After a series of damaging failures, a senior Iranian intelligence official lost his job and a Revolutionary Guards general was said to have been arrested.
Tag Archives: Iran
I’m Held Hostage in Iran. President Biden, End This Nightmare.
Iran will release its captives only if offered sufficient incentives. Critics reject this solution without providing viable alternatives.
Naftali Bennett’s Exit Interview
Israel’s departing prime minister reflects on a government that tried to put pragmatism ahead of ideology.
Trump’s Shadow Looms Over Fading Iran Nuclear Talks
With no compromise in sight and Iran making steady progress toward nuclear capability, the Biden administration could soon face a stark choice.
Fears Grow Over Iran’s Nuclear Program as Tehran Digs a New Tunnel Network
The conflict over the program is about to flare again as President Biden travels next month to Israel and Saudi Arabia, Iran’s two biggest regional rivals.
Biden Has ‘Only Bad Options’ for Bringing Down Oil Prices
The president’s trip to Saudi Arabia is unlikely to reduce oil and gasoline prices, and it is not clear that anything else he might do would work, either.
Putin’s Threats Highlight the Dangers of a New, Riskier Nuclear Era
After generations of stability in nuclear arms control, a warning to Russia from President Biden shows how old norms are eroding.
In Iran, a New Wave of Repression Hits Acclaimed Filmmakers
The authorities in the Islamic Republic like to take credit for the country’s achievements in film, but are warning those who make them not to cross red lines at home.
Robert C. McFarlane, Top Reagan Aide in Iran-Contra Affair, Dies at 84
As national security adviser, he pleaded guilty in an illegal scheme to aid Nicaraguan rebels in the 1980s. Guilt-ridden, he attempted suicide.
Biden Could Make the World Safer, but He’s Too Afraid of the Politics
The administration knows how to get the Iran nuclear deal back. It’s just afraid of Republicans.
Building the First Long-Distance Hiking Trail in Kurdistan
Can it help knit together a nation?
Yemen’s Houthis Went From Ragtag Militia to Force Threatening Gulf Powers
Iran’s cultivation of the Houthis over the years of war in Yemen has armed them with missiles and drones, endangering Washington’s partners and Tehran’s rivals, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Sadeq Hedayat, Iran’s Misunderstood Literary Modernist
“Blind Owl,” by Sadeq Hedayat, is a hallucinatory short novel that upends Persian artistic traditions.
How the Yemen War Connects to Saudi Arabia and Iran
Yemen was already the Arab world’s poorest country before its civil war began in 2014. Then a Saudi-led coalition joined the fight against the Iran-backed Houthi militia, spreading the ruin.
Warring Parties in Yemen Announce Overlapping Cease-Fires
Both the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi rebels said they would stop fighting, but further progress toward an end to the seven-year war in the country was uncertain.
Israeli Summit Mixes Historic Symbolism With Sharp Disputes
The meeting of diplomats from Israel, the U.S. and four Arab countries was momentous just for taking place. But in private, they tried to hash out differences over Iran and the war in Ukraine.
A New Iran Deal Leaves Us Meeker and Weaker
A new pact would strengthen the world’s antidemocratic axis.
Leaders of Israel, U.A.E. and Egypt Meet Amid Shifting Geopolitics
All three countries are navigating fraught relationships with the Biden administration amid the quickly changing geopolitical landscape precipitated by Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Back in U.K., Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Urges Iran to Release Others
Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian charity worker held for six years in Tehran, said “freedom will never be complete” until all detainees were allowed to leave.
Iran’s Attack Was Response to Secret Israeli Attack on Drone Site
Israel and Iran are pushing the boundaries of a long-running clandestine war that is increasingly spilling out of the shadows.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe to Fly Home From Iran, U.K. Lawmaker Says
The arrest and detention of the British-Iranian charity worker in 2016 roiled relations between Britain and Iran and was denounced by rights groups.
Missiles Fired From Iran Hit Near U.S. Consulate Site in Iraq
No serious injuries were reported from the strike, outside the city of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, and an American official said the consulate site was undamaged.
Iran Nuclear Deal Nears Completion, but Russia Poses Complication
With the world eager to wean itself from Russian oil after the invasion of Ukraine, negotiators appeared close to signing a revived nuclear pact with Iran and lifting sanctions. Then Moscow put up a hurdle.
The Smugglers’ Paradise of Afghanistan
For decades, the smuggling trade — of people, drugs and money — has dominated Nimruz Province. Now, as hundreds of thousands of Afghans try to flee, business has further boomed for those who hold the keys to the gate.
An Iranian Director’s Rule: ‘Always Focus on Ordinary People’
Asghar Farhadi, who has won two Oscars, says stories about the rich and famous “are not part of my emotional bank.”
The Unrescued
After the U.S. withdrew, thousands of Afghans have been trying to escape. But how do we decide who deserves refuge?
Biden Should Bring the U.S. Military Back From Iraq
The U.S. withdrew its forces from Afghanistan last year. This year, it should withdraw its forces from Iraq.
More Than a Million Afghans Flee as Economy Collapses
Thousands of Afghans are trying to sneak into Iran and Pakistan each day, as incomes have dried up and life-threatening hunger has become widespread.
U.S. and Allies Close to Reviving Nuclear Deal With Iran, Officials Say
A return to a 2015 accord is on the table, but the next decisions are up to the new government in Tehran, the Biden administration says.
What We Learned About Pegasus, the Smartphone Cracker
Israel used the NSO Group’s cyberweapon as a tool of diplomacy. The F.B.I. tested it for domestic surveillance. Then everything soured. Here are highlights of a New York Times Magazine investigation.
Russia and Iran Put on a Show of Unity — Against the U.S.
Vladimir V. Putin met at the Kremlin with Iran’s new leader, Ebrahim Raisi, at a time when both their countries, despite their differences, are at odds with Washington.
Aras Amiri Has Returned to the U.K. After Being Jailed in Iran
Aras Amiri, an arts worker employed by the British Council, was arrested in March 2018 on espionage charges. She was acquitted in August and flew back to Britain earlier this week.
Rockets Possibly Fired by Pro-Iran Assailants Target U.S. Embassy in Iraq
Four rockets were fired at the fortified compound that houses the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and suspicion fell on pro-Iran militias.
The U.S. and Iran Move Closer to a Nuclear Deal
As negotiations reach a critical stage, neither side wants to betray weakness by seeming too eager to reach a deal.
Foreign Drones Tip the Balance in Ethiopia’s Civil War
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed pulled off a stunning reversal in the year-old conflict with the help of armed drones supplied by the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Iran.
Israeli Defense Officials Cast Doubt on Threat to Attack Iran
Israel has threatened military action to destroy Iran’s nuclear program if need be. But defense officials say Israel does not have the ability, at least not anytime soon.
‘Health Defenders’ Jailed in Iran Wanted to Sue Supreme Leader Over Covid
Two lawyers and a civil rights activist who were outspoken about Iran’s chaotic response to the pandemic and delays in its vaccine rollout are on trial now, charged with threatening national security.
Iran Agrees to Replace Cameras at Nuclear Site but Blocks Images
Iran’s failure to allow the U.N. nuclear agency to fully monitor its nuclear program is hindering talks in Vienna on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal.
Israel Finds Planes That Could Be Key to a Strike on Iran Badly Back-Ordered
The United States told Israel it was unlikely to deliver refueling tankers before 2024, amid tensions between the two nations over how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran’s Nuclear Program Ignites New Tension Between U.S. and Israel
Strains emerged during talks this week after a short period of strong relations between a new Israeli government and new American one.
Pearl Harbor and the Capacity for Surprise
Could we avert a similar catastrophe in the future?
Iran Nuclear Talks Head for Collapse Unless Tehran Shifts, Europeans Say
In Vienna talks, the new hard-line Iranian government has staked out positions that are incompatible with the 2015 deal, European negotiators say.
Trump’s Iran Policy Has Become a Disaster for the U.S. and Israel
Withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal was a mistake. What comes next?
Iran Insists on Immediate Lifting of Sanctions as Nuclear Talks Resume
After five months, negotiations on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran resumed in Vienna, but with a harder line from the new Iranian government.
Israel and Iran Broaden Cyberwar to Attack Civilian Targets
Iranians couldn’t buy gas. Israelis found their intimate dating details posted online. The Iran-Israel shadow war is now hitting ordinary citizens.
Iran Clamps Down on Protests Against Growing Water Shortages
The crackdown came after the protests spilled over to at least one other city and a major protest on Friday loomed. Weather experts say 97 percent of the country is dealing with water scarcity issues.
Iran Rebuffs U.N. Watchdog on Resuming Nuclear Inspections
The head of the U.N. nuclear agency said Tehran continues to refuse to let it replace key monitoring equipment that tracks the country’s nuclear program.
As Hopes for Nuclear Deal Fade, Iran Rebuilds and Risks Grow
With Iran’s new administration preparing for its first international nuclear negotiations, there are signs that there will be no going back to the 2015 agreement.
Strike on U.S. Base Was Iranian Response to Israeli Attack, Officials Say
Iran has not acknowledged the attack, but U.S. and Israeli officials said it was retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, drawing the U.S. into Iran’s shadow war with Israel.
Hackers backed by Iran are targeting US critical infrastructure, US warns
Enlarge / Illustration set of flags made from binary code targets. (credit: Getty Images)
Organizations responsible for critical infrastructure in the US are in the crosshairs of Iranian government hackers, who are exploiting known vulnerabilities in enterprise products from Microsoft and Fortinet, government officials from the US, UK, and Australia warned on Wednesday.
A joint advisory published Wednesday said an advanced-persistent-threat hacking group aligned with the Iranian government is exploiting vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange and Fortinet’s FortiOS, which forms the basis for the latter company’s security offerings. All of the identified vulnerabilities have been patched, but not everyone who uses the products has installed the updates. The advisory was released by the FBI, US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the UK’s National Cyber Security Center, and the Australian Cyber Security Center.
A broad range of targets
“The Iranian government-sponsored APT actors are actively targeting a broad range of victims across multiple US critical infrastructure sectors, including the Transportation Sector and the Healthcare and Public Health Sector, as well as Australian organizations,” the advisory stated. “FBI, CISA, ACSC, and NCSC assess the actors are focused on exploiting known vulnerabilities rather than targeting specific sectors. These Iranian government-sponsored APT actors can leverage this access for follow-on operations, such as data exfiltration or encryption, ransomware, and extortion.”
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