iranintl – Iranian female singer Hiva Seyfizadeh was arrested during a live performance in Tehran on Thursday night after security forces raided the venue, whose audience included both men and women in defiance of the theocracy’s gender-mixing laws. Iranian law prohibits women from singing solo before mixed audiences that include men and mandates adherence to strict hijab regulations. Although the …

iranintl – Iran has paid a heavy price to maintain its influence in Iraq and Syria, yet its gains have been minimal compared to the costs, Turkey’s Foreign Minister said in an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday. Hakan Fidan, who served as Turkey’s intelligence chief for nearly eight years, said he had shared this assessment with Quds Force commander …

iranintl – Tehran is open to talks with Washington but will not be bullied into them, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday, sounding a positive note on negotiations even after the country’s Supreme Leader rejected the idea this month. “We never said we won’t talk, but we shouldn’t bow to bullies,” Pezeshkian said Thursday. “Why should someone on the …

iranintl – The Iranian government will raise diesel prices starting next month, Iran International has learned, in a move which could stoke unrest as economic malaise mounts. Diesel will be sold at market rates, and a significant portion of government subsidies will be eliminated. An executive directive outlining the changes has already been drafted and awaits official approval. The change …

iranintl – A former US Navy sailor has pleaded guilty in a Chicago federal court to plotting an attack on Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois purportedly on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the Justice Department said on Thursday. Xuanyu Harry Pang, 38, of North Chicago, pleaded guilty on Nov. 5, 2024, to conspiracy and attempted destruction of national …

iranintl – The Islamic Republic cannot be reformed and cannot offer democracy or freedom, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi told the French weekly magazine Nouvel Obs. “People in Iran, based on historical experiences and decades of efforts now demand a transition from tyranny to democracy, meaning a shift away from the Islamic Republic,” she said. Mohammadi, who won the …

iranintl – Two US lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill urging the European Union to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization to present a united Western front against Tehran’s military operations in the Middle East. The Revolutionary Guards are a paramilitary and intelligence organization which helps arms and trains Shi’ite armed groups in the region. US President Donald …

iranintl – Fifteen key household items had increased in price by an average of 12% in just one month, a recent analysis by Iran International found, exposing a stark gap between official inflation figures and the reality faced by consumers. Despite government statistics indicating a food inflation rate of 26.6% and an overall inflation rate of 32%, supermarket prices have …

Iranwire – Mina Soltani Zareh, the mother of a protester killed during the 2022 protests, has been sentenced to eight months in prison. Branch 101 of the Second Criminal Court of Bukan issued the verdict on charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic” and “appearing in public without hijab.” The court verbally informed Zareh’s attorneys of the decision. Government forces …

Iranwire – Rokna News Agency reported on Thursday that a woman in Karaj, near Tehran, was killed after being struck with a meat masher by her husband. According to the Fardis police commander, the suspect was injured, hospitalized, treated, and later discharged. He subsequently confessed to the murder. Rokna, like other state media outlets, did not identify the victim and …