Whether four oil tankers in the Gulf were attacked by Iran or whether the incident was orchestrated by the US, both should desist for the sake of peace, says John Andrews.

Despite their difference Iran and Russia are both becoming big players in the Middle

Four decades ago Iran’s then-leader, the western-orientated Mohammad Reza Pahlavi — the Shah of Iran, the self-styled King of Kings — began the last year of his corrupt monarchy.

Iran's Supreme Leader has accused his country's enemies of meddling in recent protest rallies, as the reported death toll reached 20.

A wave of spontaneous protests over Iran’s weak economy have swept into Tehran, with students and others chanting against the government just hours after hard-liners held their own rally in support of the clerical establishment.

A 7.3 magnitude earthquake near the Iraq-Iran border has killed more than 400 people and sent residents fleeing their homes into the night, authorities said.

Iran's supreme leader has described Donald Trump as "mentally retarded" as he urged Europe to do more to back the 2015 nuclear deal after the US president refused to re-certify the pact.

Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi has cancelled plans to attend the UN General Assembly, a government spokesman said as the country draws international criticism over violence against ethnic Rohingya Muslims.

More than 40 others were wounded in the attacks which have been claimed by the Islamic State.

Voting has begun in Iran's first presidential election since its nuclear deal with world powers, as incumbent Hassan Rouhani faced a staunch challenge from a hard-line opponent over his outreach to the wider world.

Saudi Arabia says it has broken off diplomatic ties with Iran, amid a row over the Saudi execution of a prominent Shi’ite Muslim cleric.

A committee of Iran’s conservative-dominated parliament gave its support to Iran’s nuclear agreement with world powers, on condition there would be no foreign inspections of military sites and no curbs on developing its missile programme.

The trial of satirical cartoonist Atena Farghadani and her lawyer on a charge of “illegitimate sexual relations falling short of adultery” after they shook hands is “clearly politically motivated”, Amnesty International said today.

Saudi Arabia, under growing pressure to account for a crush that killed more than 700 people at the hajj pilgrimage, suggested pilgrims failing to follow crowd control rules bore some blame for the worst disaster at the event for 25 years.

Iran will remain closed to US influence and continue to oppose US policies in the Middle East after its nuclear deal with big powers, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said yesterday, noting either country can still block the accord.

US president Barack Obama’s administration sent a nuclear agreement with Tehran to congress yesterday.

A nuclear deal may have been signed by Iran and Western powers but the regional powerplay is far from resolved, writes Volker Perthes

Iran and six major world powers yesterday reached a nuclear deal, capping more than a decade of negotiations with an agreement that could transform the Middle East.

Iran’s supreme leader has vowed he will not allow international inspection of Iran’s military sites or access to Iranian scientists under any nuclear agreement with world powers.

Iran’s top leader yesterday stopped short of giving his endorsement to the framework nuclear deal struck last week between Tehran and world powers, while the country’s president warned separately that Tehran’s approval of a final deal depends on the immediate lifting of all sanctions related to its controversial nuclear programme.

Iran’s president has proclaimed that a nuclear agreement is in reach, as a deadline looms for a preliminary accord.

Iran’s supreme leader has criticised the film American Sniper, saying the movie about a US soldier fighting in Iraq encourages violence against Muslims, a state-run newspaper has reported.

Iraq’s new prime minister-designate yesterday won swift endorsements from uneasy mutual allies the US and Iran as he called on political leaders to end crippling feuds that have let jihadists seize a third of the country.

Iran’s supreme leaderdescribed as "stupid and idiotic" Western expectations for his country to curb its missile development, striking a defiant tone ahead of a fresh round of nuclear talks.

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator said if Syria’s president was forced to stand down, the country would be left as a “haven for terrorists”.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Along with his grip on Iran’s politics and its military, the Reuters investigation into Setad shows there is a third dimension to his power: economic might.

Euphoria in Tehran, fury in Jerusalem, and a mixed reaction in Washington has greeted the accord reached with Iran on curbing its nuclear programme.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and foreign ministers of other major powers converged today to lend their weight to the Iran nuclear talks after envoys reported progress on key issues blocking an interim agreement to curb the Iranian programme in return for limited sanctions relief.

Iran’s Supreme Leader has warned against undermining negotiators engaged in talks with the West over its nuclear programme.

An Iranian actress and political reformer has been jailed for 18 months on security charges in another sign of the tension between Iran’s hard-line judiciary and calls for greater openness by new president Hassan Rouhani.

World powers negotiating with Tehran over its disputed nuclear programme must come up with new proposals before talks in Geneva on Oct 15-16, Iran’s foreign minister said.

While he was vice-president in the previous US administration, Dick Cheney repeatedly insisted the US needed to bomb the Iranians to snuff out their nuclear ambitions; so did senator John McCain and innumerable other politicians — Republican and Democrat, domestic and foreign.

Iran’s top leader has said that some aspects of Hassan Rouhani’s trip to New York last month were “not appropriate,” but reiterated his crucial support for the president’s policy of outreach to the West.

AT FIRST glance, the entire greater Middle East appears to be sliding into chaos. Civil war continues to rage in Syria, while its neighbours — particularly Jordan and Lebanon — strain under the weight of more than 2m refugees.

UN chemical weapons experts have visited a Damascus suburb for a new tour of areas struck by poison gas, as Western powers began laying the groundwork for a possible punitive strike.

Iran’s interior ministry says voting in the country’s presidential election has ended.

The polls have opened in the election that will decide a successor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Iranian women seeking to run in the presidential election next month have been told they are not allowed to take part.

Iran says if it is attacked by Israel, it will annihilate Tel Aviv and Haifa.

Iran’s supreme leader has strongly rejected proposals for direct talks with United States on its nuclear programme and other issues.

Syria warned of a possible “surprise” response to Israel’s attack on its territory and Russia condemned the air strike as an unprovoked violation of international law.

Iran’s parliament is planning to summon President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be questioned over the country’s plummeting currency, state radio reported today.

The country is developing its nuclear programme, says Mehdi Khalaji

Iran and North Korea have signed a scientific and technological co-operation agreement.