VOA — Microsoft has detected cyberattacks linked to Iranian hackers that targeted thousands of people at more than 200 companies over the past two years. That’s according to a Wall Street Journal report Wednesday that the hacking campaign stole corporate secrets and wiped data from computers. Microsoft told the Journal the cyberattacks affected oil-and-gas companies and makers of heavy machinery in several countries, including …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – A part of the 11th Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran, by IHR, deals with the charges of executions in 2018. In this article, “Moharebeh” and “Corruption on Earth” are discussed. READ THE FULL REPORT HERE (pdf)  Many offences are punishable by death in Iranian law. However, murder (qisas), Moharebeh and Corruption on …

CHRI – A dual national academic who has taught at the University of Tehran and the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium was arrested on “security charges,” a senior Iranian official revealed on March 4, 2019. In speaking about the case, Deputy Science Minister Salar Amoli omitted details about the detainees’ identity, including his name and date of arrest. “The University …

Al-Monitor – Iran’s state broadcaster is currently airing “Last Station of Lies,” a controversial documentary series that claims to reveal the truth about outside forces seeking to overthrow the Islamic Republic. Part two of the series focuses on Amad News. Founded in 2015 by Ruhollah Zam, an exiled journalist based in Paris, Amad News has long been demonized by the Islamic Republic, cast as a news source that incites …

PayvandNews – Samanoo festival, a joyous occasion where people cook Samanoo – a traditional Iranian sweet paste made entirely from mashed germinated wheat – was celebrated in Daraq, North Khorasan Province, on Thursday March 28, 2019. Some 60 participants took part in the cooking festival. Samanoo, prepared in advance of arrival of Persian New Year Norooz, is one of the components of …

Radiofarda – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had separate telephone conversations with Britain’s foreign Secretary and the French foreign minister to discuss Iran, Syria and other issues. The Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, Robert Palladino announcedthat Pompeo spoke with Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt o discuss countering Iranian malign behavior”, securing progress in Syria and “pursuing shared goal to …

Radiofarda – The U.S. Representative to the Vienna Office of the United Nations and Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that Washington is looking forward “to concluding a comprehensive agreement with Iran that addresses the totality of our concerns”. Ambassador Jackie Wolcott told the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna on March 5 that Iran should …

Radiofarda – A highly controversial proposal to transfer water from the Caspian Sea to the parched inland province of Semnan has reportedly been approved by Iran’s parliament, much to the chagrin of environmentalists and coastal residents. Visiting Semnan in December, President Rouhani, who was born in the province, insisted the problems with the project had been addressed and it would …

Al-Arabia – Iran and France are set to exchange ambassadors, officials said on Wednesday, after months of tensions including over an alleged Iranian plot to bomb an opposition rally near Paris. Bahram Ghasemi, a former envoy to Spain and Italy and current spokesman of the foreign ministry, has been appointed as Iran’s new ambassador to France, an official source in …

RFL/RE — European Union ambassadors have decided to leave sanctions imposed on dozens of Iranians accused of severe human rights abuses in place for another year. EU-nation envoys in Brussels made the decision on March 6, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal details of the discussions publicly The asset freezes …