Social and Political

VOA – Former Israeli Missile Defense Organization founder Uzi Rubin on how Iran has helped its Houthi and Hamas proxies to improve their missile and rocket capabilities. German European Parliament member Hannah Neumann on Iran’s re-arrest of dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi and her plans to attend Nobel peace prize ceremony for Iran’s jailed rights activist Narges Mohammadi on Dec. 10. …

RFL/RE – Iranian political prisoners Sepideh Gholian and Mahboubeh Rezaei, incarcerated in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, have warned about the deteriorating health of fellow inmate Zahra Sarv, who has been on a hunger strike since early December to protest against the harsh treatment and injustices she has faced since her arrest in October 2021. The plight of Sarv, detailed in …

RFL/RE – Iran has banned millions of Afghan refugees and migrants in the country from living in, traveling to, or seeking employment in just over half of the country’s 31 provinces. On December 3, Hamzeh Soleimani, the director-general of citizenship and foreign nationals affairs of the western Kermanshah Province, confirmed the ban was in place in 16 provinces nationwide.“Numerous construction …

RFL/RE – Iranian media say the governorate of the central city of Qom has issued a directive mandating female employees in government offices adhere to strict Islamic dress codes, specifically wearing a black chador, a large piece of cloth that is wrapped around the head and upper body leaving only the face exposed, and refraining from using makeup. The directive, …

Iranwire – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is set to visit Moscow on December 7 for talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as the two countries strengthen economic and military ties in the face of Western sanctions. “I can confirm. There will be Russian-Iranian negotiations on December 7,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on December 5 when asked about …

Iranwire – An Iranian female LGBTQ+ activist arrived safely in an undisclosed country after her release from prison on bail following the cancellation of her death sentence. Zahra Sedighi-Hamedani, known as Sareh, “expresses her gratitude to all LGBT+ activists who accompanied her on this difficult journey to freedom.” the Germany-based Iranian LGBTQ+ rights group 6Rang said in a statement on December 1. …

VOA – U.S. forces killed five Iran-backed militants as they prepared to launch a drone attack in Iraq, as the number of attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria rose to 76 since mid-October. Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Monday that U.S. forces saw the militants Sunday as they were beginning to launch an attack drone …

iranintl – After Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed that two IRGC officers were killed in an Israeli attack in Syria, Tehran vows revenge. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Monday that the IRGC forces were in Syria “on an advisory mission,” threatening that “No action against the interests and security of Iran, as well as our advisory forces in Syria, will …

iranintl – The Islamic Republic is using Iranian students abroad, including those on government scholarships, to pursue its Islamist agenda. University students living in the diaspora or studying abroad are utilized as an asset to promote Shiite Islamism in Western democracies and recruited to transfer information and know-how to the um-ul-Qora (Islamic motherland). Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed Ahmad Vaezi to oversee the …

iranintl – A delegation of Sudanese officials has visited Iran on a mission to purchase Iranian-made drones, as a UN arms trade embargo expired in October. Informed sources disclosed to Iran International that the delegation’s primary objective was to acquire knowledge on the operation and utilization of the drones, which have been seen to be used in the likes of …