Al-Monitor – As the Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen nears its third year, the war doesn’t seem to be coming to an end anytime soon. The internal strife between Iranian-backed Ansar Allah, more commonly known as the Houthi movement, and the Saudi-supported government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi is no longer at the core of the struggle. Rather, the …

Al-Monitor – US President Donald Trump’s sudden firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has sparked comparisons in the Iranian media to the behavior of former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. On March 13, immediately after Trump announced the dismissal of Tillerson through his Twitter account, Iranian news outlets covered it extensively while many were reminded of Ahmadinejad’s 2010 firing of …

Radiofarda – The exchange rate for the US dollar against the Iranian currency, tuman, rose to a record high on March 13 as attempts by the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) during recent months to defend the local currency appear to have failed.

Radiofarda – Charharshanbe Suri is an Iranian festival that is celebrated on the last Wednesday before Nowruz the Persian New Year. The festival has its roots in the ancient Iranian traditions when the last ten days of the year were dedicated to the feast of all souls called Hamaspathmaedaya.

Iran-HRM -At least 30 individuals were arrested in Tehran during Iran’s annual “Fire Festival” on March 13, according to the city’s Head of Combating Narcotic police.

Radioofarda – Eleven Kurdish rights activists, including outspoken journalist, Adnan Hassanpour, have been arrested in Marivan, Kurdistan province, western Iran, Kurdish media reported on Tuesday, March 13. Meanwhile, Kurdistan Press Agency (Kurdpa) said, nine of the detainees were identified, so far. All of the activists from Marivan were detained by the Islamic Republic’s intelligence agents and plainclothesmen on Monday evening. …

Radiofarda – While Iran’s senior judiciary authorities have called for a swift and “out of turn” trial for the Gonabadi dervishes, the top judge says he is against “hasty investigations.”

Radiofarda – Iranian Labor Minister Ali Rabiei walks to the podium during his parliament impeachment hearing, in Tehran, March 13, 2018

Iran-HRM – The head of the National Center for Cyberspace said that they would filter Telegram if they reached the conclusion that it was needed. According to reports, communication and information technology officials constantly emphasize the need to replace foreign messengers with internal ones due to the speed and quality of interior messengers, in addition to security and economic reasons. …

Iran-HRM – Political prisoner Soheil Arabi on the forty-sixth day of his strike at Tehran’s Great Prison has sent the following message: