second week. A third of the world's oil is derived from the region, with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar being the biggest fossil fuel suppliers, so any disruption will, of course, shake up the market. Fears are also rising that the Islamic Regime could follow through on their promise to close the Strait of Hormuz – the most strategic oil chokepoint in the world. And if things get uglier, security experts have told Metro that the oil could jump from the current price of $78.96 per barrel to as much as $120 in a 'worst-case scenario'. What is striking – and somewhat ironic – is that just 24 hours after the US hit Iran's nuclear assets, Washington is now urging China to pressure Iran to keep the 103-mile stretch of ocean open… Oil prices surged to a five-month high as investors wait to see if Iran would retaliate against the US attacks on its nuclear sites. A barrel of Brent crude oil – the benchmark price – jumped by around 1.53% to $78.19 a barrel as of around 7.15 CEST, while WTI rose 1.48% to $74.93 a barrel. It is worth remembering that this is around the average price for 2024, but with Israel's war only escalating, this may not be the end of it. No oil sites have actually been struck in Iran, so the market is calmer than expected. That said, if the Islamic Regime's Supreme National Security Council does approve of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the oil price will jump even higher. Yet for now, there is 'no hint of disruption', said Javier Blas, Bloomberg's energy and commodities columnist. He said: 'Multiple oil tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz this morning, both in and outbound. Not even a hint of disruption. 'Oil loading across multiple ports in the Persian Gulf appears normal. If anything, export rates over the last week are higher than earlier in June.' Closing the Strait of Hormuz would have 'the most profound impact' on the global oil price and the stock market since the Iraq War. Jason Pack, fellow at Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and host of the Disorder Podcast, told Metro that it would be 'such a committal step' for Iran that it would indicate which way the war is going. He said: 'There are many reasons why the Iranians would not want to close it. For one, they would not be able to make any money from their oil. 'Their allies, particularly China, would not want that. China is dependent on Iranian oil and their economy is already suffering.' Closing the Strait of Hormuz also does not happen automatically – there is no barrier or another contraption to physically stop the passing of ships. More Trending Instead, Pack explained that Iran would plant underwater mines or attack a tanker, for example, to signal it. This would also force insurance premiums for vessels to 'go through the roof.' He added: 'This would then cause oil to have to be taken on pipelines and trucks to the Mediterranean, and that would cause tremendous delays, and a lot of oil will not be produced as there are not enough storage facilities. 'So there would be a huge price hit and the markets would go crazy.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Is it safe to travel to Qatar? Latest after cancelled Doha flights from UK MORE: Is it safe to travel to Turkey? Latest Foreign Office tourist advice after US strikes on Iran MORE: El Al airline announces rescue flights from Israel to London
Metro
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Russia accuses Trump of 'opening Pandora's box' with strikes on Iran
Russia has accused Donald Trump of 'opening Pandora's box' with the US bombardments on three Iranian nuclear facilities. United Nations ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told an emergency meeting of the US Security Council that 'no one knows what new catastrophes and suffering it [the attacks] will bring.' He said Russia offered to mediate an agreeable solution to Iran's nuclear programme, but the US – especially its leaders – are 'clearly not interested in diplomacy today.' Nebenzia warned: 'Unless we stop the escalation, the Middle East will find itself on the verge of a large scale conflict with unpredictable consequences for the entire international security system, plus the entire world might end up on the verge of a nuclear disaster.' While the Kremlin's call for restraint may be a little ironic – after all, it is not exactly known for straying away from global provocations – it underscores the level of international alarm following the US attacks. Israel and Iran continued to trade air and missile strikes overnights as the world braced is bracing for the Islamic Regime's response. Antagonizing Iran even further, the US president spewed a series of posts on Truth Social about the strikes. He wrote: 'Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term… The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Trump also confirmed that the 'great' B-2 bomber pilots behind the strikes landed back in Missouri, after he also called for a regime change in Iran. More Trending 'If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!,' he said. Iran's armed forces stressed that the US should expect 'serious consequences' for its strikes. The attacks have expanded the scope of legitimate targets for Iran's armed forces, a spokesperson for its Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said. Ebrahim Zolfaqari ended his statement in English: 'Mr Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: El Al airline announces rescue flights from Israel to London MORE: Is it safe to travel to Dubai right now? Latest Foreign Office tourist advice after US strikes Iran MORE: Why Iran closing this 103-mile stretch of ocean could be catastrophic for the world
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Analyst close to Iranian regime says time for negotiation over, missiles will do the talking
Hamidreza Gholamzadeh, the director of the Diplo House think tank in Tehran who is close to Iran's Islamic regime, spoke to CBS News' Ramy Inocencio and echoed the Islamic Republic's leaders, saying the country is "very united" in the face of Israel's ongoing attacks, and that the time for negotiations is over. "The language of talks would be missiles," said the Iranian insider.
