CHRI – Narges Mohammadi, a prominent human rights activist serving a 16-year prison sentence for her peaceful advocacy efforts, is publicly urging newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani to build the foundations for civil society in Iran. In an open letter from the Women’s Ward of Evin Prison in Tehran published on June 21, 2017, Mohammadi explained why she and other …

CHRI – President Hassan Rouhani should honor his campaign pledges to women and nominate them to serve in his second-term cabinet, a scholar of the Quran and women’s rights activist told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). “Social conditions are ripe for female ministers,” said Jila Movahed Shariat Panahi, the author of “A New Interpretation of Women’s Rights from the Quran’s Point of View,” in a …

Al-monitor – The power constellations in the Middle East are growing ever more complex. On June 5, Saudi Arabia along with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt broke off ties with Qatar, accusing it of a slew of trespasses, including support for terrorism. At first, Riyadh assumed that it could quickly forge a unified regional front against Doha and was …

PayvandNews – The International Coordinating Council of the UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme has named Amirhosein Mosavi as one recipient of the 2017 Young Scientists Awards The MAB Program has been granting awards of up to $5,000 each since 1989 to encourage young researchers to undertake work on ecosystems, natural resources and biodiversity. This prestigious award goes to 4-7 young scientists every year. Seven young …

PayvandNews – Iran is organizing a three-day international conference on combating sand and dust storms in July, with participation of representatives from over 30 countries across the world. The International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms is to be held in Tehran on 3-5 July 2017. International conference on combating sand and dust storms The International Conference will be hosted by …

Al-Arabia – The days of ISIS are numbered and voices are heard about the entire region being forced into a far more disastrous conflict. Various parties, mainly the US and Iran, have begun jostling, seeking to inject their influence onto what the future holds for Syria. As Iran has also wreaked havoc in Iraq and Yemen, concerns are rallying on …

Al-monitor – Ali Hashem writes, “The war for the Syrian Desert is in fact a war for the heart of the Middle East. The Iranian-led coalition in Syria is racing against the US-backed forces there, as both seek to defeat the Islamic State (IS), the group that has shaped the face of the region for the last four years. It is a war in …

BBC – The number of people suffering from drug addiction in Iran has more than doubled in the last six years, local media report. A survey carried out by a drug control group has found that about 2.8 million people are regularly consuming drugs in the country. Opium, the main ingredient in heroin, is the country’s most popular narcotic, making …

RFL/RE – U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Qatar is reviewing demands by neighboring nations to end a diplomatic dispute that erupted earlier this month. “Qatar has begun its careful review and consideration of a series of requests presented by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and U.A.E,” Tillerson said in a statement issued on June 25. The United Arab Emirates, …

Al-Arabia – The director of the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency has said that Iran is the world’s largest supporter of terrorism, and that there is cause to worry as its “influence has expanded considerably in recent years”. CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s came during an appearance on MSNBC in which he also at US national security is being threatened by …