Al-Monitor – Iran will soon produce 3.5 million barrels of oil per day, according to the chief executive of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), adding to global supply while other crude producers are limiting output.  NIOC CEO Mohsen Khojastehmehr said that Iran was producing 2.2 million bpd when the current administration took office in 2021 and will reach 3.5 million bpd …

RFL/RE – Iran has obtained the technology to build a supersonic cruise missile, which is still under test, the semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported on August 9. The announcement comes amid rising tensions with the United States in the Persian Gulf and following the unveiling last week of new vessels equipped with 600-kilometer-range missiles. “This missile, which is a new …

RFL/RE – The prosecutor in the northwestern Iranian city of Marand announced on August 9 that five men had been hanged following their convictions by a Revolutionary Court for rape. Prosecutor Zia Mehr said the condemned men had abducted a female victim and absconded to the mountains before raping her in May. The NGO Iran Human Rights has warned of …

RFL/RE – Human rights activists and social-media users have raised alarm over the fate of Shaker Buri, a popular Iranian satirist who was recently detained. Buri, known for his humorous critiques of the country’s state of affairs, has reportedly been detained by the Intelligence Office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in the southwestern city of Abadan. It comes amid a …

Iranwire – Saeed Shahrabi, the father of Shima Shahrabi, editor-in-chief of IranWire’s Persian-language website, was summoned to the Third Branch of Evin Prosecutor’s Office on August 8 – as the Islamic Republic marked Journalist’s Day. Shahrabi was first summoned to an office of the Ministry of Intelligence in May, shortly after the arrest of his son, Sajjad Shahrabi, a radio host and announcer. …

Iranwire – Canada has imposed sanctions on Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and six other Iranian individuals accused of involvement in activities “that gravely threaten international peace and security or that constitute gross and systemic violations of human rights in Iran.” “Today’s sanctions send a clear message to the Iranian regime that Canada will not …

Iranwire – Two university students have been sentenced to one year in prison each for protesting a wave of poisonings that has affected thousands of schoolgirls across Iran. The United Students’ Telegram channel said on August 8 that the Tehran Revolutionary Court convicted Hasti Amiri and Zia Nabavi of “propaganda activity” against the Islamic Republic.  The case stemmed from a …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have sentenced a Baha’i woman to 10 years and 9 months in prison for her religious beliefs and activities as a member of the persecuted minority.  The First Branch of the Revolutionary Court in the north-eastern city of Mashhad sentenced Sanaz Tafazoli on July 15 on charges of “collusion against security, leading a group with the …

Iranwire – Concerns are growing over the safety of two Iranian writers and a popular blogger who have been arrested by security forces amid a widening crackdown on freedom of expression and dissent. A group of Iranian cinema workers and artists issued a joint statement on social media saying that well-known actor and dramatist Mehdi Etemad Saeed has been unheard of …

Iran-HRM – The longest-held political prisoners by the names of Saeed Massouri, Afshin Baymani, Hamzeh Savari Lofteh, and Motalleb Ahmadian were recently transferred from Gohardasht (aka Rajaii Shahr) Prison to Evin Prison, without adhering to the principle of separating crimes in this prison. These prisoners were moved to the ward with strict security measures on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, with …