Social and Political

RFL/RE – Iran will respond to attacks on its interests in Syria, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said on December 4 when asked about the killing by Israel of two Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) members in Syria last week. “No action against Iran’s interests and our advisory forces in Syria will go unanswered,” Kanaani said. Two IRGC members who …

Iranwire – A quarter a century ago, in the fall of 1998, a series of murders rocked Iranian society. Iran was then already in a state of agitation and political fever. A year and a half before, reformist Mohammad Khatami had been elected president in an unexpected upset. Considering Khatami’s moderate program, many Iranians hoped his election could be the …

Iranwire – Iranian security forces have arrested two Kurdish Sunni clerics in the northwestern district of Bukan, as the country’s Shia rulers continue their crackdown on Sunni clerics in Iran.  The arrests of Hassan Amini, the Friday prayer leader of the village of Malaler, and Mohiuddin Mohammadzadeh, the Friday prayer leader of Nobar village, were reported by the Kurdpa News …

Iranwire – Turkish authorities have arrested Amir Tataloo, one of Iran’s most famous musicians and singers, Iranian media report.  The semiofficial ILNA news agency reported that Amirhossein Maqsoodlou, better known as Amir Tataloo, was apprehended on the evening of December 2 following a complaint filed by the Iran’s Consulate in Istanbul. The tattoo-covered artist is reportedly accused of “obscene behavior” …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have closed schools in Tehran and several other provinces due to a surge in air pollution. In the capital, all primary and secondary schools are closed on December 4, while children, pregnant women and individuals with heart or lung conditions are advised to avoid outdoor activities and wear masks in the streets. The deputy coordinator for …

VOA – A new report by a human rights group which closely follows how many prisoners are executed in Iran each month offers a chilling look at the surge in capital punishment there. The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights has documented at least 100 executions in Iran over the past month, indicating a stark increase of more than 50% in …

iranintl – Iran’s hardliners have recently made comments against former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, seemingly aiming to tarnish his image. While Ahmadinejad faced considerable criticism for his populist policies during his presidency from 2005 to 2013, he stands out as one of the few politicians in the Islamic Republic who maintained popularity with a segment of the population during his provincial …

iranintl – A hardline politician recently suggested that that an absolute ruler in Iran is not enough, “absolute obedience” is needed, referring to the Supreme Leader. The statement comes after more questions have risen about how the parliament has become a rubber stamp and hardliners dominating the government get their power from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s office. Consequently, questions also …

VOA – A small western Pennsylvania water authority was just one of many organizations breached in the United States by Iran-affiliated hackers who targeted a specific industrial control device because it is Israeli-made, U.S. and Israeli authorities say. “The victims span multiple U.S. states,” the FBI, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, as …

gatestoneinstitute.org – In the case of a “Palestinian State”, there is no territory on which even the Palestinians agree. Indeed, the charter of Hamas — designated as a terrorist organization by many countries in the West, and which has reigned unchallenged in the Gaza Strip since 2007 when it forcibly expelled the Palestinian Authority, in part by throwing its members …