CHRI – At least two political prisoners remain on the hunger strike they began on July 30, 2017, along with more than a dozen inmates in Rajaee Shahr Prison. The other inmates have since shifted to a fast in response to pleas by their family and supporters, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has learned. Prominent labor activist Reza Shahabi and Kurdish political activist Mohammad …

Al-Monitor – With 33.5 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, Iran has the largest conventional gas reservesin the world. Along with its vast oil reserves, it also has sizable, non-associated conventional gas resources that are being developed aggressively. With regard to exports, however, natural gas has never matched the significance of oil in Iran. Nonetheless, Tehran has boosted gas production tremendously in the past few years, despite sanctions …

Al-Monitor – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in New York on Sept. 17 to attend the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, where he will defend the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Meanwhile in a speech in Tehran, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned of an Iranian response should the United States back out of the nuclear deal reached with the five permanent …

PayvandNews – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the United States’ potential withdrawal from a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran would constitute a clear non-performance of contractual obligations by Washington.  Speaking at a meeting of Iranian expatriates in New York, where he is to attend the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)President Rouhani said Iran would give “the due …

PayvandNews – European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has said that the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, is a “good” and “robust” agreement.  “The Iran deal is a good and robust agreement that serves the interests of all parties,” she said in a statement to NBC News.  “It is not an agreement between two …

PayvandNews – Three Italian scholars have published their latest research on Iranian architecture in a book titled “Through Iran: Cities, Architecture, Landscapes” (Attraverso l’Iran. Citta, architetture, paesaggi). Cover of the book “Attraverso l’Iran. Citta, architetture, paesaggi“ Manfredi Edizioni in the Italian city Imola is the publisher of the book, which carries materials that Alessandra De Cesaris, Giorgio Di Giorgio and …

PayvandNews – A member of European Central Bank’s Executive Board and an auditor in PricewaterhouseCoopers firm says transparency is still the major obstacle to international companies’ cooperation with Iran. CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX 2016 During a meeting between private sector activists and representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers firm (PwC) on Monday in Tehran, Jens Ronnberg said that the main obstacle which prevents international companies …

RFL/RE – President Donald Trump has suggested that the United States will walk away from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers if it deems that the UN’s atomic agency is not tough enough in monitoring it.

RFL/RE – Pressure increased against plans by Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq to hold an independence referendum, with the United Nations chief and Iranian leaders adding their voices to opponents of the vote. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on September 17 warned that the planned September 25 referendum “would detract from the need to defeat” the Islamic State (IS) militant group …

Al-Arabia – A video has surfaced after being shared by Iranian social media users showing an angry mob attacking and breaking into Cleric Hassan Abutrabi, the Iranian supreme leader’s representative and preacher, in Borujerd city. The reason behind the attack was Abutrabi’s involvement in cases of corruption and taking the people’s money, according to various Iranian news sites including irankhabar.ir. Demonstrations and …