Iran International English

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards have developed aerospace capabilities powerful enough to counter a global superpower and bring it to a standstill, IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said Wednesday.

Speaking to the Guards-affiliated Tasnim news agency, Mohebbi said the IRGC Aerospace Force had become a symbol of the Islamic Republic's military power, enabling Tehran to establish a balance of power against a global superpower.

He credited the force's development to the directives and guidance of the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, as well as the expertise and efforts of military commanders who helped establish and expand its capabilities.

Mohebbi singled out Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, widely regarded as the architect of Iran's ballistic missile program, for his central role in developing the Guards' aerospace capabilities.

Tehrani Moghaddam was killed in November 2011 in an explosion at a Revolutionary Guards missile base near Tehran that also killed 16 other Guards members.

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Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said those who believe Israeli attacks will continue until the group is disarmed should let Israel carry out its strikes, questioning why the issue concerned them.

In remarks Wednesday, Qassem accused Lebanese advocates of disarming Hezbollah of presenting what he described as a US and Israeli demand as a national Lebanese priority.

He said the entire world knew that Washington and Israel wanted Hezbollah disarmed and criticized those in Lebanon who insisted the demand originated domestically.

Qassem also called for expanding the regional resistance front, signaling his support for a broader alliance of groups opposed to Israel.

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US President Donald Trump said the conflict with Iran would end soon but insisted Washington wanted a "total victory," saying Tehran would need 25 years to rebuild what US forces had destroyed.

"America did not start a war with Iran. Iran has been waging war on America since 1979," Trump said.

"We want to make sure we have a total victory, not a 93 percent victory," he added.

"When this conflict is over, and it will be soon, the entire world will be a much safer and better place," he said.

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Tehran has dismissed US plans to restrict Iran’s overland trade routes as ineffective propaganda, but Iranian businesses report sharp increases in transportation costs and insurance premiums.
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Israel is making “maximum use” of the supernatural and jinn, spirits in Islamic belief, against Iran, hardline cleric Alireza Panahian said, recounting that someone versed in such matters had told him Israel tracked officials not through their mobile phones but through jinn. “A lot can be done through these means,” he said.

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Iranian diesel and gasoline are smuggled into Pakistan using small boats, trucks, motorbikes and even pack animals, with networks operating around Gwadar, Jiwani and Pasni along Pakistan's Baluchistan coast. An estimated 6 million liters of fuel cross into Pakistan daily.

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Iran is determined to end its prolonged state between war and peace with the United States through sustained deterrence, potentially without negotiations, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Wednesday.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Ghalibaf said Washington had yet to provide a formal response to Tehran's seven conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming negotiations.

He said Iran had submitted a clear response setting out its demands and insisted that the United States must fully implement the seven conditions before talks could resume and the waterway could reopen.

Ghalibaf said distrust of Washington and what he described as excessive US demands remained obstacles to an agreement, adding that a deal would be possible if Washington honored its commitments and refrained from actions that undermined trust.

He also said there had been no changes to Iran's negotiating team and that he remained responsible for negotiations with Washington.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday that the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei considered the use of nuclear and other unconventional weapons tantamount to destroying human life and future generations.

Speaking at the COP31 United Nations climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, Pezeshkian said Iran had pursued reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and expanded clean energy despite what he called unjust sanctions that restricted the country's access to international financing and technology.

He also said Iran's renewable power generation capacity had increased approximately fivefold over the past two years.

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Iranian security forces shot political prisoner Kayhan Manteghi in the leg and detained him along with his brother and cousin, according to information obtained by Iran International.

Kayhan Manteghi, his brother Iman Manteghi and their cousin Hossein Manteghi were arrested on November 7. Their whereabouts and condition have remained unknown since their arrests.

A source familiar with the case told Iran International that armed security personnel opened fire on Kayhan Manteghi during an encounter, wounding him in the leg. The source said his brother and cousin were also arrested after going to the scene to help him.

The lack of information about the three detainees has raised concerns about their safety, particularly Kayhan Manteghi's health following his gunshot injury.

In a separate case, Iran International reported in September that security forces shot protest detainee Alireza Sepahi in the legs during his arrest and detained his mother, brother and teenage sister.
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Russia's offer to receive Iran's enriched uranium remains on the table, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday, emphasizing that Tehran alone has the authority to decide what happens to its nuclear stockpile.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Zakharova said Russia would also consider alternative proposals.

Her remarks came as Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran had informed Moscow that "not a single particle" of enriched nuclear material would leave Iran.

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Iraq's Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia said it would not abandon Tehran or surrender its weapons under pressure, accusing the Iraqi government of cooperating with Washington in efforts to isolate Iran.

Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, the group's security chief said in a statement that Kataib Hezbollah would stand by its allies in Yemen and Lebanon "until the last breath" and would not allow Iran to face attacks from its enemies alone.

Al-Assaf also accused Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi of participating in US efforts to isolate Iran and held him responsible for any attacks on the group's positions or units of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

"We hold al-Zaidi fully responsible for any attack on the headquarters of the Islamic Resistance or certain headquarters and forces of the Popular Mobilization Forces," he said.
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US efforts to force Iran into accepting a peace agreement on Washington's terms through military pressure and sanctions are unlikely to succeed, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday.

Maxim Maksimov, acting director of the ministry's Middle East and North Africa Department, told the International Forum on Collective Security that Washington's decision to intensify pressure on Tehran was "misguided and counterproductive," according to Russia's TASS news agency.

Maksimov also said the United States needed a long-term settlement plan that would allow Washington to withdraw from the confrontation with Iran without suffering further damage to its reputation.

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Iran's armed forces have been authorized to retaliate anywhere in the world under new orders from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, senior IRGC adviser Mohammadreza Naqdi said Wednesday, warning of deadly strikes if Iran's enemies take further hostile action.

Speaking to the Iranian Students News Agency, Naqdi, a senior adviser to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Khamenei's instructions had given the armed forces a free hand to respond to threats without geographical restrictions.

"If the enemy makes another wrong move and seeks to act aggressively again, it will certainly receive deadly blows in different parts of the world," Naqdi said.

His remarks follow Khamenei's October 31 orders to senior military commanders to respond immediately and effectively to threats, without geographical limitations, and to update their list of potential targets.
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held separate talks with Iraqi President Nizar Amedi and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on the sidelines of the COP31 UN climate summit in Antalya, Turkey.

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Iran would strike US bases in Europe and on distant islands if the United States attacks again, the country’s top security official said, warning countries that host American forces that any base involved in an attack would become a target.

“We may even target some American military bases in European countries,” Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, told Al Mayadeen. Iran limited its strikes to Israel in June 2025 and hit US bases across the region this year. Its main ballistic missiles have ranges of about 2,000 kilometers.

Rezaei said Vladimir Putin told him he had informed the Americans that the Islamic Republic “is not a system that can be toppled.” He denied any talks with Washington, called reports of a meeting with JD Vance “lies,” and said the Strait of Hormuz would stay closed until Iran’s seven conditions were met.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said overthrowing Iran's clerical leadership was the only way to permanently eliminate the threat to Israel, warning that the Islamic Republic was seeking to rebuild its nuclear program despite Israeli strikes. He made the comment during a speech marking the opening of the Knesset.

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The Revolutionary Guards' unveiling of a new underground missile facility has sparked public anger over military spending, with Iranians questioning the government's priorities in the face of deepening poverty, energy shortages and a lack of civilian shelters, according to messages received by Iran International.

Iranian media released images on November 10 showing Ali Abdollahi, chief of staff of the armed forces, and Majid Mousavi, commander of the Revolutionary Guards' Aerospace Force, touring what was described as a new underground "missile city."

Neither the facility's location nor the date of the officials' visit was disclosed.

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The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers warned on Wednesday that they would continue coordinating economic and political pressure on Iran if diplomatic efforts failed to produce an agreement addressing Tehran's nuclear program and regional security concerns.

In a joint statement following their November 9–10 meeting in Paris, the ministers expressed support for regional mediators seeking a lasting diplomatic settlement while reiterating that Iran must never be allowed to develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.

"Absent a diplomatic solution, we committed to continuing our coordination to economically and politically constrain the Iranian regime's ability to sow instability in the region and around the world," the ministers said.
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Iran rejected a US request for direct talks before Washington gives its final response to Tehran’s proposal, an adviser to parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Wednesday in an audio message posted on Telegram.

Mehdi Mohammadi said Iran had insisted that negotiations would not begin until all its conditions were met. He described the US response as “completely deceptive” and said US President Donald Trump had authorized Vice President JD Vance to negotiate, but not to make concessions.

“The Americans have prepared everything for a limited strike,” Mohammadi said, warning that an attack on Pickaxe Mountain could lead to a wider war.

He said Washington might instead focus on continuing its blockade, weakening public confidence in Iran’s government, and carrying out limited military and intelligence operations.

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Iran’s Defense Ministry spokesman said Wednesday that the country’s weapons reserves rely on strategic production and upgraded technology, putting the country’s military capacity beyond figures cited by officials.

In a post on X, Reza Talaei-Nik said Iran’s military capabilities had strengthened and that the war’s outcome was clear: “Either Iran’s legitimate demands will be accepted, or the enemy will surrender on the battlefield.”