Social and Political

iranintl – A study published in the Iranian government-owned National Security Monitor suggests that the upcoming elections present both threats and potential benefits for the regime’s survival. Authored by Farzad Poursaeed and originally titled “Elections and National Security in the Islamic Republic,” the study was re-published by the Iranian official news agency (IRNA) under the headline: “National security and the …

RFL/RE – Iran is eager to build on its longstanding alliance with Syria, but Tehran’s achievements in expanding its influence in the Arab country are threatening one of its primary objectives: staying out of the line of fire in its shadow wars in the Middle East. As Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said earlier this month during a trip to …

RFL/RE – Imprisoned Iranian human rights lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi has urged a boycott alongside “national sanctions and global condemnation” of next month’s legislative elections there, calling the moves “a political necessity and a moral duty.” “Sanctioning elections under a despotic religious regime is not just a political move but also a moral obligation for freedom-loving and justice-seeking …

VOA – An attack by Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels on a Belize-flagged ship earlier this month caused a 29-kilometer (18-mile) oil slick, the U.S. military said Saturday. It also warned of the danger of a spill from the vessel’s cargo of fertilizer. The Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo vessel, was attacked on Feb. 18 while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, …

iranintl – A study by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance reveals a significant decline in adherence to religious values, despite extensive ideological propaganda by the government in Iran. The confidential study, conducted by the Ministry’s Research Center for Culture, Art and Communication and leaked to foreign-based Persian media outlets, highlights that approximately 73 percent of Iranians advocate for the separation …

iranintl – A commercial ship hit by Iran-backed Houthis on Monday has created an oil slick of almost 30 km in the Red Sea as it struggles to stay afloat despite damages. The UK-owned Belize-flagged vessel, Rubymar, is “anchored but slowly taking on water,” according to the US military. It is carrying “over 41,000 tons of fertilizer,” which makes it …

iranintl – An official has disclosed that President Ebrahim Raisi is among three individuals designated by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to select the Islamic Republic’s future leader. Entekhab website on Wednesday quoted Hassan Ameli, a member of the Assembly of Experts that Raisi is one of the members of a committee of three appointed by Khamenei to determine his successor. Ameli …

iranintl – An Iranian Wushu champion who had previously presented all her medals to the Supreme Leader has been busted for doping, with the international federation ordering her to return the medals.  Maryam Hashemi, a proud member of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) in the Kurdish majority city of Kermanshah, had dedicated her world championship gold medal to Ali Khamenei in 2019 …

RFL/RE – Iran has officially outlawed the use of tools such as virtual private networks (VPNs) designed to bypass Internet censorship following a directive from the country’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace that was endorsed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The secretary of the council, Mohammad Amin Aqamiri, announced the enforcement of the decree, which was initially approved by Khamenei, signaling a …

VOA – Iran is seeing an uptick in labor protests coinciding with annual deliberations on raising the minimum wage to keep up with increases in living costs, yet the actions have elicited no violent government crackdown such as the one that crushed a women’s rights movement one year ago. One of the Islamic republic’s most sustained labor protests of recent …