RFL/RE – A U.S. guided-missile destroyer came to the aid of an Iranian-flagged vessel in distress in the Arabian Sea, an international maritime coalition said on October 16. The dhow broke down due to a motor problem and launched a distress call to the USS Winston S. Churchill on October 15, according to the Combined Maritime Forces. “When hailed over …

RFL/RE – October 18 marks the end of a decade-old United Nations arms embargo against Iran after the United States failed overcome opposition within the UN Security Council to get it extended — including opposition from Washington’s European allies.The expiration date for the embargo was agreed upon under the 2015 nuclear deal that Washington unilaterally withdrew from in 2018.In theory, …

Iran-HRM – Nearly 20 days days past the loss of his father, political prisoner Amir Hossein Moradi has not yet been allowed to go home to visit his family or attend the memorial ceremonies for his father. Amir Hossein Moradi is one of a dozen protesters who have been sentenced to death after being arrested during the November 2019 protests in Iran. …

Al-Monitor – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived last week with a major delegation in Tengchong, in southwest China’s Yunnan province, on the invitation of his counterpart Wang Yi. These talks, which were apparently putting finishing touches on the 25-year Sino-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, were significant for both the countries. These talks, which took place on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic …

aljazeera.com – Iran’s judicial authority on Thursday issued an order banning torture, the use of “forced confessions”, solitary confinement, illegal police detentions, and other violations of defendants’ rights. The “document on judicial security” was signed by Iran’s judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi and released by Mizan Online, the authority’s news agency.KEEP READINGIran slams new allegations against arrested diplomat in BelgiumIranian-French academic …

(AP) — Iran’s capital has run out of intensive care beds as the country confronts a new surge of infections that is filling hospitals and cemeteries alike. The single-day death toll hit a record high three times this week. Eight months after the pandemic first stormed Iran, pummeling its already weakened economy and sickening officials at the highest levels of …

Radiofarda – Iran’s financial status will face a challenging stretch leading up to the U.S. elections on November 3, says the Governor of Central Bank of Iran (CBI), Abdol Nasser Hemmati. “In the next three weeks, the pressure on Iran is to increase. We have informed Iranians that the risk in the domestic foreign exchange market is very high and …

RFL/RE – Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization says it has been targeted by cyberattacks, after officials reported the hacking of two institutions in the country earlier this week.“Sworn enemies have been trying for some time to carry out cyberattacks,” the organization said in a statement on October 16, adding that “appropriate” measures had been taken to prevent an interruption of its missions.No …

RFL/RE – The founder and CEO of an Iranian financial-services firm has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison for running a business that helped people in Iran evade U.S. sanctions, the Justice Department said. Seyed Sajjad Shahidian, 33, pleaded guilty to a charge related to running Payment24, an Internet-based company that the Justice Department said charged a fee …

VOA – Two Iranian Baha’i women have reported to a prison in eastern Iran to begin serving sentences for peacefully practicing their faith after authorities apparently ignored appeals to spare them from potential coronavirus exposure in jail, according to a knowledgeable source. Speaking to VOA Persian in a Tuesday interview from Iran, the source said Arezoo Mohammadi and Banafsheh Mokhtari …