Iranwire – Azerbaijan’s State Security Service (DTX) says that it is investigating a “terrorist attack” after a member of parliament with strong anti-Iranian views was wounded in a gun attack. Lawmaker Fazil Mustafa was hospitalized with gunshot wounds to his shoulder and thigh after being shot with a Kalashnikov assault rifle late on March 28, DTX said in a statement. It …

Iranwire – Greek authorities say they have arrested two men accused of planning an attack on a Jewish restaurant in Athens, a case which Israel said was orchestrated from Iran. Greece’s anti-terrorist agency launched the operation that led to the arrests on information gathered by the country’s intelligence service, police said on March 28. The statement said the arrests had …

Iranwire – Egyptian officials say Iranians travelling with tour groups will soon be allowed to obtain visas on arrival in the south of Sinai Peninsula, home to the secured resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, as Egypt, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries are taking steps to ease tensions. “We will evaluate the experience of their arrival in South Sinai as a …

Iranwire – Russia has provided Iran with advanced digital-surveillance capabilities, the Wall Street Journal reported on March 27, as the two countries seek to bolster cooperation in the field of security and defense. The US newspaper quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has provided Tehran with “communication-surveillance …

VOA – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised women in Afghanistan and Iran for standing up for freedoms as he spoke Tuesday at an event highlighting the role of women in democracy. Blinken praised women who have protested in Iran in response to the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini last year, saying they have courageously demonstrated “under …

Al-Monitor — Iran’s Foreign Ministry suggested on Tuesday that a statement by a group named the Iranian Advisory Center in Syria — which has warned US forces of fresh attacks — was not representative of Tehran’s stance.   “Iran’s official positions on the fight against terrorism in Syria will either be made public by the Foreign Ministry or the embassy in Damascus,” ministry …

Al-Arabia – Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has expressed the Kingdom’s appreciation for the Chinese initiative “to support efforts to develop the good neighborly relations” between Saudi Arabia and Iran during a phone call with China’s President Xi Jinping, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Tuesday. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed on restoring diplomatic ties through …

RFL/RE – Employees and retirees in the southwestern Iranian city of Shush have gone on strike to protest living standards and to push the government to approve wage and social payment increases in the Iranian New Year. Videos published on social media showed crowds gathering in front of the local governor’s office while chanting, “Enough oppression! Our tablecloth is empty.”The strike comes …

RFL/RE – An Iranian parliamentarian says the government’s new strategy to enforce the compulsory wearing of the hijab will eliminate physical punishment for women and instead carry financial and administrative penalties that have been approved by the leader of the Islamic republic. Iranian parliament member Hossein Jalali said on March 27 that the new plan includes a financial penalty of up to …

Iranwire – Prominent Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi has reiterated that she is ready to testify “anytime” about the sexual abuse and acts of torture inflicted to women incarcerated in Tehran’s Evin prison. Mohammadi, who is serving a long-term sentence in Evin, said in a written message on March 27 that she is “not seeking amnesty” from the Iranian government. Instead, …