iranintl – As Iran approaches a runoff in its snap presidential election on July 5 between a hardliner and a more moderate candidate, questions arise about whether either would be willing or able to change Tehran’s foreign policy. A recent report by the Royal Institute of International Affairs, commonly known as Chatham House, a British think tank based in London delves into …

iranintl – Natalie Sanandaji, a survivor of the October 7 atrocities, stood before a virtual panel this week to show a shared unity between Iranians and Israelis that she believes many either overlook – or are unaware of. “We are not enemies. We’re allies in the fight against a shared enemy,” said the 28-year-old Natalie Sanandaji. Hosting a digital rally, …

iranintl – Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz has responded to Iran’s warning against the Jewish state’s possible offensive in Lebanon, saying the Islamic Republic deserves to be “destroyed”. “Iran threatens today to destroy Israel if Israel fully responds to Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon,” Katz said in a post on his X account on Saturday. “My response to Iran is clear: …

iranintl – Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Aerospace Division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claims that Israel conveyed messages through Turkey, asking Iran to keep its attack on April 13 “lite.” “The Americans wrote a letter, and the Zionist regime relayed a message through Turkey, urging us to keep the retaliatory strike restrained. They pleaded for a …

Iranwire – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s attempt to legitimize the Islamic Republic has failed. “Elections are always a test. High turnout is the pride of the Islamic Republic. People’s participation means that the Islamic Republic is literally a republic.” With these words last week, Khamenei put the people in front of two choices: vote and approve the establishment or …

Iranwire – Contrary to the organizers’ previous promises, women not adhering to the standard dress code of the Islamic Republic were barred from voting in the presidential election. This contradicts the statement made by the Guardian Council’s spokesperson three months ago during the parliamentary election. “The right to vote has not been revoked in any law, and it cannot be …

Iranwire – A supporter of Saeed Jalili has attributed the decreased turnout in Friday’s election to what he calls “conquerors of public minds” operating through the “dirty American Internet.” Momin Nasab, who advocates for internet filtering in Iran, claimed that reduced voter turnout aligns with Western goals. He said that “foreign influencers have been successful to some extent” in their …

VOA – None of the candidates for president proposed by the Iranian regime secured the necessary votes, the Ministry of Interior said Saturday. The top two vote-getters, Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili, will advance to a runoff next Friday. The nationwide participation rate, as reported by contested data, stands at 40%, marking the lowest turnout in the history of the …

gatestoneinstitute.org – All candidates are career government employees molded by the same ideology and committed to “total and absolute obedience” to the “Supreme Guide”. This time, we don’t even have the usual Punch-&-Judy show by “Reformists” and “Fundamentalists.” However, the campaign has thrown a grenade in Iranian political life by presenting immigration, in the words of Gen. Muhammad Baqer Qalibaf, …

iranintl – The prison authorities have barred death row prisoner Reza Rasaei from receiving phone calls and family visits for the past week, according to Dadban, a group of pro-bono lawyers in Iran defending political prisoners. “The authorities of Dizel Abad prison in Kermanshah province have cut off Reza Rasaei’s contact with his family and have not given any explanation …