Social and Political

rferl.org – Iran will maintain its military presence in Syria despite demands from the United States and Israel that it withdraw, Iran’s military attache in Damascus has said.

rferl.org – Security forces have arrested “tens of spies” working in Iran’s governmental bodies as part of a crackdown on espionage and dual nationals, the country’s intelligence minister has said.

VOA – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has drawn a social media backlash from Iranians for saying the pressures they face are a result of the life they have chosen to live.

alarabiya – UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura has invited the United States and six other countries for talks in Geneva next month, a UN spokeswoman said on Tuesday, as the United Nations continues its push for a new Syrian constitution.

radiofarda – Iraq will send a delegation to the United States seeking an agreement on financial transactions with Iran following Washington’s reimposition of sanctions on Tehran, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday.

rferl.org – The defense ministers of Iran and Syria have signed an agreement on military cooperation in the war-torn country, Iranian media report.

rferl.org – President Hassan Rohani has told lawmakers that Iran will overcome newly reimposed U.S. sanctions and will show “the anti-Iranian officials in the White House” that the measures will fail to reach their goal.

rferl.org – The United States says the reimposition of nuclear-related sanctions against Iran is a legal and justified national security measure that cannot be challenged by Tehran at the United Nations’ highest court.

Iran HRM – Iranian Police Commander Hossein Ashtari has warned that anyone using social media to incite people to “insult sanctities” or “damage public property” will be punished.

rferl.org – British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was returned to prison in Tehran after a request to extend her three-day temporary release was rejected by Iranian authorities, her husband says.