iranwire – As of Thursday, September 30, close to 55 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine had been administered in Iran. The government now promises that by mid-November 2021, some 70 percent of Iranians will be fully vaccinated – despite the fact that the focus recently switched to vaccinating children, and larger groups of “anti-vaxxers” are now gaining momentum in Iran. The latter have been …

gatestoneinstitute.org – The most worrying concerns, though, about the Taliban’s ability to rein in the activities of Islamist terror groups stem from the composition of the new Afghan government which, far from reflecting the Taliban’s claim that it is pursuing a “moderate” agenda, is packed with hardliners and includes no women, minorities or opposition members. In particular, the appointment of …

gatestoneinstitute.org – Raisi has not managed to impose some discipline on the few hundred mullahs and brigadier-generals who form the core of the ramshackle regime. Thus the mullah from back of the beyond and the brigadier-general who has never seen a battle except on television, continue to make foreign policy comments mostly to threaten the very neighbors that the Dr. …

gatestoneinstitute.org – General Hossein Salami, the chief of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has made the Iranian regime’s plans vehemently clear: “Our strategy is to erase Israel from the global political map,” he stated on Iran’s state-controlled Channel 2 TV in 2019. Supreme Leader Khamenei, in 2015, also published a 416-page guidebook, titled “Palestine”, about destroying Israel. “The mission of …

Iranwire – In an unprecedented move, the Islamic Republic is holding military drills on the border with Azerbaijan. The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has criticized the operation but Brigadier-General Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Ground Force, has snapped back: “Neighboring governments know the reasons for these maneuvers better than anybody else.” Northwestern Iran shares …

Iranwire – “Imports should be banned.” These four words were, ostensibly, meant to demonstrate a commitment to supporting Iranian business. They surfaced in a recent order by President Ebrahim Raisi to the Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade, following a decree from the Supreme Leader, and were specifically aimed at products finding their way into Iran from South Korea. White goods from that country were recently …

Iranwire – Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, the media, human rights organizations and a range of political actors have paid particular attention to the women of the country, who are now stranded without the rights they built up over the last 20 years.  And yet, despite the international attention and genuine efforts to help, no real measures have been put in place …

Iran-HRM – Monthly Report September 2021, Iran Human Rights Monitor Introduction The deaths of at least four prisoners under torture last month once again drew attention to the issue of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners in Iran. Torture and inhumane treatment of detainees and prisoners by agents has always been one of the most serious violations of human rights in …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – Farhad Salehi-Jabehdar who was sentenced to death on rape charges, has been executed in Karaj Central Prison. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Karaj Central Prison on September 29. His identity has been established as 30-year-old Farhad Salehi-Jabehdar and he was sentenced to death on rape charges. At …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – Abbasgholi Salehi, Hamid Shahsanayi and Mohammad Barahouyi were executed on drug-related charges in Isfahan Central Prison. At least 81 prisoners, including a woman, have been executed on drug-related charges in Iranian prisons in 2021. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were executed on drug-related charges in Isfahan Central Prison (Dastgerd) on …