CHRI – Two members of the persecuted Baha’i faith in Iran have been offered university enrollment in exchange for renouncing their religion, according to information received by the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). According to the Baha’i-focused Payam News, in recent weeks at least 100 Bahai’s were rejected by Iranian universities despite passing entrance exams in 2017. The rejected students received the …

Al-monitor – Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, the most experienced minister in the Islamic Republic of Iran, has yet again been entrusted with one of the most challenging portfolios in the Hassan Rouhani administration: the Ministry of Petroleum (MoP). Experts agree that in the past four years, Zanganeh and his team have managed to rehabilitate the petroleum sector after the damaging years under …

Al-Monitor – Iraqi Kurds headed to the polls Sept. 25 to vote on an independence referendum despite continued strong opposition from neighboring Turkey and Iran, the broader international community and the Iraqi central government in Baghdad. Iran had long made its opposition to the referendum known, although how exactly Tehran would respond remained in doubt. It seems that the first step has been taken with the closing of …

PayvandNews – The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) and the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) have issued press releases condemning Trump administration’s new travel ban targeting Iranians. Enhanced National Security Measures NIAC Condemns Trump’s ‘Targeted’ Muslim Ban 3.0 Press Release by National Iranian American Council (NIAC) Washington, D.C. – The National Iranian American Council released the following statement regarding President Trump’s adjustments …

PayvandNews – Iranian Olympic champion weightlifter Sohrab Moradi broke the longest standing world record in the sport to win gold at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games on Saturday.  Moradi, who returned from a two-year doping ban to win gold in the 94 kilogram division at last year’s Rio Olympics, set a new world record of 413 kilograms for the …

PayvandNews – Iran 7-a-side football team won the silver medal at the 2017 IFCPF World Championships on Saturday. The Iranian team lost to Ukraine 1-0 in the final math at the Stadium Juan Gilberto Funes. Iran’s 7-a-side football team Iran started much better but as always the Ukrainian goalie performed a gorgeous first half that saved his team. Dmytro Molodstov scored …

ifpnews – A young Iranian girl disfigured in an acid attack back in 2014 has gotten married, sparking widespread positive reactions in Iran’s social media. Marzieh Ebrahimi, a young Iranian girl who fell victim to an acid attack years ago, has tied the knot. Her marriage has turned into the most high-profile one in the country, not because she is a …

Al-Arabia – Iranian forces have launched war games in an area near the border with Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Iran’s state media reported on Sunday, a day before a Kurdish independence referendum in the region. Turkey also said on Sunday its aircraft launched airstrikes against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq’s Gara region on Saturday after spotting militants preparing to …

Iran Human Rights  -Within two days in Qom Central Prison, four prisoners were hanged on drug related charges and three prisoners has their hands amputated on theft charges. According to Younes Davoudi, the Deputy Prosecutor of the province of Qom, four prisoners were executed on drug related charges and at least three prisoners  has announced the execution of four prisoners on …

PayvandNews – U.S. President Donald Trump is considering replacing his temporary travel ban on people from six predominantly Muslim countries with an order targeted at countries that have not satisfied U.S. demands for stringent safeguards against extremists, U.S. officials said. The currently temporary ban on visas for people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen is due to expire on …