Social and Political

Radiofarda – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with a joint Iraqi-Iranian military delegation headed by Chief of General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Baqeri and Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Armed Forces Gen. Othman Al-Ghanimi March 18 in Damascus. Iran’s Chief of Staff of Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, left, speaks during …

Radiofarda – An Iranian billionaire football club investor on trial for financial corruption is using the opportunity of the public proceeding to criticize the government. Business tycoon Hossein Hedayati insinuated in court March 18 that he had information relating to Iran’s financing of militant groups in the region. “They have branded me as an economic troublemaker for receiving secured loans. …

Al-Arabia – A senior US arms control official said on Tuesday that Iran’s missile program is destabilizing the Middle East and increasing the risk of a “regional arms race.”Yleem Poblete, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, told the UN-sponsored Conference on Disarmament that Washington would aggressively counter “Iran’s regional proliferation of ballistic missiles and its unlawful …

RFL/RE – A senior U.S. diplomat has told President Hassan Rohani that he should give Iranians jobs and employment instead of urging them to curse the United States for their country’s deteriorating economic situation. In a tweet in Persian on March 19, U.S. special representative for Iran Brian Hook, who sometimes responds to similar statements by senior Iranian officials, said: “In response …

VOA – An influential Iranian cleric says Iran might bring Shiite militias to the country from other parts of the Middle East to fight threats to the government.Musa Ghazanfarabadi, head of the Tehran Islamic Revolution Courts, told religious students in Qom this month that his government could use foreign fighters to crack down on potential popular uprisings in Iran. “If we …

HRW – There’s not much good news to share in Iran as Nowruz, the Iranian new year, approaches. The economic situation that played a role in nationwide protests during December 2017 and January 2018 is still difficult as millions of Iranians struggle to live a decent life. Inflation and perceptions of widespread corruption further fuel popular frustration, prompting dozens of …

Al-Monitor – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s recent landmark trip to Iraq was closely monitored and discussed from various aspects by the media and analysts around the world. Some observers put their focus on the bilateral aspect, talking about the importance of the visit in terms of Iran’s growing influence in Iraq, while others analyzed it within the context of Iran’s plans to overcome the US …

Radiofarda – In an apparent sign of frustration as a result of his country’s ongoing economic problems, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has heightened anti-U.S. rhetoric in his recent speeches. During the past two days, Rouhani called on Iranians to damn “those who created the current situation in Iran,” and urged the Iranian Judiciary to prosecute the US officials involved in …

Radiofarda – Turkey and Iran on Monday started a joint military operation against Kurdish rebels on Turkey’s eastern border, state-run Anadolu news agency quoted the interior minister as saying. Turkey has recently talked about a possible joint operation with neighbor Iran to counter outlawed militants from the the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), but this is the first time Turkish authorities …

Radiofarda – Iran’s military involvement in Syria and Iraq and assistance to Hezbollah are among the Islamic Republic’s “unique achievements”, according to Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari. “The Islamic Republic has organized a 100,000-strong people’s force in Syria fighting the Islamic State (IS), Al-Nusra Front and other opponents of Bashar al-Assad,” Jafari …