Al-Arabia – The former US ambassador to the United Nations told Al Arabiya English that Iran is the “world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism,” as Tehran-backed Palestinian, Lebanese and Yemeni armed groups continue to engage with Israel in a months-long conflict that erupted after the October 7 attack. John Bolton, who was the National Security Advisor under Donald Trump and also served …

iranintl – Voter turnout in Iran’s upcoming parliamentary elections is set to hit a new record low of just 34 percent, a telephone poll conducted from abroad has revealed. The projection is 9% down on the last elections four years ago, already the lowest turnout at the time, and comes ahead of voting on Friday. In a significant finding revealing …

iranintl – The US Senate committee on foreign relations heard Wednesday that the only way to stop Iran’s malign activities is to enforce crippling sanctions already imposed on its ruling regime. “We have to enforce our sanctions, particularly on the energy sector,” said Senator Ben Cardin (D-M), chairman of the influential committee. “And I think there is going to be …

iranintl – A hacked document from the Iranian parliament reveals Tehran anticipated heightened global pressure post-Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, including wider terrorist designation for the IRGC. The document is a strategic report by the parliament’s monitoring department titled the Outlook on Regional Developments After the Gaza War, providing a rare glimpse into the Iranian regime’s own thinking on …

Iranwire – Despite the many controversies and scandals surrounding Brigadier-General Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, he remains active in politics and enjoys the continued support of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.  Ghalibaf currently serves as parliament speaker. He formerly held the posts of commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Air Force, chief of the Police Force and mayor of Tehran for …

Iranwire – Nearly 16,000 people were left stranded on motorways across 26 Iranian provinces, as severe weather conditions left parts of the country’s transport infrastructure paralyzed. Heavy snowfall and rain forced the closure of roads in provinces such as Sistan and Baluchistan, Khorasan and Yazd, which usually experience little precipitation. The head of Yazd province’s traffic police confirmed that all …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have sent prominent LGBTQ rights activist Elham Choubdar back to prison to serve a three-year sentence, according to a group that tracks human rights violations in Iran. According to Hengaw, Choubdar was arrested “in late February” and transferred to the women’s ward of Urmia Central Prison, in the country’s northwest.  Choubdar, 26, was sentenced to death …

Iranwire – The Islamic Republic of Iran has announced the launch of a domestically-developed remote sensing and imaging satellite into orbit from Russia’s far eastern Amur region. The Pars-I satellite was launched with the Russian Soyuz rocket launcher on February 29 from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, state-run Press TV reported. According to Telecommunications Minister Issa Zareppur, Iran has launched 12 satellites …

Iranwire – A German-Iranian woman has been sent back to prison in Iran after several weeks of medical leave despite concerns over her health, her daughter says. Nahid Taghavi, 69, was ordered back to Tehran’s Evin prison “arbitrarily and for no clear reason” on the evening of February 28, her daughter Mariam Claren said in a statement on the social …

Iranwire – In the lead-up to Iran’s parliamentary polls on March 1, authorities have intensified their crackdown on supporters of an election boycott. On February 28, the police commander of West Azerbaijan province announced the arrest of 50 “social media page operators” accused of “disrupting public order and inciting non-participation in the elections.”  The police official warned that publishing “tension-inducing …