iranintl – The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has informed a House panel that Iran is resolute in its intentions to carry out various attacks on US soil, including assassinations. During a hearing at the US House of Representatives, the current status of Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’ and its implications for US homeland security and interests worldwide were examined, …

iranintl – Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi refrained from addressing economic challenges like poverty and soaring inflation in their Norouz Iranian New Year messages. Khamenei’s vague statement, “What has been done was good and should continue,” brushed over the people’s dissatisfaction, and despite Iranian media reports indicating that one in every three Iranians lives below the poverty …

iranintl – US Secretary Of State, Antony Blinken has come under fire for his mollycoddling of Iran, requesting they tell the Iran-backed Houthis “to stop” attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. While the international community looks to the US to take stronger action against the Houthis, Blinken could only voice hopes that Iran would step in to stop the …

Iranwire – The head of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), General Michael Kurilla, expressed concerns on Thursday over the deepening alliance between Iran, China, and Russia. During a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee, General Kurilla emphasized his worries regarding the “global implications” of this trilateral partnership.  “Collectively, Iran, Russia, and China are strengthening their relationships and fostering …

Iranwire – The recent spate of mobile phone and wallet thefts in Iran has reached a new level with an assault on Mohammad Ali Abtahi, former chief of staff to President Mohammad Khatami.  Abtahi took to his Instagram page to detail the incident, revealing that motorcyclists with a “polished appearance” and a “high-end motorcycle” attempted to steal his phone.  Abtahi …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities sealed dozens of shops and restaurants deemed not in compliance with religious customs during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.  This action has sparked concerns about government overreach and economic hardship. The closures were justified under the notion of “violating norms,” according to officials.  The Police Chief of Ray city in Tehran province, Mohammad Qasim Tarhani, …

Iranwire – A Revolutionary Court of the Islamic Republic in the northwestern city of Mahabad has sentenced a Kurdish man to 13 years in prison.  According to a report by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Mohammad-Taher Hosseinpour, a 31-year-old resident of Naqadeh, has been charged with “waging war Against God” for his alleged affiliation with and support for a …

Iranwire – The coincidence of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan with the Nowruz New Year holiday has led to Iranian authorities implementing a new set of restrictions.  Even before Nowruz began, the Deputy Interior Minister threatened to take action against those who chose not to fast during the holiday despite Islamic law exempting travelers from fasting obligations. Seyed Majid …

Iranwire – Sara Hossain, a Bangladeshi member of the United Nations fact-finding mission on suppression of Iran’s 2022-23 protests, has called the deliberate targeting of protesters’ eyes at close range “one of the most shocking” crimes committed by the Islamic Republic.  “The most shocking, I think, was these cases of blindness of protesters being shot at very short range, directly targeted into …

VOA – U.N.-appointed international legal experts who investigated Iran’s suppression of a women’s rights movement that erupted in September 2022 are appealing for more time to do their work, but objections from Tehran’s allies could terminate their mission next month. The chairperson of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, Sara Hossain, made the appeal Monday in Geneva, where she …