RFL/RE – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has launched ground forces drills in the southwest of the country near the Iraqi border.IRGC Ground Force Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said on February 11 that drones, helicopters, and artillery are to be used in the drills, dubbed Great Prophet 16, according to Press TV.It was not clear how long the …

RFL/RE – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has called on Iran to “show restraint” after UN inspectors confirmed the country has started producing small amounts of uranium metal in the latest breach of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.“We understand the logic of their actions and the reasons prompting Iran. Despite this, it is necessary to show restraint …

Iranwire – On Monday, February 8, 2021, Taghi Rostamvandi, the deputy interior minister and head of the Social Security Organization, announced shocking statistics on child marriage, using the euphemism “early marriages” to refer to the practice. In his announcement, Rostamvandi did not explain the difference between the phrases “child marriage” and “early marriage,” but simply said: “Of the 25,000 marriages of people …

Iran Human Rights (IHR)- The Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of a juvenile offender, on death row for a murder in the village of Derafshan, Isfahan. According to Rokna, the death sentence of a juvenile offender has been upheld by the Supreme Court. The prisoner, whose identity and location were not disclosed, was arrested and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – In an interview with IHR, imprisoned human rights lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband, Reza Khandan says the Evin Prosecutor’s Office’s decision to freeze his bank accounts is the latest attempt by judiciary and security agencies to further pressure Nasrin Sotoudeh and her family. Kin punishment, the practice of punishing family members, and punishing individual/s who have …

CHRI – The U.S. government has a long history of pursuing multiple policy goals with adversaries and demanding respect for human rights will not derail nuclear negotiations. By Hadi Ghaemi Less than a month into President Joe Biden’s first term, Iran is already in the headlines, most recently with the news that another dual national, identified as Iranian-American businessman Emad Sharghi, …

Al-monitor – Russia and Iran are taking every opportunity to increase their influence in Syria. They recently urged private security companies to open offices across Syria, offering young men large amounts of money to work for them amid deteriorating economic conditions and a lack of job opportunities in the Syrian regime-controlled areas. The Syrian government had stopped issuing licenses to private security companies …

(AP) — Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani urged the West on Wednesday to restore the 2015 nuclear deal as the nation marked the anniversary of the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution — on wheels this time, rather than traditional rallies and marches amid the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the Middle East. Rouhani said the “era of sanctions” was over and that the …

Al-Arabia – The Iran-backed Houthis claimed on Wednesday the attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport and said it was a military target, AFP reported. For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. “The UAV air force targeted the airfields of warplanes at Abha International Airport – which is used for military purposes to …

Al-Arabia – Canada is reviewing an audio recording in which an Iranian official, reportedly identified as Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, concedes that the downing of a Ukrainian airliner by the Iranian military over Tehran last year may have been an intentional act, Canada’s public broadcaster reported on Tuesday. For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online …