Iran

Crowning in Munich: 'Global Day of Rage' is Reza Pahlavi's unofficial coronation for Iranians

MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS: Munich alone saw 250,000 attendees, with one attendee stating, “We had all come for our beloved Prince Reza Pahlavi, and for the people inside Iran."

|ByALEX WINSTON
‘A CROWNING moment’: Iran’s former crown prince and now key opposition figure Reza Pahlavi clenches his fist as he stands on stage next to his wife, Yasmine Pahlavi, during a demonstration of the Iranian opposition on February 14 in Munich, on the sidelines of the 62nd Munich Security Conference.
DESPITE REIGNING since taking over from his deposed father in 1941, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was crowned in a lavish ceremony in Tehran on October 26, 1967. The ceremony, held 26 years after his accession to the throne, aimed to solidify his image as a ‘King of Kings’ and a transformative leader.

Pahlavi dynasty's influences persists in Iran, from Persia's throne to front lines of the revolt

IRAN AFFAIRS: After founding the Pahlavi dynasty, Emperor Reza Khan sought to reduce the influence of the Shia clergy and other religious authorities and to create a modern, centralized nation-state.

|ByJAMES GENN
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a ceremony for the 70th cohort of military combat officers, at an army base near Mitzpe Ramon, Israel, October 31, 2024

Trial and war: Why Benjamin Netanyahu is clinging on to power - opinion

Seventeen years ago, Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that then prime miniter Ehud Olmert resign because of a police investigation. What happened to that same man?

|ByDAN PERRY
A demonstrator lights a cigarette with fire from a burning picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei outside the Iranian embassy during a rally in support of nationwide protests in Iran, in London, Britain, January 12, 2026.

Iran's death penalty crackdown on protesters targets minors, Amnesty International warns

Amnesty International revealed that two 17-year-olds are among those at risk of being sentenced to death in Iran for involvement in January’s protests, calling for an immediate halt to the executions

|BySHOSHANA BAKER

Araghchi claims US has not requested Iranian suspension of nuclear enrichment

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran is not offering a suspension of nuclear enrichment and claimed the US has not asked them to do so during an MS NOW interview.

FEBRUARY 20, 2026ByGOLDIE KATZ
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addresses a special session of the Conference on Disarmament at the United Nations, aside of US-Iran talks in Geneva, Switzerland, February 17, 2026

US strikes on Iran could target individual leaders, officials say

The latest revelations reported on by Reuters suggest granular, ambitious planning ahead of a decision by Trump, who has in recent days publicly floated the idea of regime change in Iran.

FEBRUARY 20, 2026ByREUTERS
An anti-US mural on a building in Tehran, Iran, February 17, 2026

The UN: A bankrupt, two-faced institution - opinion

If the UN does not awaken, it will be remembered not as a promise that protected humanity, but as a warning of what happens when international power becomes detached from basic morality.

FEBRUARY 20, 2026ByDAVID BEN-BASAT
UNITED NATIONS headquarters in New York City.

Iranian air force jet crashes during training exercise, pilot killed

One pilot is dead and another injured after an Iranian air force jet crashed during a training exercise in the Nowbaran district.

FEBRUARY 20, 2026BySAM HALPERN
An Iranian F-4 Phantom takes off on September 16, 2009.

Rubio to meet with British FM after Trump criticizes Chagos Islands deal

Last year British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed a deal to transfer sovereignty of the Indian Ocean islands to Mauritius, while keeping control of one - Diego Garcia.

FEBRUARY 20, 2026ByREUTERS
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives before President Donald Trump speaks to the Knesset, Monday, October 13, 2025, in Jerusalem; illustrative.

Norway relocates Middle East soldiers as Iran-US tension increases

US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Thursday it must make a deal over its nuclear program or "really bad things" will happen, setting a deadline of 10 to 15 days, drawing a threat from Tehran.

FEBRUARY 20, 2026ByREUTERS
A DANISH helicopter flies near soldiers as Danish, Swedish and Norwegian home guard units together with Danish, German and French troops take part in joint military drills in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, September 17, 2025.

WATCH: Bat Yam residents reflect on another Iran conflict after devastating missile impact in 2025

Dario Sanchez speaks with locals about whether they feel prepared for the possibility of another round of conflict with Iran.

FEBRUARY 20, 2026ByDARIO SANCHEZ/THE MEDIA LINE
The aftermath of an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central Israel, June 15, 2025

US arsenal gathers in Middle East as experts warn of extended conflict with Iran

According to the Washington Post, flight-tracking data show that tanker planes, fighter jets, and other US military aircraft have been repositioned in recent days, including advanced F-35s.

FEBRUARY 20, 2026ByTZVI JASPER
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) sails alongside the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

Middle Israel: Why Turkey, Qatar are Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei's willing accomplices - opinion

While Doha's support for Khamenei stems largely from practical concerns, Istanbul's defense of Iran is more connected to ideology.

FEBRUARY 20, 2026ByAMOTZ ASA-EL
IN TERMS of the clash of civilizations, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Recep Tayyip Erdogan are on the same page. Here, the Turkish president speaks during a joint press conference with Ethiopia’s prime minister during his official visit to the National Palace in Addis Ababa on Tuesday.

Israel creeps toward West Bank annexation as election season approaches - opinion

The de facto annexation of the West Bank is the natural byproduct of a political system where words are cheap and real power operates without transparency.

FEBRUARY 20, 2026ByYAAKOV KATZ
A Palestinian man walks past a fence decorated with Israeli flags installed by Jewish settlers in the northern West Bank. The de facto annexation of the West Bank is the natural byproduct of a political system where words are cheap and real power operates without transparency, the writer says.