Social and Political

Al-Monitor – US officials say Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has given Iran a chance to hone its drone warfare skills while potentially expanding its proxies’ footprint in Syria, risking escalation with Israel. One year into Vladimir Putin’s ill-fated war against Ukraine, US officials have grown increasingly wary that a military partnership of convenience between Russia and Iran could evolve into strategic coordination …

Al-Arabia – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held a number of secret meetings with senior Israeli military officials discussing plans for a possible strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Israel’s Channel 12 reported this week. According to the report, Netanyahu met five times in recent weeks with top military officials including the defense minister, head of the Israel Defense Forces, …

Iranwire – Hundreds of people returned to the streets of the southeastern Iranian city of Zahedan after Friday prayers despite a heavy presence of security forces. Ahead of the weekly protests, reports from the restive city said Internet services were disrupted and a number of people were arrested around Grand Makki Mosque, the largest Sunni mosque in the country. A …

Iranwire – An Iranian police officer has shot and killed a 26-year-old man in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, human rights organizations report. The young man, identified as Hasan Zahiri, was riding his motorcycle home on February 22 when he failed to obey a police order to stop and was shot, eyewitnesses were quoted as saying. The bullet, fired from …

Iranwire – The spokesman for the Iranian atomic energy organization has denied that the country has enriched uranium to 84-percent purity, calling it part of a “conspiracy” against the Islamic Republic. In an interview with state-run Press TV on February 24, Behrouz Kamalvandi sought to portray any detection of uranium particles enriched to 84 percent as a momentary side effect …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) Three men sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, were executed in Urmia Central Prison. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, three men were executed in Urmia Central Prison on February 21. Their identities have been established as Sadollah Farokhi Jormi (photo), Vahid Beizayi and Amir Ali Beirami. They were all sentenced to qisas for murder. Speaking to Iran Human Rights, an informed said: “They …

Al-Monitor — German human rights activists are pressuring the government in Berlin to take firm steps against Tehran, to halt the death sentence handed down on Tuesday to dual German-Iranian national Jamshid Sharmahd. On Wednesday, Germany decided to expel two employees of the Iranian Embassy in Berlin in reaction to the death sentence ruling, but several German politicians believe the expulsion is …

Al-Monitor – Reports of a number of explosions in the city of Karaj in Iran surfaced on Thursday night local time, as tension escalates between Tehran and Israel.  The BBC’s Persian-language service reported at 11:46 pm Tehran time that people in the central Iranian city west of the capital reported hearing gunshots and explosions. It carried a video that appeared to show …

telegraph.co.uk – US says the Government can play a key diplomatic role with Tehran but this would be undermined if Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is outlawed. Joe Biden’s diplomats are pressing the UK Government not to formally declare Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group, despite the Home Office backing the move, The Telegraph has been told. The US State Department has argued that …

Al-Arabia – Iran on Thursday directly acknowledged an accusation attributed to international inspectors that it enriched uranium to 84 percent purity for the first time, which would put the Islamic Republic closer than ever to weapons-grade material. The acknowledgement by a news website linked to the highest reaches of Iran’s theocracy renews pressure on the West to address Tehran’s program, …