Radiofarda – Iranian judo star Saeid Mollaei, who claimed he was ordered to deliberately lose a world championship fight, could compete under a different flag at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the sport’s governing body said Sunday. International Judo Federation (IJF) president Marius Vizer has thrown his support behind former world champion Mollaei, who complained he had been instructed by Iranian …

Radiofarda – Beggars in the Iranian capital city Tehran earn more than $350,000 a month, says the deputy of the Islamic Republic’s Welfare Organization, Mohammad Reza Fazelinejad. Speaking to the state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA), Fazelinejad said on Sunday, September 1, “By direct handouts to street urchins, child workers, and beggars, citizens of Tehran increase the number of vagrants, …

Iran-HRM – Officials in Iran have arrested 68 young men and women at four parties in the northern city of Sari and the island of Qeshm, according to the state media. The state-run Fars news agency reported on August 31, 2019 that the state security forces stormed three mixed gender parties in the northern city of Sari on August 29 …

Al-Arabia – An Iranian oil tanker pursued by the US that has been traveling across the Mediterranean Sea is now off the coast of Tripoli in northern Lebanon. The ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com showed the Adrian Darya 1, formerly known as Grace 1, moving slowly just outside the Lebanese territorial waters, after it had stood off the coast of Syria a day …

Al-Arabia – The UK is considering sending drones to the Gulf amid an ongoing crisis with Iran, Sky News reportedMonday. The unmanned aircraft would provide surveillance above the Arabian Gulf. The UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) has a number of Reaper drones based in nearby Kuwait and flying over Iraq and Syria. These could be re-tasked if the decision to deploy …

VOA – Iran is for the first time acknowledging that a rocket explosion took place at its Imam Khomeini Space Center, with an official saying a technical malfunction caused the blast. Government spokesman Ali Rabiei made the statement on Monday in comments broadcast by Iranian state television. He said the explosion caused no fatalities and also that officials had found no sign …

VOA – Iran said Monday it will take a “strong step” away from the 2015 international nuclear deal if European countries do not take steps to help it bypass U.S. sanctions on its oil sales. Government spokesman Ali Rabiei said “Iran’s oil should be bought and its money should be accessible to return to Iran.” Iranian officials have set a …

gatestoneinstitute.org – Both President George W Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair told me at different times that they had identified “men with whom we can work” in Tehran and that the key to success was getting rid of Khamenei and his “hardliners.” [W]hether we like it or not, it is Khamenei, and not Rafsanjani, Khatami or Rouhani, who …

iran-hrm – A court in Tehran has sentenced labot rights activist Atefeh Rangriz, to 11 years and six months in jail and 74 lashes. Atefeh Rangriz, a researcher held at Qarchak Prisn in Varamin, was arrested during a peaceful International Workers’ Day gathering in Tehran on May 1, 2019. Atefeh Rangriz stood trial on August 5, 2019, and the sentence …

radiofarda – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel was prepared for any scenario after a cross-border clash with Lebanon’s Hezbollah but neither side seemed eager for another conflict. Israel’s military said anti-tank missiles from Lebanon targeted an army base and vehicles and that it responded with fire into southern Lebanon, after a week of growing tension raised …