iranintl – After weeks of rocket and drone attacks on US forces in Syria and Iraq, Iran has once again denied involvement in such attacks. Iran’s ambassador to the UN claimed Tuesday that his country has “never had a hand in actions or attacks against US military forces in Syria or elsewhere.” American troops in the region have been targeted at …

iranintl – Iranian prosecutors opened a case against the reformist Etemad newspaper on Sunday for publishing an interior ministry document about enforcing hijab rules. In a report about the deployment of hijab enforcers at Tehran’s subway stations, the newspaper referred to a controversial directive communicated by the interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, to government bodies and organs, including Tehran Municipality and …

iranintl – Three months before the controversial elections in Iran, discussions in Tehran are focused on the role of former President Hassan Rouhani and its potential impact. The upcoming vote on March 1 will determine a new parliament and members of the Assembly of Experts (AoE), responsible for selecting a Supreme Leader after the death of Ali Khamenei. However, the …

Iranwire – Amid a spike of executions in Iran, the Islamic Republic executed a young man who was a minor at the time he committed his alleged offense. The execution came two days after the hanging of a 17-year-old boy sparked international criticism. Adel Damani, 25, was executed on November 26 in Chabahar prison in the southeastern province of Sistan …

Irabwire – The Iranian foreign minister has said he will miss a key meeting on Gaza at UN headquarters on November 29, blaming the late issuance of US visas for his delegation. “The Americans issued visas for me and all my companions at 1:00 a.m. (2130 GMT),” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said after a cabinet meeting. He said the delay meant it …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have summoned Hamidreza Najafi, a well-known civil activist and entrepreneur in central Markazi province, to serve an eight-month prison sentence. Najafi reported to Arak Central Prison on November 29 to begin his sentence. In a brief message sent to IranWire, the activist stated, “Document today’s Iran and share with the world. The story of mothers, fathers, wives, …

Iranwire – The uncle of Pooya Bakhtiari, a victim of the bloody state crackdown on protests that rocked Iran in November 2019, says his sister’s house was auctioned off after being forfeited in return for his temporary release from prison. The uncle, Mehrdad Bakhtiari, posted a video on social media on November 28 in which he expresses his outrage in …

Iranwire – The head of Iran’s deaf sports federation was dismissed from his post this week after images emerged of a foreign woman athlete without a compulsory headscarf at a tournament in Tehran. Mehran Tishehgaran was removed from his position “due to events that happened in the Asian Deaf Athletics Championships,” the semi-official ISNA news agency said late on November …

Iranwire – Prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Khosro Alikordi says a Revolutionary Court in the northeastern city of Mashhad has sentenced him to one year in prison, followed by a two-year exile to Nehbandan. The presiding judge, Hadi Mansouri, accused Alikordi of “engaging in propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic in favor of anti-system groups” through interviews with foreign media and social …

Iranwire – Hackers believed to be sponsored by the Iranian government are targeting civil society groups inside and outside of Iran in the “largest and most coordinated impersonation and phishing campaign” since the outbreak of nationwide protests last year, according to a Texas-based group that advocates for human rights in Iran. Miaan Group says in a report published earlier this week that …