As per the latest reports, In China, the death toll of the coronavirus outbreak surged to 2,345 with more than 76,000 people infected.

Coronavirus Outbreak: Iran reports 5th Covid-19 related death

Turkey's Erdogan speaks to Russian president Putin and asked him to halt the Syrian regime offensive. Putin said he is seriously concerned by rebel actions. Whereas the united nations call for immediate end to the conflict.

Fight for Idlib intensifies, millions of people displaced

The global dirty money watchdog placed<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-votes-in-general-election-marred-by-disqualifications-282018"> Iran</a> on its blacklist on Friday after it failed to comply with international anti-terrorism financing norms, a move that will deepen the country's isolation from financial markets.

The decision came after more than three years of warnings from the Paris-based Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) urging the Islamic Republic to either enact terrorist financing conventions or see its reprieve from the blacklist lifted and some counter-measures imposed.

"Given Iran's failure to enact the Palermo and Terrorist Financing Conventions in line with the FATF Standards, the FATF fully lifts the suspension of counter-measures and calls on its members and urges all jurisdictions to apply effective counter-measures," the group's 39 members said in a statement after a week-long plenary session.

These would entail more scrutiny of transactions with Iran, tougher external auditing of financing firms operating in the country and extra pressure on the few foreign banks and businesses still dealing with Iran.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-confirms-two-more-deaths-among-13-new-coronavirus-cases-282011">Also read: Iran confirms two more deaths among 13 new coronavirus cases</a>

"The consequence of (Iran's) inaction is higher costs of borrowing and isolation from the financial system," a Western diplomat told Reuters.

However, the FATF appeared to leave the door open for some engagement with Iran saying in its statement,&nbsp;"Countries should also be able to apply countermeasures independently of any call by the FATF to do so."

"It's a middle solution. A sort of fudge to leave the door open for the Iranians," said one of the diplomats.

Foreign businesses say Iran's compliance with FATF rules is essential if it wants to attract investors, especially since the United States reimposed sanctions on Tehran in 2018 after quitting a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and other big powers.

Iran's leaders have been divided over the approach to the FATF.

Supporters of cooperation say it could ease foreign trade with Europe and Asia, offsetting US sanctions. Hardliners argue that passing legislation to join the FATF could hamper Iran's support for its allies, including Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Maximum pressure

Washington has since pushed a policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran, saying a broader deal should be negotiated to encompass nuclear issues, Iran's ballistic missile programme and Iranian support for proxy forces around the Middle East.

France, Britain and Germany have tried to salvage the nuclear accord but have faced growing pressure from the United States to join its efforts to isolate Iran.

"The United States was pushing for the toughest position (by FATF), while other countries like China and Russia preferred something more flexible," said a European official. "The Europeans were looking for something in between."

US sanctions have crippled Iran's economy, decimating its oil exports and largely sealing it off from the international financial system.

"Until Iran implements the measures required to address the deficiencies identified with respect to countering terrorism-financing..., the FATF will remain concerned with the terrorist financing risk emanating from Iran and the threat this poses to the international financial system," the FATF said.

Iran's action plan to meet with the FATF requirements, implemented in 2016, expired in January 2018.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif this week appeared resigned to the FATF blacklisting, accusing Washington of using its maximum pressure campaign to exert influence at the FATF.

In another important decision on Friday, the FATF granted Pakistan an extra four months to meet anti-terrorism financing norms, keeping Islamabad for now on its "grey list" of countries that do not adequately comply with its rules.

The global dirty money watchdog placed Iran on its blacklist on Friday after it failed to comply with international anti-terrorism financing norms, a move that will deepen the country's isolation from financial markets.

The global dirty money watchdog placed Iran on its blacklist on Friday after it failed to comply with international anti-terrorism financing norms, a move that will deepen the country's isolation from financial markets. The decision came after more than three years of warnings from the Paris-based Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) urging the Islamic Republic to either enact terrorist financing conventions or see its reprieve from the blacklist lifted and some counter-measures imposed. "Given Iran's failure to enact the Palermo and Terrorist Financing Conventions in line with the FATF Standards, the FATF fully lifts the suspension of counter-measures and calls on its members and urges all jurisdictions to apply effective counter-measures," the group's 39 members said in a statement after a week-long plenary session. These would entail more scrutiny of transactions with Iran, tougher external auditing of financing firms operating in the country and extra pressure on the few foreign banks and businesses still dealing with Iran. Also read: Iran confirms two more deaths among 13 new coronavirus cases "The consequence of (Iran's) inaction is higher costs of borrowing and isolation from the financial system," a Western diplomat told Reuters. However, the FATF appeared to leave the door open for some engagement with Iran saying in its statement, "Countries should also be able to apply countermeasures independently of any call by the FATF to do so." "It's a middle solution. A sort of fudge to leave the door open for the Iranians," said one of the diplomats. Foreign businesses say Iran's compliance with FATF rules is essential if it wants to attract investors, especially since the United States reimposed sanctions on Tehran in 2018 after quitting a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and other big powers. Iran's leaders have been divided over the approach to the FATF. Supporters of cooperation say it could ease foreign trade with Europe and Asia, offsetting US sanctions. Hardliners argue that passing legislation to join the FATF could hamper Iran's support for its allies, including Lebanon's Hezbollah. Maximum pressure Washington has since pushed a policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran, saying a broader deal should be negotiated to encompass nuclear issues, Iran's ballistic missile programme and Iranian support for proxy forces around the Middle East. France, Britain and Germany have tried to salvage the nuclear accord but have faced growing pressure from the United States to join its efforts to isolate Iran. "The United States was pushing for the toughest position (by FATF), while other countries like China and Russia preferred something more flexible," said a European official. "The Europeans were looking for something in between." US sanctions have crippled Iran's economy, decimating its oil exports and largely sealing it off from the international financial system. "Until Iran implements the measures required to address the deficiencies identified with respect to countering terrorism-financing..., the FATF will remain concerned with the terrorist financing risk emanating from Iran and the threat this poses to the international financial system," the FATF said. Iran's action plan to meet with the FATF requirements, implemented in 2016, expired in January 2018. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif this week appeared resigned to the FATF blacklisting, accusing Washington of using its maximum pressure campaign to exert influence at the FATF. In another important decision on Friday, the FATF granted Pakistan an extra four months to meet anti-terrorism financing norms, keeping Islamabad for now on its "grey list" of countries that do not adequately comply with its rules.

Global watchdog places Iran on terrorism financing blacklist

The election comes at a time of growing economic hardship for many in Iran. U.S. sanctions have strangled Iran’s ability to sell its oil abroad, forcing its economy into recession.

WION Dispatch: Iran Elections | 7,148 candidates in the poll race

Iranians are voting in their country's eleventh parliamentary election, seen as a test for the popularity of President Hassan Rouhani's reformist-moderate camp.

Polls open across Iran

Iran went to the polls Friday for a general election that conservatives are expected to dominate amid voter apathy after an economic slump, multiple crises and the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/voting-begins-in-irans-parliamentary-elections-281931"> disqualification of thousands of candidates.</a>

The 11th parliamentary election since the 1979 Islamic Revolution comes after steeply escalating tensions between Iran and the United States and the accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner by Iranian air defences that sparked anti-government protests.

As he cast the first ballot in the election, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged all Iranians to take part, saying that doing so would "guarantee the country's national interests".

Voters formed long queues at polling stations in south Tehran, where conservatives have a solid support base, but far fewer were seen waiting to vote in upmarket northern neighbourhoods.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-defends-barring-of-candidates-as-campaign-ends-281826">Also Read:&nbsp;Iran defends barring of candidates as campaign ends</a>

One official accused Iran's enemies of overplaying an outbreak of the new coronavirus -- which has killed four people in the Islamic republic this week -- in a bid to harm the credibility of the election.

"The counter-revolutionaries' latest trick was to exaggerate the coronavirus news by saying that finger ink had been infected," Tehran election committee chief Shokrollah Hassanbeygi said, quoted by semi-official news agency ISNA.

In a bid to allay fears over the spread of the coronavirus, the use of ink-staining to stop people voting multiple times was made optional.

Watch: Voting begins for Iran's parliamentary polls, 7,148 candidates in the race

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Experts predict a low turnout that they say will serve the conservatives at the expense of President Hassan Rouhani, who was re-elected in 2017 promising more freedoms and the benefits of engagement with the West.

'Useless'

Iran has been in deep recession since US President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions after unilaterally pulling out of a landmark nuclear deal in 2018.

"Our elections are useless," said Amir Mohtasham, who is 38 and jobless.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/iran-to-vote-in-crucial-parliamentary-election-many-see-as-lost-cause-281844">In Pics: Iran to vote in crucial parliamentary election, many see as 'lost cause'</a>

"Even the current parliament has 90 sitting MPs who are under investigation for financial corruption."

After four hours of voting, more than 7.5 million of the 58 million people eligible to vote had done so, the interior ministry said.

Around half of the 16,033 hopefuls are contesting the 290 seats up for grabs across 31 provinces after the Guardian Council barred thousands of would-be candidates, mostly moderates and reformists.

Outgoing lawmaker Elyas Hazrati said he voted despite being disqualified.

"The Guardian Council said I don't accept Islam," he said.&nbsp;

On Thursday, the US slapped sanctions on five officials from the Council, including Ahmad Jannati, a powerful cleric.

Jannati laughed off the sanctions.

"I wonder, what are we going to do about all that money we have in American accounts?" the 92-year-old was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency after voting.

"Now we can't even go there for Christmas anymore!"

Rouhani under fire

The Guardian Council said it expected at least 50 percent of registered voters to turn out, down from an average of 60.5 percent at the past 10 elections.

Many voters have voiced disillusionment, however.

Real estate worker Alireza Hashemi, 25, criticised Rouhani's government.

"After we elected Rouhani everything collapsed. He signed a very bad (nuclear) deal and looked to the West without any real guarantees," he told AFP.

"Rouhani is very weak. He just looks to the West. If he considered his people's interests this would not have happened."

As he voted, the beleaguered president sought to put a positive spin on the election.

"We are very happy that another glorious day is being added to the history of our country and revolution," Rouhani said.

'Only a formality'

In November, demonstrations over petrol price hikes spread across Iran and turned violent before being crushed in a deadly crackdown.

Tehran and Washington have nearly gone to war twice in the past seven months, most recently after the US assassinated prominent Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on January 3.

Millions of people turned out to mourn his "martyrdom", but that unity suffered a blow after Iran admitted it had accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner on January 8, killing 176 people.

The authorities denied for days that Iran was to blame, before owning up to a jittery reaction by a missile operator.

The disaster unfolded as Iran's defences were on high alert for US retaliation hours after it carried out missile strikes on American troops in Iraq in response to Soleimani's killing.

Voting for the parliament, or Majles, lasts 10 hours but can be extended. Final results are not expected before Sunday.

Apart from the parliament, voters will also choose replacements for deceased members of the Assembly of Experts, an 88-strong clerical body that appoints and monitors the supreme leader.

Iran went to the polls Friday for a general election that conservatives are expected to dominate amid voter apathy after an economic slump, multiple crises and the disqualification of thousands of candidates.

Iran went to the polls Friday for a general election that conservatives are expected to dominate amid voter apathy after an economic slump, multiple crises and the disqualification of thousands of candidates. The 11th parliamentary election since the 1979 Islamic Revolution comes after steeply escalating tensions between Iran and the United States and the accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner by Iranian air defences that sparked anti-government protests. As he cast the first ballot in the election, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged all Iranians to take part, saying that doing so would "guarantee the country's national interests". Voters formed long queues at polling stations in south Tehran, where conservatives have a solid support base, but far fewer were seen waiting to vote in upmarket northern neighbourhoods. Also Read: Iran defends barring of candidates as campaign ends One official accused Iran's enemies of overplaying an outbreak of the new coronavirus -- which has killed four people in the Islamic republic this week -- in a bid to harm the credibility of the election. "The counter-revolutionaries' latest trick was to exaggerate the coronavirus news by saying that finger ink had been infected," Tehran election committee chief Shokrollah Hassanbeygi said, quoted by semi-official news agency ISNA. In a bid to allay fears over the spread of the coronavirus, the use of ink-staining to stop people voting multiple times was made optional. Watch: Voting begins for Iran's parliamentary polls, 7,148 candidates in the race × Experts predict a low turnout that they say will serve the conservatives at the expense of President Hassan Rouhani, who was re-elected in 2017 promising more freedoms and the benefits of engagement with the West. 'Useless' Iran has been in deep recession since US President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions after unilaterally pulling out of a landmark nuclear deal in 2018. "Our elections are useless," said Amir Mohtasham, who is 38 and jobless. In Pics: Iran to vote in crucial parliamentary election, many see as 'lost cause' "Even the current parliament has 90 sitting MPs who are under investigation for financial corruption." After four hours of voting, more than 7.5 million of the 58 million people eligible to vote had done so, the interior ministry said. Around half of the 16,033 hopefuls are contesting the 290 seats up for grabs across 31 provinces after the Guardian Council barred thousands of would-be candidates, mostly moderates and reformists. Outgoing lawmaker Elyas Hazrati said he voted despite being disqualified. "The Guardian Council said I don't accept Islam," he said. On Thursday, the US slapped sanctions on five officials from the Council, including Ahmad Jannati, a powerful cleric. Jannati laughed off the sanctions. "I wonder, what are we going to do about all that money we have in American accounts?" the 92-year-old was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency after voting. "Now we can't even go there for Christmas anymore!" Rouhani under fire The Guardian Council said it expected at least 50 percent of registered voters to turn out, down from an average of 60.5 percent at the past 10 elections. Many voters have voiced disillusionment, however. Real estate worker Alireza Hashemi, 25, criticised Rouhani's government. "After we elected Rouhani everything collapsed. He signed a very bad (nuclear) deal and looked to the West without any real guarantees," he told AFP. "Rouhani is very weak. He just looks to the West. If he considered his people's interests this would not have happened." As he voted, the beleaguered president sought to put a positive spin on the election. "We are very happy that another glorious day is being added to the history of our country and revolution," Rouhani said. 'Only a formality' In November, demonstrations over petrol price hikes spread across Iran and turned violent before being crushed in a deadly crackdown. Tehran and Washington have nearly gone to war twice in the past seven months, most recently after the US assassinated prominent Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on January 3. Millions of people turned out to mourn his "martyrdom", but that unity suffered a blow after Iran admitted it had accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner on January 8, killing 176 people. The authorities denied for days that Iran was to blame, before owning up to a jittery reaction by a missile operator. The disaster unfolded as Iran's defences were on high alert for US retaliation hours after it carried out missile strikes on American troops in Iraq in response to Soleimani's killing. Voting for the parliament, or Majles, lasts 10 hours but can be extended. Final results are not expected before Sunday. Apart from the parliament, voters will also choose replacements for deceased members of the Assembly of Experts, an 88-strong clerical body that appoints and monitors the supreme leader.

Iran votes in general election marred by disqualifications

Iran's health ministry Friday reported two more deaths among 13 new <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/coronavirus-maharashtra-poultry-sector-faces-rs-100-crore-loss-in-15-days-281882">cases of coronavirus</a> in the Islamic republic, bringing the total number of deaths to four and infections to 18.

"Thirteen new cases have been confirmed," ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Twitter. "Unfortunately two of them have lost their lives."

The COVID-19 outbreak first appeared in Iran on Wednesday, when officials said it killed two elderly people in the Shiite holy city of Qom, the first confirmed deaths from the disease in the Middle East.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/airlines-in-asia-pacific-stand-to-lose-278-billion-in-coronavirus-crisis-report-281891">Airlines in Asia-Pacific stand to lose $27.8 billion in coronavirus crisis: Report</a>

The newly reported cases included "seven in Qom, four in Tehran, and two in Gilan" on the Caspian Sea coast, Jahanpour tweeted.

"Most of the cases are still either Qom residents" or were people who had come from Qom to other provinces "in recent days and weeks", he added.

The official did not say anything about the suspected source of the outbreak in the Islamic republic.

Watch: Hong Kong satisfied with China's efforts to contain outbreak?

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He added that Iran had so far received from the World Health Organization four shipments of medical kits used to detect COVID-19.

Qom is a centre for Islamic studies and tourists, attracting scholars from Iran and beyond.

However, a government official said the first two people who died of the disease had not left Iran.

Following the announcement of those deaths, Iraq on Thursday clamped down on travel to and from the Islamic republic.

The health ministry in Baghdad said people from Iran had been barred from entering Iraq "until further notice".

Kuwait's national carrier Kuwait Airways also announced it would suspend all of its flights to Iran.

Iran was holding a parliamentary election on Friday, with state media saying that the coronavirus had not been able to dampen "the revolutionary zeal of Qom's people" to turn out to vote.

Iran's health ministry Friday reported two more deaths among 13 new cases of coronavirus in the Islamic republic, bringing the total number of deaths to four and infections to 18.

Iran's health ministry Friday reported two more deaths among 13 new cases of coronavirus in the Islamic republic, bringing the total number of deaths to four and infections to 18. "Thirteen new cases have been confirmed," ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Twitter. "Unfortunately two of them have lost their lives." The COVID-19 outbreak first appeared in Iran on Wednesday, when officials said it killed two elderly people in the Shiite holy city of Qom, the first confirmed deaths from the disease in the Middle East. Airlines in Asia-Pacific stand to lose $27.8 billion in coronavirus crisis: Report The newly reported cases included "seven in Qom, four in Tehran, and two in Gilan" on the Caspian Sea coast, Jahanpour tweeted. "Most of the cases are still either Qom residents" or were people who had come from Qom to other provinces "in recent days and weeks", he added. The official did not say anything about the suspected source of the outbreak in the Islamic republic. Watch: Hong Kong satisfied with China's efforts to contain outbreak? × He added that Iran had so far received from the World Health Organization four shipments of medical kits used to detect COVID-19. Qom is a centre for Islamic studies and tourists, attracting scholars from Iran and beyond. However, a government official said the first two people who died of the disease had not left Iran. Following the announcement of those deaths, Iraq on Thursday clamped down on travel to and from the Islamic republic. The health ministry in Baghdad said people from Iran had been barred from entering Iraq "until further notice". Kuwait's national carrier Kuwait Airways also announced it would suspend all of its flights to Iran. Iran was holding a parliamentary election on Friday, with state media saying that the coronavirus had not been able to dampen "the revolutionary zeal of Qom's people" to turn out to vote.

Iran confirms two more deaths among 13 new coronavirus cases

Iranian parliamentary election begins, hardliners set to dominate

The voting for parliamentary polls in Iran began today. Iran elections come at a time when the Islamic Republic is most vulnerable, both from the inside and from the outside. American sanctions have crippled the economy and public anger against the regime has raged on unabated.

Voting begins for Iran's parliamentary polls, 7,148 candidates in the race

Amid the turmoil at home, Iranians will vote in a parliamentary election on Friday. Will the hardliners dominate the polls? WION's Palki Sharma tells you what to expect from the elections in Iran.

Gravitas: Elections in Iran, what to expect

Election campaigning for the upcoming polls ended in Iran. Iran elections come at a time when the Islamic Republic is most vulnerable, both from the inside and from the outside. American sanctions have crippled the economy and public anger against the regime has raged on unabated.

Iran parliamentary election today

Iran elections come at a time when the Islamic Republic is most vulnerable, both from the inside and from the outside. American sanctions have crippled the economy and public anger against the regime has raged on unabated.

Iranians will vote for the first time since US President Donald Trump pulled out of the Nuclear Deal. Whether they turn out in big numbers or not will be a referendum in itself.

This Parliamentary election of Iran is a litmus test of the people's faith in the state. It comes at a time when the sentiment against the regime is at its worst.

The confrontation with America, the economic hardship and an airline tragedy - the people's confidence in Iran's leaders is battered 
and that is set to pose the biggest problem for the authorities in this election. &nbsp;

Four years ago, things looked very different - Hassan Rouhani and his allies won big. Hopes were high that the 2015 nuclear deal would pull Iran out of political isolation, and more importantly boost the economy.

But now, the vote to pick 290 lawmakers comes after the US pulled out of the deal. Sanctions have sent the economy on a swift downward spiral over the last 2 years and the standard of living has dipped.&nbsp;

In November 2019, protests exploded across the country against fuel price hikes. Those protests turned political, with demonstrators demanding a regime change.

A crackdown by the revolutionary guards killed hundreds and thousands of others were arrested. The regime also faced major flack for the poor handling of slain General Qasem Soleimani's funeral. The stampede which occurred during his funeral killed over 50 people and more than 200 were injured.

The public is also livid over the accidental downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane last month, which killed all 176 people aboard - mainly Iranians.

After days of denial, Tehran finally put the blame on the revolutionary guards. The people of Iran are exhausted by a string of crises.&nbsp;

Around 58 million Iranians are eligible to vote - the turnout in 2012 was 66 per cent, in 2016, it reduced to 62 per cent and in 2020, it is expected to drop significantly.

Nearly half of the candidates, with moderate political views, have been rejected. Ayatollah Khamenei has ensured that hardliners dominate the field. He is Iran's highest authority and has tried to drum up the nationalistic sentiment to secure a strong turnout.

Whatever be the turnout, Iran's foreign policy or nuclear policy will remain the same because it will be Khamenei's loyalists who will be in Parliament.

Iran elections come at a time when the Islamic Republic is most vulnerable, both from the inside and from the outside. American sanctions have crippled the economy and public anger against the regime has raged on unabated.

Iran elections come at a time when the Islamic Republic is most vulnerable, both from the inside and from the outside. American sanctions have crippled the economy and public anger against the regime has raged on unabated. Iranians will vote for the first time since US President Donald Trump pulled out of the Nuclear Deal. Whether they turn out in big numbers or not will be a referendum in itself. This Parliamentary election of Iran is a litmus test of the people's faith in the state. It comes at a time when the sentiment against the regime is at its worst. The confrontation with America, the economic hardship and an airline tragedy - the people's confidence in Iran's leaders is battered and that is set to pose the biggest problem for the authorities in this election. Four years ago, things looked very different - Hassan Rouhani and his allies won big. Hopes were high that the 2015 nuclear deal would pull Iran out of political isolation, and more importantly boost the economy. But now, the vote to pick 290 lawmakers comes after the US pulled out of the deal. Sanctions have sent the economy on a swift downward spiral over the last 2 years and the standard of living has dipped. In November 2019, protests exploded across the country against fuel price hikes. Those protests turned political, with demonstrators demanding a regime change. A crackdown by the revolutionary guards killed hundreds and thousands of others were arrested. The regime also faced major flack for the poor handling of slain General Qasem Soleimani's funeral. The stampede which occurred during his funeral killed over 50 people and more than 200 were injured. The public is also livid over the accidental downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane last month, which killed all 176 people aboard - mainly Iranians. After days of denial, Tehran finally put the blame on the revolutionary guards. The people of Iran are exhausted by a string of crises. Around 58 million Iranians are eligible to vote - the turnout in 2012 was 66 per cent, in 2016, it reduced to 62 per cent and in 2020, it is expected to drop significantly. Nearly half of the candidates, with moderate political views, have been rejected. Ayatollah Khamenei has ensured that hardliners dominate the field. He is Iran's highest authority and has tried to drum up the nationalistic sentiment to secure a strong turnout. Whatever be the turnout, Iran's foreign policy or nuclear policy will remain the same because it will be Khamenei's loyalists who will be in Parliament.

US pullout from nuclear deal makes Iran elections even more crucial

Iran will vote in what could be one of its most significant parliamentary elections. The political data is suggesting that the conservatives are all set to win but in a nation, as layered as Iran there might just be a twist in the deal. Watch report:

Fineprint: Iran polls to witness very poor turnout, Over 7,000 candidates disqualified

In the wee hours of January&nbsp;8, Tehran retaliated over the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/15-ballistic-missiles-hit-us-troops-in-erbil-al-asad-272872">US</a>&nbsp;killing of Iran’s most powerful general by bombarding the al-Asad airbase in Iraq.

Among the 2,000 troops stationed there was US&nbsp;Army Specialist Kimo Keltz, who recalls hearing a missile whistling through the sky as he lay on the deck of a guard tower. The explosion lifted his body in full armour an inch or two off the floor.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-100-us-troops-diagnosed-with-brain-injuries-from-iran-attack-279919">More than 100 US troops diagnosed with brain injuries from Iran missile attack</a>

Keltz says he thought he had escaped with little more than a mild headache. Initial assessments around the base found no serious injuries or deaths from the attack. The US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/15-ballistic-missiles-hit-us-troops-in-erbil-al-asad-272872">Donald Trump</a> tweeted, "All is well!"

The next day was different.

“My head kinda felt like I got hit with a truck,” Keltz told Reuters in an interview from the al-Asad airbase in Iraq’s western Anbar desert. “My stomach was grinding.”

Keltz, who said he had concussion symptoms for days, is among 109 soldiers diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries in the wake of last month’s attack, a figure that has steadily risen as more troops report symptoms and get the medical screening.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/key-facts-about-al-asad-us-air-base-in-iraq-attacked-by-iran-272873#attack-on-al-asad-272878">Key facts about Al-Asad US air base in Iraq attacked by Iran</a>

Reuters interviewed more than a dozen officials and soldiers and spoke with brain-injury specialists to assemble the most comprehensive account so far of the nature of the soldiers’ injuries and how they sustained them.

The slowly rising casualty count underscores the difficulty in detecting and treating what has become one of the most common injuries in the US&nbsp;military during two decades of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, where <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-100-us-troops-diagnosed-with-brain-injuries-from-iran-attack-279919">US&nbsp;troops</a> face roadside bombs, rockets and mortars.

More than a week after the attack, on January&nbsp;16, Defense Secretary Mark Esper was made aware that soldiers had suffered brain injuries from the missiles, the Pentagon said. That day, the Pentagon reported that an unspecified number of troops were treated for concussive symptoms and 11 were flown to Kuwait and Germany for higher-level care.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/missile-strike-was-start-of-a-series-of-attacks-across-the-region-iranian-commander-273235">Missile strike was start of a series of attacks across the region: Iranian commander</a>

On January&nbsp;22, Trump said that he "heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things,” prompting criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers and a US&nbsp;veterans group that the president was underplaying the casualties from the attack.

"I think it was unfortunate to use those words," said Republican Representative Richard Hudson, who represents Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to Fort Bragg that includes the Army's Special Operations Command.

The White House declined to comment for this story.

The US&nbsp;military has long treated brain injuries as a different class of wounds that do not require rapid reporting up the chain of command, unlike incidents threatening life, limb or eyesight.

Since 2000, nearly 414,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, according to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-100-us-troops-diagnosed-with-brain-injuries-from-iran-attack-279919">Pentagon </a>data. The number is likely higher because the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-100-us-troops-diagnosed-with-brain-injuries-from-iran-attack-279919">Pentagon </a>only counts as one injury cases where a soldier suffers from brain trauma in multiple incidents.

Watch: 15 ballistic missiles hit US troops in Erbil, al-Asad

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The US&nbsp;troops operating drone flights appeared to have suffered the most brain injuries during the attack on al-Asad, said Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Garland, who was on the base at the time. Many worked near the airstrip, he said. Like Specialist Keltz, who was manning a guard tower, the drone pilots had been assigned to watch for a possible ground attack.

"Those drone pilots, they're the ones that took the brunt of the TBI cases," said Garland, who as commander of Task Force Jazeera oversees more than 400 soldiers.

The number of troops diagnosed with brain injury from last month’s attack was expected to stabilize near the current count, one U.S. official said. Less than 10 were now being monitored with possible TBI symptoms, the official said.

The total US&nbsp;military count, however, excludes civilian contractors on the base at the time, many of whom have since departed.

Some <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-100-us-troops-diagnosed-with-brain-injuries-from-iran-attack-279919">US&nbsp;troops</a> also suffered from anxiety-related symptoms after the attack, including sleeplessness and, in at least one case, a sustained high heart rate, according to interviews with soldiers and officials. However, they could not provide a specific number.

The Pentagon categorizes brain injuries as mild, moderate, severe or penetrating. The vast majority of injuries are classified as mild, as were all of the injuries reported from al-Asad.

Garland, the commander, said he was taken aback when he learned of US&nbsp;intelligence indicating that Iranian missiles would strike within hours. He immediately found a base map and started sizing up the best options to shelter his troops.

He recalled old bunkers on the base built during the era of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator toppled by US-led forces in 2003. But the bunkers wouldn’t hold everyone. Some would need to disperse, taking cover in armoured vehicles driven away from targets.

Others in Garland’s unit, including Specialist Keltz, would need to stand guard to watch for additional attacks beyond the expected missiles.

Keltz said he and a fellow soldier were already manning a tower when First Sergeant Larry Jackson came to them, explaining the intelligence and giving them their orders.

"What I need you, boys, to do is to lay down on the ground when the impacts happen - and then I need you to jump right back up and man those guns,” Jackson said in an interview, recounting his instructions to Keltz and other soldiers at the base.

As the Iranian missiles streaked through the night sky toward the base, their engines glowed orange - like the ends of lit cigarettes, Garland said. The glow was all that Garland could see in the darkness before scrambling back into a bunker.

Then came the blasts. At least eleven missiles struck the base, destroying housing units made from shipping containers and other facilities.

"Every explosion I heard, I was thinking, OK, that's a number of people that have just lost their lives," he said.

But initial checks after the attack showed nobody was killed or obviously injured, despite massive devastation to the base. Word got back to Washington. Just before 6 a.m. in Baghdad, Trump tweeted an update: "Assessment of casualties &amp; damages taking place now. So far, so good!"

On the ground at al-Asad, US&nbsp;Army Major Robert Hales, a doctor who is deployed to al-Asad, defended the initial reports of no injuries.

"Everyone here did not have any outward physical injuries,” he said in an interview. “There were no lacerations. There are no shrapnel wounds."

Such “silent” injuries take time to manifest, he said.

Injury figures kept climbing in the weeks after the attack. What began as at least 11 cases grew to 34 about a week later.

On January&nbsp;22, Trump made his controversial comment, referring to the injuries as “headaches.” The Veterans of Foreign Wars demanded an apology for Trump's "misguided remarks".

A week later, on January&nbsp;28, the toll of brain injuries climbed to 50. In early February, Reuters was the first to report that the count had surpassed 100.

The brain injuries sustained in the Iranian missile attack are fundamentally different than those that have typically resulted from past attacks, brain-trauma specialists said.

That’s because the al-Asad bombing was more intense than typical quick-hit, single-explosion attacks: The explosions came in waves and lasted more than an hour.

When a roadside bomb goes off in Afghanistan, head wounds are often visible. In insurgent bomb blasts, shrapnel or other flying debris can cause brain injuries upon impact. But the damage from large pressure waves from a major blast - like the ones at al-Asad that Specialist Keltz felt - often take more time to diagnose.

Marilyn Kraus, director of the Traumatic Brain Injury program and concussion clinic at George Washington University, said troops may minimize or underreport their symptoms initially. Others may not show symptoms until much later in part because their injuries are initially masked by the adrenaline rush that comes with combat.

"Some of these things can fall into the cracks initially," said Kraus, who previously served as medical director of the Traumatic Brain Injury Consult Section at the Walter Reed military hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.

In the short term, mild traumatic brain injury can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness and confusion, while longer-term effects can include chronic headaches, mood changes and dizziness, Kraus said. Repeated head injuries can lead to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a brain degeneration disorder that some researchers have linked to suicidal thoughts, substance misuse and depression, she said.

Hales, the Army doctor, cited research within the past six months showing in animal models that signs of damage to the brain can increase in the weeks after a blast. At al-Asad, soldiers started showing symptoms such as headaches or a "foggy feeling” days after the attack, Hales said. The symptoms often persisted.

"That's the reason why you saw a huge delay” in identifying the injuries, he said. “That prompted us to re-screen pretty much the whole population of al-Asad."

In the wee hours of January 8, Tehran retaliated over the US killing of Iran’s most powerful general by bombarding the al-Asad airbase in Iraq. Among the 2,000 troops stationed there was US Army Specialist Kimo Keltz, who recalls hearing a missile whistling through the sky as he lay on the deck of a guard tower.

In the wee hours of January 8, Tehran retaliated over the US killing of Iran’s most powerful general by bombarding the al-Asad airbase in Iraq. Among the 2,000 troops stationed there was US Army Specialist Kimo Keltz, who recalls hearing a missile whistling through the sky as he lay on the deck of a guard tower. The explosion lifted his body in full armour an inch or two off the floor. Also read: More than 100 US troops diagnosed with brain injuries from Iran missile attack Keltz says he thought he had escaped with little more than a mild headache. Initial assessments around the base found no serious injuries or deaths from the attack. The US President Donald Trump tweeted, "All is well!" The next day was different. “My head kinda felt like I got hit with a truck,” Keltz told Reuters in an interview from the al-Asad airbase in Iraq’s western Anbar desert. “My stomach was grinding.” Keltz, who said he had concussion symptoms for days, is among 109 soldiers diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries in the wake of last month’s attack, a figure that has steadily risen as more troops report symptoms and get the medical screening. Also see: Key facts about Al-Asad US air base in Iraq attacked by Iran Reuters interviewed more than a dozen officials and soldiers and spoke with brain-injury specialists to assemble the most comprehensive account so far of the nature of the soldiers’ injuries and how they sustained them. The slowly rising casualty count underscores the difficulty in detecting and treating what has become one of the most common injuries in the US military during two decades of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, where US troops face roadside bombs, rockets and mortars. More than a week after the attack, on January 16, Defense Secretary Mark Esper was made aware that soldiers had suffered brain injuries from the missiles, the Pentagon said. That day, the Pentagon reported that an unspecified number of troops were treated for concussive symptoms and 11 were flown to Kuwait and Germany for higher-level care. Also read: Missile strike was start of a series of attacks across the region: Iranian commander On January 22, Trump said that he "heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things,” prompting criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers and a US veterans group that the president was underplaying the casualties from the attack. "I think it was unfortunate to use those words," said Republican Representative Richard Hudson, who represents Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to Fort Bragg that includes the Army's Special Operations Command. The White House declined to comment for this story. The US military has long treated brain injuries as a different class of wounds that do not require rapid reporting up the chain of command, unlike incidents threatening life, limb or eyesight. Since 2000, nearly 414,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, according to Pentagon data. The number is likely higher because the Pentagon only counts as one injury cases where a soldier suffers from brain trauma in multiple incidents. Watch: 15 ballistic missiles hit US troops in Erbil, al-Asad The US troops operating drone flights appeared to have suffered the most brain injuries during the attack on al-Asad, said Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Garland, who was on the base at the time. Many worked near the airstrip, he said. Like Specialist Keltz, who was manning a guard tower, the drone pilots had been assigned to watch for a possible ground attack. "Those drone pilots, they're the ones that took the brunt of the TBI cases," said Garland, who as commander of Task Force Jazeera oversees more than 400 soldiers. The number of troops diagnosed with brain injury from last month’s attack was expected to stabilize near the current count, one U.S. official said. Less than 10 were now being monitored with possible TBI symptoms, the official said. The total US military count, however, excludes civilian contractors on the base at the time, many of whom have since departed. Some US troops also suffered from anxiety-related symptoms after the attack, including sleeplessness and, in at least one case, a sustained high heart rate, according to interviews with soldiers and officials. However, they could not provide a specific number. The Pentagon categorizes brain injuries as mild, moderate, severe or penetrating. The vast majority of injuries are classified as mild, as were all of the injuries reported from al-Asad. Garland, the commander, said he was taken aback when he learned of US intelligence indicating that Iranian missiles would strike within hours. He immediately found a base map and started sizing up the best options to shelter his troops. He recalled old bunkers on the base built during the era of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator toppled by US-led forces in 2003. But the bunkers wouldn’t hold everyone. Some would need to disperse, taking cover in armoured vehicles driven away from targets. Others in Garland’s unit, including Specialist Keltz, would need to stand guard to watch for additional attacks beyond the expected missiles. Keltz said he and a fellow soldier were already manning a tower when First Sergeant Larry Jackson came to them, explaining the intelligence and giving them their orders. "What I need you, boys, to do is to lay down on the ground when the impacts happen - and then I need you to jump right back up and man those guns,” Jackson said in an interview, recounting his instructions to Keltz and other soldiers at the base. As the Iranian missiles streaked through the night sky toward the base, their engines glowed orange - like the ends of lit cigarettes, Garland said. The glow was all that Garland could see in the darkness before scrambling back into a bunker. Then came the blasts. At least eleven missiles struck the base, destroying housing units made from shipping containers and other facilities. "Every explosion I heard, I was thinking, OK, that's a number of people that have just lost their lives," he said. But initial checks after the attack showed nobody was killed or obviously injured, despite massive devastation to the base. Word got back to Washington. Just before 6 a.m. in Baghdad, Trump tweeted an update: "Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good!" On the ground at al-Asad, US Army Major Robert Hales, a doctor who is deployed to al-Asad, defended the initial reports of no injuries. "Everyone here did not have any outward physical injuries,” he said in an interview. “There were no lacerations. There are no shrapnel wounds." Such “silent” injuries take time to manifest, he said. Injury figures kept climbing in the weeks after the attack. What began as at least 11 cases grew to 34 about a week later. On January 22, Trump made his controversial comment, referring to the injuries as “headaches.” The Veterans of Foreign Wars demanded an apology for Trump's "misguided remarks". A week later, on January 28, the toll of brain injuries climbed to 50. In early February, Reuters was the first to report that the count had surpassed 100. The brain injuries sustained in the Iranian missile attack are fundamentally different than those that have typically resulted from past attacks, brain-trauma specialists said. That’s because the al-Asad bombing was more intense than typical quick-hit, single-explosion attacks: The explosions came in waves and lasted more than an hour. When a roadside bomb goes off in Afghanistan, head wounds are often visible. In insurgent bomb blasts, shrapnel or other flying debris can cause brain injuries upon impact. But the damage from large pressure waves from a major blast - like the ones at al-Asad that Specialist Keltz felt - often take more time to diagnose. Marilyn Kraus, director of the Traumatic Brain Injury program and concussion clinic at George Washington University, said troops may minimize or underreport their symptoms initially. Others may not show symptoms until much later in part because their injuries are initially masked by the adrenaline rush that comes with combat. "Some of these things can fall into the cracks initially," said Kraus, who previously served as medical director of the Traumatic Brain Injury Consult Section at the Walter Reed military hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. In the short term, mild traumatic brain injury can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness and confusion, while longer-term effects can include chronic headaches, mood changes and dizziness, Kraus said. Repeated head injuries can lead to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a brain degeneration disorder that some researchers have linked to suicidal thoughts, substance misuse and depression, she said. Hales, the Army doctor, cited research within the past six months showing in animal models that signs of damage to the brain can increase in the weeks after a blast. At al-Asad, soldiers started showing symptoms such as headaches or a "foggy feeling” days after the attack, Hales said. The symptoms often persisted. "That's the reason why you saw a huge delay” in identifying the injuries, he said. “That prompted us to re-screen pretty much the whole population of al-Asad."

'Hit with a truck': How Iran's missiles inflicted brain injury on US troops

Iran's electoral watchdog on Wednesday defended its decision to disqualify thousands of candidates for a crucial parliamentary election in two days, as a lacklustre campaign neared its end.

Conservatives are expected to make an overwhelming resurgence in Friday's vote, which comes after months of steeply escalating tensions between Iran and its decades-old arch-foe the United States.

Their gains would be made at the expense of those who back President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irans-rouhani-sounds-alarm-for-democracy-after-candidates-barred-276882">Hassan Rouhani</a>, a moderate conservative who was re-elected in 2017 promising people more freedoms and the benefits of engagement with the West.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/khamenei-says-voting-in-irans-election-a-religious-duty-281420">Khamenei says voting in Iran's election 'a religious duty'</a>

But many people in Iran feel their lives have been crippled by an economic slump exacerbated by harsh US sanctions since President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/heres-why-no-trade-deal-should-be-expected-during-donald-trumps-india-visit-281652">Donald Trump</a> pulled the United States out of a landmark nuclear deal with the Islamic republic in 2018.

A week of campaigning, which has seen posters go up but only a few low-key gatherings, comes to an end on Wednesday, before a day of silence on the eve of polling day.

The interior ministry said around half of the 16,033 hopefuls would contest the election after the Guardian Council barred thousands, most of them moderates and reformists.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irans-rouhani-sounds-alarm-for-democracy-after-candidates-barred-276882">Iran's Hassan Rouhani sounds alarm for 'democracy' after candidates barred</a>

But the Council said it was "neutral" in its dealings with all political camps and acted in accordance with the law when it blocked their candidacy.

"The Guardian Council follows the laws and regulations parliament has passed at different times," said its spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhodaee.

"This time, just like at previous elections, we have tried to properly follow the law," he told a news conference.

"The Council has never had a political view... It approaches political factions with closed eyes.

"What it does judge is the evidence in the cases of the candidates and then it only acts in accordance with the law passed by parliament."

Commentators expect disillusionment among the 57 million-strong electorate in the sanctions-hit country to result in a low turnout.

Many people on the streets of Tehran have expressed dissatisfaction with politicians ahead of the election, saying they failed to keep their word or to raise living standards.

Supreme leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/khamenei-says-voting-in-irans-election-a-religious-duty-281420">Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a> on Tuesday urged Iranians to vote, saying it was a "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/khamenei-says-voting-in-irans-election-a-religious-duty-281420">religious duty</a>".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/khamenei-says-voting-in-irans-election-a-religious-duty-281420">Rouhani </a>issued a similar call on Wednesday, saying that taking part would give <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/khamenei-says-voting-in-irans-election-a-religious-duty-281420">Iran </a>the "strength and unity" needed in its stand against the United States.

"We are going to the polls to choose the best people for parliament, which is a very important institution," he said in televised remarks after a meeting of his cabinet.

"We are under severe sanctions and pressure by the global arrogance, and we have to break these sanctions and improve people's lives," he added, referring to the United States.

"Sanctions are a terrorist and tyrannical act against Iran.

"One cannot say sanctions have no effect and the government should be doing more... It's lies, it's supporting America."

Turnout at Iran's past 10 elections averaged 60.5 per cent, said the interior ministry.

The Guardian Council said it expected at least 50 per cent of registered voters to cast ballots in the election.

"Our forecast is that we will have a good turnout in the upcoming election, and the average turnout has usually not been under 50 per cent, and we will witness a turnout of 50 per cent turnout in this election too," its spokesman Kadkhodaee said.

Iranians have been feeling the strain after months of turmoil.

The economy has been battered since <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/heres-why-no-trade-deal-should-be-expected-during-donald-trumps-india-visit-281652">Trump </a>abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign.

In November, demonstrations over petrol price hikes spread across Iran and turned violent before being crushed in a deadly crackdown.

Tehran and Washington have nearly gone to war twice in the past seven months, most recently after the US killed prominent Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on January 3.

The "martyrdom" of the hugely popular general provoked an outpouring of grief in Iran.

Millions of people turned out to mourn his death, but that unity suffered a blow after Iran admitted it "accidentally" shot down a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-demands-punishment-compensation-for-airliner-downed-by-iran-273583">Ukrainian airliner</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-demands-punishment-compensation-for-airliner-downed-by-iran-273583">,</a> killing 176 people.

Voting for Iran's 290-seat parliament, or Majles opens at 8:00 am on Friday and lasts 10 hours but can be extended. The first results are expected on Sunday.

Iran's electoral watchdog on Wednesday defended its decision to disqualify thousands of candidates for a crucial parliamentary election in two days, as a lacklustre campaign neared its end.

Iran's electoral watchdog on Wednesday defended its decision to disqualify thousands of candidates for a crucial parliamentary election in two days, as a lacklustre campaign neared its end. Conservatives are expected to make an overwhelming resurgence in Friday's vote, which comes after months of steeply escalating tensions between Iran and its decades-old arch-foe the United States. Their gains would be made at the expense of those who back President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate conservative who was re-elected in 2017 promising people more freedoms and the benefits of engagement with the West. Also read: Khamenei says voting in Iran's election 'a religious duty' But many people in Iran feel their lives have been crippled by an economic slump exacerbated by harsh US sanctions since President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a landmark nuclear deal with the Islamic republic in 2018. A week of campaigning, which has seen posters go up but only a few low-key gatherings, comes to an end on Wednesday, before a day of silence on the eve of polling day. The interior ministry said around half of the 16,033 hopefuls would contest the election after the Guardian Council barred thousands, most of them moderates and reformists. Also read: Iran's Hassan Rouhani sounds alarm for 'democracy' after candidates barred But the Council said it was "neutral" in its dealings with all political camps and acted in accordance with the law when it blocked their candidacy. "The Guardian Council follows the laws and regulations parliament has passed at different times," said its spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhodaee. "This time, just like at previous elections, we have tried to properly follow the law," he told a news conference. "The Council has never had a political view... It approaches political factions with closed eyes. "What it does judge is the evidence in the cases of the candidates and then it only acts in accordance with the law passed by parliament." Commentators expect disillusionment among the 57 million-strong electorate in the sanctions-hit country to result in a low turnout. Many people on the streets of Tehran have expressed dissatisfaction with politicians ahead of the election, saying they failed to keep their word or to raise living standards. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday urged Iranians to vote, saying it was a "religious duty". Rouhani issued a similar call on Wednesday, saying that taking part would give Iran the "strength and unity" needed in its stand against the United States. "We are going to the polls to choose the best people for parliament, which is a very important institution," he said in televised remarks after a meeting of his cabinet. "We are under severe sanctions and pressure by the global arrogance, and we have to break these sanctions and improve people's lives," he added, referring to the United States. "Sanctions are a terrorist and tyrannical act against Iran. "One cannot say sanctions have no effect and the government should be doing more... It's lies, it's supporting America." Turnout at Iran's past 10 elections averaged 60.5 per cent, said the interior ministry. The Guardian Council said it expected at least 50 per cent of registered voters to cast ballots in the election. "Our forecast is that we will have a good turnout in the upcoming election, and the average turnout has usually not been under 50 per cent, and we will witness a turnout of 50 per cent turnout in this election too," its spokesman Kadkhodaee said. Iranians have been feeling the strain after months of turmoil. The economy has been battered since Trump abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign. In November, demonstrations over petrol price hikes spread across Iran and turned violent before being crushed in a deadly crackdown. Tehran and Washington have nearly gone to war twice in the past seven months, most recently after the US killed prominent Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on January 3. The "martyrdom" of the hugely popular general provoked an outpouring of grief in Iran. Millions of people turned out to mourn his death, but that unity suffered a blow after Iran admitted it "accidentally" shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing 176 people. Voting for Iran's 290-seat parliament, or Majles opens at 8:00 am on Friday and lasts 10 hours but can be extended. The first results are expected on Sunday.

Iran defends barring of candidates as campaign ends

Iran has confirmed two coronavirus deaths, both were elderly people of Qom city. Victims contracted huge lung infections.

Coronavirus Outbreak: Iran confirms first coronavirus death

Today in history: Thomas Edison patents phonograph, Supreme Privy Council in Russia, and more!

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-will-never-yield-to-americas-pressure-for-talks-says-president-rouhani-280967">campaign of maximum pressure against Iran</a> would continue, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday. Pompeo also said that the authorities in Washington are ready to talk to Iran "anytime", but that it needed to "fundamentally" change its behaviour.&nbsp;

"We are not rushed, the pressure campaign continues. It's not just an economic pressure campaign... it's isolation through diplomacy as well", Pompeo told reporters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa before boarding a flight to Saudi Arabia.

The latest statement comes days after Iran President Hassan Rouhani had said that his country will never yield to America's pressure for talks.

Also read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unbearable-for-us-to-accept-irans-victory-rouhani-taunts-on-anniversary-of-shahs-ouster-280079">&nbsp;'Unbearable for US to accept Iran's victory': Rouhani taunts on anniversary of Shah's ouster</a> 
&nbsp; 
"Iran will never negotiate under pressure ... We will never yield to America's pressure and we will not negotiate from a position of weakness. America's 'maximum pressure' towards Iran is doomed to failure," Rouhani said.

Tensions have increased between Iran and the United States since 2018 when President Donald Trump exited a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers and Washington reimposed sanctions on Tehran that has crippled its economy.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-will-not-lift-sanctions-to-negotiate-with-iran-donald-trump-276694">US will not lift sanctions to negotiate with Iran: Donald Trump</a>

Trump administration wants a new deal that further curbs Iran's nuclear programme, ends its ballistic missile programme and its involvement in decades of proxy wars in the Middle East.

Tehran has rejected holding negotiations over a new deal, saying talks are possible only if the United States returns to the nuclear pact and lifts sanctions.

Iran has been involved in decades of regional proxy wars with its key regional rival Saudi Arabia.

"Securing peace and stability in the sensitive region of the Middle East and in the Persian Gulf is impossible without Iran's help," Rouhani said.

(With inputs from Reuters)

A campaign of maximum pressure against Iran would continue, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday. Pompeo also said that the authorities in Washington are ready to talk to Iran "anytime", but that it needed to "fundamentally" change its behaviour.

A campaign of maximum pressure against Iran would continue, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday. Pompeo also said that the authorities in Washington are ready to talk to Iran "anytime", but that it needed to "fundamentally" change its behaviour. "We are not rushed, the pressure campaign continues. It's not just an economic pressure campaign... it's isolation through diplomacy as well", Pompeo told reporters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa before boarding a flight to Saudi Arabia. The latest statement comes days after Iran President Hassan Rouhani had said that his country will never yield to America's pressure for talks. Also read: 'Unbearable for US to accept Iran's victory': Rouhani taunts on anniversary of Shah's ouster "Iran will never negotiate under pressure ... We will never yield to America's pressure and we will not negotiate from a position of weakness. America's 'maximum pressure' towards Iran is doomed to failure," Rouhani said. Tensions have increased between Iran and the United States since 2018 when President Donald Trump exited a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers and Washington reimposed sanctions on Tehran that has crippled its economy. Also read: US will not lift sanctions to negotiate with Iran: Donald Trump Trump administration wants a new deal that further curbs Iran's nuclear programme, ends its ballistic missile programme and its involvement in decades of proxy wars in the Middle East. Tehran has rejected holding negotiations over a new deal, saying talks are possible only if the United States returns to the nuclear pact and lifts sanctions. Iran has been involved in decades of regional proxy wars with its key regional rival Saudi Arabia. "Securing peace and stability in the sensitive region of the Middle East and in the Persian Gulf is impossible without Iran's help," Rouhani said. (With inputs from Reuters)

US ready to talk to Iran, but pressure to continue says Secretary of State Pompeo

As China continues to battle the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/criticism-of-japans-effort-on-coronavirus-cruise-ship-as-passengers-leave-281616">coronavirus epidemic</a>, Iran confirmed two cases of coronavirus&nbsp;on Wednesday. This is the first cases of the deadly virus in Iran.&nbsp;

"As we had promised to announce any confirmed cases, a few minutes ago the health minister confirmed the two cases of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-up-on-slowing-pace-of-coronavirus-venezuela-sanctions-281596">new coronavirus</a> in the city of Qom," government spokesperson Ali Rabiei said on Twitter.

The patients have been put under isolation, the health ministry said. The cases were detected in holy city of Iran, Qom.

The nationality of the infected people has not been revealed but several reports suggest that they were Iranian nationals.

The United Arab Emirates was the first country in the Middle East to report cases of coronavirus last month.

The death toll from the new coronavirus in mainland China passed 2,000 on Wednesday although the number of new cases fell for a second straight day, as authorities tightened already severe containment measures in the worst-hit city of Wuhan. The number of infected people surpassed 74,000.

Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Sun Chunlan said that efforts to prevent and control the coronavirus in China's Hubei province have made progress but the situation still remains severe.

Authorities in Beijing are urging both Hubei and its city of Wuhan,&nbsp; which is at the centre of the outbreak, to strengthen checks on patients with fever, local media reported.

China's President Xi Jinping also called for greater protection of medical staff after the deaths of prominent doctors sparked national anger at the government's handling of the outbreak.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

As China continues to battle the coronavirus epidemic, Iran confirmed two cases of coronavirus on Wednesday. This is the first cases of the deadly virus in Iran.

As China continues to battle the coronavirus epidemic, Iran confirmed two cases of coronavirus on Wednesday. This is the first cases of the deadly virus in Iran. "As we had promised to announce any confirmed cases, a few minutes ago the health minister confirmed the two cases of the new coronavirus in the city of Qom," government spokesperson Ali Rabiei said on Twitter. The patients have been put under isolation, the health ministry said. The cases were detected in holy city of Iran, Qom. The nationality of the infected people has not been revealed but several reports suggest that they were Iranian nationals. The United Arab Emirates was the first country in the Middle East to report cases of coronavirus last month. The death toll from the new coronavirus in mainland China passed 2,000 on Wednesday although the number of new cases fell for a second straight day, as authorities tightened already severe containment measures in the worst-hit city of Wuhan. The number of infected people surpassed 74,000. Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Sun Chunlan said that efforts to prevent and control the coronavirus in China's Hubei province have made progress but the situation still remains severe. Authorities in Beijing are urging both Hubei and its city of Wuhan, which is at the centre of the outbreak, to strengthen checks on patients with fever, local media reported. China's President Xi Jinping also called for greater protection of medical staff after the deaths of prominent doctors sparked national anger at the government's handling of the outbreak. (With inputs from agencies)

Iran confirms first two cases of new coronavirus: Official

The black box of a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-plane-crash-investigators-consider-several-leads-including-missile-strike-technical-malfunction-act-of-terror-273238">Ukrainian passenger plane accidentally shot down over Iran</a> last month is damaged but Iran will not hand it over to another country despite pressure for access, top Iranian ministers said on Wednesday, according to state media.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week he had "impressed upon" Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-plane-crash-video-shows-missiles-launched-from-an-iranian-military-site-hit-the-plane-274358">Javad Zarif </a>that a complete and independent investigation into the shooting down of the airliner had to be carried out.

Watch: Iran Foreign Minister lashes out at US, blames for Ukraine plane downing

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-plane-victims-would-be-alive-had-there-been-no-regional-tensions-canadian-prime-minister-justin-trudeau-274134">Many of the 176 who perished in the disaster</a> were Iranians with dual citizenship, which is not recognised by Iran. Canada had 57 citizens on board.

"We have a right to read the black box ourselves. We have a right to be present at any examination of the black box," Zarif said.

"If we are supposed to give the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-has-given-important-data-on-iran-plane-crash-ukraine-foreign-minister-273408"> black box</a> to others for them to read it in our place then this is something we will definitely not do," he said.

Defence Minister Amir Hatami said the flight data recording box had "sustained noticeable damage and the defence industry has been requested to help in reconstructing (it)."

"The reconstruction of the black box is supposed to take place first and then the reading," Hatami said.

All 176 passengers aboard the plane were killed when the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's most powerful military force, fired missiles at the plane after mistaking it for a hostile target.

Iran is in discussions with other countries, particularly Ukraine, about the investigation, foreign minister Zarif said.

The black box of a Ukrainian passenger plane accidentally shot down over Iran last month is damaged but Iran will not hand it over to another country despite pressure for access, top Iranian ministers said on Wednesday, according to state media.

The black box of a Ukrainian passenger plane accidentally shot down over Iran last month is damaged but Iran will not hand it over to another country despite pressure for access, top Iranian ministers said on Wednesday, according to state media. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week he had "impressed upon" Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that a complete and independent investigation into the shooting down of the airliner had to be carried out. Watch: Iran Foreign Minister lashes out at US, blames for Ukraine plane downing × Many of the 176 who perished in the disaster were Iranians with dual citizenship, which is not recognised by Iran. Canada had 57 citizens on board. "We have a right to read the black box ourselves. We have a right to be present at any examination of the black box," Zarif said. "If we are supposed to give the black box to others for them to read it in our place then this is something we will definitely not do," he said. Defence Minister Amir Hatami said the flight data recording box had "sustained noticeable damage and the defence industry has been requested to help in reconstructing (it)." "The reconstruction of the black box is supposed to take place first and then the reading," Hatami said. All 176 passengers aboard the plane were killed when the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's most powerful military force, fired missiles at the plane after mistaking it for a hostile target. Iran is in discussions with other countries, particularly Ukraine, about the investigation, foreign minister Zarif said.

Iran won't hand over 'damaged' black box of crashed Ukrainian plane: Foreign Minister Zarif

Voting in a parliamentary election this week is "a religious duty" for Iranians, Supreme Leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-will-never-yield-to-americas-pressure-for-talks-says-president-rouhani-280967">Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a> said on Tuesday, days before the vote seen as a referendum on the clerical establishment's popularity.

Iran's hardline Guardian Council vetting body has rejected some 6,850 moderate or conservative hopefuls in favour of hardliners from among the 14,000 applicants seeking to contest the February&nbsp;21 vote. About a third of lawmakers have also been barred from standing again.

"Today, voting is not only a revolutionary and national responsibility, but it is also a religious duty," Khamenei was quoted as saying by state television.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-no-dialogue-for-now-as-saudis-iranians-camp-on-positions-280904">Also read: No dialogue for now as Saudis, Iranians camp on positions</a>

Due to a large number of disqualified candidates, hardliners loyal to Khamenei are likely to dominate the 290-seat parliament.

Friday's vote will have no major influence on foreign affairs or Iran's nuclear policy, which is determined by Khamenei.

The final authority in Iran's complex system of clerical rule and limited democracy, Khamenei has supported the Guardian Council, saying the next parliament was no place for those scared of speaking out against foreign enemies.

"Elections are a means to strengthen the country ... A weak parliament will have long-term affects ... a weak parliament will negatively affect our fight against enemies," he said.

"The election will neutralise American's ill intentions ... the vote is the Islamic Republic's prestige."

Tensions have been high between Iran and the United States since 2018, when <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-foreign-minister-says-donald-trump-misled-by-advisors-280867">US President Donald Trump </a>exited a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, reimposing sanctions that have battered the country's economy.

In retaliation, Iran has gradually rolled back its commitments under the deal. Tehran says its steps are reversible if European parties to the agreement fulfil their promises of shielding Iran's economy from US penalties.

Pro-reform voters are dismayed by disarray in their camp and the failure of pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani to abide by an election pledge to ease social and political restrictions.

A parliament dominated by hardliners could increase pressure on Rouhani, the architect of the nuclear pact, whose performance in power has been criticized by Khamenei's influential allies.

Campaigning will end on Thursday, on the eve of the vote, for which 58 million Iranians are eligible to vote out of a population of 83 million.

Voting in a parliamentary election this week is "a religious duty" for Iranians, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday, days before the vote seen as a referendum on the clerical establishment's popularity.

Voting in a parliamentary election this week is "a religious duty" for Iranians, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday, days before the vote seen as a referendum on the clerical establishment's popularity. Iran's hardline Guardian Council vetting body has rejected some 6,850 moderate or conservative hopefuls in favour of hardliners from among the 14,000 applicants seeking to contest the February 21 vote. About a third of lawmakers have also been barred from standing again. "Today, voting is not only a revolutionary and national responsibility, but it is also a religious duty," Khamenei was quoted as saying by state television. Also read: No dialogue for now as Saudis, Iranians camp on positions Due to a large number of disqualified candidates, hardliners loyal to Khamenei are likely to dominate the 290-seat parliament. Friday's vote will have no major influence on foreign affairs or Iran's nuclear policy, which is determined by Khamenei. The final authority in Iran's complex system of clerical rule and limited democracy, Khamenei has supported the Guardian Council, saying the next parliament was no place for those scared of speaking out against foreign enemies. "Elections are a means to strengthen the country ... A weak parliament will have long-term affects ... a weak parliament will negatively affect our fight against enemies," he said. "The election will neutralise American's ill intentions ... the vote is the Islamic Republic's prestige." Tensions have been high between Iran and the United States since 2018, when US President Donald Trump exited a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, reimposing sanctions that have battered the country's economy. In retaliation, Iran has gradually rolled back its commitments under the deal. Tehran says its steps are reversible if European parties to the agreement fulfil their promises of shielding Iran's economy from US penalties. Pro-reform voters are dismayed by disarray in their camp and the failure of pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani to abide by an election pledge to ease social and political restrictions. A parliament dominated by hardliners could increase pressure on Rouhani, the architect of the nuclear pact, whose performance in power has been criticized by Khamenei's influential allies. Campaigning will end on Thursday, on the eve of the vote, for which 58 million Iranians are eligible to vote out of a population of 83 million.

Khamenei says voting in Iran's election 'a religious duty'

Iran will never hold talks with its longtime foe, the United States, under pressure, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irans-rouhani-sounds-alarm-for-democracy-after-candidates-barred-276882">President Hassan Rouhani</a> said in a televised news conference on Sunday, adding that Tehran's help was essential to establish security in the Middle East.

"Iran will never negotiate under pressure ... We will never yield to America's pressure and we will not negotiate from a position of weakness. America's 'maximum pressure' towards Iran is doomed to failure," Rouhani said.

Also read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unbearable-for-us-to-accept-irans-victory-rouhani-taunts-on-anniversary-of-shahs-ouster-280079"> 'Unbearable for US to accept Iran's victory': Rouhani taunts on anniversary of Shah's ouster</a>

Tensions have increased between Iran and the United States since 2018 when President Donald Trump exited a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers and Washington reimposed sanctions on Tehran that has crippled its economy.

Trump administration wants a new deal that further curbs Iran's nuclear programme, ends its ballistic missile programme and its involvement in decades of proxy wars in the Middle East.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-will-not-lift-sanctions-to-negotiate-with-iran-donald-trump-276694">US will not lift sanctions to negotiate with Iran: Donald Trump</a>

Tehran has rejected holding negotiations over a new deal, saying talks are possible only if the United States returns to the nuclear pact and lifts sanctions.

Iran has been involved in decades of regional proxy wars with its key regional rival Saudi Arabia.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irans-hassan-rouhani-rejects-new-trump-deal-tells-us-to-pick-right-path-274435">Iran's Hassan Rouhani rejects new 'Trump deal'; tells US to pick 'right path'</a>

"Securing peace and stability in the sensitive region of the Middle East and in the Persian Gulf is impossible without Iran's help," Rouhani said.

Iran will never hold talks with its longtime foe, the United States, under pressure, President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised news conference on Sunday, adding that Tehran's help was essential to establish security in the Middle East.

Iran will never hold talks with its longtime foe, the United States, under pressure, President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised news conference on Sunday, adding that Tehran's help was essential to establish security in the Middle East. "Iran will never negotiate under pressure ... We will never yield to America's pressure and we will not negotiate from a position of weakness. America's 'maximum pressure' towards Iran is doomed to failure," Rouhani said. Also read: 'Unbearable for US to accept Iran's victory': Rouhani taunts on anniversary of Shah's ouster Tensions have increased between Iran and the United States since 2018 when President Donald Trump exited a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers and Washington reimposed sanctions on Tehran that has crippled its economy. Trump administration wants a new deal that further curbs Iran's nuclear programme, ends its ballistic missile programme and its involvement in decades of proxy wars in the Middle East. Also read: US will not lift sanctions to negotiate with Iran: Donald Trump Tehran has rejected holding negotiations over a new deal, saying talks are possible only if the United States returns to the nuclear pact and lifts sanctions. Iran has been involved in decades of regional proxy wars with its key regional rival Saudi Arabia. Also read: Iran's Hassan Rouhani rejects new 'Trump deal'; tells US to pick 'right path' "Securing peace and stability in the sensitive region of the Middle East and in the Persian Gulf is impossible without Iran's help," Rouhani said.

Iran will never yield to America's pressure for talks, says President Rouhani

Iran and Saudi Arabia appeared no closer to bridging their differences on Saturday with both sides sticking to their positions and regional facilitator Oman seeing no breakthrough before US elections in November.

Iran and Saudi Arabia appeared no closer to bridging their differences on Saturday with both sides sticking to their positions and regional facilitator Oman seeing no breakthrough before US elections in November. Tensions in the Gulf region stepped up after the killing in early January of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani by the United States in Iraq. European and Arab states have since scrambled to avert a full-fledged conflict between the two sides. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud both attended the Munich Security Conference on Saturday and took part in a session on defusing tensions in the Gulf. Also Read: How Saudi-Iranian oil rivalry has been shaped by American power But the two were kept apart with Zarif even claiming that his Saudi counterpart had asked to reshuffle the schedule so that he wouldn't have to meet him. "I believe our neighbours, especially Saudi Arabia, do not want to (de-escalate)," Zarif said, adding that he believed Riyadh was firmly under the influence of the US campaign to put maximum pressure on Tehran. When asked about possible contacts with Iran, Prince Faisal said there had been neither private messages nor direct contacts. He said the ball was in Iran's court, especially as it had been behind attacks on the kingdom, including drone and missile strikes on its oil facilities in September. "Our message to Iran is to change its behaviour first before anything is to be discussed," he said after Zarif had left the room thirty minutes earlier. "Until we can talk about the real sources of that instability, talk is going to be unproductive." After Washington withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Trump began a policy of "maximum pressure", saying a broader deal should be negotiated on nuclear issues, Iran's missile programme and Iranian activities in the Middle East. US sanctions have crippled Iran's economy, slashing its oil exports. Iran has long said it will not negotiate with Washington while sanctions are in place. [ Irani Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (Courtesy: AFP) ] Zarif said French and Japanese efforts to bring Iran and the United States around the negotiating table had "fallen on deaf ears" because Trump believed Iran was on the verge of economic collapse. "He is wrong," Zarif said. "Everything they want is about regime change." Oman often considered as a facilitator for talks between Washington and Tehran appeared downcast on the prospects. "The reality is there are no messages," Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah said after meeting Zarif earlier in the day. "I'm not anticipating anything (will happen) in the next six months," he said, referring to upcoming US elections.

No dialogue for now as Saudis, Iranians camp on positions

The US Senate has passed the Iran war powers resolution. The&nbsp;bill seeks to prevent <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../US-President-Trump-to-visit-India-on-February -24-25-White-House">Donald Trump</a> from waging war with Iran.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-us-senators-visit-ukraine-right-after-impeachment-280416">US Senators plan on visiting Ukraine after Trump impeachment trial</a>

During the session, 55 Senators supported the bill, while 45 opposed it. The Democrats are hailing it&nbsp;as a bipartisan victory.

Trump's Republican party holds a 53-seat majority in the Senate, however, during&nbsp;Thursday's vote eight&nbsp;Republicans joined the Democratic cause.

The result was a far cry from the partisan vote that acquitted Trump of his impeachment charges last week. Trump had warned Senators against passing the bill.

The US president had&nbsp;said the United States was doing well with Iran and that this was not a time to show "weakness".&nbsp;

The resolution requires Trump to remove troops deployed against Iran unless Congress declares war. It also defends American aggression in case of an imminent threat.

The bill will now go to the House of Representatives and then on to the President's desk wherein all likelihood it will be vetoed by President Trump.

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It's unlikely that two-thirds of the Senate will join hands and force the president's hand but&nbsp;the very fact that a Republican Senate passed a resolution rebuking Trump sends a strong political message to the President.

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Even as America moved to curb its President's powers there were some major developments in Iran.&nbsp;Iran's revolutionary guard commander Hossein Salami issued a major threat.&nbsp;He vowed to strike both the US and Israel if there was even a small error from either of the two countries even as&nbsp;a&nbsp;US warship found a cache of suspected Iranian weapons in the Arabian Sea.

The USS Normandy seized 150 anti-tank missiles and&nbsp;three&nbsp;Iranian surface-to-air missiles and other weapons components believed to be manufactured in Iran.

The US Senate has passed the Iran war powers resolution. The bill seeks to prevent Donald Trump from waging war with Iran. Also read: US Senators plan on visiting Ukraine after Trump impeachment trial During the session, 55 Senators supported the bill, while 45 opposed it.

The US Senate has passed the Iran war powers resolution. The bill seeks to prevent Donald Trump from waging war with Iran. Also read: US Senators plan on visiting Ukraine after Trump impeachment trial During the session, 55 Senators supported the bill, while 45 opposed it. The Democrats are hailing it as a bipartisan victory. Trump's Republican party holds a 53-seat majority in the Senate, however, during Thursday's vote eight Republicans joined the Democratic cause. The result was a far cry from the partisan vote that acquitted Trump of his impeachment charges last week. Trump had warned Senators against passing the bill. The US president had said the United States was doing well with Iran and that this was not a time to show "weakness". The resolution requires Trump to remove troops deployed against Iran unless Congress declares war. It also defends American aggression in case of an imminent threat. The bill will now go to the House of Representatives and then on to the President's desk wherein all likelihood it will be vetoed by President Trump. × It's unlikely that two-thirds of the Senate will join hands and force the president's hand but the very fact that a Republican Senate passed a resolution rebuking Trump sends a strong political message to the President. × Even as America moved to curb its President's powers there were some major developments in Iran. Iran's revolutionary guard commander Hossein Salami issued a major threat. He vowed to strike both the US and Israel if there was even a small error from either of the two countries even as a US warship found a cache of suspected Iranian weapons in the Arabian Sea. The USS Normandy seized 150 anti-tank missiles and three Iranian surface-to-air missiles and other weapons components believed to be manufactured in Iran.

US Senate curbs Trump's ability to wage war with Iran

An <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/coronavirus-outbreak-iran-evacuates-its-citizens-from-chinas-wuhan-278828">Iranian </a>woman has died of a suspected coronavirus infection, the state daily newspaper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/coronavirus-outbreak-iran-evacuates-its-citizens-from-chinas-wuhan-278828">IRAN </a>reported on Wednesday, without citing any sources.

The 63-year-old woman died in a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/coronavirus-outbreak-iran-evacuates-its-citizens-from-chinas-wuhan-278828">Tehran </a>hospital on Monday, the newspaper said, and an investigation has been ordered into the cause of her death.

Watch:&nbsp;Iranian woman dies of suspected coronavirus infection

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<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">A spokesman for Iran’s Health Ministry, Kianush Jahanpour, denied the report.</div>

“There have been no cases of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/coronavirus-outbreak-iran-evacuates-its-citizens-from-chinas-wuhan-278828">coronavirus </a>in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/coronavirus-outbreak-iran-evacuates-its-citizens-from-chinas-wuhan-278828">Iran</a>,” he said.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-iranian-plane-evacuates-citizens-from-wuhan-278914">Coronavirus: Iranian plane evacuates citizens from Wuhan</a>

Iranian health authorities have repeatedly said there were no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/petition-seeking-right-to-freedom-of-speech-gathers-momentum-as-china-fights-coronavirus-280264">coronavirus </a>now officially named as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/petition-seeking-right-to-freedom-of-speech-gathers-momentum-as-china-fights-coronavirus-280264">COVID-19</a> has killed more than 1,100 people in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/petition-seeking-right-to-freedom-of-speech-gathers-momentum-as-china-fights-coronavirus-280264">China</a>, with total confirmed cases there topping 44,650 as of February&nbsp;11.

Hundreds of cases have been reported in dozens of countries and territories around the world.

An Iranian woman has died of a suspected coronavirus infection, the state daily newspaper IRAN reported on Wednesday, without citing any sources. The 63-year-old woman died in a Tehran hospital on Monday, the newspaper said, and an investigation has been ordered into the cause of her death.

An Iranian woman has died of a suspected coronavirus infection, the state daily newspaper IRAN reported on Wednesday, without citing any sources. The 63-year-old woman died in a Tehran hospital on Monday, the newspaper said, and an investigation has been ordered into the cause of her death. Watch: Iranian woman dies of suspected coronavirus infection A spokesman for Iran’s Health Ministry, Kianush Jahanpour, denied the report. “There have been no cases of coronavirus in Iran,” he said. Also read: Coronavirus: Iranian plane evacuates citizens from Wuhan Iranian health authorities have repeatedly said there were no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country. The coronavirus now officially named as COVID-19 has killed more than 1,100 people in China, with total confirmed cases there topping 44,650 as of February 11. Hundreds of cases have been reported in dozens of countries and territories around the world.

Iran woman dies of suspected coronavirus infection

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zafar-satellite-did-not-reach-orbit-as-planned-iranian-defence-ministry-279606">Iran's </a>government on Wednesday rejected <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zafar-satellite-did-not-reach-orbit-as-planned-iranian-defence-ministry-279606">US </a>allegations that the Islamic republic's satellite programme has a military dimension, days after the failed launch of its latest satellite.

"The subject of satellite launch vehicles and satellites is a civilian matter," Defence Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zafar-satellite-did-not-reach-orbit-as-planned-iranian-defence-ministry-279606">Amir Hatami</a> was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zafar-satellite-did-not-reach-orbit-as-planned-iranian-defence-ministry-279606">'Zafar' satellite did not reach orbit as planned: Iranian defence ministry</a>

"We could use a satellite for defence purposes, but the satellite launcher is a completely non-defensive subject and it's the definite and absolute right of the Iranian nation.

"There is no prohibition in the world" against this satellite programme, he said.

Iran attempted on Sunday to launch a satellite dubbed the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zafar-satellite-did-not-reach-orbit-as-planned-iranian-defence-ministry-279606">Zafar </a>which is Farsi for "Victory" but it failed to reach orbit.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/successfully-launched-satellite-failed-to-reach-orbit-says-iran-defence-ministry-official-279692">'Successfully' launched satellite failed to reach orbit, says Iran Defence Ministry official</a>

Washington on Tuesday accused <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zafar-satellite-did-not-reach-orbit-as-planned-iranian-defence-ministry-279606">Tehran </a>of using satellites as a cover to develop its missile programme.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the technology involved to launch satellites was "virtually identical" to the know-how for long-range ballistic missiles.

But <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zafar-satellite-did-not-reach-orbit-as-planned-iranian-defence-ministry-279606">Hatami </a>said Iran was only doing the same as "all other countries" with satellite programmes.

Iran would press ahead with its satellite programme and planned to launch a new version of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zafar-satellite-did-not-reach-orbit-as-planned-iranian-defence-ministry-279606">Zafar </a>by early next year, he added.

"The Zafar 2, given its weight, will be launched with the Simorgh launcher," <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zafar-satellite-did-not-reach-orbit-as-planned-iranian-defence-ministry-279606">Hatami </a>said, referring to the rocket used in Sunday's launch.

"We will still do research on the launcher and the satellites and will certainly continue this research until we are stable in this domain and until we are able to do it sustainably."

Iran's government on Wednesday rejected US allegations that the Islamic republic's satellite programme has a military dimension, days after the failed launch of its latest satellite.

Iran's government on Wednesday rejected US allegations that the Islamic republic's satellite programme has a military dimension, days after the failed launch of its latest satellite. "The subject of satellite launch vehicles and satellites is a civilian matter," Defence Minister Amir Hatami was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. Also read: 'Zafar' satellite did not reach orbit as planned: Iranian defence ministry "We could use a satellite for defence purposes, but the satellite launcher is a completely non-defensive subject and it's the definite and absolute right of the Iranian nation. "There is no prohibition in the world" against this satellite programme, he said. Iran attempted on Sunday to launch a satellite dubbed the Zafar which is Farsi for "Victory" but it failed to reach orbit. Also read: 'Successfully' launched satellite failed to reach orbit, says Iran Defence Ministry official Washington on Tuesday accused Tehran of using satellites as a cover to develop its missile programme. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the technology involved to launch satellites was "virtually identical" to the know-how for long-range ballistic missiles. But Hatami said Iran was only doing the same as "all other countries" with satellite programmes. Iran would press ahead with its satellite programme and planned to launch a new version of the Zafar by early next year, he added. "The Zafar 2, given its weight, will be launched with the Simorgh launcher," Hatami said, referring to the rocket used in Sunday's launch. "We will still do research on the launcher and the satellites and will certainly continue this research until we are stable in this domain and until we are able to do it sustainably."

Iran denies satellite programme has military dimension

Third death caused by coronavirus outside of China, an Iranian Women lost her life of suspected coronavirus infection. A spokesman for Iran’s Health Ministry, Kianush Jahanpour, denied the report and said, “There have been no cases of coronavirus in Iran.”

Iranian woman dies of suspected coronavirus infection

Iran launched a domestically made satellite on Sunday but it failed to reach orbit, a defence ministry official said.

"It was launched with success and ... we have reached most our aims ... but the "Zafar" satellite did not reach orbit as planned," the official told state television.

The launch was the latest in a programme which the United States says helps Tehran advance its ballistic missile technology. Tehran denies that its aerospace programme is a cover for missile development.

On Sunday, Iran said it will launch a satellite as part of a fledgling programme the United States says is a cover for ballistic missile development.

"The Zafar satellite will be placed in orbit today from Semnan at a speed of 7,400 kilometers," Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi had said, according to the official IRIB news agency.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zafar-satellite-did-not-reach-orbit-as-planned-iranian-defence-ministry-279606">Iran unveils ballistic missile, 'new generation' engines</a>

Iran carried out at least two failed satellite launches last year.

The United States says it is concerned that long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also be used to launch nuclear warheads. Tehran denies that satellite activity is a cover for missile development and says it has never pursued the development of nuclear weapons.

President Donald Trump's administration reimposed sanctions on Iran following Washington’s 2018 withdrawal from an international accord designed to curb Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump said the nuclear deal did not go far enough and did not include restrictions on Tehran’s missile program.

Tensions, already high over the nuclear issue, reached the highest level in decades between Iran and the United States after Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad on Jan. 3. Iran retaliated with a missile attack against a U.S. base in Iraq.

Once the satellite is in orbit, the first picture that it will transmit will be of Soleimani, minister Azari-Jahromi hoped on Sunday.

Iran launched its first satellite Omid (Hope) in 2009 and the Rasad (Observation) satellite was sent into orbit in June 2011. Tehran said in 2012 that it had successfully put its third domestically-made satellite Navid (Promise) into orbit.

Iran launched a domestically made satellite on Sunday but it failed to reach orbit, a defence ministry official said. "It was launched with success and ... we have reached most our aims .

Iran launched a domestically made satellite on Sunday but it failed to reach orbit, a defence ministry official said. "It was launched with success and ... we have reached most our aims ... but the "Zafar" satellite did not reach orbit as planned," the official told state television. The launch was the latest in a programme which the United States says helps Tehran advance its ballistic missile technology. Tehran denies that its aerospace programme is a cover for missile development. On Sunday, Iran said it will launch a satellite as part of a fledgling programme the United States says is a cover for ballistic missile development. "The Zafar satellite will be placed in orbit today from Semnan at a speed of 7,400 kilometers," Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi had said, according to the official IRIB news agency. Also read: Iran unveils ballistic missile, 'new generation' engines Iran carried out at least two failed satellite launches last year. The United States says it is concerned that long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also be used to launch nuclear warheads. Tehran denies that satellite activity is a cover for missile development and says it has never pursued the development of nuclear weapons. President Donald Trump's administration reimposed sanctions on Iran following Washington’s 2018 withdrawal from an international accord designed to curb Iran’s nuclear program. Trump said the nuclear deal did not go far enough and did not include restrictions on Tehran’s missile program. Tensions, already high over the nuclear issue, reached the highest level in decades between Iran and the United States after Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad on Jan. 3. Iran retaliated with a missile attack against a U.S. base in Iraq. Once the satellite is in orbit, the first picture that it will transmit will be of Soleimani, minister Azari-Jahromi hoped on Sunday. Iran launched its first satellite Omid (Hope) in 2009 and the Rasad (Observation) satellite was sent into orbit in June 2011. Tehran said in 2012 that it had successfully put its third domestically-made satellite Navid (Promise) into orbit.

'Zafar' satellite did not reach orbit as planned: Iranian defence ministry

Iran's Revolutionary Guards unveiled Sunday a short-range ballistic missile that they said can be powered by a "new generation" of engines designed to put satellites into orbit.

The Guards' Sepahnews website said the Raad-500 missile was equipped with new Zoheir engines made of composite materials lighter than on earlier steel models.

It also unveiled Salman engines made of the same materials but with a "movable nozzle" for the delivery of satellites into space.

The Raad was "a new generation missile that has half the weight of a Fateh-110 missile but with 200 kilometres more range," it added.

The Fateh-110 is a ballistic ground-to-ground missile first unveiled in 2002. Its latest generation has a range of 300 kilometres (186 miles).

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-to-prevent-war-iran-must-increase-its-military-might-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-279499">To prevent war, Iran must increase its military might - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a>

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Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Major General Hossein Salami unveiled the missile and engines alongside IRGC aerospace chief Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh.

"The complicated achievements on the bleeding edge of global technology that were unveiled today are our key to entering space," Salami said.

Salami noted the movable nozzle on the new engine allowed "manoeuvrability beyond the atmosphere" and amounted to a "leap in modern missile technology".

The new technologies that made the missiles "cheaper, lighter, faster and more precise" could be applied to all of Iran's missile classes, he added.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-to-launch-satellite-us-says-programme-linked-to-missiles-279563">Iran to launch satellite; US says programme linked to missiles</a>

Tensions between Iran and its arch foe the United States have soared since May 2018 when US President Donald Trump withdrew from a nuclear deal that offered Tehran sanctions relief in return for curbs to prevent it acquiring nuclear weapons.

Washington says it seeks to rein in Iran's ballistic missile programme as well as its "destabilising behaviour" in the region.

It has since slapped crippling sanctions on Iran as part of its "maximum pressure" campaign, with Tehran hitting back by progressively rolling back commitments to the nuclear deal.

The US has also raised concerns in the past about Iran's satellite programme, saying the launch of a carrier rocket in January 2019 amounted to a violation of curbs on its development of ballistic missiles.

Iran maintains it has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons, and says its aerospace activities are peaceful and comply with a UN Security Council resolution.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards unveiled Sunday a short-range ballistic missile that they said can be powered by a "new generation" of engines designed to put satellites into orbit.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards unveiled Sunday a short-range ballistic missile that they said can be powered by a "new generation" of engines designed to put satellites into orbit. The Guards' Sepahnews website said the Raad-500 missile was equipped with new Zoheir engines made of composite materials lighter than on earlier steel models. It also unveiled Salman engines made of the same materials but with a "movable nozzle" for the delivery of satellites into space. The Raad was "a new generation missile that has half the weight of a Fateh-110 missile but with 200 kilometres more range," it added. The Fateh-110 is a ballistic ground-to-ground missile first unveiled in 2002. Its latest generation has a range of 300 kilometres (186 miles). Also read: To prevent war, Iran must increase its military might - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei × Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Major General Hossein Salami unveiled the missile and engines alongside IRGC aerospace chief Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh. "The complicated achievements on the bleeding edge of global technology that were unveiled today are our key to entering space," Salami said. Salami noted the movable nozzle on the new engine allowed "manoeuvrability beyond the atmosphere" and amounted to a "leap in modern missile technology". The new technologies that made the missiles "cheaper, lighter, faster and more precise" could be applied to all of Iran's missile classes, he added. Also read: Iran to launch satellite; US says programme linked to missiles Tensions between Iran and its arch foe the United States have soared since May 2018 when US President Donald Trump withdrew from a nuclear deal that offered Tehran sanctions relief in return for curbs to prevent it acquiring nuclear weapons. Washington says it seeks to rein in Iran's ballistic missile programme as well as its "destabilising behaviour" in the region. It has since slapped crippling sanctions on Iran as part of its "maximum pressure" campaign, with Tehran hitting back by progressively rolling back commitments to the nuclear deal. The US has also raised concerns in the past about Iran's satellite programme, saying the launch of a carrier rocket in January 2019 amounted to a violation of curbs on its development of ballistic missiles. Iran maintains it has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons, and says its aerospace activities are peaceful and comply with a UN Security Council resolution.

Iran unveils ballistic missile, 'new generation' engines

Iran will launch a satellite on Sunday, a government minister said, as part of a fledgling programme the United States says is a cover for ballistic missile development.

Iran will launch a satellite on Sunday, a government minister said, as part of a fledgling programme the United States says is a cover for ballistic missile development. "The Zafar satellite will be placed in orbit today from Semnan at a speed of 7,400 kilometers," Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi said, according to the official IRIB news agency. Iran carried out at least two failed satellite launches last year. The United States says it is concerned that long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also be used to launch nuclear warheads. Tehran denies that satellite activity is a cover for missile development and says it has never pursued the development of nuclear weapons. President Donald Trump's administration reimposed sanctions on Iran following Washington’s 2018 withdrawal from an international accord designed to curb Iran’s nuclear program. Trump said the nuclear deal did not go far enough and did not include restrictions on Tehran’s missile program. Tensions, already high over the nuclear issue, reached the highest level in decades between Iran and the United States after Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad on Jan. 3. Iran retaliated with a missile attack against a U.S. base in Iraq. Once the satellite is in orbit, the first picture that it will transmit will be of Soleimani, minister Azari-Jahromi said on Sunday. Iran launched its first satellite Omid (Hope) in 2009 and the Rasad (Observation) satellite was sent into orbit in June 2011. Tehran said in 2012 that it had successfully put its third domestically-made satellite Navid (Promise) into orbit.

Iran to launch satellite; US says programme linked to missiles

Iran should increase its military might to prevent a war, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/khamenei-to-lead-friday-prayers-for-first-time-since-2012-274495">Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a> told a gathering of air force commanders on Saturday, dismissing the US sanctions on the country as "criminal act".

"We should be strong to prevent any <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/irans-khamenei-delivers-friday-sermon-bid-to-quell-public-anger-274853">war against the county</a>. Being weak will encourage our enemies to attack Iran," Khamenei, Iran's top authority, said according to state news agency IRNA.

The Islamic Republic has vowed to increase its military strength despite mounting pressure from Western countries to curtail its military capabilities, including its ballistic missile programme.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/these-american-clowns-who-lie-says-khamenei-in-friday-sermon-referring-to-trump-274902">These American 'clowns' who lie, says Khamenei in Friday sermon referring to Trump</a>

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have spiked since 2018 when US President Donald Trump abandoned a 2015 pact between Iran and world powers under which Tehran accepted curbs to its nuclear programme in return for lifting sanctions.

"Since the revolution, their aim was to stop us from having a strong military and a strong air force but look at us now. We even build planes. We have transformed their pressure to opportunity."

Iran is marking the 41st anniversary of the Islamic revolution, which toppled the US-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979. Washington has reimposed crippling sanctions aimed at halting all Iranian oil exports, saying it seeks to force Iran to negotiate to reach a wider deal.

<img alt="Khamenei" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fafe40ea-8228-48cd-b2bc-e3afd3d958f9" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%283%29_49.jpg" /> 
[ Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

Khamenei, who dismissed the US sanctions as a "criminal act", has banned Iranian officials from holding talks unless the United States returns to the deal and lifts all sanctions. He said Iran should distance its economy from dependence on oil exports.

Iran and the United States stormed to the edge of war in early January when Tehran's most prominent general, Qassem Soleimani, was killed in a US drone strike on his convoy in Baghdad.

Tehran responded by launching missile attacks on US targets in Iraq. 
Iranian television said 80 "American terrorists" had been killed and US helicopters and military equipment damaged, without providing any evidence, Washington denied that there were any fatalities.

Iran should increase its military might to prevent a war, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a gathering of air force commanders on Saturday, dismissing the US sanctions on the country as "criminal act".

Iran should increase its military might to prevent a war, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a gathering of air force commanders on Saturday, dismissing the US sanctions on the country as "criminal act". "We should be strong to prevent any war against the county. Being weak will encourage our enemies to attack Iran," Khamenei, Iran's top authority, said according to state news agency IRNA. The Islamic Republic has vowed to increase its military strength despite mounting pressure from Western countries to curtail its military capabilities, including its ballistic missile programme. Also Read: These American 'clowns' who lie, says Khamenei in Friday sermon referring to Trump Tensions between Tehran and Washington have spiked since 2018 when US President Donald Trump abandoned a 2015 pact between Iran and world powers under which Tehran accepted curbs to its nuclear programme in return for lifting sanctions. "Since the revolution, their aim was to stop us from having a strong military and a strong air force but look at us now. We even build planes. We have transformed their pressure to opportunity." Iran is marking the 41st anniversary of the Islamic revolution, which toppled the US-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979. Washington has reimposed crippling sanctions aimed at halting all Iranian oil exports, saying it seeks to force Iran to negotiate to reach a wider deal. [ Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Khamenei, who dismissed the US sanctions as a "criminal act", has banned Iranian officials from holding talks unless the United States returns to the deal and lifts all sanctions. He said Iran should distance its economy from dependence on oil exports. Iran and the United States stormed to the edge of war in early January when Tehran's most prominent general, Qassem Soleimani, was killed in a US drone strike on his convoy in Baghdad. Tehran responded by launching missile attacks on US targets in Iraq. Iranian television said 80 "American terrorists" had been killed and US helicopters and military equipment damaged, without providing any evidence, Washington denied that there were any fatalities.

To prevent war, Iran must increase its military might: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

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