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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tehran is coming back to life, but its residents are deeply shaken
In the heart of the Iranian capital, the Boof cafe serves up refreshing cold drinks on a hot summer's day. They must be the most distinctive iced Americano coffees in this city – the cafe sits in a leafy corner of the long-shuttered US embassy. Its high cement walls have been plastered with anti-American murals ever since Washington severed relations with Tehran in the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution and the hostage crisis – which still cast a long shadow over this tortuous relationship. Inside the charming Boof cafe, Amir the barista says he'd like relations to improve between America and Iran. "US sanctions hurt our businesses and make it hard for us to travel around the world," he reflects as he pours another iced coffee behind a jaunty wooden sign - "Keep calm and drink coffee." Only two tables are occupied - one by a woman covered up in a long black veil, another by a woman in blue jeans with long flowing hair, flouting the rules on what women should wear as she cuddles with her boyfriend. It's a small snapshot of this capital as it confronts its deeply uncertain future. A short drive away, at the complex of Iran's state TV station IRIB, a recorded speech by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was broadcast to the nation on Thursday. "The Americans have been opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran from the very beginning" he declared. Iran carries out wave of arrests and executions in wake of Israel conflict 'We are exhausted' - how Iranians are feeling after fragile ceasefire "At its core, it has always been about one thing: they want us to surrender," went on the 86-year Ayatollah, said to have taken shelter in a bunker aer Israel unleashed its unprecedented wave of strikes targeting Iran's nuclear and missile sites and assassinating senior commanders and scientists. We watched his speech, his first since President Donald Trump suddenly announced a ceasefire on Tuesday, on a small TV in the only office still intact in a vast section of the IRIB compound. All that's le is a charred skeleton of steel. When an Israeli bomb slammed into this complex on 16 June, a raging fire swept through the main studio which would have aired the supreme leader's address. Now it's just ash. You can still taste its acrid smell; all the TV equipment - cameras, lights, tripods - are tangles of twisted metal. A crunching glass carpet covers the ground. Israel said it targeted the propaganda arm of the Islamic Republic, accusing it of concealing a military operation within - a charge its journalists rejected. Its gaping shell seems to symbolise this darkest of times for Iran. You can also see it in the city's hospitals, which are still treating Iranians injured in Israel's 12-day war. "I am scared they might attack again, " Ashraf Barghi tells me when we meet in the emergency department of the Taleghani General hospital where she works as head nurse. "We don't trust this war has ended" she says, in a remark reflecting the palpable worry we've heard from so many people in this city. When Israel bombed the threshold of the nearby Evin prison on 23 June, the casualties, both soldiers and civilians, were rushed into Nurse Barghi's emergency ward. What we know about the Iran-Israel ceasefire "The injuries were the worst I've treated in my 32 years as nurse," she recounts, still visibly distressed. The strike on the notorious prison where Iran detains most of its political prisoners was described by Israel as "symbolic". It seemed to reinforce Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's repeated message to Iranians to "stand up for their freedom". "Israel says it only hit military and nuclear prison but it's all lies," insists Morteza from his hospital bed. He had been at work in the prison's transport department when the missile slammed into the building. He shows us his injuries in both arms and his backside. In the ward next door, soldiers are being cared for, but we're not allowed to enter there. Across this sprawling metropolis, Iranians are counting the cost of this confrontation. In its latest tally, the government's health ministry recorded 627 people killed and nearly 5,000 injured. Tehran is slowly returning to life and resuming its old rhythms, at least on the surface. Its infamous traffic is starting to fill its soaring highways and pretty tree-lined side streets. Shops in its beautiful bazaars are opening again as people return to a city they fled to escape the bombs. Israel's intense 12-day military operation, coupled with the US's attacks on Iran's main nuclear sites, has le so many shaken. "They weren't good days, " says Mina, a young woman who immediately breaks down as she tries to explain her sadness. "It's so heart-breaking, " she tells me through her tears. "We tried so hard to have a better life but we can't see any future these days." We met on the grounds of the soaring white marble Azadi tower, one of Tehran's most iconic landmarks. A large crowd milling on a warm summer's evening swayed to the strains of much-loved patriotic songs in an open air concert of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra. It was meant to bring some calm to a city still on edge. Supporters and critics of Iran's clerical rulers mingled, drawn together by shared worry about their country's future. "They have to hear what people say," insists Ali Reza when I ask him what advice he would give to his government. "We want greater freedoms, that's all I will say." There's defiance too. "Attacking our nuclear bases to show off that 'you have to do as we say' goes against diplomacy," says Hamed, an 18-year-old university student. Despite rules and restrictions which have long governed their lives, Iranians do speak their minds as they wait for the next steps by their rulers, and leaders in Washington and beyond, which carry such consequences for their lives. Additional reporting by Charlotte Scarr and Nik Millard. Lyse Doucet is being allowed to report in Iran on condition that none of her reports are used on the BBC's Persian service. This law from Iranian authorities applies to all international media agencies operating in Iran. When Iran's supreme leader emerges from hiding he will find a very different nation Hegseth talks up US strikes on Iran in push for public approval How a volatile 24 hours edged Iran and Israel to a ceasefire
Bloomberg
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
South Africa Presses US on G-20 Absence as Leaders Summit Looms
South Africa will ask the US government to confirm its future participation in Group of 20 engagements, after American officials failed to attend a preparatory meeting this week. The US didn't send a representative to a four-day meeting of lead negotiators — known as sherpas — that concluded on Friday in South Africa, the current president of the bloc. Its absence suggested relations between the two countries remain fraught, after President Cyril Ramaphosa sought to mend ties in a meeting with US counterpart Donald Trump at the Oval Office last month.
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Tehran is coming back to life, but its residents are deeply shaken
In the heart of the Iranian capital, the Boof cafe serves up refreshing cold drinks on a hot summer's must be the most distinctive iced Americano coffees in this city – the cafe sits in a leafy corner of the long-shuttered US embassy. Its high cement walls have been plastered with anti-American murals ever since Washington severed relations with Tehran in the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution and the hostage crisis – which still cast a long shadow over this tortuous the charming Boof cafe, Amir the barista says he'd like relations to improve between America and Iran. "US sanctions hurt our businesses and make it hard for us to travel around the world," he reflects as he pours another iced coffee behind a jaunty wooden sign - "Keep calm and drink coffee."Only two tables are occupied - one by a woman covered up in a long black veil, another by a woman in blue jeans with long flowing hair, flouting the rules on what women should wear as she cuddles with her a small snapshot of this capital as it confronts its deeply uncertain future."The Americans have been opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran from the very beginning", declared Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his recorded speech broadcast on Thursday from the IRIB state TV compound a short drive carries out wave of arrests and executions in wake of Israel conflict'We are exhausted' - how Iranians are feeling after fragile ceasefire"At its core, it has always been about one thing: they want us to surrender," went on the 86-year Ayatollah, said to have taken shelter in a bunker aer Israel unleashed its unprecedented wave of strikes targeting Iran's nuclear and missile sites and assassinating senior commanders and scientists. We watched his speech, his first since President Donald Trump suddenly announced a ceasefire on Tuesday, on a small TV in the only office still intact in a vast section of the IRIB compound - all that's le is a charred skeleton of an Israeli bomb slammed into this complex on 16 June, a raging fire swept through the main studio which would have aired the supreme leader's address. Now it's just ash. You can still taste its acrid smell; all the TV equipment - cameras, lights, tripods - are tangles of twisted metal. A crunching glass carpet covers the said it targeted the propaganda arm of the Islamic Republic, accusing it of concealing a military operation within - a charge its journalists gaping shell seems to symbolise this darkest of times for can also see it in the city's hospitals, which are still treating Iranians injured in Israel's 12-day war. "I am scared they might attack again, " Ashraf Barghi tells me when we meet in the emergency department of the Taleghani General hospital where she works as head nurse."We don't trust this war has ended" she says, in a remark reflecting the palpable worry we've heard from so many people in this Israel bombed the threshold of the nearby Evin prison on 23 June, the casualties, both soldiers and civilians, were rushed into Nurse Barghi's emergency we know about the Iran-Israel ceasefire"The injuries were the worst I've treated in my 32 years as nurse, even worse than what I saw in the Iran-Iraq war in the 80s," she recounts, still visibly strike on the notorious prison where Iran detains most of its political prisoners was described by Israel as "symbolic". It seemed to reinforce Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's repeated message to Iranians to "stand up for their freedom"."Israel says it only hit military and nuclear prison but it's all lies," insists Morteza from his hospital bed. He had been at work in the prison's transport department when the missile slammed into the building. He shows us his injuries in both arms and his the ward next door, soldiers are being cared for, but we're not allowed to enter there. Across this sprawling metropolis, Iranians are counting the cost of this confrontation. In its latest tally, the government's health ministry recorded 627 people killed and nearly 5,000 is slowly returning to life and resuming its old rhythms, at least on the surface. Its infamous traffic is starting to fill its soaring highways and pretty tree-lined side in its beautiful bazaars are opening again as people return to a city they fled to escape the bombs. Israel's intense 12-day military operation, coupled with the US's attacks on Iran's main nuclear sites, has le so many shaken."They weren't good days, " says Mina, a young woman who immediately breaks down as she tries to explain her sadness. "It's so heart-breaking, " she tells me through her tears. "We tried so hard to have a better life but we can't see any future these days."We met on the grounds of the soaring white marble Azadi tower, one of Tehran's most iconic landmarks. A large crowd milling on a warm summer's evening swayed to the strains of much-loved patriotic songs in an open air concert of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra. It was meant to bring some calm to a city still on and critics of Iran's clerical rulers mingled, drawn together by shared worry about their country's future."They have to hear what people say," insists Ali Reza when I ask him what advice he would give to his government. "We want greater freedoms, that's all I will say."Despite rules and restrictions which have long governed their lives, Iranians do speak their minds as they wait for the next steps by their rulers, and leaders in Washington and beyond, which carry such consequences for their Doucet is being allowed to report in Iran on condition that none of her reports are used on the BBC's Persian service. This law from Iranian authorities applies to all international media agencies operating in Iran.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Teases ‘Big' India Trade Deal as Negotiators Harden Stance
(Bloomberg) -- US President Donald Trump said a 'very big' trade deal could be signed soon that would open up the Indian market to American business, as negotiators meet in Washington to break a recent deadlock over key issues. Philadelphia Transit System Votes to Cut Service by 45%, Hike Fares US Renters Face Storm of Rising Costs Squeezed by Crowds, the Roads of Central Park Are Being Reimagined Mapping the Architectural History of New York's Chinatown US State Budget Wounds Intensify From Trump, DOGE Policy Shifts 'We are having some great deals. We have one coming up, maybe, with India, a very big one, where we are going to open up India,' Trump said at an event on Thursday at the White House. Trump's comments offer a note of optimism for a potential interim trade deal, even as key differences persist between the two sides. His reciprocal tariffs on goods from US's trading partners are set to take effect on July 9, and an early deal would help New Delhi avert the hike. Talks have been strained by Washington's demand that India open its market to genetically modified crops — an ask New Delhi has rejected, citing risks to its farmers. India is also unwilling to sign a deal that doesn't address both sectoral access and reciprocal tariffs on its exports, Bloomberg has reported. A team of Indian trade officials, led by chief negotiator Rajesh Agarwal, is slated to hold meetings with officials in Washington over two days this week to resolve differences and find a common ground, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified as the discussions are private. India was among the first nations to initiate trade talks with the US this year, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi making sweeping concessions to appease the White House. Follow Bloomberg India on WhatsApp for exclusive content and analysis on what billionaires, businesses and markets are doing. Sign up here. The Office of the US Trade Representative and an Indian trade ministry spokesperson didn't respond to requests for comment on the latest round of negotiations. --With assistance from Catherine Lucey, Prateek Mazumdar and Ramsey Al-Rikabi. (Updates with Trump comments) America's Top Consumer-Sentiment Economist Is Worried How to Steal a House Inside Gap's Last-Ditch, Tariff-Addled Turnaround Push Apple Test-Drives Big-Screen Movie Strategy With F1 Luxury Counterfeiters Keep Outsmarting the Makers of $10,000 Handbags ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Iran's Khamenei resurfaces to warn against future US attacks in first statement since ceasefire
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Thursday that his country had delivered a 'slap to America's face' by striking a U.S. air base in Qatar and warned against further attacks in his first public comments since a ceasefire agreement with Israel. Khamenei's prerecorded speech that aired on Iranian state television, his first appearance since June 19, was filled with warnings and threats directed toward the United States and Israel, the Islamic Republic's longtime adversaries. The 86-year-old, a skilled orator known for his forceful addresses to the country's more than 90 million people, appeared more tired than he had just a week ago, speaking in a hoarse voice and occasionally stumbling over his words. The supreme leader downplayed U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites Sunday using bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles, saying that U.S. President Donald Trump — who said the attack 'completely and fully obliterated" Iran's nuclear program — had exaggerated its impact. 'They could not achieve anything significant,' Khamenei said. Missing from his more than 10-minute video message was any mention of Iran's nuclear program and the status of their facilities and centrifuges after extensive U.S. and Israeli strikes. His characterization of Monday's strike on the U.S. air base in Qatar contrasted with U.S. accounts of it as a limited attack with no casualties. The White House responded to Khamenei's video, accusing him of trying to 'save face.' "Any commonsense, open-minded person knows the truth about the precision strikes on Saturday night," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday. "They were wildly successful.' UN nuclear watchdog confirms damage to Iran sites The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi, reiterated Thursday that the damage done by Israeli and U.S. strikes at Iranian nuclear facilities 'is very, very, very considerable" and that he can only assume the centrifuges are not operational. 'I think annihilated is too much, but it suffered enormous damage,' Grossi told French broadcaster RFI. The IAEA has not been allowed to visit any of the Iranian facilities to do an independent assessment of the damage. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, also conceded Wednesday that "our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that's for sure.' Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking shelter in a secret location after the outbreak of the war on June 13 when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and targeted top military commanders and scientists. After Sunday's attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, Trump was able to help negotiate a ceasefire that came into effect Tuesday. Iranian leader warns US against further attacks Khamenei claimed the U.S. had only intervened in the war because 'it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed.' 'It entered the war to save them, yet it gained nothing,' he said. He said his country's attack Monday on the U.S. base in Qatar was significant, since it shows Iran 'has access to important U.S. centers in the region and can act against them whenever it deems necessary.' 'The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America's face,' he said, adding, 'This action can be repeated in the future." 'Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price,' he said. Trump has dismissed the retaliatory attack as a 'very weak response,' saying that the U.S. had been warned by Iran in advance and emphasizing that there had been no casualties. With the ceasefire, life slowly returns to normal in Iran On Thursday, Iran partially reopened its airspace, which had been closed since the war began, and shops in Tehran's capital began to reopen, with traffic returning to the streets. Majid Akhavan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, said Iran had reopened its airspace for the eastern half of the country to domestic and international flights, including those transiting Iranian airspace. Earlier this week, Tehran said 606 people had been killed in the conflict in Iran, with 5,332 people wounded. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists group released figures Wednesday suggesting Israeli strikes on Iran had killed at least 1,054 and wounded 4,476. The group, which has provided detailed casualty figures from multiple rounds of unrest in Iran, said 417 of those killed were civilians and 318 were security forces. At least 28 people were killed in Israel and more than 1,000 wounded, according to officials there. During the 12-day war, Iran fired more than 550 missiles at Israel with a 90% interception rate, according to new statistics released by Israeli authorities Thursday. Israel, meantime, hit more than 720 Iranian military infrastructure targets and eight nuclear-related sites, Israel said. Trump has also asserted that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace. Iran has not acknowledged that any such talks would take place, though U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of U.S.-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was canceled after Israel attacked Iran. Iran has insisted that it will not give up its nuclear program. In a vote underscoring the tough path ahead, its parliament agreed Wednesday to fast-track a proposal that would effectively stop the country's cooperation with the IAEA, which has monitored the program for years. ___ Associated Press writer John Leicester in Paris; Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel; and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.
