CHRI — The release of the five American hostages held in the Islamic Republic of Iran is a welcome development. The imprisonment of these individuals, long-held unlawfully in the country, was a complete travesty of every international legal and ethical norm. Yet there are a number of concerns regarding the deal the Biden Administration struck with Iran to free them. …

Al-Monitor – Two Israelis and three Palestinians were charged Thursday for their involvement in a “terror cell” operated by a person living in Jordan and working under Iranian instructions, Israel’s security agency, Shin Bet, said.  Among other things, the five individuals are suspected of trying to gather intelligence on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, receiving instructions to assassinate former Knesset …

iranintl – An investigative report documenting an Iranian-backed influence operation in the United States has enraged lawmakers and others across the country. The report, published in two versions simultaneously by Iran International and Semafor on Tuesday, depicts a close yet lopsided relationship between the Islamic Republic and three associates of Robert Malley, Biden’s special envoy on Iran, who’s been suspended and is under investigation …

iranintl – Reactions to Iran International’s report revealing a Tehran-linked network of individuals influencing US officials are bubbling up with calls for accountability.  During a press briefing on Tuesday, US Department of State Spokesman Matthew Miller tried to reduce the problem to only one of the aides of Robert Malley, President Joe Biden’s former special envoy for Iran. Malley has been put on unpaid leave …

iranintl – Politicians in Iran are engaged in speculation regarding their odds and opportunities as they look ahead to the country’s parliamentary election in March 2024.  Amid their political calculations, all are more or less aware that the true course of events leading to the election depends solely on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s decision. The aging ruler can prevent anyone’s …

Iranwire – The release of new guidelines for the Iranian universities of medical sciences, which include rules on how students should dress, has sparked a flurry of reactions among local media outlets and social media users. The Ministry of Health has recently unveiled a “code of conduct” which students and assistants of medical sciences faculties and universities are required to …

Iranwire – Shahryar Baratinya, a 27-year-old Iranian activist, was forcibly deported from Türkiye to Iran on August 3 and has been confined to solitary detention ever since.  For the first two weeks following Baratinya’s deportation and subsequent apprehension by Iranian security agencies, his family did not know if he was alive, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. …

Iranwire – Nahaleh Shahidi, a Baha’i citizen, was arrested on March 28 and taken to the Kerman Intelligence Department.  After 37 days of detention in the Intelligence Department, she was transferred to Kerman prison.  Since her transfer to prison, Shahidi has been held indefinitely, and her request for temporary release on bail has been denied. According to one of her …

Iranwire – A suspected explosion rocked the area of the western Iranian city of Khorramabad earlier this week, with some unofficial and unverified reports saying it could have been a sabotage operation in a nearby underground missile base. The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that around 10 p.m. on September 25, “strong shocks accompanied by a terrible sound caused tremors …

Iranwire – Abolfazl Pourhosseini, a resident of Karaj, has been held in detention for over three months on the charge of “disrespecting the leadership.” A source familiar with Pourhosseini’s situation told IranWire that plainclothes officers took him into custody on the evening of June 23 in Karaj, near Tehran, and subjected him to severe physical violence. The officers hit the …