Social and Political

Amnesty – Imagine that you are a woman leading a relatively normal life. You take the metro or bus to work or university. You socialize with friends. You may be able to afford a smartphone and enjoy posting selfies on social media. You may sometimes be lucky enough to take walks on the beach and feel the sea air in …

Al-Arabia – As the situation escalates in the Persian Gulf, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has been visiting various countries to hold consultations and find a way to end the deadlock between Washington and Tehran. Bilateral ties with the United States have progressively unraveled ever since the Trump administration walked out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) …

Radiofarda -President Donald Trump sounded as dovish as possible on Iran Monday saying during his visit to Japan, “We’re not looking for regime change, I just want to make that clear, we’re looking for no nuclear weapons.” Trump added that he was “not looking to hurt” Tehran and believes the two sides could come to a deal. He had earlier …

Radiofarda – Iran’s deputy foreign minister announced on Sunday, May 26 that there are no direct or indirect talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic. Abbas Araqchi who was visiting Oman categorically denied all reports that suggest negotiations have begun between Washington and Tehran, Iranian media reported. Earlier in the day, the foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi in …

Radiofarda – Ali Larijani has been reinstated as the speaker of the Iranian Parliament (Majles) for the 12th consecutive year as the longest serving head of Iranian Parliament. The annual election for the posts on the Majles presidium was held on Sunday May 26, with the only surprise in the result being the replacement of outspoken conservative vice-speaker Ali Motahari, with …

Radiofarda – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani speaking on Saturday May 25 said that a referendum on the country’s nuclear program “can offer a breakthrough”. The Iranian president in a meeting with media managers in Tehran was answering a question when he said that Article 59 can “unblock” difficult situations. He added, “The question of when we should utilize this Article …

Radiofarda – The Assyrian Christian community in the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz has been left in a state of shock after intelligence agents forced a Presbyterian church to close earlier this month, Assyrian International News Agency (Aina) reports. Assyrian Presbyterian church in Tabriz Iran was raided by intelligence agents on May 9, 2019 and closed down. The photo shows …

Radiofarda – A former aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader has called Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a “despot” after being issued a new subpoena while already facing a three-year jail sentence. Abolfazl Qadiani (Ghadiani) must attend court within 10 days but, writing for foreign-based opposition website Kalameh, he said he will refuse to do so. The 73-year-old slammed the subpoena as an …

Radiofarda – Iranian State TV’s Chief Ali Askari has dismissed the manager and controller of the TV’s Channel 5 following a controversy surrounding a religious program that has insulted Sunni saints and Islamic sanctities. The firing of two managers of the state TV, reflects the importance Tehran attaches to the controversy as a potential threat to the country’s stability, as …

RFL/RE – U.S. President Donald Trump, who is on a state visit to Japan, has said that the United States is not seeking regime change in Iran, amid heightened tensions between the two countries.“We’re not looking for regime change, we’re looking for no nuclear weapons,” Trump said after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, adding that he …