عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Tehran Announces Prisoner Swap Deal, Washington Denies

Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi meets with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri in Muscat on Sunday (Omaniya)
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi meets with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri in Muscat on Sunday (Omaniya)
TT
TT

Tehran Announces Prisoner Swap Deal, Washington Denies

Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi meets with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri in Muscat on Sunday (Omaniya)
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi meets with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri in Muscat on Sunday (Omaniya)

The 9th session of the Strategic Consultation Committee between the Sultanate of Oman and Iran was held in Muscat on Sunday in light of reports saying Tehran is exerting efforts to activate contacts with Washington for the return of indirect negotiations on the nuclear file.

Also on Sunday, Iran announced it has reached with the US an agreement to exchange prisoners, but Washington denied it as a "false" claim by Tehran.

The latest developments came two days after Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies, at an initiative by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Meanwhile in Muscat, Iranian sources said Sunday the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, will visit Tehran to hold talks regarding the stalled nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US.

This came while an Iranian delegation was in the Omani capital to attend the 9th session of the Strategic Consultation Committee between the Sultanate and Iran.

The Oman News Agency said the meeting focused on aspects of cooperation between the two countries in various fields, which contribute to strengthening bilateral relations and that the two sides exchanged views on a set of regional and global issues of common concern.

The Omani side was led by Sheikh Khalifa Ali Al Harthy, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry, while the Iranian side was led by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri.

Separately, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi met Bagheri and the two officials tackled bilateral cooperation between the two countries stressing keenness to promote it at various levels.

Meanwhile in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told state TV on Sunday that a prisoner swap was near with the US, but Washington immediately dismissed his comments as “false.”

"We have reached an agreement in recent days regarding the exchange of prisoners between Iran and the United States," Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told state broadcaster IRINN.

The deal had been "signed and approved indirectly" last year, he added in a televised interview, saying the "American side is making its last technical arrangements" ahead of implementation.

"In our opinion, everything is ready," the minister said.

"If everything goes well on the American side, I think we will witness the exchange of prisoners in the short term."

At the White House, an official denied Amirabdollahian's statement about the prisoner swap, adding that the United States was committed to secure the release of Americans held in Iran.

“Claims by Iranian officials that we have reached a deal for the release of the US citizens wrongfully held by Iran are false," a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said, according to Reuters.

One of several Americans held in Iran is Siamak Namazi, a businessman with dual US-Iranian citizenship, who was sentenced in 2016 to 10 years in prison for spying and cooperating with the US government.

In recent days, Namazi was allowed to conduct an interview with CNN from Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, beseeching President Joe Biden to secure his release and that of two other US nationals.

The prisoners also include Emad Sharghi, an Iranian-American businessman who was first arrested in 2018 when he was working for a tech investment company. Also, Iranian-American environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, is held in Iranian prisons. He also holds British citizenship.

In August, the Iranian judiciary said the US has arrested tens of innocent Iranians under the pretext of circumventing its cruel and inhumane sanctions.

For years, Tehran has sought the release of over a dozen Iranians in the United States, including seven Iranian-American dual nationals, two Iranians with permanent US residency and four Iranian citizens with no legal status in the United States.

Last week, Iranian news outlets said Tehran reached a prisoner swap deal with Washington to free Iranian nationals detained in America and release up to $7 billion in Iranian funds, held in South Korean banks, that are frozen due to US terrorism sanctions. The sources said that two States are taking part in the indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington to secure the release of prisoners.

Meanwhile, Ali Alizadeh, the secretary of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee at Iran's parliament quoted Amirabdollahian as saying that Sultan Haitham bin Tariq will pay an official visit to Tehran in the coming days, the Iranian Hamshahri newspaper reported on its website Sunday.

The Iranian newspaper added that during the Sultan’s visit, Iranian officials will be anticipating “good news,” referring to the Omani mediation to revitalize indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran aimed at restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

China Stages Military Drills around Taiwan to Warn 'External Forces' after US, Japan Tensions

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), front row second from left, poses with other military officers after promoting to generals, back row, from left, Yang Zhibin of the Eastern Theater Command and Han Shengyan commander of Central Theater Command in Beijing on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), front row second from left, poses with other military officers after promoting to generals, back row, from left, Yang Zhibin of the Eastern Theater Command and Han Shengyan commander of Central Theater Command in Beijing on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP)
TT
TT

China Stages Military Drills around Taiwan to Warn 'External Forces' after US, Japan Tensions

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), front row second from left, poses with other military officers after promoting to generals, back row, from left, Yang Zhibin of the Eastern Theater Command and Han Shengyan commander of Central Theater Command in Beijing on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), front row second from left, poses with other military officers after promoting to generals, back row, from left, Yang Zhibin of the Eastern Theater Command and Han Shengyan commander of Central Theater Command in Beijing on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP)

China's military on Monday dispatched air, navy and missile units to conduct joint live-fire drills around the island of Taiwan, which Beijing called a “stern warning” against separatist and “external interference” forces. Taiwan said it was placing its forces on alert and called the Chinese government “the biggest destroyer of peace.”

Taiwan’s aviation authority said more than 100,000 international air travelers would be affected by flight cancellations or diversions.

The drills came after Beijing expressed anger at what could be the largest-ever US arms sale to the self-ruled territory and at a statement by Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, saying its military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan. China says Taiwan must come under its rule, The AP news reported.

The Chinese military did not mention the United States and Japan in its statement on Monday, but Beijing's foreign ministry accused the Taiwanese ruling party of trying to seek independence through requesting US support.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said rapid response exercises were underway, with forces on high alert. “The Chinese Communist Party’s targeted military exercises further confirm its nature as an aggressor and the biggest destroyer of peace,” it said.

Beijing sends warplanes and navy vessels toward the island on a near-daily basis, and in recent years it has stepped up the scope and scale of these exercises.

Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson of China's People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command, said the drills would be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast and east of the island.

Shi said the activities would focus on sea-air combat readiness patrol, “joint seizure of comprehensive superiority” and blockades on key ports. It was also the first large-scale military drill where the command publicly mentioned one goal was “all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain."

“It is a stern warning against ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external interference forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity,” Shi said.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when a civil war brought the Communist Party to power in Beijing. Defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan. The island has operated since then with its own government, though the mainland’s government claims it as sovereign territory.

Drills will continue on Tuesday The command on Monday deployed destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles, alongside long-range rockets, to the north and southwest of the Taiwan Strait. It carried out live-fire exercises against targets in the waters as well. Among other training, drills to test the capabilities of sea-air coordination and precise target hunting were conducted in the waters and airspace to the east of the strait.

Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence of the Taiwanese Defense Ministry, said that as of 3 p.m. Monday, 89 aircraft and drones were operating around the strait, with 67 of them entering the “response zone" — airspace under the force's monitoring and response. In the sea, the ministry detected 14 navy ships around the strait and four other warships in the Western Pacific, in addition to 14 coast guard vessels.

“Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait ... does not only mean military pressure on us. It may bring more complex impact and challenges to the international community and neighboring countries,” Hsieh told reporters.

Military drills are set to continue Tuesday. Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration said Chinese authorities had issued a notice saying seven temporary dangerous zones would be set up around the strait to carry out rocket-firing exercises from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, barring aircraft from entering them.

The Taiwanese aviation authority said more than 850 international flights were initially scheduled during that period and the drills would affect over 100,000 travelers. Over 80 domestic flights, involving around 6,000 passengers, were also canceled, it added.

The Chinese command released themed posters about the drills online accompanied by provocative wording. One poster depicted two shields with the Great Wall alongside three military aircraft and two ships. Its social media post said the drills were about the “Shield of Justice, Smashing Illusion," adding that any foreign interlopers or separatists touching the shields would be eliminated.

Last week, Beijing imposed sanctions against 20 US defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced large-scale arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion. It still requires approval by the US Congress.

Under US federal law in place for many years, Washington is obligated to assist Taipei with its defense, a point that has become increasingly contentious with China. The US and Taiwan had formal diplomatic relations until 1979, when President Jimmy Carter’s administration recognized and established relations with Beijing.

Asked about the drills, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party has attempted "to seek independence by soliciting US support and even risk turning Taiwan into a powder keg and ammunition depot.”

“External forces’ attempts to use Taiwan to contain China and to arm Taiwan will only embolden the Taiwan independence forces and push the Taiwan Strait toward a dangerous situation of military confrontation and war,” he said.

There was no immediate US statement on the drills.

Taiwanese army on high alert Karen Kuo, spokesperson for the Taiwanese president's office, said the drills were undermining the stability and security of the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region and openly challenging international law and order.

“Our country strongly condemns the Chinese authorities for disregarding international norms and using military intimidation to threaten neighboring countries.” she said.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry released a video that featured its weapons and forces in a show of resilience. Multiple French Mirage-2000 aircraft conducted landings at an air force base.

In October, the Taiwanese government said it would accelerate the building of a “Taiwan Shield” or “T-Dome” air defense system in the face of the military threat from China.

The military tensions came a day after Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said he hoped the Taiwan Strait would be associated with peace and prosperity, instead of “crashing waves and howling winds," during a trip to Shanghai.

World

Iranian Traders and Shopkeepers Protest as Currency Hits Record Low

People shop at Tajrish Bazaar in the Iranian capital Tehran on December 29, 2025. (AFP)
People shop at Tajrish Bazaar in the Iranian capital Tehran on December 29, 2025. (AFP)
TT
TT

Iranian Traders and Shopkeepers Protest as Currency Hits Record Low

People shop at Tajrish Bazaar in the Iranian capital Tehran on December 29, 2025. (AFP)
People shop at Tajrish Bazaar in the Iranian capital Tehran on December 29, 2025. (AFP)

Iranian traders and shopkeepers staged a second day of protests Monday after the country’s currency plummeted to a new record low against the US dollar.

Videos on social media showed hundreds taking part in rallies in Saadi Street in downtown Tehran, as well as in the Shush neighborhood near Tehran's main Grand Bazaar, which played a crucial role in the 1979 revolution that ousted the monarchy and brought clerics to power.

Witnesses told The Associated Press that traders shut their shops and asked others to do the same. The semiofficial ILNA news agency said many businesses and merchants stopped trading even though some kept their shops open.

There was no reports of police raids though security was tight at the protests, according to witnesses.

On Sunday, protest gatherings were limited to two major mobile market in downtown Tehran, where the demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans.

Iran's rial on Sunday plunged to 1.42 million to the dollar. On Monday, it traded at 1.38 million rials to the dollar.

The rapid depreciation is compounding inflationary pressure, pushing up prices of food and other daily necessities and further straining household budgets, a trend that could worsen by a gasoline price change introduced in recent days.

According to the state statistics center, inflation rate in December rose to 42.2% from the same period last year, and is 1.8% higher than in November. Foodstuff prices rose 72% and health and medical items were up 50% from December last year, according to the statistics center. Many critics see the rate a sign of an approaching hyperinflation.

Reports in official Iranian media said that the government plans to increase taxes in the Iranian new year that begins March 21 have caused more concern.

Iran’s currency was trading at 32,000 rials to the dollar at the time of the 2015 nuclear accord that lifted international sanctions in exchange for tight controls on Iran’s nuclear program. That deal unraveled after US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from it in 2018.

There is also uncertainty over the risk of renewed conflict following June’s 12-day war involving Iran and Israel. Many Iranians also fear the possibility of a broader confrontation that could draw in the United States, adding to market anxiety.

In September, the United Nations reimposed nuclear-related sanctions on Iran through what diplomats described as the “snapback” mechanism. Those measures once again froze Iranian assets abroad, halted arms transactions with Tehran and imposed penalties tied to Iran’s ballistic missile program.

World

Israel’s Supreme Court Suspends Govt Move to Shut Army Radio

Israeli troops during a military operation in the Palestinian village of Qabatiya, near the West Bank city of Jenin, 27 December 2025. (EPA)
Israeli troops during a military operation in the Palestinian village of Qabatiya, near the West Bank city of Jenin, 27 December 2025. (EPA)
TT
TT

Israel’s Supreme Court Suspends Govt Move to Shut Army Radio

Israeli troops during a military operation in the Palestinian village of Qabatiya, near the West Bank city of Jenin, 27 December 2025. (EPA)
Israeli troops during a military operation in the Palestinian village of Qabatiya, near the West Bank city of Jenin, 27 December 2025. (EPA)

Israel's Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending a government decision to shut down Galei Tsahal, the country's decades-old and widely listened-to military radio station.

In a ruling issued late Sunday, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit said the suspension was partly because the government "did not provide a clear commitment not to take irreversible steps before the court reaches a final decision".

He added that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara supported the suspension.

The cabinet last week approved the closure of Galei Tsahal, with the shutdown scheduled to take effect before March 1, 2026.

Founded in 1950, Galei Tsahal is widely known for its flagship news programs and has long been followed by both domestic and foreign correspondents.

A government audience survey ranks it as Israel's third most listened-to radio station, with a market share of 17.7 percent.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged ministers to back the closure, saying there had been repeated proposals over the years to remove the station from the military, abolish it or privatize it.

But Baharav-Miara, who also serves as the government's legal adviser and is facing dismissal proceedings initiated by the premier, has warned that closing the station raised "concerns about possible political interference in public broadcasting".

She added that it "poses questions regarding an infringement on freedom of expression and of the press".

Defense Minister Israel Katz said last week that Galei Tsahal broadcasts "political and divisive content" that does not align with military values.

He said soldiers, civilians and bereaved families had complained that the station did not represent them and undermined morale and the war effort.

Katz also argued that a military-run radio station serving the general public is an anomaly in democratic countries.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid had condemned the closure decision, calling it part of the government's effort to suppress freedom of expression ahead of elections.

Israel is due to hold parliamentary elections in 2026, and Netanyahu has said he will seek another term as prime minister.