Science and Technology

Iranwire – The United States is reportedly pressing Iran to stop selling armed drones to Russia, as well as spare parts for the unmanned aerial vehicle, as part of talks on an unwritten understanding between Washington and Tehran to de-escalate tensions. The Financial Times disclosed the ongoing discussions on August 16, citing an Iranian official and another person familiar with …

Iranwire – The German domestic intelligence agency has warned critics of the Iranian leadership living in Germany about the threat of cyberespionage against them.  Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) on August 10 warned Iranian dissidents that they might be targeted by the Charming Kitten online espionage group. Charming Kitten works by building trust with victims …

RFL/RE – Iran’s “RoboKids” amusement park, known as the country’s first robotic-themed attraction, was abruptly closed down on August 3 for failing to enforce mandatory hijab rules for some female visitors. The popular Tehran-based attraction, which operates two branches in the capital, was cited for infractions by the Public Places Authority, which led to the immediate closure of the Valiasr branch of …

Al-Monitor – Iran and Belarus signed a defense agreement on Monday, furthering cooperation between the two countries that now involves Shahed drones production that Russia has deployed in its war in Ukraine. Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Ashtiani signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with his Belarusian counterpart, Gen. Viktor Gennadievich Khrenin, during a meeting in Tehran. The two …

Al-Monitor – Iran topped the list of countries that imposed the highest number of internet restrictions in the first half of this year. Much of the disruption happens during protests, according to new data. According to figures from cyber security company Surfshark, Iran took the lead globally with 14 new restrictions, followed by India with nine and Pakistan with three. Protests were …

voanews – Just one day after its launch, Threads, the latest social media network, was blocked by the Islamic Republic, denying access to the Iranian population. This action occurred even though an account had been created for Iran President Ebrahim Raisi on the platform. On Thursday afternoon, Raisi’s user account, under the address raisi.ir, was established on Threads. Within a …

Iranwire – The London-based ARTICLE 19 media freedom organization warns that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s recent call to further tighten internet restrictions represents a “renewed attack” on rights and freedoms, and signals a “new phase in digital repression” in Iran.  Addressing judicial officials during a meeting on June 27 amid what ARTICLE 19 described as an “already alarming deterioration of …

Al-Monitor – Israel announced a major cryptocurrency seizure from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah on Tuesday, a potentially significant development in how states and armed groups use virtual assets. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Tuesday that Israel seized a few days ago millions of dollars in cryptocurrency from digital wallets used by the IRGC’s Quds Force and …

Al-Monitor — The British government has opened an investigation into whether around a dozen UK universities helped the Iranian regime develop technology that could be used to upgrade its Shahed 136 “kamikaze drone” program, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed Wednesday. An investigation by the Jewish Chronicle newspaper revealed on June 8 that at least 11 British universities including Cambridge University, Imperial College London and …

Iranwire – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has endorsed increasing the number of surveillance cameras used to identify women who defy mandatory hijab rules, choosing not to wear the headscarf in public, the Islamic Republic’s police commander said on Thursday.  The move comes amid escalating pressure from the Islamic Republic to enforce mandatory hijab and to use artificial intelligence to identify …