Radiofarda – A group of doctors from various universities of Tehran has called on the government to shut down all schools, universities, theaters and cinemas, stadiums and other public places until after Nowrouz (New Year) holidays to contain the coronavirus outbreak and prevent the virus from spreading. Nowrouz is celebrated on March 21 and public holidays last through March 24, …

Al-Arabia – Supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Sunday accused foreign media of trying to use a deadly outbreak of coronavirus in Iran to “discourage” people from voting in a general election. “This negative propaganda began a few months ago and grew larger approaching the election and in the past two days, under the pretext of an illness and a virus, …

Al-Arabia – Clashes erupted between Iranian security forces and protesters in the northern city of Talesh over the government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, videos being shared by activists on social media showed. https://vid.alarabiya.net/2020/02/22/iranprotestf0a323c9/iranprotestf0a323c9___iranprotestf0a323c9_video.mp4 Protesters gathered in front of the Noorani Hospital of Talesh country in Gilan Province, northern Iran, on Saturday. Activists said protesters were angry …

Iran-HRM – Official reports from the outbreak of COVID-19 in Iran confirm that it has so far taken the lives of eight people and infected hundreds more. Deputy health minister Kiyanoush Jahanpour said on Sunday that 15 new cases of infection with the virus have been confirmed, seven of them were in Qom, four in Tehran, two in Gilan, one …

RFL/RE – Iranian authorities reported two more deaths from the deadly coronavirus, bringing the country’s death toll to eight — the highest such toll outside the disease’s epicenter in China.Speaking February 23 on state TV, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said a total of 15 new confirmed cases had been reported across the country, bringing the overall figure to 43.Jahanpur …

VOA – Iranian hardliners have won all 30 parliamentary seats in the capital, Tehran, state TV reported on Sunday, but officials have yet to announce the voter turnout from the nationwide elections two days ago.    State TV also said that former Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a top contender for the post of parliamentary speaker, was the top winner in …

VOA – Iranian media is saying that preliminary results of Friday’s parliamentary election are showing conservatives winning 70% of the 290-seat chamber, with independents taking about 20%, and reformists just 10%. Many observers, however, are pointing to extremely low turnout in most parts of the country.                         Amateur video broadcast by Arab and Iranian media showed several men outside an Iranian …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – Two men were hanged on February 19 at Rajai-Shahr prison, near Tehran. One of them was suffering from a mental disorder.  According to IHR sources, death-row prisoner Mohammad Cheraghi was hanged on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, at Rajai-Shahr prison. He was sentenced to death for murder charges.  The second prisoner who was identified by his …

gatestoneinstitute.org – The difficulty was that the leadership of the revolution had no intention of creating a Western-style society in which economically and socially Westernized Iranian middle classes would feel at home. One way to deceive them was to continue with a tradition of elections dating back to 1907. Four decades later, a new middle class has emerged. President Hassan …

Radiofarda – The meetings of Tehran City Council may be cancelled after the mayor of one Tehran’s 22 districts was diagnosed with coronavirus on Saturday. Mohsen Hashemi, Chairman of Tehran City Council, and Mojtaba Rahmanzadeh, Mayor of District 13 of Tehran who has been diagnosed with coronavirus speaking at a meeting of the Council on February 18. The Mayor of …