Radiofarda – While Iran has begun registration of candidates for parliamentary elections set for February 2020, a prominent pro-reform figure says running for a seat is “meaningless” under the countries current conditions. Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, the last spokesman of the so-called reformist President Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005), was responding to a tweet that asked why he is not registering as a candidate. …

Radiofarda – Political activists in Iran say the Islamic Republic Judiciary has summoned many signatories of a statement condemning the harsh government reaction against protests last month. Six of 18 underage protesters confirmed killed by security forces in Iran’s November unrest. Immediately after the events, 77 pro-reform figures issued a statement, deploring the violent and lethal response against the protesters. …

Radiofarda – The EU-3, (France, UK and Germany), did not trigger a mechanism that could return all the international sanctions against Tehran for its breach of the terms of the nuclear deal with world powers, said a Chinese envoy at the JCPOA meeting in Vienna on Friday December 6. The decision was made to avoid further complication in the situation …

Al-Arabia – Iraqi protesters defiantly turned out on Saturday across the country’s south and in the capital, where more than a dozen people were killed in an overnight attack by unidentified gunmen. The assailants briefly ousted demonstrators from a building they had occupied for weeks in Baghdad, despite the presence of security forces nearby who did not intervene. Iraqi officials …

Al-Arabia – The US Department of State is offering a $15 million reward for information leading to Abdul Reza Shahlai, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) official in Yemen, or information on his financial activities, networks and associates in Yemen and the region, Rewards for Justice said in a tweet Friday. The State Department’s Reward for Justice account also shared …

Al-Arabia – Nigerian authorities have arrested Nigerian Shia leader Ibrahim Zakzaky upon his return from India, where he was refused treatment because his sectarian ties to Iran do not abide by the country’s residency regulations. The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) Zakzaky and his wife are both being held in Nigeria’s Kaduna Prison, and Zakzaky’s trial has …

Iran-HRM – A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to death by Iranian authorities for “insulting Prophet and the imams” through messages he sent on an instant messenger app. The state-run ROKNA news agency, identified the man only by his first name as Meisam and said that he was also sentenced to prison, flogging and a fine. Rokna said that the court did not accept the 39-year-old …

RFL/RE – U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he sees no need to boost the number of U.S. forces in the Middle East, a day after a Pentagon official suggested Washington was considering sending additional troops to the region.“Right now, we believe we have sufficient capability in the theater to deter what we need to deter,” he told reporters flying …

VOA – Iran’s foreign minister said Saturday a detained Princeton graduate student will be exchanged for an Iranian scientist held by the U.S., marking a potential breakthrough between Tehran and Washington after months of tensions.       “Mohammad Javad Zarif made the announcement on Twitter. The trade involves graduate student Xiyue Wang and scientist Massoud Soleimani.      Glad that Professor Massoud …

VOA – The United States imposed sanctions Friday on three Iranian-backed Iraqi militia leaders over their alleged role in violently suppressing protests that have shaken Iraq. The militia leaders are accused of ordering their forces to fire on civilians protesting government corruption and high unemployment. Since the protests began in October, around 400 protesters have been reported killed by security …