Over two weeks of protests mark the most serious challenge in years to Iran's theocratic leadership in their scale and nature but it is too early to predict the immediate demise of the Islamic republic, analysts say.

US President Donald Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on any country doing business with Iran, ramping up pressure as a crackdown on protests continues.

China has reaffirmed its claim over the Shaksgam Valley, defending infrastructure construction and the 1963 China-Pakistan boundary agreement, while India has rejected Beijing’s assertions, calling the agreement illegal and reiterating that the region is an integral part of its territory.

US toy maker Mattel has released the first autistic Barbie doll, expanding its flagship line as part of what the company says is a broader effort to showcase diversity and inclusion.

Iran has extensive evidence showing the US and Israel had a “big hand” in recent unrest in the country, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a meeting of foreign diplomats in Tehran on Monday.

Iranians were able to make international mobile phone calls for the first time in days after a nationwide communications blackout imposed during violent protests that activists say killed at least 646 people, offering rare insight into a heavily securitized Tehran as tensions with Washington escalate.

The US State Department has issued an urgent security alert, warning all American citizens in Iran to depart the country immediately without expecting any assistance from Washington.

Indonesia and Pakistan have held high-level defence talks in Islamabad over a potential deal involving more than 40 JF-17 fighter jets, surveillance and strike drones, and military training, highlighting Pakistan’s growing role as a regional defence supplier.

Despite renewed diplomatic activity, Iran’s influence in Central Asia remains limited, with cultural ties failing to translate into strategic power. Decades of sanctions, policy inconsistency, and competition from stronger actors have left Tehran a secondary regional player.

India’s growing use of Oman’s Duqm port provides a politically safer, sanctions-insulated hub for its western Indian Ocean operations, reducing reliance on Iran’s Chabahar without replacing its unique overland access to Central Asia.

Iran’s BRICS membership has given Tehran symbolic legitimacy but little practical economic relief, as sanctions, dependency on China, and limited access to BRICS financial mechanisms continue to constrain its leverage.

Patience Quill’s fable shows how influence and authority can be manipulated: power can coerce, exploit, and control even the most celebrated voices.

Dubai is set to host the 2025 Asian Youth Para Games from December 10–13, bringing together 1,500 young para-athletes from 35 nations in a powerful celebration of resilience and inclusion

Authors takes a closer look at how the 27th Amendment created a five-star defense post without tenure, rules, safeguards, or global precedent — and why the delayed notification threatens constitutional coherence.

A new quiet resistance is emerging, one that honors lives over slogans and truth over heroism, as Iranians increasingly refuse to participate in the state’s staged remembrance.

Iran’s geographic advantage has been offset by sanctions, regulatory instability, and logistics concerns, leading Central Asian states to quietly pivot toward more predictable trade networks.