iranintl – Iran will face a slowdown in economic growth in the coming years, the International Monetary Fund’s latest report suggests, as US sanctions and mismanagement decrease national income. While the country’s GDP increased by 4.7% last year due to a 19% increase in oil production, GDP growth is projected to decline to 3.3% in 2024 and 3.1% in 2025, …

iranintl – The Iranian government’s ongoing crackdown against non-governmental charitable organizations has struck another blow, resulting in the closure of the Mehre Shams Afarid NGO safe house. The NGO, vital for supporting and empowering vulnerable women, which strives to mitigate social and familial challenges faced by women and children in Iran’s West Azarbaijan Province in Urmia, has become the latest …

iranintl – The new EU-US coordinated sanctions against Iran in the aftermath of Iran-Israel April 13-19 conflict is a notable development whose efficacious enforcement remains as elusive as ever. It took the Islamic Republic of Iran until the early hours of April 13 to respond to Israel’s April 1 air strike that eliminated 7 of its top brass in Damascus. Although …

iranintl – During his visit to Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of increased collaboration with and among the Persian Gulf states to develop an integrated defense strategy aimed at countering Iran’s regional influence. “We’re focused on addressing the greatest threat to regional stability and regional security: Iran. …[Iran’s attack on Israel] highlights the acute …

iranintl – An Indian publishing house has issued an apology following backlash over a sixth-grade school textbook including Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, as one of the “most evil men in history.” The listing of Khomeini’s name sparked criticism from India’s Shia Muslim community, who hold him in high regard as a religious leader and Islamic scholar. …

iranintl – A report from the German newspaper Bild says a Düsseldorf-based subsidiary of Iran’s Mapna Group — Mapna Europe — may be involved in circumventing international sanctions. Mapna Group, a major Iranian conglomerate involved in constructing power plants and oil facilities, is under scrutiny for its connections with the Islamic Republic’s political elite. The British government raises even more …

BBC – An Iranian teenager was sexually assaulted and killed by three men working for Iran’s security forces, a leaked document understood to have been written by those forces says. By By Bertram Hill, Aida Miller and Michael Simkin It has let us map what happened to 16-year-old Nika Shakarami who vanished from an anti-regime protest in 2022. Her body …

Iranwire – Toomaj Salehi, an Iranian rapper who was sentenced to death, has been denied the right to make phone calls since April 27. Salehi’s lawyer, Amir Raisian, shared on his X account while announcing this news that his client “mentioned during a meeting with his father yesterday that the reason for this was information circulating on the internet.” On …

Iranwire – Samira Akbari, a 35-year-old woman, lost her life at the hands of her ex-husband in the city of Bardeskan, Razavi Khorasan province. Having separated from her husband three years prior, Samira was murdered in a horrifying act of violence. According to a report by the human rights organization Hengaw, Samira Akbari was fatally attacked by her ex-husband, Mohammad …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have summoned and interrogated producers of Mohammad Rasoulof’s new film, ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig,’ following its selection for the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. They were interrogated and subsequently prohibited from leaving the country. Lawyer Babak Paknia reported on his social media account: “Certain members of the production team of the movie ‘The Seed of …