Radiofarda – As the year on the Iranian calendar came to an end on March 20, Iranian daily newspapers generally expressed disappointment on the state of the country’s economy in their end of the year editions.

Radiofarda – Ten thousand families live under tents or live in ad hoc huts, shacks and hovels across Iran, the Statistical Center of the Islamic Republic announced in a report published on Tuesday, March 20. According to the report, families living in urban areas produce 175,000 tons of waste on average, every week. The state-run Iran Labor News Agency (ILNA) …

Radiofarda – Malta’s financial regulator has ordered the Iranian chairman of a bank investigated by slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia to step down following his arrest in the United States on charges of evading U.S. sanctions on Iran.

Iran-HRM – A member of the Majlis Environment Fraction said that the country’s water situation was critical. “Many rivers including Orumieh Lake, and Zayandeh Roud have dried out and are on the verge of destruction”, Jonathan Bet Kolia said. He cited the condition of Urmia Lake adding that “if the lake completely dries out and is destroyed, around 14 provinces …

RFL/RE – U.S. President Donald Trump is replacing national security adviser H.R. McMaster with former UN Ambassador John Bolton, an outspoken hawk who has advocated using military force against Iran and North Korea. Trump tweeted late on March 22 that McMaster, 55, had done “an outstanding job and will always remain my friend,” but he said Bolton will take over …

Al-Arabia – The United States has had constructive talks about the Iran nuclear deal with Britain, France and Germany but is making contingency plans should they fail, the lead US negotiator said on Wednesday.

Iran Human Rights – Abdolfattah Soltani, attorney at law and Human Rights activist, went on a hunger strike on March 21, 2018.

Iran Human Rights  – The work carried out by the late Asma Jahangir and her predecessor has shown that the mandate of the Special Rapporteur is critical to amplifying the voices of victims of human rights abuses within the UN system. This work also supports a stifled domestic civil society, stimulates discussions about human rights within Iran, identifies systemic challenges, …

Al-Monitor – In Iran, the Reformists are becoming increasingly suspicious about the possibility that the centrist Hassan Rouhani administration will officially form a coalition with moderate conservative parliament Speaker Ali Larijani. This comes as many are saying that Rouhani’s second-term Cabinet has been filled with figures from the president’s inner circle instead of Reformists; at the same time, Reformist First …

Al-Monitor – During his annual Nowruz speech from the city of Mashhad, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the important issues of the year that has passed and discussed the upcoming year. One segment of his speech, however, stood out among others, which received a large reaction online. During the speech, Khamenei said, “Some unfair individuals take advantage of free …