RFL/RE – Iranian President Hassan Rohani has strongly criticized a ban on the Telegram messaging service that was imposed by the country’s judiciary, saying his administration does not support it.

It’s not as simple as just saying “we’re out” of the Iran nuclear deal. If President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to pull the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal on May 12, the rest of the world will be thrust into uncharted territory, forced to navigate a complex web of U.S. sanctions that were lifted under …

Al-Arabia – New US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday defended the “muscular diplomacy” practiced by President Donald Trump as a way to solve thorny global issues “peacefully, without ever firing a shot.”

Amnesty – The Iranian authorities must stop their ongoing harassment campaign against Raheleh Rahemipour, a 65-year-old human rights defender, who faces trial for a second time in reprisal for a complaint filed with the UN on the enforced disappearance of her brother and his infant daughter, said Amnesty International today.

Al-Monitor – In Iran, the robing ceremony of Ahmad Khomeini, the great-grandson of Islamic Republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, has stirred some debate about the Shiite clergy.

PayvandNews – Russia has begun “soil stabilization” work on the site of Phase 2 of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in southern Iran, Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom has said.

Radiofarda – The Jerusalem Post (JP) reports that satellite images taken last Sunday shows resumption of some activity at Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment site.

CHRI – The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has learned that during the first two weeks of April 2018, hackers attempted to take over the email and social media accounts of several well-known Iranians and dual nationals working for charitable and academic organizations.

Radiofarda – The shopkeepers’ strike in the northwestern majority Kurdish city of Baneh entered its 19th consecutive day May 3, with business owners keeping their shops closed in protest of the government’s decision to ban the import of foreign goods at nearby border crossings.

Radiofarda – Newly arrived in the city of Tabriz in northwestern Iran, Corneilis Vamoorschot wanted to change his euros into rials, but quickly realized it wouldn’t be a simple task. “We wanted to change at the bank, but the banks accept neither euros or dollars. We came to the foreign exchange bureau, but they had no money,” said the Dutch …