Asia

Quake hits near Iran nuclear plant, injuring seven

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — A magnitude 4.5 earthquake on Wednesday rattled an area less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant near the country’s Gulf coast, a US monitor said. The quake, which had a depth of 10 kilometers, struck 17 kilometers south-southeast of Borazjan city at 6:49 am (0319 GMT), the US Geological Survey said on its website. State news agency IRNA said the earthquake was felt in Bushehr. There […]

Two rockets hit Iraqi capital’s Green Zone: security sources

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — Two rockets crashed late Wednesday into the Iraqi capital’s Green Zone, the high-security enclave where foreign embassies including the US mission are based, security sources told AFP. Just before midnight, AFP correspondents in Baghdad heard two loud blasts followed by the wailing security sirens of the Green Zone. The attack came nearly 24 hours after Tehran launched ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases housing American and other coalition forces, which did not […]

Iran-US tensions likely to hamper Ukrainian jet probe

PARIS, France (AFP) — Clear international rules govern investigations into air crashes, but in the case of Wednesday’s Ukrainian passenger jet disaster in Iran they could fall victim to heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington. The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed less than three minutes after taking off from Tehran’s airport, killing 176 people, mostly Iranians and Canadians. Tehran has already indicated it will not hand over to Americans the recovered flight recorders, the […]

Planes, trains and boxes: Carlos Ghosn’s audacious escape

  by Richard CARTER Agence France Presse Private jets, bullet trains and boxes with holes for breathing: Carlos Ghosn’s escape from Japan, where he was awaiting trial, is worthy of a Hollywood plot. A millionaire many times over, used to hob-nobbing with the Davos set, Ghosn chafed at what he felt were the tight restrictions imposed as a condition of his bail ahead of an expectedly lengthy trial for financial misconduct. As 2019 drew to […]

Iran supreme leader says missile attacks are a ‘slap in face’ to US

  TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran’s supreme leader said a “slap in the face” was delivered to the United States, when the Islamic republic fired missiles at US troop bases in Iraq on Wednesday. “Last night, a slap in the face was delivered,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech broadcast live on state television. His remarks came after he had vowed “severe revenge” for a US drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qasem […]

All 176 dead in Ukrainian jet crash: Iran media

All 176 people on board a Ukrainian passenger plane were killed when it crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran on Wednesday, Iranian state media reported. State news agency IRNA said 167 passengers and nine crew members were on board the aircraft operated by Ukraine International Airlines. “Obviously it is impossible that passengers” on flight PS-752 are alive, the head of Red Crescent told semi-official news agency ISNA, putting the number of people on board […]

JUST IN: Trump says ‘all well’ after Iranian missiles target US troops

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that initial casualty assessments indicated “all is well” after Iranian missiles targeted two bases housing US troops in Iraq. He tweeted that “assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good!” Trump did not go on evening television to address the nation — something of an informal presidential tradition in times of foreign policy crisis — in the immediate hours […]

UPDATED: Iran fires missiles at US troop bases in Iraq

by Maya Gebeily, with Marc Jourdier in Tehran and Sebastian Smith in Washington Agence France Presse   BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — Iran fired missiles Wednesday at Iraqi bases housing the US military, officials in Washington and Tehran said, in the first act of the Islamic republic’s promised revenge for the US killing of a top Iranian general. The Pentagon said it was still “working on initial battle damage assessments” after “Iran launched more than a […]

JUST IN: Tehran says it is behind Iraq missile attack, warns of ‘crushing responses’

Tehran, Iran (AFP)–Iranian Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday responded to the assassination of commander Qassem Soleimani with a missile attack on an Iraqi airbase used by the US military, Iranian state media said. The IRGC confirmed the Ain al-Assad base was hit “with tens of missiles” and promised “more crushing responses” in case of further US attacks, the state-run PressTV said on Twitter.    

JUST IN: Iran launches missiles on Iraq base housing US troops: state TV

Baghdad, Iraq (AFP)–Iran on Wednesday launched a missile attack on an Iraqi airbase where US forces are based, threatening “more crushing responses” if Washington carried out further strikes, Iranian state media said. It said the missiles were in response to a US strike last week that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi top commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Security sources told AFP that nine rockets hit the sprawling Ain al-Asad airbase in the country’s west, […]

Stampede at Iran general’s funeral leaves over 30 dead

  by Amir Havasi Agence France Presse KERMAN, Iran (AFP) — A stampede broke out Tuesday at the funeral of a top Iranian general killed in a US drone strike, leaving more than 30 people dead as huge crowds of mourners packed his hometown. The crush in the southeastern city of Kerman came as Iran prepared to bury Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, a hugely popular figure in the Islamic republic. “Unfortunately because of overcrowding […]