rferl.org – Iran has mobilized all its resources to sell oil on the “gray market,” bypassing U.S. sanctions that Tehran considers illegitimate, Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia said on May 5. His comments come days after Washington announced that it has decided not to reissue waivers in May allowing importers to buy Iranian oil without facing U.S. sanctions. …

iranhumanrights – Prominent human rights defender Narges Mohammadi was recently taken from Evin Prison to a hospital in Tehran where she was told she needed urgent treatment for several issues but was instead returned to her cell, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has learned. “She was taken to the hospital after becoming ill the previous Saturday [April …

alarabiya – The UN human rights chief voiced outrage on Friday at Iran’s execution of two 17-year-old boys charged with rape and robbery, stressing that executing children is banned under international law. Mehdi Sohrabifar and Amin Sedaghat were executed on April 25, after a trial that the UN rights office said appeared to have “seriously breached fundamental due process guarantees.” …

The European Union and foreign ministers of the three leading European powers, United Kingdom, France and Germany voices concern May 4 over the U.S. decision to end Iran oil import exemptions and two other exemptions related to its civilian nuclear program. A day earlier, Washington had renewed five nuclear exemptions for 90 days, instead of 180, as in the past. …

radiofarda – The outspoken second deputy speaker of the Iranian Parliament (Majles), Ali Motahari, announced on Friday, May 3, that he might run for the presidency in 2021. A day earlier, his brother-in-law and the speaker of Majlis, Ali Larijani, had insisted that he would not throw his hat into the ring. Unofficial campaigning and nominations for presidential elections in …

rferl.org – Turkey says it will not be able to diversify oil imports quickly after the United States ended sanction waivers on purchases from Iran, and Ankara continues to urge Washington to reconsider its decision. “It does not seem possible for us to diversify the sources of the oil we import in a short time,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu …

rferl.org – The United States says it has extended five sanction waivers that will allow Russian, China, and European countries to continue to work with Iran’s civilian nuclear program. At the same time, the State Department said on May 3 that it was ending two waivers related to Iranian exports of enriched uranium in what it called “the toughest sanctions …

rferl.org – An Iranian newspaper says one of its reporters was arrested by police earlier this week while covering a May Day protest, during which dozens of activists were detained. The pro-reform Shargh newspaper said on May 4 that Marzieh Amiri was detained at a demonstration outside the Iranian parliament in Tehran. The paper said authorities detained some 30 protesting …

rferl.org – Parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani says Iran will continue to enrich uranium in accordance with its nuclear accord with several world powers regardless of moves by the United States to put a stop to it. “Under the [nuclear accord] Iran can produce heavy water and this is not in violation of the agreement. Therefore, we will carry on with …

rferl.org – The brother of Iranian President Hassan Rohani’s brother has been sentenced to prison by a court following his trial on charges of corruption. Hossein Fereidoun, considered to be a close confidant of the president, was sentenced on May 4 to an unspecified prison term, according to Iranian media. “This person Hossein Fereidoun was found not guilty on some …