Social and Political

Al-monitor – At present, Iran has both an official exchange rate and an unofficial market rate that is used in exchange houses. The rial trades at above 35,000 per US dollar on the open market, compared to the official rate of around 31,000. AUTHOR Navid Kalhor To help boost economic growth, Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Governor Valiollah Seif has …

RFL/RE – Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said Iran will work with other OPEC members to support oil prices, but it will not back down from its goal of restoring output lost due to years of economic sanctions. “Iran will cooperate with OPEC on improving prices and the state of the crude market, but we expect our right to restore …

RFL/RE – The White House has expressed concern after several close encounters between Iranian vessels and U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf this week. A White House spokesman said such incidents are cause for concern and increase risks of miscalculation. Josh Earnest said on August 26 the behavior is unacceptable and “in a compressed space like the Strait of Hormuz it …

VOA – Iran’s intelligence minister says security officers have investigated more than 1,500 young men at risk of being recruited by the extremist Islamic State group. The semi-official Tasnim news agency on Friday quoted Mahmoud Alavi as saying that his department has summoned for questioning, detained or talked with the young people to stop them from joining IS. Alavi didn’t …

RFL/RE – Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh confirmed that Iran will take part in an OPEC meeting next month in Algeria to discuss ways to support global oil prices. Zanganeh’s remarks to the ministry’s Shana news service on August 25 helped spur a jump in oil prices, with premium crude rising 62 cents to $49.67 a barrel in London trading. …

RFL/RE – Armenia’s government is working with Iran to create a free economic zone in the country’s southernmost Meghri region, Economy Minister Artsvik Minasyan said on August 25. “The creation of a free economic zone with Iran will make available a good platform for the production of goods and rendering of services especially at the border sector,” said Minasyan, who …

RFL/RE – Iranian fans have taken to Instagram and other social media to demand the release of Amir Tataloo, a popular and controversial rapper arrested on charges of spreading depravity among youth. “Free Tataloo!” and “He Is Not Guilty!” say dozens of comments posted on the Instagram account of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Musicians Don’t Belong In Jail,” …

Al-monitor – Iranian social media has been buzzing about the news of the alleged arrest of Abdol Rasul Dori Esfahani, a member of the Iranian nuclear negotiation team. Conservative media outlets were the first to reveal the name after Tehran prosecutor said last week that a dual-national was arrested for spying for British Intelligence. However, no government official as of …

al-monitor  — The politics of the Middle East are undergoing rapid changes, as demonstrated by recent developments in Turkey’s domestic and foreign policies. These shifts will undoubtedly impact the regional and foreign policies of Turkey’s neighbors, in particular those of Iran. For Tehran, the two primary factors are Turkey’s decision to redefine its ties with Israel and Russia and the …

RFL/RE – The death of a 12-year-old Afghan girl in Iran has prompted that country’s health minister to publicly defend a national ban on organ transplants for foreigners that some were initially blaming for the tragedy. Latifeh Rahmani died last week at a hospital in Shiraz, where she had reportedly been hospitalized for liver problems resulting from a genetic disorder, …