Radiofarda – The Rouhani administration’s spokesman Ali Rabiei has reacted strongly to an open letter by key members of the Iranian parliament who criticized President Hassan Rouhani, saying it may flare up political and social conflicts in Iran. Rabiei described the tone of the letter by heads of key parliamentary committees as “non-constructive and confrontational,” but added that the letter …

HRANA News Agency – The water supply has been cut off at the Greater Tehran Penitentiary’s Wing 5 since last night, and hundreds of prisoners have been deprived of access to drinking water. Furthermore, 52 prisoners at the Greater Tehran Penitentiary’s Wing 1 have fallen ill with COVID-19. Additionally, a prisoner at the Prison’s Wing 5, Hall 4, has been …

RFL/RE – Iran has announced that it will make the wearing of masks mandatory at indoor gathering places as the number of coronavirus fatalities recorded in a single day rose by the highest number in nearly three months. The measure announced by President Hassan Rohani on July 28 was accompanied by news that hard-hit provinces would be allowed to reimpose …

Iran-HRM – The Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Shahinshahr and Meymeh announced it had issued prison, exile and death sentences for some of the protesters arrested during Iran protests in November 2019. In a press briefing on June 27, 2020, Nassruddin Salehi also pointed out that the verdicts would be imminently executed and carried out. He did not say anything …

VOA – Iran would become the “arms dealer of choice” for terrorists if a U.N. weapons embargo is allowed to expire, a senior U.S. official says. Brian Hook, the U.S. special representative for Iran, spoke to the Associated Press during a visit to the United Arab Emirates. The U.N. imposed its current arms embargo on Iran in 2010, and it …

Radiofarda – The Islamic Republic Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has rushed to defend the country’s former Chief-Justice, Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani, who has been accused of sheltering corrupt aides in his administration. In unprecedented remarks, Khamenei has strongly supported Amoli Larijani, praising him as a “virtuous” personality, far from financial corruption. Ali Khamenei went even further, calling his protege “the …

Radiofarda – PEN America has condemned what it says are “threats” made to the safety of Iranian writers and activists living in the United States, “apparently from individuals who are linked to or within the Iranian government”. In a statement the renowned writers’ organization says one of its members, Masih Alinejad and others have received threats after their efforts to defend …

Radiofarda – Customs statistics of Iran’s major foreign trade partners show a significant drop in their transactions with the Islamic Republic in the first five months of 2020. Since early 2019, Iran’s customs has stopped publishing its monthly reports and provides only general statistics on the country’s exports and imports of non-oil goods. The latest general figures released by Iran’s …

Radiofarda – One of Iran’s most high-ranking and politically prominent clerics has warned the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that his regime’s popularity and legitimacy has been seriously damaged mainly because of injustice as well as economic and cultural problems. In a letter to Khamenei on Saturday June 27, the 79-year old cleric from Qazvin, Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi …

Radiofarda – On June 25, Tehran residents were treated to an unusual sight, a bright orange light in the nighttime sky over Eastern Tehran. Iranian officials soon claimed that what had happened was a mere explosion of industrial gas tanks in the general area of Parchin, the site of Iran’s vast explosives, rocket, and ammunition manufacturing complex. Yet a closer examination of videos posted …