PARIS: Iran would strike US military and shipping targets in the event of a new attack by the United States during an ongoing wave of protests, the parliament speaker said on Sunday. &quot;In the event of a military attack by the United States, both the occupied territory and centers of the US military and shipping will be our legitimate targets,&quot; Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told parliament in comments broadcast by state TV, apparently also referring to Israel, which the Islamic Republic does not recognize and considers occupied Palestinian territory. &#39;Significant&#39; arrestsMeanwhile, Iran has made significant arrests of key figures in the protest movement that has swept the Islamic Republic over the last two weeks, the national police chief said Sunday. &quot;Last night (Saturday evening), significant arrests were made of the main elements in the riots, who, God willing, will be punished after going through legal procedures,&quot; Ahmad-Reza Radan told state TV, without giving details on the number or identities of those arrested. Iran&#39;s president to address nationMeanwhile, IRIB, Iran&#39;s state TV, said&nbsp;President Masoud Pezeshkian will address economic plans and &quot;people&#39;s demands&quot; in an interview on Sunday. It comes after two weeks of protests sparked by anger over the rising cost of living. &quot;In a conversation with the national media, the president laid out the status of the government&#39;s major economic plan to reform the subsidy system, and also discussed recent events and the government&#39;s approach to responding to the people&#39;s demands,&quot; IRIB state TV said, noting the interview would be broadcast later Sunday.

Middle East

Iran has made significant arrests of key figures in the protest movement that has swept the Islamic Republic over the last two weeks, the national police chief said Sunday.

Iran to target US military, shipping if attacked: Parliament speaker

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel would not allow arch-foe Iran to restore its ballistic missile programme, just days after US President Donald Trump issued a similar threat.&nbsp;&quot;We will not allow Iran to restore its ballistic missile industry, and certainly we will not allow it renew the nuclear programme that we significantly damaged,&quot; Netanyahu told lawmakers.&nbsp;&quot;If we are attacked, the consequences for Iran will be very severe,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Netanyahu&#39;s threat comes days after Trump threatened to &quot;eradicate&quot; Iran&#39;s nuclear and ballistic missile programme, after the two leaders met in Washington last week.&nbsp;Israeli officials and media have expressed concern in recent months that Iran is rebuilding its ballistic missile arsenal after it was adamaged during the 12-day war with Israel in June.&nbsp;Trump said Iran &quot;may be behaving badly&quot; and was looking at new nuclear sites to replace those targeted by US strikes during the same conflict, as well as restoring its missile stockpiles.&nbsp;&quot;I hope they&#39;re not trying to build up again because if they are, we&#39;re going have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup,&quot; Trump said, adding that the US response &quot;may be more powerful than the last time.&quot;&nbsp;But Trump said he believed Iran was still interested in a deal with Washington on its nuclear and missile programmes. Tehran denies that it is seeking nuclear weapons.&nbsp;Netanyahu, meanwhile, said the protests in Iran had &quot;expanded greatly&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;It is very possible that we are at a decisive moment -- a moment when the Iranian people will take their destiny into their own hands,&quot; he said in parliament.&nbsp;Protests erupted in Iran on December 28 when shopkeepers in the capital Tehran staged a strike over high prices and economic stagnation.&nbsp;They have since spread to other cities and expanded to include political demands.&nbsp;On Sunday, Netanyahu said that Israel stood in solidarity with the Iranian people during the ongoing demonstrations.&nbsp;&quot;We stand in solidarity with the struggle of the Iranian people and with their aspirations for freedom, liberty and justice,&quot; Netanyahu said at the weekly cabinet meeting.

Netanyahu warns Iran against rebuilding ballistic missile and nuclear capabilities, citing severe consequences, and voices support for ongoing Iranian protests demanding economic and political reforms.

Netanyahu says Israel won't let Iran restore ballistic missile programme

PARIS: Iran will offer no leniency to &quot;rioters&quot;, though the public has a right to demonstrate, the head of the country&#39;s judiciary said on Monday, following more than a week of sometimes-deadly protests. The remarks came after US President Donald Trump warned Iran would &quot;get hit very hard by the United States&quot; if the authorities killed more demonstrators. The protests began on December 28 when shopkeepers in Tehran staged a strike over high prices and economic stagnation, but they have since spread to other places and expanded to include political demands. &quot;I instruct the attorney general and prosecutors across the country to act in accordance with the law and with resolve against the rioters and those who support them... and to show no leniency or indulgence,&quot; Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said, according to the judiciary&#39;s Mizan news agency. He went on to add that Iran &quot;listens to the protesters and their criticism, and distinguishes between them and rioters&quot;. Demonstrations have taken place in 25 of Iran&#39;s 31 provinces and affected, to varying degrees, at least 45 different cities, most of them small or medium-sized and concentrated in the west, according to an AFP tally based on official statements and media reports. At least 12 people have been killed since December 30 in localized clashes, including members of the security forces, according to official announcements. Since the protests began, officials have publicly struck a conciliatory tone when it comes to protesters&#39; economic demands, while vowing to take a hard line against any chaos or destabilization. Iran&#39;s economy has been hit hard by tough international sanctions, with the national currency, the rial, losing more than a third of its value against the US dollar over the past year and inflation in double digits. On Sunday, the government announced a monthly allowance for every citizen to alleviate economic pressure, equivalent to around 3.5 percent of the average monthly wage. The reformist newspaper Arman Melli said Monday that the authorities had &quot;heard the voices of the protesters&quot;, while the conservative papers Javan and Kayhan accused the United States and Israel of financially supporting rioters. Watching &#39;very closely&#39;&nbsp;Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the US was watching the situation &quot;very closely&quot;. &quot;If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they&#39;re going to get hit very hard by the United States,&quot; he said on Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, said his country stood &quot;in solidarity with the struggle of the Iranian people and with their aspirations for freedom&quot;. On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said at a press conference attended by AFP journalists that Israel was trying &quot;to exploit the slightest opportunity to sow division and undermine our national unity&quot;. Iran&#39;s prosecutor general Mohammad Movahedi-Azad last week warned against &quot;externally designed scenarios&quot; to harness the protests, promising a &quot;decisive response&quot;. Israel fought a 12-day war with Iran in June, which the US briefly joined with limited strikes on nuclear facilities. &#39;Movement by movement&#39;The Fars news agency said on Monday that &quot;the trend observed on Sunday night shows a notable decrease in the number of gatherings and their geographic reach compared to previous nights&quot;. Local media&#39;s accounting of the protests is not exhaustive, and state-run outlets have downplayed their coverage of the demonstrations, while videos flooding social media are often impossible to verify. On Monday, most shops in Tehran were open and residents were going about their business after the end of a four-day weekend on Sunday, according to AFP reporters in the capital. However, riot police were deployed at major intersections and officers were stationed in front of some schools. Several universities have resumed classes, but only online. Protests have also taken place among the Iranian diaspora. At a demonstration in Paris on Sunday, 29-year-old French-Iranian translator Sahar Aghakhani told AFP: &quot;With each new protest, Iranian men and women gain ground. Movement by movement, we&#39;re getting closer to the end of the regime.&quot; Iran has experienced several outbreaks of nationwide protests in recent years, most notably in 2022 over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini over the alleged breach of Iran&#39;s Islamic dress laws for women. So far, the current protests have not reached the same scale.

Iran will offer no leniency to "rioters," though the public has a right to demonstrate, the head of the country's judiciary said 

Iran says no leniency for 'rioters' as protests persist

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States is &quot;locked and loaded&quot; to respond if Iran kills protesters, after cost-of-living demonstrations in the country turned deadly. Protesters and security forces clashed in several Iranian cities on Thursday, with six people reported killed in the first deaths since the unrest escalated. Shopkeepers in the capital Tehran went on strike Sunday over high prices and economic stagnation, actions that have since spread to other parts of the country. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that &quot;if Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.&quot; &quot;We are locked and loaded and ready to go,&quot; the Republican leader added. Iran warns of response to any US interventionIran on Friday warned against any US intervention in the country, vowing a response after President Donald Trump said he would come to the aid of protesters in the Islamic Republic. &quot;Any interventionist hand that attacks Iran&#39;s security under any pretext whatsoever will be exposed to a response,&quot; Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to the supreme leader, wrote on X. &quot;Iran&#39;s security is a red line.&quot; Iran&#39;s Fars news agency reported Thursday that two people were killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in the city of Lordegan, in the province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, and three in Azna, in neighbouring Lorestan province. State television reported earlier that a member of Iran&#39;s security forces was killed overnight during protests in the western city of Kouhdasht. The demonstrations are smaller than the last major incident in 2022, triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating Iran&#39;s strict dress code for women. Her death sparked a nationwide wave of anger that left several hundred people dead, including dozens of members of the security forces.

US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Dec. 22, 2025 (AFP)

Americas

US president threatens action if Tehran violently suppresses cost-of-living protesters, saying America will 'come to their rescue'; Iran says any intervention attacking the country's security will invite a response.

Trump vows US 'locked and loaded', Iran says any intervention a 'red line'

TEHRAN: Protesters and security forces clashed in several Iranian cities on Thursday, with six reported killed, the first deaths since the cost-of-living demonstrations broke out. The protests began on Sunday in Tehran, where shopkeepers went on strike over high prices and economic stagnation, and have since spread to other parts of the country. On Thursday, Iran&#39;s Fars news agency reported two people killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in the city of Lordegan, in the province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, and three in Azna, in neighboring Lorestan province. &quot;Some protesters began throwing stones at the city&#39;s administrative buildings, including the provincial governor&#39;s office, the mosque, the Martyrs&#39; Foundation, the town hall, and banks,&quot; Fars said of Lordegan, adding that police responded with tear gas. Fars reported that the buildings were &quot;severely damaged&quot; and that police arrested several people described as &quot;ringleaders.&quot; In Azna, Fars said &quot;rioters took advantage of a protest gathering... to attack a police commissariat.&quot; During previous protest movements, state media has labelled demonstrators &quot;rioters.&quot; Earlier Thursday, state television reported that a member of Iran&#39;s security forces was killed overnight during protests in the western city of Kouhdasht. &quot;A 21-year-old member of the Basij from the city of Kouhdasht was killed last night by rioters while defending public order,&quot; the channel said, citing Said Pourali, the deputy governor of Lorestan Province. The Basij are a volunteer paramilitary force linked to Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards, the ideological branch of the Islamic republic&#39;s army. Pourali said that &quot;during the demonstrations in Kouhdasht, 13 police officers and Basij members were injured by stone throwing.&rdquo;&nbsp; In the western city of Hamedan, protesters torched a motorbike in what the Tasnim news agency described as an unsuccessful attempt to burn down a mosque. The same agency reported on Thursday that 30 people in a district of Tehran had been arrested the night before for alleged public order offences in a &quot;coordinated operation by the security and intelligence services&quot;. &#39;End up in hell&#39; The demonstrations are smaller than the last major outbreak of unrest in 2022, triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating Iran&#39;s strict dress code for women. Her death sparked a nationwide wave of anger that left several hundred people dead, including dozens of members of the security forces. The latest protests began in the capital and spread after students from at least 10 universities joined in on Tuesday. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has sought to calm tensions, acknowledging protesters&#39; &quot;legitimate demands,&quot; and he urged the government Thursday to take action to improve the economic situation. &quot;From an Islamic perspective... if we do not resolve the issue of people&#39;s livelihoods, we will end up in Hell,&quot; Pezeshkian said at an event broadcast on state television. Authorities, however, have also promised to take a &quot;firm&quot; stance and have warned against exploiting the situation to sow chaos. Local media coverage of the demonstrations has varied, with some outlets focusing on economic difficulties and others on incidents caused by &quot;troublemakers.&quot; Iran is in the middle of an extended weekend, with the authorities declaring Wednesday a bank holiday at the last minute, citing the need to save energy during the cold weather. They made no official link to the protests. The weekend in Iran begins on Thursday, and Saturday is a long-standing national holiday. Iran&#39;s prosecutor general said on Wednesday that peaceful economic protests were legitimate, but any attempt to create insecurity would be met with a &quot;decisive response.&quot; &quot;Any attempt to turn economic protests into a tool of insecurity, destruction of public property, or implementation of externally designed scenarios will inevitably be met with a legal, proportionate and decisive response.&quot; Viral video Earlier this week, a video showing a person sitting in the middle of a Tehran street facing down motorcycle police went viral on social media, with some seeing it as a &quot;Tiananmen moment&quot; &mdash; a reference to the famous image of a Chinese protester defying a column of tanks during 1989 anti-government protests in Beijing. On Thursday, state television alleged the footage had been staged to &quot;create a symbol&quot; and aired another video purportedly shot from another angle by a police officer&#39;s camera. Sitting cross-legged, the protester remains impassive, head bowed, before covering his head with his jacket as behind him a crowd flees clouds of tear gas. On Wednesday evening, Tasnim reported the arrest of seven people it described as being affiliated with &quot;groups hostile to the Islamic Republic based in the United States and Europe.&quot; It said they had been &quot;tasked with turning the demonstrations into violence.&quot; Tasnim did not say when they were arrested. The national currency, the rial, has lost more than a third of its value against the US dollar over the past year, while double-digit hyperinflation has been undermining Iranians&#39; purchasing power for years. The inflation rate in December was 52% year-on-year, according to the Statistical Centre of Iran, an official body.

Asia

The Basij are a volunteer paramilitary force linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the ideological branch of the Islamic republic's army; deputy governor of Lorestan Province says "during the demonstrations in Kouhdasht, 13 police officers and Basij members were injured by stone throwing.” 

Fresh clashes kill six in Iran cost-of-living protests

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: In 2025, Israel launched an unprecedented series of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/the-bitter-relationship-between-israel-and-arab-states" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">military attacks across six countries in the Middle East</a>, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).&nbsp; The data analysis group&rsquo;s report, &ldquo;Israel recalibrates its military campaigns in a region still on edge,&rdquo; highlights the growing scope and intensity of Israel&rsquo;s actions in the region. ACLED, an independent global conflict monitor, reported that Israel launched military attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen throughout the year, marking the widest geographic reach of any military worldwide in 2025. &ldquo;In 2025, Israel launched attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen,&rdquo; ACLED states, noting that between January 1 and November 28 alone, Israel &ldquo;undertook more than 12,500 military actions across the Middle East.&rdquo; Deadliest zone: Palestine (Gaza Strip and West Bank)ACLED identified the Palestinian territories, particularly Gaza, as the deadliest theater of Israel&rsquo;s military activity in 2025. &ldquo;Gaza remained the deadliest arena; the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/gaza-civil-defense-says-7-killed-in-israeli-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">IDF killed thousands</a>&nbsp;&mdash; the majority civilians &mdash; in strikes,&rdquo; the report details. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) strikes reportedly killed over 16,100 Palestinians in Gaza. The report further stated that Israel broke a ceasefire in January and, by October, had &ldquo;confined Palestinians in Gaza to less than 25% of the enclave and was pushing to establish full control over Gaza City.&rdquo; In the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/14-countries-condemn-israels-expansion-of-west-bank-settlements" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">West Bank</a>, ACLED documented intensified Israeli military operations: &ldquo;The IDF conducted its largest operations in decades, displacing tens of thousands from the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur al-Shams camps.&rdquo; Lebanon: ongoing air and artillery strikesDespite a ceasefire, ACLED recorded that Israel continued to carry out air and artillery strikes in Lebanon. &ldquo;The IDF conducted nearly 1,600 air- and artillery strikes, as well as shooting attacks, in Lebanon,&rdquo; the report said. Israeli forces withdrew ground troops in February but continued &ldquo;hundreds of near-daily strikes, mainly in the south but also in the Bekaa Valley and Beirut,&rdquo; killing hundreds of Hezbollah fighters, including nearly 25 commanders. Iran: strategic campaignACLED describes Israel&rsquo;s campaign in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-missile-programme-defensive-nonnegotiable" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran</a>&nbsp;as the most strategically consequential foreign operation of 2025. &ldquo;Israel launched a 12-day military campaign consisting of over 350 airstrikes across 27 provinces, including in the capital Tehran,&rdquo; the report notes. Targets included missile sites, military bases, nuclear facilities, and government buildings, with assassinations of senior military leaders and nuclear scientists. Syria: expanded presence and strikesIsrael maintained and expanded its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/three-wounded-in-southern-syria-after-israeli-incursion-state-media" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">military presence in Syria</a>, according to ACLED. &ldquo;In Syria, the IDF targeted Syrian military assets despite al-Assad&rsquo;s ouster,&rdquo; the report says, noting that Israel &ldquo;established six additional outposts in the demilitarized buffer zone, deploying up to 15 kilometers inside Syria.&rdquo; Yemen: targeted operations against HouthisIn Yemen, Israel escalated its military campaign against Houthi forces. &ldquo;The IDF conducted operations on 16 separate days in 2025, killing over 120 people,&rdquo; ACLED states, highlighting strikes that decimated the Houthi de facto government and killed the military chief of staff. Qatar: Rare but significant targetACLED points out Israel&rsquo;s rare&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/qatar-says-us-claims-of-warnings-prior-to-doha-attack-are-%E2%80%98baseless%E2%80%99" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">military action in Qatar</a>, related to its pursuit of Hamas leaders. &ldquo;From Palestine to Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran, and even Qatar, the Israel Defense Forces projected military power across the region in 2025,&rdquo; the report says. The strike in Qatar marked a diplomatic turning point affecting regional relations later in the year. ACLED concludes that Israel&rsquo;s 2025 military posture shifted from a status quo power to a more revisionist one, noting: &ldquo;Israel established or expanded buffer zones and military outposts in three countries.&rdquo; This data underscores the complex and far-reaching nature of Israel&rsquo;s military campaigns in the Middle East throughout 2025, marking one of the most active and geographically expansive years in recent regional history.

ACLED says Israel launched military attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen throughout the year.

Israel attacked six Muslim countries in 2025: Report

TEHRAN: Some shopkeepers in Tehran shut their stores for the second day in a row Monday in protest against economic hardships and sharp swings in Iran&#39;s embattled currency, media reports said. The rial has hit new lows on the unofficial market, with the US dollar trading at around 1.42 million rials on Sunday -- compared to 820,000 rials a year ago -- and the euro nearing 1.7 million rials, according to price monitoring websites. The rates eased somewhat on Monday, with the dollar at around 1.39 million rials, and the euro at about 1.64 million rials. A journalist from the pro-labour news agency ILNA reported &quot;demonstrations&quot; at several bazaars in the centre of the capital on Monday, the agency said. It said protesters &quot;are demanding immediate government intervention to rein in exchange-rate fluctuations and set out a clear economic strategy&quot;. Price fluctuations are paralysing the sales of some imported goods, with both sellers and buyers preferring to postpone transactions until the outlook becomes clearer, AFP correspondents noted. &quot;Continuing to do business under these conditions has become impossible,&quot; ILNA quoted protesters as saying. State news agency IRNA reported: &quot;Many shopkeepers preferred to suspend sales in order to prevent potential losses.&quot; It added that some protesters on Monday &quot;chanted slogans&quot;. The conservative-aligned Fars news agency released images showing a crowd of demonstrators occupying a major thoroughfare in central Tehran, known for its many shops. Another photograph appears to show tear gas being used to disperse protesters. &quot;Minor physical clashes were reported... between some protesters and the security forces,&quot; Fars said, warning that such gatherings could lead to instability.<h2 style="line-height: 2;"> </h2><h2 style="line-height: 2;">Judicial warning</h2>On Sunday, the ISNA news agency said a group of shopkeepers and mobile phone vendors at a main shopping centre in the city &quot;protested against sharp fluctuations in the exchange rate and the damage caused to the mobile phone market&quot; by briefly shutting up shop. On Monday, Iranian Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei called for &quot;the swift punishment of those responsible for currency fluctuations&quot;, the justice ministry&#39;s Mizan agency reported. The government has also announced the replacement of the central bank governor. &quot;By decision of the president, Abdolnasser Hemmati will be appointed governor of the Central Bank,&quot; presidency communications official Mehdi Tabatabaei posted on X. Hemmati is a former economy and finance minister who was dismissed by parliament in March because of the sharp depreciation of the rial. On Sunday, President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered the budget for the next Persian year to parliament, vowing to fight inflation and the high cost of living. Notably, the budget provides for a 20 percent increase in wages, a rate that is nonetheless well below that of inflation. In December inflation stood at 52 percent year-on-year, according to official statistics. But this figure still falls far short of many price increases, especially for basic necessities. Iran&#39;s economy, already battered by decades of Western sanctions, was further strained after the United Nations in late September reinstated international sanctions linked to the country&#39;s nuclear programme that were lifted 10 years ago. Western powers and Israel accuse Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. Negotiations with the United States on the issue are at a standstill, and uncertainty stemming from 12 days of war in June against Israel is also affecting the economic outlook. Pezeshkian in an interview published on Saturday accused the United States, Israel and Europeans of waging &quot;total war&quot; against Iran.

Shopkeepers in Tehran closed shops for a second day, protesting sharp rial depreciation and economic hardships. Demonstrations disrupted markets as authorities used tear gas, while the government replaced the central bank governor and promised inflation-fighting measures.

Tehran shopkeepers shut stores over economic conditions

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar held telephone conversations with his counterparts from Turkiye and Iran on Sunday, discussing bilateral ties and regional developments.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In his call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Senator Dar reviewed the strong Pakistan-Turkiye bilateral relationship and exchanged views on evolving regional and international issues. The discussion gave particular attention to the developments related to the genocide in Palestine.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2002710754668273881&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8bddf03cc1b023505c669dbf9362ed468e8eba7d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 768px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Both ministers emphasized the need to enhance collaboration in trade, investment, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, while reaffirming their shared commitment to promoting regional peace, stability and development.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a separate conversation, Dar spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, reviewing bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors and discussing regional developments.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2002635696172109928&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8bddf03cc1b023505c669dbf9362ed468e8eba7d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 774px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The two leaders expressed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in trade, connectivity and people-to-people ties. They also reiterated their resolve to work closely for regional peace and development.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The diplomatic engagements reflect Pakistan&#39;s continued focus on strengthening ties with key regional partners and playing a constructive role in addressing regional challenges.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Chairs a high-level meeting on issues relating to the welfare of Overseas Pakistanis (ForeignOfficePk/File)

Foreign Affairs

The talks focused on the Gaza crisis, enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and connectivity, exchanging views on regional developments, and reaffirming commitment to promoting peace, stability and development in the region.

Pakistan's foreign minister holds talks with Turkiye, Iran on regional developments

AFGHANISTAN: Three Afghans died from exposure in freezing temperatures in the western province of Herat while trying to illegally enter Iran, a local army official said on Saturday.&nbsp;&quot;Three people who wanted to illegally cross the Iran-Afghanistan border have died because of the cold weather,&quot; the Afghan army official told AFP on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;He added that a shepherd was also found dead in the mountainous area of Kohsan from the cold.&nbsp;The migrants were part of a group that attempted to cross into Iran on Wednesday and was stopped by Afghan border forces.&nbsp;&quot;Searches took place on Wednesday night, but the bodies were only found on Thursday,&quot; the army official said.&nbsp;More than 1.8 million Afghans were forced to return to Afghanistan by the Iranian authorities between January and the end of November 2025, according to the latest figures from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), which said that the majority were &quot;forced and coerced returns&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;These mass returns in adverse circumstances have strained Afghanistan&#39;s already overstretched resources and services&quot; which leads to &quot;risks of onward and new displacement, including return movements back into Pakistan and Iran and onward&quot;, UNHCR posted on its site dedicated to Afghanistan&#39;s situation.&nbsp;This week, Amnesty International called on countries to stop forcibly returning people to Afghanistan, citing a &quot;real risk of serious harm for returnees&quot;.&nbsp;Hit by two major earthquakes in recent months and highly vulnerable to climate change, Afghanistan faces multiple challenges.&nbsp;It is subject to international sanctions particularly due to the exclusion of women from many jobs and public places, described by the UN as &quot;gender apartheid&quot;.&nbsp;More than 17 million people in the country are facing acute food insecurity, the UN World Food Programme said Tuesday.

Three Afghans died from cold exposure while attempting to cross illegally into Iran from Herat, highlighting migrant risks as mass forced returns strain Afghanistan, already reeling from disasters, sanctions, and widespread food insecurity, nationwide crisis.

Three Afghan migrants die of cold while trying to cross into Iran

TEHRAN: An Iranian court has demanded that the United States pay an amount of $22 billion for purportedly providing support for mass protests in 2022, a judiciary spokesman said Tuesday. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Nationwide protests broke out in September of that year following the death in custody of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurd Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic republic&#39;s strict dress code for women.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&quot;The traces of the United States are evident in many crimes committed in Iran, including during the sinister events of autumn 2022,&quot; judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said at a weekly conference.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&quot;The US government has been ordered by a Tehran court to pay more than $22 billion for providing material and moral support to the 2022 rioters.&quot;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Amini&#39;s death triggered months of unrest, with hundreds of people, including dozens of security personnel, killed.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Thousands were arrested as authorities moved to quell what they branded foreign-instigated &quot;riots&quot;.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jahangir accused the US and Israel of fomenting and &quot;instrumentalising tensions&quot; in Iran at the time, without elaborating.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&quot;These actions have resulted in the death of innocent people and considerable material damage, both private and public,&quot; he said.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In October 2022, Washington announced new sanctions against at least 10 Iranian officials over the response to the protests, and in 2024 it sanctioned several more accused of human rights abuses during the unrest, according to statements by the US Treasury.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Since the protests, women in Iran have been increasingly flouting the dress code requiring them to cover their neck and head, which became compulsory after the 1979 Islamic revolution.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iran, triggering a 12-day war during which the US briefly joined in with strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Iranian officials have said the attack was to sow unrest and bring people into the streets to overthrow the government in the Islamic republic.

An Iranian court ordered the United States to pay $22 billion for allegedly supporting the 2022 Mahsa Amini–related protests, accusing the US and Israel of fueling unrest that caused deaths, arrests, and extensive damage.

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