Social and Political

Iranwire – Thirty percent of school students in the Iranian province of Sistine and Baluchistan have dropped out of school, according to a provincial representative in the Supreme Council of Provinces, revealing a startling educational crisis that speaks to inadequate facilities and the financial burden of educational services. The problem is compounded by the number of children who face pressure …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities apprehended Molavi Fazl al-Rahman Kohi, a Sunni cleric in the city of Sarzab, Sistan and Baluchistan province, on Sunday, 22 October. The day before Kohi had drawn a parallel between the situation in Zahedan and the Gaza Strip – asserting that the military assault on worshippers in Zahedan “is no less severe than Israel’s oppression of …

VOA – A teenage Iranian girl, who fell into a coma earlier this month following an alleged encounter with officers over violating the country’s hijab law, is said to be “brain dead,” Iranian state media reported Sunday. Right groups such as Kurdish-Iranian Hengaw were the first to make Armita Geravand’s hospitalization public, publishing photos of the 16-year-old girl on social …

Al-Arabia – Iran’s top diplomat warned Israel and the US on Sunday that if Israel does not stop its attacks on Gaza, the Middle East “will go out of control.” “I warn the US and its proxy (Israel) … that if they do not immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza, anything is possible at any moment …

iranintl – As candidates registered for Iran’s parliamentary elections, politicians in the reform camp expressed concern regarding the potential disqualification of many candidates. On the initial day of registration October 19, a total of 959 candidates officially entered the race, with the registration process set to continue for an additional week. Earlier, an unofficial registration process saw approximately 49,000 candidates …

iranintl – The US has proposed a draft UN Security Council resolution that says Israel has a right to defend itself and demands Iran stop arming “militias and terrorist groups.” The draft text calls for the protection of civilians – including those who are trying to get to safety – notes that states must comply with international law when responding …

iranintl – Iran’s intelligence chief has warned the United States and other ‘supporters’ of Israel that they would face a ‘harsh, fatal revenge’ from God and the people. Condemning Israel for what he called ‘genocide in Gaza’, Esmaeil Khatib on Saturday called the October 7 operation the “most complex and most effective” operation by the ‘resistance front’. Khatib’s rhetoric come …

RFL/RE – An Iranian court on October 22 sentenced two female journalists to prison for their coverage of the 2022 death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The state IRNA news agency reported that Niloofar Hamedi, 31, had been sentenced to seven years in prison, while Elahah Mohammadi, 36, was given a six-year sentence for “collaborating with the hostile U.S. government.”In addition, …

gatestoneinstitute.org – Why did Hamas trigger its attack out of the blue? Hamas apologists repeat the usual shibboleths: occupation, colonial settlements, expulsions, Apartheid, the two-state solution. A closer look, however, shows that none of those “reasons” could explain, let alone justify, why Hamas did what it did on October 7. The [Palestinian Authority] and Hamas have preferred to pose as …

Al-Monitor – Iran will be held “accountable”, Biden warns US President Joe Biden, in his speech to the nation Thursday, said Hamas and Russia are linked because they “both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy,” threats to the US-led international order which cannot be allowed to win. Biden also connected Russia and Hamas via Iran, which is supporting both parties …