PayvandNews – Official figures show Iran’s imports from China saw a major rise over the past four years in what is seen as a result of the removal of sanctions against the country and the subsequent return of global shipping lines to its ports. “Yellow dragon has swallowed Iran’s market” Source: Mehshekan magazine Figures reported by Iran’s state news agency IRNA show …

PayvandNews – An Iranian submarine has made an unsuccessful missile launch attempt in the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. military official confirmed to VOA on Wednesday. The Yono-class submarine attempted to launch a cruise missile early Tuesday, the military official said. Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis visited the region and pledged support for allies’ efforts to counter what …

RFL/RE – Rescuers searched a damaged Iranian coal mine for a second day on May 4 as hopes of finding survivors faded following a blast, with the labor minister saying the death toll had risen to 35. The explosion tore through the Zemestanyurt mine in Golestan Province on May 3, reportedly trapping up to 80 miners underground at a depth …

RFL/RE – Iran has reacted to a rare televised interview by Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince, accusing him of stoking tensions in the region with a “destructive” statement ruling out dialogue with Tehran. Prince Muhammad bin Salman, the designated heir to his father, King Salman, said in unusually blunt remarks on May 2 that he would not seek to open …

Al-Arabia – Russia, Turkey and Iran signed on Thursday a memorandum on creating safe zones in Syria, while the delegation of the armed Syrian opposition walked out and shouted angrily after a new round of peace talks held in the Kazakh capital Astana.

VOA – An explosion tore through a coal mine in northern Iran on Wednesday, killing at least 35 miners and injuring many more, according to Iranian state media. Sadegh Ali Moghadam, head of the emergency department of Golestan Province, said 22 bodies were recovered from the mine following the explosion, according to Press TV, the English-language arm of Iranian state …

Iran Human Rights-On Wednesday May 3, eight prisoners, including two unidentified women, were reportedly hanged at Karaj’s Rajai Shahr Prison.   According to close sources, the majority of these prisoners were executed on murder charges. Five other prisoners, including Mehdi Bahlouli, were returned to their cells after their execution sentences were halted. The men who were executed were among a group of …

CHRI – Not one of the candidates running for Iran’s presidency has an acceptable human rights record, Iranian Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) in a recent interview . Ebadi said she was especially appalled by the candidacy of Ebrahim Raisi, who served on a committee that implemented the executions of thousands …

Al-monitor – Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005), who leads the Reformist party, has announced his support for moderate incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, refuting rumors that he is backing a different candidate in the May 19 election. AUTHOR Rohollah Faghihi On May 2, Khatami stated on his website that First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri “and the wise figures of the …

Al-monitor – Two days after the first round of Iran’s presidential debates on April 28, an online poll indicated that First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri attracted national attention, taking a lead over his fellow competitor, incumbent Hassan Rouhani, who is running for a second term. AUTHOR Alireza Ramezani Jahangiri’s booming popularity is widely attributed to his attacks against Mohammad Bagher …