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Parisa Hafezi
For Parisa Hafezi's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Iranian ballistic missiles in Tehran. Iran's hard-line clerical rulers have steadily sought to deepen ties with Russia and China, betting that would help Tehran to resist U.S. sanctions and to end its political isolation.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 22, 2024
Iran sends Russia hundreds of ballistic missiles, sources say
An Iranian military official said there had been at least four shipments of missiles and that there would be more in the coming weeks.
Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, speaks during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the death of senior Iranian military commander Mohammad Hejazi, in Tehran, on April 14, 2022.
WORLD
Feb 18, 2024
Iraqi armed groups dial down U.S. attacks on request of Iran commander
A top Iranian security official said: "Commander Qaani's visit was successful, though not entirely, as not all Iraqi groups consented to de-escalate."
Iranian sources said Beijing had made it clear it would be very disappointed with Tehran if any vessels linked to China were hit, or the country's interests were affected in any way.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 26, 2024
China presses Iran to rein in Houthi attacks in Red Sea, sources say
But amid regional alliances and priorities, it is uncertain whether Tehran will take action following the discussions with Beijing.
A man watches the news on television showing the Pakistani foreign ministry's statement about the country's strikes inside Iran targeting separatist militants, in Peshawar, Pakistan on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jan 19, 2024
Iran-Pakistan flare-up rooted in restive borderlands, not Mideast strife
Both had launched attacks on each other's soil, targeting what they described as militants and separatists.
A large billboard depicting an Iranian missile with a phrase in Persian that reads "prepare your coffins" on the side of a building in Tehran on Tuesday, after overnight missile attacks by Iran on multiple targets in Syria and in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 17, 2024
Iran strikes targets in Iraq amid growing fears of regional conflict
The missile strike set off an unusual dispute between the neighboring allies, with Baghdad recalling its ambassador from Tehran in protest.
Air traffic at the Erbil International Airport in Erbil, Iraq, was suspended in the early morning on Tuesday amid explosions.
WORLD
Jan 16, 2024
Iran attacks Israel's 'espionage centers' in Iraq, state media says
Revolutionary Guards said they also struck in Syria against the Islamic State group.
People gather at the scene of explosions during a ceremony held to mark the death of late Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, in Kerman, Iran, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 5, 2024
Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly Iran attack
The militant Sunni Muslim group said two IS members had detonated explosive belts in the crowd in Kerman on Wednesday.
People gather near a body lying on the ground at the scene of explosions during a ceremony held to mark the death of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, in Kerman, Iran, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 4, 2024
Iran vows revenge after blasts kill nearly 100 at commander's memorial
No one has claimed responsibility for the explosions at the cemetery where Qassem Soleimani, a former head of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, is buried.
Armed men stand on the beach as the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, is anchored off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 7, 2023
Saudi Arabia urges U.S. restraint as Houthis attack ships in Red Sea
Riyadh is concerned about a derailing of its own peace process with the group that rules much of Yemen even as war rages in the Gaza Strip.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meets with Hamas' top leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in June. Both men met again in early November during which the former told the latter that Iran would not intervene directly following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 16, 2023
Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' against Israel faces trial by fire
Iran has built a military alliance over four decades to oppose Israeli and American power in the Middle East.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves during a public rally in Mashhad, Iran, in March.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 22, 2023
Iran's quandary: How to stay out of Israel's war on Hamas
Standing on the sidelines in the face of an all-out Israeli invasion of Gaza would significantly set back an Iranian strategy for regional ascendancy.
President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran at a news conference during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on Wednesday
WORLD / Politics
Sep 21, 2023
Qatar held separate bilateral talks with U.S. and Iran
Qatar held talks with the United States and Iran that touched on Iran's nuclear program and U.S. concerns about Iranian drone transfers to Russia.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jun 29, 2023
EU intends to maintain missile sanctions on Iran beyond expiry of 2015 pact
Current measures that limit Tehran's nuclear program in return for relief from economic controls are set to expire on Oct. 18 under a U.N. resolution that enshrined the earlier deal.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
May 8, 2023
Smoldering Iran nuclear crisis risks catching fire
A renewed crisis over Iran would come at a bad time for the U.S., which is focused on maintaining allies' support for the war in Ukraine and on rallying countries to push back on China.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Oct 7, 2022
Braced to crush unrest, Iran's rulers heed lessons of Shah's fall
The protests have spiraled into a revolt against what protesters said was the increasing authoritarianism of its ruling Islamic clerics.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 23, 2022
Iran's president warns against 'acts of chaos' over death of woman in custody
Women have played a prominent role in the demonstrations, waving and burning their veils, with some publicly cutting their hair in a direct challenge to clerical leaders.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 3, 2022
How a 92-year-old cleric silently halted Iraq's slide back into war
Officials and insiders say it was only Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's stance behind the scenes that halted a meltdown.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 1, 2022
Rise of Arab-Israel axis pushes Iran to redouble nuclear talks push
Growing worries about warming relations between Israel and its former Arab foes have pushed Tehran to keep the diplomatic ball rolling.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 12, 2021
Wielding fresh leverage, Iran to play hardball at nuclear talks
The stakes are high, since failure to revive the 2015 nuclear deal would carry the risk of a fresh regional war.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 22, 2021
Iran vote points to hard-line goal of long-term power
Recent election results effectively bring all arms of the state under the control of hardliners suspicious of the West, analysts and officials say.

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