VOA – Israel’s envoy in the United States has sought to clarify his nation’s red line on Iran’s nuclear program, telling VOA that Israel will prevent its main regional foe from acquiring a capability to become a nuclear-armed state. Last month in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken the policy of his …

RFL/RE – Reza Khandan, a civil activist and the husband of prominent Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, says he has been summoned by the judiciary to serve an older suspended sentence of five years in prison. In an interview with RFE/RL, Khandan said the suspended sentence was issued four years ago after he was found guilty of “propaganda against the Islamic republic.”*Khandan was …

Iranwire – As IranWire has reported, hundreds of Iranians have sustained severe eye injuries after being hit by pellets, tear gas cannisters, paintball bullets or other projectiles used by security forces amid a bloody crackdown on mainly peaceful demonstrations. Doctors say that, as of now, at least 580 protesters have lost one or both eyes in Tehran and in Kurdistan alone. …

Iranwire – Ali Daei, a former Iranian national team captain and the country’s record international goalscorer, will not be able to attend an annual FIFA ceremony later this month due to a travel ban imposed on him by the Islamic Republic’s security institutions, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported. The football’s world body invited Daei to attend The Best FIFA …

Iranwire – Iranian environmentalist Sam Rajabi has been granted furlough after spending five years behind bars. His sister, Kathy Rajabi, confirmed his February 15 release in a tweet. Since his arrest in January 2018, Rajabi had not been granted any leave and was unable to attend his mother’s funeral. Rajabi is among eight members of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation …

Iran-HRM – Iranian authorities have denied forensic examination and medical care to a student rights activist who endured severe beatings and sexual abuse while in custody, the Union Council of Iranian Students says. The union said on February 15 that officials are refusing to acknowledge the physical abuse inflicted on Soha Mortezaei during her November 21 arrest in Tehran. The …

VOA – The United States said Wednesday its assessment aligns with a United Nations report concluding that the new de facto head of the al-Qaida terror group, Saif al-Adel, is based in Iran. “When it comes to his presence there, offering safe haven to al-Qaida is just another example of Iran’s wide-ranging support for terrorism, its destabilizing activities in the …

Iran-HRM – IRGC military forces are targeting the eyes of the protesters in the street with their bullets Nearly 150 days have passed since the start of the nationwide protests in Iran. In these 5 months, more than 600 protesters have been injured and lost one or both eyes due to the deliberate shooting of the security forces. Hossein Nader …

CHRI – A new petition launched by the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) calls on European Union (EU) countries to support the women and girls of Iran, who are facing severe and violent repression, by summoning Iranian ambassadors in unison on International Women’s Day. An official joint letter, endorsed by 39 women’s and human rights organizations from around the globe …

RFL/RE – Iranian labor rights activist Narges Mansuri says she has been on a hunger strike since January 29 to protest the “anti-human behavior of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” In a voice message sent from Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, Mansuri said she started her hunger strike, despite suffering from chronic illnesses, because she was banned from meeting her child, was threatened …