Social and Political

VOA – An Iranian journalist handed a two-year jail sentence after interviewing the father of the woman whose custody death sparked months of protests said Sunday she had been released from prison. After her release from Tehran’s Evin prison, Nazila Maroufian defiantly posted a picture of herself on social media without a headscarf, flouting the Islamic republic’s strict dress code …

RFL/RE – Western-backed maritime forces in the Middle East on August 12 warned shippers traveling through the strategic Strait of Hormuz to stay as far away from Iranian territorial waters as possible to avoid being seized. A similar warning went out earlier this year ahead of the seizure of two tankers traveling near the strait. While Iran and the United …

gatestoneinstitute.org – The continuing trend of broad expansions of presidential powers… is eroding the powers of the legislative branch. Constitutionally, the vital decisions of government were not to be decided by the stroke of a pen from the president, with no congressional action from the duly elected representatives of the people. By addressing the Iran nuclear deal that is not yet dead, …

Al-Arabia – People familiar with the matter have said that Iran has slowed how fast it is accumulating near weapons-grade enriched uranium and has diluted some of its stockpile, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. This comes less than 24 hours after the US and Iran agreed to a deal that is expected to see five wrongfully detained Americans released from prison in …

Iranwire – Iran’s most prominent Sunni cleric urged the country’s Shia leadership to listen to the demands of the Iranian people and “respect” women and journalists, amid an intensifying crackdown on dissent, the media and women flouting the Islamic Republic’s mandatory hijab rules. “Respect and value women, reinstate them to their rightful place, and show due respect to the journalists …

VOA – The White House stressed Friday that there would be restrictions on what Iran could do with any funds unfrozen under an emerging agreement that has led to the release of five Americans from prison to house arrest in Tehran. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the United States would have “full visibility” into …

gatestoneinstitute.org – “For the last year and a half, Iran stated clearly that its main strategy is to make the Samaria region [of Israel] another Gaza.” The Iranians… are “pouring money and smuggling weapons into the region. They are supporting Hamas and the PIJ [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] and other factions within the Palestinian Authority.” — Brig. Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi, …

Al-Monitor —  The transfer of several Americans from Iran’s notorious Evin Prison to house arrest is only the first step in a series of coordinated moves to secure their permanent freedom.  The detainees, including Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz and Emad Shargi, are expected to remain at a hotel under Iranian guard until the country’s frozen energy revenue is transferred from South Korea …

Al-Arabia – The US said on Thursday that five Americans who were unjustly detained by Iran had been released from prison and placed on house arrest. “While this is an encouraging step, these US citizens – Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Shargi, and two Americans who at this time wish to remain private – should have never been detained in …

Iranwire – When a Tehran official said on August 10 that university classes might be held online for the first 10 days of the next academic year to reduce the traffic load in the capital, Iranians discerned another reason for the plan. Over the past weeks, officials of the Islamic Republic have warned against a resurgence of widespread protests around …