Al-Monitor — One year ago, Iran was shaken by the tragic death of a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Amini, an event that set off a chain of mass protests across the nation. Her demise in the custody of Iran’s morality police for allegedly not observing the strict hijab laws marked a shift in the country’s political landscape. These protests, initially aimed at challenging these …

iranintl – Ekbatan, in western Tehran, known for its resilience during last year’s protests, is facing increased security measures to prevent fresh unrest on the anniversary. Security forces and their plainclothes agents made their initial appearance in Ekbatan last week. They have already established checkpoints within the extensive middle-class apartment complex and have stationed special forces on motorcycles at various …

iranintl – Amid simmering tensions between Yerevan and Baku, a new report has shed light on how Iran is making the best use of ties with Armenia to act against Israel.  Israel’s Alma, an institute focused on threats to Israel, released a report Wednesday elaborating on how Armenia functions as a transit point in the Islamic Republic’s air corridor route to Syria …

RFL/RE – When the United Nations established a fact-finding mission on Iran in November, the intention was to investigate alleged human rights violations related to the country’s deadly crackdown against ongoing nationwide protests. But as the anniversary of the beginning of those protests approaches, and the estimated number of protester deaths related to the crackdown exceeds 500, the mission is …

RFL/RE – The United States and three European allies have threatened Iran with another resolution at the UN nuclear watchdog’s board demanding action on issues such as explaining uranium traces found at undeclared sites, but left open whether or when they might follow through. The warning delivered by Britain, France, and Germany — the so-called E3 — and the United …

RFL/RE – The White House on September 13 defended a U.S.-Iran prisoner swap deal that has drawn criticism from Republicans, saying Iran gets no U.S. sanctions relief from the deal. The United States on September 11 waived sanctions to allow the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar, a step needed to carry out a …

RFL/RE – Prominent Iranian political prisoner Bahareh Hedayat has announced the end of her hunger strike in protest against the escalating repression by the Islamic government at the request of the families of Mahsa Amini and Javad Rouhi to mark the first anniversary of Amini’s arrest by morality police over an alleged head-scarf infraction. Three days later, Amini died in custody. “Today, …

Iranwire – Iranian security forces are inspecting vehicles entering and leaving the western Kurdish city of Saqqez as part of increased security measures ahead of the September 16 anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death. Metal rods fitted with spikes pointing upward have been placed behind concrete blocks at the entrance points of Amini’s hometown.  The Iranian authorities, fearing a flare up …

Iranwire – The Iranian government says it has summoned the Australian chargé d’affaires to protest what it described as an “interventionist statement” and a new round of sanctions against the Islamic Republic. In a statement issued on September 13, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Penny Wong, announced that her country was imposing financial sanctions and travel bans on “four individuals …

Iranwire – A criminal complaint was filed with Paris prosecutors on September 14 against an Iranian minister and the top commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its elite Quds force for “death threats and justifying terrorism.” The case against Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, IRGC commander-in-chief Hossein Salami and Quds force head Esmail Qaani refers to public threats …