radiofarda – In response to Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks on Friday the U.S. Department of States Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said Iran’s threats will only further isolate the country. In his Friday prayer sermon Khamenei said the elite Revolutionary Guards could take their fight beyond Iran’s borders. “As long as the regime threatens the world, …

radiofarda – The Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif met with the Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne in Muscat, Oman, on Friday. The two ministers discussed consular, technical and legal cooperation between Iran and the countries whose nationals were killed in the Ukrainian plane crash in Tehran on January 8. According to the website of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, the Canadian Foreign …

rferl.org – The United States has imposed sanctions on a senior military Iranian official over a crackdown on anti-government protesters, the State Department announced on January 17. Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Brigadier General Hassan Shahvarpour was banned from entering the United States for his role in crushing protests in November in the southwestern city of Mahshahr. “General Shahvarpour was in …

rferl.org – Iranian teams have been banned from playing international matches on Iranian soil, the Islamic republic’s football federation said on January 17. It said the decision was made by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and announced in a letter. Iranian football officials did not say if the decision was related to the accidental shoot-down of a Ukrainian jetliner last …

rferl.org – Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for national unity and defended the country’s armed forces in the wake of angry protests over the downing of a Ukrainian passenger airliner by Iran’s air defenses last week. In a sermon at Tehran’s Mosalla Mosque on January 17, Khamenei — the highest authority in Iran — said those who …

rferl.org – The U.S. military says 11 U.S. service members were treated for concussion symptoms following the January 8 Iran missile attack on a base in Iraq, despite earlier remarks by President Donald Trump that “no Americans were harmed” in the incident. “While no U.S. service members were killed in the January 8 Iranian attack on Ain Al-Asad air base, …

On the afternoon of January 16th the US Department of State publicly condemned the Iranian regime for its repressive treatment of religious minorities within the country, by posting the following statement on its Twitter account.

Radiofarda – Leading republican Senator Lindsey Graham announced January 15 that he and several other Republican senators have introduced a resolution to express support for the “Iranian people who are demanding their freedom…”. Senator Graham released a statement that his senate colleagues, Martha McSally (Arizona), James Lankford (Oklahoma), Marco Rubio (Florida), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Ted Cruz(Texas) and Mitt Romney (Utah) have joined …

Radiofarda – The Islamic Propaganda Coordination Organization (IPCO) on Thursday announced that planned pro-regime demonstrations will be held after Friday Prayers nationwide with the exemption of the capital Tehran. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will lead the prayers in Tehran and deliver a sermon. Exempting Tehran from “nationwide” rallies is unprecedented when Khamenei will be leading the Friday prayers for the …

Radiofarda – President Hassan Rouhani has tried to defend himself against accusations of not being well-informed about crucial developments that impact the country in significant ways. During the past week, Iranian politicians as well as members of the public have criticized him for not being aware why a Ukrainian airliner crashed near Tehran on January 8. Rouhani said Tuesday on …