Al-Monitor – Iran-backed Shiite militias have been under increasing pressure recently in Iraq not only from the United States — which monitors their activities closely — but also from the public and the Iraqi government. During an interview Aug. 9 with a small group of Iraqi and foreign media representatives, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said he has already begun implementing a decree he issued last month regarding the regulation of …

PayvandNews – Severe sand and dust storms (SDSs) has left 127 patients hospitalized due to respiratory problems in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, head of provincial disaster mitigation and management organization has said. So far, 465 people have referred to hospitals due to respiratory, ocular and heart problems, 338 of whom have been provided with outpatient care, while the rest …

Gaurdian – Gianni Infantino’s efforts have not had much impact and, with World Cup qualifiers soon, the wait to attend games continues Suzanne Wrack  Despite vocal opposition, Iran’s authorities are yet to relax their 40-year ban on women entering football grounds. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images “They think that, if they give up on this, it’s a noose for them,” says …

lobelog.com – As tensions in the Persian Gulf have been mounting over the last several weeks, the activities of major international players in the region have also intensified. A major focus of these activities has been the development of joint naval forces by the United States and European states for the purpose of ensuring the safety of shipping and trade …

Radiofarda – For a second time in less than a month, Iran-backed militias in Iraq have sustained losses at their bases, as fire broke out Monday at a weapons depot causing explosions on the outskirts of Baghdad. In July, it was reported that a drone dropped explosives on a base belonging to Iran-linked Shi’ite paramilitary groups in northern Iraq, killing …

Radiofarda – Iran’s foreign ministry reacting to reports that France has offered to deposit $15 billion in a trade mechanism to help Iran conduct business regardless of U.S. sanctions, says that no proposal is yet definitive. Last week, Al-Mayadin Arabic news network had reported that French President Emmanuel Macron has told Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani over the phone Europe is …

Radiofarda – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned allies about the approaching end of some of UN arms and other sanctions against Iran. In a tweet August 13, Pompeo shows a countdown clock and says, “The clock is ticking. Time remaining before the UN arms embargo on Iran expires…” According to UN resolution 2231 following the conclusion of …

Radiofarda – Domestic critics of the Islamic Republic and its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have launched renewed attacks on the regime in recent weeks by voicing their protests in public statements and calling on the Supreme Leader to resign. A well-known political activist in Iran Abolfazl Qadiani has also renewed his criticism of Khamenei. “Iranians will not experience peace and …

Al-Arabia – Iran’s seized oil tanker Grace 1 will be freed by Tuesday evening, the country’s semi-official Fars news agency quoted unidentified Gibraltar authorities as saying, however a Gibraltar government source denied this.Gibraltar said on Tuesday it was seeking to de-escalate issues arising with Iran since the detention of the Grace 1 tanker by British marines in July.Last Update: Tuesday, …

Al-Arabia – British warship HMS Kent set sail for the Gulf on Monday to join a US-led mission protecting commercial shipping vessels in the region amid heightened political tension between the West and Iran. Britain has joined the United States in a maritime security mission in the Gulf to protect merchant vessels. That comes after Iran seized a British oil …