VOA – Iran’s stock market has been booming for months, despite a collapse in the country’s economy and a rampant coronavirus that has struck the country hard. Even President Hassan Rouhani has sounded surprised. Rouhani has described the market’s performance as “astounding,” a view echoed by analysts and diplomats, who have been scratching their heads to understand why disease, runaway …

Al-Monitor – Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization dismissed the decision by the United States to end waivers on cooperation involving the country’s nuclear program and said the nation will be self-sufficient in those areas.  A view of the water nuclear reactor at Arak, Iran, Dec. 23, 2019.  Photo by WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS. The spokesman for the Atomic …

Radiofarda – Brigadier General Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf who was elected as the Speaker of Iran’s parliament (Majles) on Thursday May 28, has 40 years of experience in military, political, economic, policing and urban management. Nonetheless, he is best known for being implicated in major financial corruption cases. He was the first IRGC general who became the Mayor of Tehran. Now, …

Radiofarda – The Law Enforcement Commander of Khuzestan Province on Wednesday said the security police of Mahshahr Port has arrested “fourteen agents of Takfiri and separatist groups”. Brigadier General Heydar Abbaszadeh said those who have been arrested had shot bullets at police and Basij headquarters, hoisted “the fake flag of Al-Ahvaziyoun group around the city, and sent video clips showing …

Radiofarda – The U.S. Special Representative for Iran on Wednesday reiterated that maximum economic pressure on Iran would prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “Because of our pressure, Iranian leaders have come to a decision: either negotiate with us or manage the economic collapse,” Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran, told reporters at a State Department special briefing.​ Secretary …

Radiofarda – The newly elected Iranian parliament dominated by conservatives and hardliners elected a former mayor of Tehran and a former Revolutionary Guard general as Speaker on Thursday, local media reported. The former mayor, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf (Ghalibaf) garnered 230 out of 264 deputies present in parliament. The 58-year-old Qalibaf was also a presidential candidate who ran against hardliner Mahmoud …

Radiofarda – Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazain Zaghari-Ratcliffe, on Wednesday said he is ‘hopeful’ she will be one of 3,000 people pardoned by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Speaking to Sky News Mr. Ratcliffe said Nazanin’s lawyer has been summoned to the prosecutor’s office and Nazanin and her family are awaiting the authorities’ latest decision about Nazanin. On May …

Al-Arabia – An 18-year-old Iranian young woman has died of critical burns after her brother torched their house for marrying a man he did not approve of, state media reported on Wednesday. The victim had been hospitalised for a week and died from severe burn injuries on Tuesday, according to local media. The incident occurred in the city of Rasht …

VOA – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on his cabinet Wednesday to quickly adopt laws aimed at curbing so-called honor killings after a father was arrested this week for allegedly murdering his 13- or 14-year-old daughter. Reza Ashrafi was arrested for allegedly killing his daughter, Romina Ashrafi, with a farm sickle while she was sleeping after she fled her parents’ …

HRW- Afghans return to Afghanistan at the Islam Qala border with Iran, in the western Herat Province, February 20, 2019 © 2019 AP Photo/Rahmat Gul Almost a month after reports emerged of the alleged drowning by Iranian border authorities of Afghan migrants attempting to cross the border into Iran, efforts to uncover the truth have achieved little.At a May 26 meeting in Kabul, Iranian …