Social and Political

iranintl – The scandal-plagued Iranian ex-ambassador to the UN, Mohammad Jafar Mahallati, is being investigated for allegedly promoting Hamas and antisemitism at Oberlin College. The walls are closing in on the self-described “Professor of Peace,” Mahallati, who has faced accusations from Amnesty International in two reports for covering up the Iranian regime’s massacre of 5,000 dissidents while serving as ambassador to the UN …

iranintl – Friday Imams in Iran echoed Supreme Leader’s anti-US rhetoric in their sermons in a concerted move on the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran. On November 4, 1979, pro-Khomeini Islamist and leftist students occupied the US embassy and took hostage more than 50 US diplomats for 444 days. In their sermons, Iran’s Friday …

RFL/RE – In a significant expansion of dress-code enforcement, Tehran has seen the deployment of “hijab enforcers” within the grounds of Tehran University and the streets surrounding Amir Kabir University, as well as key areas in the city. The move coincides with disciplinary actions against students, notably more than 50 female students at Tehran University who have faced reprimands and suspensions for …

VOA – The United Nations Human Rights Committee on Friday expressed concern over Iran’s treatment of women and girls and called for the disbandment of the Islamic Republic’s morality police. In its review of Iran’s human rights record, the committee said Tehran should introduce legislation that protects women and girls from any form of violence. “The state party should adopt …

gatestoneinstitute.org – Iran has not only been threatening the US with attacks, it has attacked US assets in Syria and Iraq 83 times since Biden became president, and at least 24 times in the past two weeks. Iran also recently threatened again to annihilate Israel, and has reportedly begun ordering its elite militias based in Syria into southern Lebanon “to …

Al-Monitor — A popular central Tehran park was prepared for loyalists of the Islamic Republic to watch a live broadcast of the speech on Friday by Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.   The giant screen was one of many media and public relations gestures in anticipation of the “game-changing” speech. Iran’s state television had predicted that Nasrallah’s remarks would …

iranintl – An investigation in The Times of London has revealed more than six UK-based groups with ties to the Iranian regime and active in pro-Hamas rallies. It comes amid rising fears that the Iranian regime’s influence on UK soil is deepening, as seen in the weekly pro-Palestine / pro-Hamas protests which have been shown to be fuelled by Tehran-linked …

iranintl – Amid Iran’s unequivocal support for its proxy Hamas, the regime has pushed Iranian Jews to cut ties with Israel-based friends and relatives. Sources told Iran International Wednesday that an unknown number of members of the community were forced to block their relatives’ phone numbers in Israel and some have left family and group chats on messaging apps, including WhatsApp. …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities are exerting intense pressure on the family of Kian Pirfalak, a nine-year-old boy who was killed during nationwide protests last year, ahead of the one-year anniversary of his death. Kian and several other people lost their lives when government forces indiscriminately fired live ammunition on people during protests in the southwestern city of Izeh on November 16, 2022. …

Iranwire – A dissident Iranian composer who has been jailed three times for his music has won the United Nations’ second annual International Art Contest for Minority Artists.  The honor was presented to Mehdi Rajabian in absentia on November 2 because he is unable to leave Iran. “This is an important award,” Rajabian said in a statement, adding, “Happiness is …