iranintl – Iran and Pakistan once again are aiming to revive a gas pipeline project that has been languishing for more than a decade, amid sanctions and bilateral issues between the two neighbors. The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, commonly known as the Peace pipeline or IP Gas, is a complex initiative influenced by geopolitical tensions, economic factors, and international sanctions. Initially designed to …

iranintl – The 2024 elections in Iran mirror past ones under the Islamist regime in various aspects, such as the arbitrary disqualification of candidates, and dwindling participation rates. Amid numerous crises gripping the nation, the regime, under the control of its 84-year-old ruler Ali Khamenei, is striving desperately to achieve a high turnout to demonstrate that it still maintains popularity …

iranintl – A former Iranian minister said the government’s recent deals with Chinese companies to build residential units in the capital are an “insult to Iran’s engineering community” while the local economy is in freefall. A former Iranian minister said the government’s recent deals with Chinese companies to build residential units in the capital are an “insult to Iran’s engineering …

RFL/RE – Iran’s Supreme Labor Council, meeting ahead of the end of the Persian calendar year, said efforts to boost the minimum wage for state workers in next year’s budget have yet to be discussed in negotiations with the government. The state-affiliated ILNA news agency on February 25 quoted the labor body as saying that “wage negotiations are on the …

Iranwire – Mehdi Yarrahi, an Iranian singer who released a song last year criticizing compulsory headscarf rules in the country, will wear an electronic monitoring tag instead of serving a one-year prison sentence, his lawyer has said.  “His one-year imprisonment has been altered to wearing an electronic tag, with a restriction on movement within a radius of 1,000 meters, due …

Iranwire – Heavy snowfall, rain, blizzards and frost have caused widespread disruptions across several Iranian provinces.  In some areas, including North Khorasan province, schools and offices were forced to close due to a critical gas shortage. North Khorasan’s Energy Management Working Group announced the closure on February 25, citing the need to “manage gas consumption.”  Similar concerns were echoed in …

Iranwire – Iranian civil activist Reza Ramezanzadeh was arrested on February 24 after being summoned to the Evin Prison prosecutor’s office, IranWire reports. He was later transferred to Evin’s Ward 209 which is used to hold political prisoners and activists.  A source told IranWire that Ramezanzadeh is accused of “propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic” for publicizing issues faced by …

Iranwire – Political prisoner Shahin Galehdari has taken his own life in prison in Urmia, in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, a human rights news agency reported.  The 46-year-old Galehdari, a resident of Urmia, was arrested in March 2023 and sentenced to two years in prison by the third branch of the Urmia Revolutionary Court on charges of “acting against national …

Iranwire – Over 275 prominent political and civil activists in Iran have announced they will boycott upcoming parliamentary elections, citing the “deplorable” state of the electoral system, and condemning the “deadlock of reforms,” the “complete elimination of critics,” and the “widespread disqualification of candidates.” The signatories of the February 25 joint statement said these factors, along with the lack of …

Iranwire – The Iranian-Azeri civil activist Morteza Parvin-Joda has begun a hunger strike Tehran’s Evin Prison to protest his continued detention, lack of proper medical care, and the pressure he faces to confess to “trumped up” charges. Parvin-Joda, who was arrested at his home in Ardabil on February 6 by intelligence agents and transferred to Evin, revealed his situation in a brief …