Social and Political

Radiofarda – Who is the new chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and why did Iran’s Supreme Leader decide to appoint a new leader now? Why did he choose Hossein Salami instead of another senior officer? These are questions that three prominent Iranian analysts have answered on Radio Farda’s Persian website. Hossein Salami, they say is a …

Al-Arabia – The United States has denied the Iranian regime over $10 billion in revenue and expect that number to increase dramatically, US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook told Al Arabiya English after Washington declared it would start ending waivers to Tehran’s oil customers. Hook also said that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates share a lot of …

Al-Arabia – Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Dr. Ibrahim al-Assaf on Tuesday welcomed a US decision to end all Iran sanction waivers by May, saying it was a necessary step to halt Tehran’s “destabilizing” policy in the region. “Saudi Arabia fully supports this step taken by the United States as it is necessary to force the Iranian regime to end its …

RFL/RE – Beijing has lashed out at a U.S. decision to impose sanctions on countries that buy Iranian oil, warning that it will intensify turmoil in the Middle East and in the international energy market.“China firmly opposes the U.S. implementation of unilateral sanctions and its so-called long-armed jurisdiction,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at an April 23 press briefing.The …

Al-Monitor – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Hossein Salami as the new commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). After nearly 12 years at the head of Iran’s most influential military force, Mohammad Ali Jafari will head the Hazrat Baqiatollah al-Azam Cultural and Social Headquarters. Khamenei thanked Jafari for his service to the IRGC and “introducing the Islamic revolution,” stating that …

Al-Monitor — The Donald Trump administration will not renew sanctions waivers next month for eight countries to continue imports of Iranian oil, it announced today, in a move key American allies interpreted as an effort to get Iran to quit the 2015 nuclear deal that the United States withdrew from last year. “The goal remains simple: to deprive the outlaw …

Radiofarda – The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy has said that if Iran is not allowed to export its oil through the Hormuz Strait, it would close the vital shipping route. Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri told Iran’s Arabic TV channel Al-Alam, “The Hormuz Strait, based on law is an international shipping route and if we are banned from using …

Radiofarda – Iran’s first vice president has announced that the government has sent a draft bill to parliament to allow children born to Iranian mothers to obtain citizenship. Currently, children of Iranian fathers can obtain citizenship, while the offspring of women married to non-Iranians cannot receive Iranian passports. Vice president Es’haq Jahangiri in announcing the government’s proposal mentioned Maryam Mirzakhani, …

Radiofarda – Iran’s latest monthly inflation rate has hit 51.4 percent, according to the Iranian Statistical Center (ISC). The first month of the Iranian year (March 21-April 20) showed a more than 50 percent rise in prices compared to the same month last year. ISC also reported that the inflation rate in the past 12 months reached 30.6 percent. This …

Radiofarda – Following one month of floods in many parts of Iran, a new wave of torrents hit the southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province, while the southwestern oil region continues to struggle with flood disruptions. The news website of the monopolized state-run national Radio and TV reported that flash flood waters from Afghanistan have entered Iran and diverted to Lake …