Recap: Iranian official says work on framework for negotiations with US is underway
A top Iranian security official has said that work on a framework for negotiations with the United States was progressing.
In a post on social media on Saturday, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said: “Contrary to the atmosphere being created by artificial media warfare, the formation of a structure for #negotiations is underway.”
It follows comments from Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday, who said the country was ready for “fair and equitable” talks.
“Iran has no problem with negotiations, but negotiations cannot take place under the shadow of threats,” he said.
Harriette Boucher1 February 2026 03:00
In pictures: Explosion rips through apartment building in Bandar Abbas 
(UGC/AFP via Getty Images)
(UGC/AFP via Getty Images)
Harriette Boucher1 February 2026 02:40
Omid Djalili: ‘Iranians will fight to the very end against this regime’
On a late January afternoon, British-Iranian comedian Omid Djalili arrived at The Independent’s offices wearing a navy blue military-style jacket.
“I’m dressed like Zelensky,” the 60-year-old says, in the playful manner seen in his stand-up comedy and acting roles in blockbuster films including “The Mummy” and “Gladiator”.
More recently, since the start of the protests in Iran, and the deadly crackdown by the Islamic regime, Djalili has been fighting for Iran’s freedom.
Djalili has given over his social media to the “voiceless”, as he describes them, the Iranians stuck in an internet blackout imposed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Harriette Boucher1 February 2026 02:00
Qatari PM met Iranian security official to discuss easing tensions in region
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met with top Iranian security official Ali Larijani in Tehran on Saturday to discuss easing regional tensions.
In a statment, Qatar’s foreign ministry said: “During the meeting, they reviewed ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.
“He also stressed the need for concerted efforts to spare the peoples of the region the consequence of escalation and to continue coordination with brotherly and friendly countries to address differences through diplomatic means.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani
Harriette Boucher1 February 2026 01:00
US talking to Iran as Trump weighs strikes
Donald Trump said the US was talking to Iran and suggested the two countries were trying to negotiate a deal.
Speaking to Fox News on Saturday, President Trump said the US could not share its military plans with Gulf allies due to security reasons.
Trump said: ‘‘Well, we can’t tell them the plan. If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan — it could be worse, actually.
‘‘But look, the plan is that [Iran is] talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something, otherwise we’ll see what happens… We have a big fleet heading out there, bigger than we had — and still have, actually — in Venezuela.’’
(AP)
Harriette Boucher1 February 2026 00:02
Girl, 4, dies in Iran explosion a day before Strait of Hormuz naval drill
An explosion ripped through an apartment building in Iran’s port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, claiming the life of a four-year-old girl.
Local media footage reportedly showed a member of the security forces being carried out by rescuers in the aftermath of the blast.
The incident occurred just a day before Iran’s planned naval drill in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, the narrow gateway to the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes.
Harriette Boucher31 January 2026 23:01
Watch: Hegseth warns Iran against developing nuclear weapons, saying US military ‘prepared to deliver’Hegseth warns Iran against developing nuclear weapons, saying US military ‘prepared to deliver’
Harriette Boucher31 January 2026 22:01
What is Iran’s Revolutionary Guard? The force labelled a ‘terrorist group’ by the EU
Iran’s powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has become a formidable entity within the nation’s theocracy.
The force oversees the country’s ballistic missile arsenal and has been linked to attacks overseas.
This week, the European Union moved to declare the Guard a terrorist organisation. The designation comes in response to its role in the brutal crackdown on nationwide protests across Iran earlier this month.
Here’s what to know about the Guard:
James Reynolds31 January 2026 21:00
Recap: Israel denies involvement in two blasts across Iran
A gas leak caused an explosion at a building in the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported, citing the local fire department chief.
At least one person was killed and 14 injured in the explosion in the blast. It came as four people were killed in a gas explosion at a residential building in Ahvaz, in the west of the country, according to the state-run Tehran Times.
It was unclear what had caused the blast. Two Israeli sources promptly told Reuters that Israel was not involved, amid heightened tensions between Iran, the US and Israel.
Damage after an explosion in a building in Bandar Abbas, a port in southern Iran (UGC/AFP via Getty Images)
James Reynolds31 January 2026 20:00
Analysis: Why Iran is the wrong war for Trump to back
Trump may be very proud of his ‘armada’ off the coast of Iran but the US president could look good, back a winner, and support his allies by leaving Tehran alone and helping Ukraine win instead, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
Why Iran is the wrong war for Trump to back
Trump may be very proud of his ‘armada’ off the coast of Iran but the US president could look good, back a winner, and support his allies by leaving Tehran alone and helping Ukraine win instead, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley
James Reynolds31 January 2026 19:00