Social and Political

Al-Monitor – A Saudi soccer team refused to play an Iranian squad on Monday, reportedly due to a statue on the sidelines depicting slain Iranian commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani, an indication of the continued complexities of Iran-Saudi relations. What happened: The Saudi soccer team Al-Ittihad was in the Iranian city of Isfahan for a match against the Iranian club Sepahan at Naghsh-e …

Iranwire – Hardliners have labeled concerns about rising Afghan immigration as “Afghan-Phobia,” defending the government’s perceived “open borders” policy, despite public outcry. The fast-growing Afghan population in Iran has given rise to protests on social media and even debates in Iran’s government-controlled media, with many claiming that the government has a hidden agenda in letting thousands of Afghans enter the …

iranintl – The chairman of Iran’s chamber of commerce says he has heard rumors that the government intends to meet the standards of FATF, the global money-laundering watchdog.  Hossein Selahvarzi, the chairman of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture said Sunday that there is “unofficial news about the accession to the money-laundering watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the possibility of more serious economic negotiations.”  Iran’s previous …

Iranwire – The repression against professors and university students deemed as critical to the Islamic Republic continues unabated in Iran. During the first week of the new academic year, at least nine male students and three female students were barred from entering Tehran’s Amirkabir University of Technology, according to Amirkabir News Telegram Channel. A number of these students had previously …

Iranwire – Dozens of UK lawmakers have urged the government to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, citing the force’s “inhumane and unlawful actions” both in Iran and Britain. The death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini a year ago sparked months of anti-establishment protests that were brutally quashed by security forces, with hundreds …

VOA – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi denounced Sunday any attempts by regional countries to normalize relations with its arch-enemy Israel as “reactionary and regressive.” The remarks came amid ongoing U.S.-brokered negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia to establish formal ties, with the United States saying Friday that the two countries are moving toward the outline of a deal. “Normalizing relations …

iranintl – Iranian authorities have been shutting down cafes around Tehran University campus in the past eighteen months to “protect the wholesome Islamic-Iranian culture.” Closing cafes and coffee shops, which are very popular with students and other young people, is apparently part of the larger plans of the ruling hardliners to shut down all such establishments as symbols of “corruptive …

gatestoneinstitute.org – The disastrous consequences of oligarchs meddling in politics are too well known to need more attention here. But what about the plutocrats’ record? The question merits attention, because right now two American plutocrats are engaged in erratic attempts at solving two of the hottest international problems. Elon Musk, the owner of X (Twitter), Tesla and SpaceX, and reputed …

Iran Human Rights – A year has passed since Zahedan’s Bloody Friday when at least 104 people including 14 children and 4 women were gunned down with assault rifles and machine guns within hours after worshippers gathered to protest after Friday Prayer. Some of those killed were bystanders. Yet, the perpetrators of this heinous crime have not been held accountable. …

iranintl – A hardliner cleric and a loyalist to Iran’s ruler Ali Khamenei has said that the Constitution does not requite the Assembly of Experts to oversee his performance. Firebrand Iranian cleric Ahmad Khatami, a member of the presidium of the Assembly of Experts, made this assertion during the assembly’s annual meeting. However, the Constitution’s Article 111 clearly grants the …