VOA — Congress will allow the deadline on reimposing sanctions on Iran to pass this week, congressional and White House aides said Tuesday, leaving a pact between world powers and Tehran intact at least temporarily. In October, Trump declined to certify that Iran was complying with the nuclear agreement reached among Tehran, the United States and others in 2015. His …

eppgroup.eu – URGENT APPEAL TO UPHOLD THE INDEPENDENCE OF JUDICIARY TO THE PRESIDENT OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN, MR. HASSAN ROUHANI TO THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN, MR SEYYED ALIREZA AVAEI Dr. Mohammad Ali Taheri, the founder of Erfan-e Halghe, who has been sentenced to death three times (twice by the judiciary, once by the clergy), …

Iran Human Rights – Five prisoners were executed at Kermanshah Central Prison on murder charges. According to a close source, on the morning of Monday December 11, five prisoners were executed at Kermanshah Central Prison (Western Iran). All of the prisoners were sentenced to death on murder charges. One of the executed prisoners was identified as Keykavus Ashouri. He was …

Iran Human Rights – Two prisoners were hanged at Sari and Ardebil central prisons on murder charges. According to a close source, on the morning of Sunday December 10, a prisoner was executed at Ardebil Central Prison (Northwestern Iran) on murder charges. The prisoner, identified as Sayyad Ahadi, 35, had been in prison for four years. He was transferred to …

Al-Monitor – Ahead of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) ministerial meeting in Vienna Nov. 30-Dec. 1, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh expressed hope that production cuts that were agreed to last year would be extended. What was at stake, however, was more than energy markets. Zanganeh and his counterparts, including Qataris, Saudis and Emiratis, met amid …

Al-Monitor – Iran’s former Central Bank head Mahmoud Bahmani, reacting to Iranian-Turkish tycoon Reza Zarrab’s recent statements in a US court, says he never met with Zarrab. In his testimony in a New York trial, Zarrab, who was arrested in the United States on March 19, 2016, explained how he helped Iran bypass US sanctions. He said he had meetings …

PayvandNews – A new revenue generating measure in President Hassan Rouhani’s proposed budget has led to public outcry and mocking of the government in Iran. “Exit fees” from the country are set to rise many fold, if the new budget is passed in the coming months. cartoon by Sana Hosseinpour, Ghanoon daily Until now, every Iranian citizen departing the country had to …

PayvandNews – The proposed national budget bill for the next Iranian calendar year 1397, starting on March 21, 2018, has allocated 210 billion rials ($5.25 million) for women’s affairs, an increase of 30 percent year on year. President Hassan Rouhani presented the administration’s draft of the national budget bill for the next year to the Majlis (Iranian parliament) on Sunday. …

PayvandNews – The bill on rights of persons with disabilities, which is being discussed by the Majlis [Iranian Parliament], has raised hopes among the disabled for better living conditions.  People with disabilities have a wide range of problems such as finding jobs or living in cities which have not been developed to be accessible for disabled people. Read related article by Ghanoon daily “We …

PayvandNews – Saipa has been exporting vehicles to about 40 markets in recent years, according to an Iranian official. Iran’s Saipa Group Iran’s Saipa Group says it has exported 230,000 vehicles worth 1.2 billion in recent years as the automaker plans to expand sales with new designs and competitive products. The Tehran-based automaker has mostly been producing budget cars in …