Social and Political

Iranwire – Iran’s elections were marred by sporadic violence and reports of pressure or voter intimidation against individuals boycotting the polls.  News agencies reported a “failed assassination attempt” on a high-ranking cleric, Alireza Hasani, the Friday prayer Leader of central Meybod city, by an individual with unknown motives. The attacker, wielding a “sharp object,” was apprehended by worshippers. 🎞️ #Iran‘s elections …

Iranwire – The atmosphere at polling stations in the Kurdish hometown of Mahsa Amini during Friday’s election was eerily quiet, IranWire witnesses reported.  In some areas, the number of votes cast barely exceeded 50 ballots by the afternoon, highlighting a notable lack of enthusiasm among voters. Fraud and vote-buying were also reported in Saqqez, including cases where officials used people’s …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have sentenced singer Shervin Hajipour, a vocal supporter of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, to three years and eight months in prison. He is charged with “propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic” and “inciting people to riot.”  Hajipour announced the verdict in an Instagram post on March 1, also revealing a two-year ban on leaving the country.  …

Iranwire – Most of Iran’s disgruntled and disenchanted voters are expected to skip today’s elections for parliament and the Assembly of Experts.  They see the process as a false display of democracy meant to validate a government that has not improved their living conditions or personal freedoms. Elections for Iran’s 290 parliamentary representatives occur every four years while elections for …

VOA – Iran began voting Friday in its first parliamentary elections since the mass 2022 protests over its mandatory hijab laws after the death of Mahsa Amini, with questions looming over just how many people will turn out for the poll. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 84, cast one of the first votes in an election that also will …

VOA — Iran elects a new parliament on Friday in a vote that will test the popularity of the country’s hardline clerical rulers, with mounting public dissent over economic woes and restrictions on political and social freedoms set to keep many Iranians at home. With heavyweight moderates and conservatives staying out of the race and reformists calling it an “unfree …

Al-Arabia – The former US ambassador to the United Nations told Al Arabiya English that Iran is the “world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism,” as Tehran-backed Palestinian, Lebanese and Yemeni armed groups continue to engage with Israel in a months-long conflict that erupted after the October 7 attack. John Bolton, who was the National Security Advisor under Donald Trump and also served …

iranintl – Voter turnout in Iran’s upcoming parliamentary elections is set to hit a new record low of just 34 percent, a telephone poll conducted from abroad has revealed. The projection is 9% down on the last elections four years ago, already the lowest turnout at the time, and comes ahead of voting on Friday. In a significant finding revealing …

iranintl – The US Senate committee on foreign relations heard Wednesday that the only way to stop Iran’s malign activities is to enforce crippling sanctions already imposed on its ruling regime. “We have to enforce our sanctions, particularly on the energy sector,” said Senator Ben Cardin (D-M), chairman of the influential committee. “And I think there is going to be …

iranintl – A hacked document from the Iranian parliament reveals Tehran anticipated heightened global pressure post-Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, including wider terrorist designation for the IRGC. The document is a strategic report by the parliament’s monitoring department titled the Outlook on Regional Developments After the Gaza War, providing a rare glimpse into the Iranian regime’s own thinking on …