greydynamics – Reports of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s cancer have sparked speculation about the imminent demise of Iran’s most powerful figure. Over 34 years as Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei has inculcated the modern Iranian state with many of its defining characteristics. These include the dominance of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the existence of the Assembly of …

dailymail – Russian drones have continued to rain down on Ukraine, ravaging the country by killing civilians and destroying buildings. The Kremlin’s ‘kamikaze’ suicide drones, laden with explosives, have become a terrifying feature of daily life for Ukrainians. These drones – often small in size a cheap in comparison to other similar weapons – have become an integral part of Russia‘s …

RFL/RE – The head of the Cinema Organization of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has warned the country’s film industry that dissent will be dealt with harshly after several people from the sector participated in the Cannes Film Festival without obtaining permission from Tehran. Mohammad Khazaie said on May 29 that the individuals who traveled to the French seaside resort …

Iranwire – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the international community to “exert pressure” on the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen to release 17 Baha’is who were “forcibly disappeared” last week. The New York-based human rights group said in a statement on May 30 that the religious minority has faced “persecution” by the Houthis, the de facto authorities in the Yemeni capital, …

Iranwire – As IranWire has reported, hundreds of Iranians have sustained severe eye injuries after being hit by pellets, tear gas canisters, 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 – Two managers of the historical complex housing the tomb of celebrated 14th-century poet Hafez in Shiraz were arrested and a provincial cultural official was suspended after a video featuring a romantic encounter meters away from the tomb went viral on social media. The video appeared on social media on May 29, showing a young man proposing to a …

Iranwire – Iranian journalist Niloofar Hamidi vehemently rejected all the accusations against her as her trial kicked off behind closed doors on May 30, her husband says. Mohammad Hossein Ajorlo took to Twitter to say that Hamedi’s family was prevented from attending the hearing before Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, adding to concerns about transparency and due process. …

Iranwire – The release of Asadollah Assadi, the former third secretary of the Islamic Republic’s embassy in Austria who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2021 on terrorism-related charges by a Belgian court was somehow expected, but what came as a surprise was that Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, the sultan of Oman, mediated to secure his release. *** …

RFL/RE – Several female Iranian activists are following the lead of women’s rights leader Mojgan Keshavarz by speaking out about degrading and dehumanizing methods — including sexual harassment — being employed by staff at the country’s prisons. Keshavarz revealed on social media on May 28 that she had been forced to undress completely after being arrested in 2019 and forced to spread …

RFL/RE – The family of executed protester Majid Kazemi says Iranian authorities have launched a campaign against it, suspending Kazemi’s father’s retirement benefits and firing his sister from her job just 10 days after his death sentence was carried out. Mohammad Hashemi, Kazemi’s cousin, also revealed on Twitter on May 29 that Kazemi’s brothers, Mehdi and Hossein, remain in the custody of the Islamic …