Radiofarda – Iran’s Deputy Attorney General has announced that raising funds by celebrities to help victims of floods in Iran “is banned” and he warned that any bank account opened for this purpose will be closed. Javid Javidnia told the Judiciary’s online news service March 24 that so far 60 accounts have been opened and some of them have already …

Al-Arabia – The United States clinched a strategic port deal with Oman on Sunday which US officials say will allow the US military better access the Gulf region and reduce the need to send ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime choke point off Iran. The US embassy in Oman said in a statement that the agreement governed US …

Al-Arabia – Iran said on Sunday it would expand its ties with Lebanon in spite of the “provocative and interventionist” call by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for Beirut to choose sides, Iranian state television reported. On a regional tour, Pompeo said on Friday that Lebanon faced a choice – “Bravely move forward as an independent and proud nation, …

Al-Monitor – Like celebrities in other countries, those in Iran may be expecting favors when facing law enforcement officers. But a recent incident and the ensuing public outrage could make them rethink that kind of attitude. Farhad Majidi, a legendary former soccer player and current coach, posted a video on his Instagram account earlier this month showing him in a …

PayvandNews – The arrival of spring coincides with the beginning of the Persian New Year Norooz. This is a festive occasion for Iranians and many other countries in the region.  People in different parts of Iran celebrate Norooz with their local customs and traditions. Some of the most joyful and colorful celebrations are held in villages of Kurdestan province in western …

PatvandNews – Only three hours from the capital Tehran, the central city of Kashan in Isfahan province can definitely be deemed as a marvelous get-away for many urbanites who yearn for the authenticity of traditional Iranian culture and architecture.  Travelers to Kashan can visit numerous historical houses from the 18th and 19th centuries that illustrate the finest examples of architecture …

Radiofarda – The water is subsiding in flood-hit Golestan and Mazandaran provinces in northern Iran, local news outlets reported on March 23, as dozens of cities and villages have suffered from the heavy rains. The Iran Meteorological Organization (IRMO) warned that some areas in the west and southwest of the country were also being threatened by freezing temperatures and flash …

Radiofarda – A former political prisoner and a reformist politician has suggested to combine the positions of Supreme Leader and the president of the Islamic republic into one executive power, elected by the people and subject to term limits. Mostafa Tajzadeh in a video released on Twitter March 22, proposed the idea as a response to some Iranian conservatives who …

Radiofarda – Iran’s vice president has fired the governor of a northern province gripped by a massive flood, for being on a foreign trip and not returning to manage the disaster emergency. ains have battered Iran’s northern provinces of Golestan and Mazandaran, leaving homes flooded and others without power. Es’haq Jahangiri, Hassan Rouhani’s vice president made the move as the …

Radiofarda – The price of onions has increased fourfold in a matter of weeks in Iran, reaching to almost one U.S. dollar per kilo (based on free market exchange rates). Onion is an important part of the food basket for working class Iranians, who earn around $100-130 a month. The price for more expensive foods, such as meat is ten …