Social and Political

RFL/RE 0 By appointing a conservative ally to head the influential Expediency Council, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appears to have made a move to strengthen the hard-line camp and weaken the moderates — and also may have cleaned up his line of succession.

Al-Monitor – Eighteen lawmakers representing constituencies from the central Iranian province of Esfahan, where water scarcity has reached an alarming state, have resigned collectively in a symbolic move against what they believe is an unfair distribution of water resources. In response, their counterparts from three other provinces, which share the same water supplies, hit back. They demanded in a public letter that the heads …

PayvandNews – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh from Iran claimed a silver medal at the World Blitz Championship on Sunday. Russian Kateryna Lagno won the Women’s Section and repeated her success of 2010. She collected 13.5 points. Khademalsharieh took the silver with 13 points and the bronze medal went to Chinese Lei Tingjie who scored 12.5 points.

Radiofarda – As videos on social media show demonstrations in downtown Tehran near Tehran University, Mehr news agency quoted Iran’s Police Chief Hossein Ashtari as warning that “demonstrators will need a permit for any gathering.”

Radiofarda – An advisor to Iran’s president criticizing early marriage laws says if thirteen-year-olds can get married then they can also vote or get a driver’s license.

Radiofarda – Iran’s intelligence ministry said Monday it had arrested 11 “economic disruptors” who misappropriated some $400 million earmarked for essential goods and smuggled the money out of the country.

Radiofarda – Videos circulated on social media show protesters gathering in Tehran’s Enghelab (Revolution) square on Monday.

Radiofarda – Taliban representatives from Afghanistan arrived in Tehran on Sunday and have started peace negotiations with Iran, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said.

Radiofarda – The spokesman of Iran’s foreign ministry has denied any knowledge of conditions set by Europe for launching a special mechanism to allow Iran to trade with European countries, despite U.S. sanctions.

Radiofarda – Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has objected to the airing of a movie on the country’s state-run TV, which alleged that foreign agents had infiltrated the ministry during mass unrest following the 2009 disputed presidential elections.