Alain Chandelier

Saudi Arabia

Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia postponed to December over regional security

The Asian Football Confederation cited “exceptional circumstances” and travel disruptions in moving the tournament from January 2027 to late December, after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia forced the Dakar Rally and the WTA Finals to be cancelled or relocated.

3 November 2026

Iran

Military signals building: Is the US-Iran war about to escalate?

Two US aircraft carriers are in the Arabian Sea, tanker sorties over the region are running 50% above September’s rate and Trump has not ruled out intensified strikes after November’s midterm elections.

16 October 2026

Business

Dollar hits record high in Iran as rial weakens amid renewed conflict

The euro also pushed higher, trading at 2.22 million rials, up 36,000 rials, or 1.64%, from Friday's unofficial close.

18 July 2026

Economy

Iran's inflation spiral deepens as rial slides and tensions rise

As Iran's rial falls to record lows amid escalating military tensions in the Persian Gulf, a sharp rise in inflation is pushing up the cost of basic necessities, with low-income households and rural communities bearing the brunt of the crisis.

30 June 2026

Culture news

Cannes winner Jafar Panahi now faces prison and travel ban from Iran

On Sunday, Mostafa Nili, lawyer for Jafar Panahi, announced that a Tehran Revolutionary Court has rejected the objections and fully upheld the in-absentia verdict against the prominent Iranian filmmaker.

7 June 2026

Iran

Trump tightens naval blockade as Iranian rial collapses to record low

The latest drop follows a currency shock several months ago, when the rial fell from around 1.4 million to 1.6 million per US dollar in under a week, as the war moves turns into an economic clash to exhaust the Iranian regime' options.

30 April 2026

Iran

Explainer: Who is Mojtaba Khamenei and how did he succeed his father?

Iran's ayatollah is at the heart of the complex power-sharing Islamic Republic and has final say over all matters of state. There has been only one other transfer of power in the office, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini died at age 86.

8 March 2026

Economy

What would happen if Iran returned to the global trade order?

Picture Iran rejoining the global system after decades of sanctions — banks back on SWIFT, oil exports restored, capital returning.

22 January 2026

Earth News

How has Iran’s environmental crisis fuelled nationwide protests?

Iran’s protests are often framed as economic, political or ideological. Yet a deeper ecological crisis is eroding the fabric of society.

15 January 2026

Iran

Tehran blames 'terrorists' for deaths of demonstrators in Iran

Iranian authorities have intensified their crackdown on nationwide unrest, blaming alleged "terrorists" and releasing graphic descriptions of violence to justify severe legal measures against those they label as "rioters" and "insurgents".

14 January 2026

Iran

Beyond 'food riots': Iran's protesters and the path to compromise

Contrary to the headlines in many media outlets calling Iran's protests merely "food riots," what is going on in the country is actually a deeper, more structured and complex movement.

9 January 2026

Markets

Gold in Iran: From a safe haven to a bastion of political protest

Gold holds such a central place among Iranians as a traditional asset that its recent price spike has been felt by large segments of society, even more so than fluctuations in the Tehran Stock Exchange.

8 January 2026

Markets

The gold rush: Why Iranians are paying up to 30% more for their coins

Amid rising tensions in the Middle East and the threat of Israeli retaliation, Iranians are scrambling to protect their wealth by investing in gold.

22 October 2024

Economy

How are Iranian lorry drivers bypassing EU sanctions?

Under Brussels' sanctions against Tehran, most of some 60,000 Iranian lorry drivers who traverse Europe's roads each month to transit various goods either lost their jobs or have been hit hard by paying exorbitant fees for crossing into the bloc.

11 October 2024

Economy

Iran's currency tumbles as tensions escalate in the Middle East

The rial lost 17% in the past four months in the free market against the US dollar, as Iran tackles inflation soaring above 40%.

29 January 2024