RFL/RE- The United States has imposed sanctions on an Iranian network of companies, ships, and individuals it says has supplied Syria with millions of barrels of oil in a breach of U.S. sanctions.The network is “directed by and financially supports” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) foreign arm, the Qods Force, and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia movement Hizballah, the U.S. …

Radiofarda – When President Hassan Rouhani said in late August he would hold talks “with a certain individual” for the sake of the Iranian people, everyone knew who he was talking about. Almost at the same time, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif flew to France on board the Iranian equivalent of Air Force 1 to meet French officials. And U.S. President Donald …

Radiofarda – A young woman who set herself on fire on September 1 outside the public prosecutor’s office in Tehran is among football-starved Iranian women detained outside Iran’s main sports arena, Azadi stadium. “The 29-year-old is suffering from third-degree burns, and currently under life support,” says the CEO/president of Motahari Emergency and Burns hospital in the Iranian capital city. Meanwhile, …

Radiofarda – A videotape widely circulated on social media showing the wedding party of an under-thirteen year old girl and a 22-year-old man has forced a local judicial official in Iran to declare the marriage null and void until further notice. “The marriage contract between the two is canceled, until a court decision on the case,” an official, Hassan Negin …

RFL/RE – Iran’s foreign minister has accused the United States of an overreliance on sanctions and said the latest punitive measures out of Washington targeting his country’s space and research sectors are “totally ineffective.” “Americans are addicted to sanctions. These sanctions are totally ineffective,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted by the semiofficial Tasnim news agency as saying on …

RFL/RE – President Hassan Rohani has warned that Iran could take “the most important” step away from its nuclear commitments under a deal with world powers but says Tehran will give Europe two more months to salvage the agreement, as it is unlikely that the two sides will reach an agreement “today or tomorrow.” Iranian media quoted Rohani as making …

RFL/RE – Iran says it is freeing seven crew members it detained after seizing the British tanker Stena Impero nearly two months ago. Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi said in a September 4 interview with Iranian state TV that the seven Russian and Indian nationals are being released on humanitarian grounds and could leave the country soon. He added that …

VOA – The United States has imposed its first-ever sanctions against Iran’s space agency, accusing it of disguising a missile program. “The United States will not allow Iran to use its space launch program as cover to advance its ballistic missile program,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday. The new sanctions affect the Iran Space Agency, the Iran Space …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – Iranian 20-year-old civil rights activist Saba Kord-Afshari is sentenced to a total of 24 years imprisonment. This court verdict includes a 15-year term for ”spreading prostitution by taking off her hijab.” The verdict was sent to Saba’s lawyer, Hoosein Taj, on Tuesday, August 27. The Revolutionary Court sentenced her to 15 years imprisonment for ”spreading …

Al-Monitor – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ensured Iran’s lawmakers that bilateral talks with the US government are “not an option in principle,” and that Iran’s answer to offers by mediators for such negotiations “has always been and will continue to be negative.” During his address to the Iranian parliament Sept. 3, Rouhani moved to clarify his earlier comments that he believed had been “misinterpreted” as …