Social and Political

Iranwire – Iran’s armed forces have used shotguns and tear gas to disperse anti-government protests in multiple western Kurdish towns and cities, wounding dozens of people, as Iranians celebrated the Persian New Year. Violent clashes occurred across Kurdistan province late on March 20, including in Mahabad, Saqqez and Dehgolan, as residents attended cultural and traditional events to mark Nowruz amid heavy …

VOA – A U.S. federal court unsealed indictments Tuesday charging Iranian and Turkish defendants with conspiring to procure and export U.S. technology to support Iran’s weapons programs. The U.S. Justice Department said that between 2012-2013 Amanallah Paidar, of Iran, and Murat Bükey, of Turkey, sent a device used to test fuel cells from the United States through Turkey, and tried …

Al-Monitor — The Biden administration on Tuesday unveiled new sanctions targeting individuals in Iran and Turkey accused of procuring equipment, including European-made engines, for the Islamic Republic’s drone and weapons programs.  In coordination with the FBI, the US Treasury Department designated four entities and three people it said were part of a network operating on behalf of Iran’s Ministry of Defense and …

Al-Arabia – Iran is ready to expand its cooperation with Russia in the energy sector, including in the development of “peaceful” nuclear energy, Iranian Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi said in an interview with Russia’s RIA state news agency. “The prospect of cooperation in the field of ‘new energy’ and renewable energy sources, as well as in the field of other types …

RFL/RE – European ministers agreed to add eight Iranians and one of the Tehran government’s most powerful bodies to EU sanctions lists, alleging human rights violations. The individuals — including clerics, judges, and a broadcaster — are accused of playing leading roles in Iran’s crackdown on anti-government protests. The EU said it was in particular “sanctioning members of the judiciary …

Iranwire – Protesters returned to the streets across Iran overnight to call for the downfall of the Islamic Republic, as Iranians marked Nowrouz, the Persian New Year, amid more than six months of protests against the clerical establishment. Clashes were reported between demonstrators and security forces in western Kurdish areas, where the protest movement and clampdown on dissent have been …

Iranwire – The Australian government has sanctioned 27 individuals and 15 entities over “egregious” human rights violations in Iran and Iranian support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Australia has joined the European Union, the United States and other countries in issuing several waves of sanctions against the Islamic Republic in recent months over a bloody crackdown on nationwide protesters triggered by …

Iranwire – The UK government vowed to tackle the Islamic Republic of Iran’s “vile” activities in the country after a media investigation exposed hate speech among speakers at a British charity run by a representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Analysis of the sheikhs listed as speakers at the Islamic Centre of England shows that some have called for “academic …

Iranwire – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, has adopted two distinct approaches toward nationwide protests over the past six months. On October 3, just over two weeks after the demonstrations began, he blamed US and Israeli spy agencies and policymakers for the wave of anger. He claimed the protesters had been deceived by the enemy …

Iranwire – The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran says violations committed by the Islamic Republic in recent months as part of a broader crackdown on anti-government protests may amount to crimes against humanity. Addressing the Geneva-based Human Rights Council on March 20, Javaid Rehman said that the scale and gravity of the crimes “points …