Iran

Iran confirmed on Monday that it had arrested Italian journalist Cecilia Sala for “violating the law”, state media reported, a move decried by Italy as “unacceptable”.

Iranian authorities have arrested Parastoo Ahmadi, a 27-year-old singer, after she posted a virtual concert on YouTube in which she performed without wearing a hijab. The arrest took place in Sari City, on Saturday, according to her lawyer, Milad Panahipour.

Iran announced the closure of offices and schools in many provinces across the country on Sunday due to a cold snap and energy shortages, state media reported.

Islamic Republic authorities have been unable to establish contact with former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad for the past several hours, IranWire has learned.

Iran has informed the UN nuclear watchdog of plans to install more uranium-enriching centrifuges at its Fordow and Natanz plants as well as bring machines recently installed there online, a confidential report by the watchdog said on Thursday, Reuters reports.

The Islamic Republic’s authorities have executed at least six more prisoners, including a woman, in Karaj, Khorramabad, and Jiroft.

Iran is preparing to "respond" to Israel, Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to the country's supreme leader, said in an interview published by Iran's Tasmin news agency on Sunday Nov 24.

The supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, which backs the Hamas and Hezbollah militants fighting Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, said on Monday that death sentences should be issued for Israeli leaders, not arrest warrants.

Israeli newspaper Maariv warned of potential strikes on Iraq's infrastructure and the assassination of "prominent" figures within Iraqi factions if Iran uses its missiles in Iraq to attack Israel.

The Biden administration has warned the Iraqi government that Israel may attack it if it does not prevent a planned Iranian assault from its territory, Axios reported.