Social and Political

Iranwire – Health officials believe the sixth wave of coronavirus infections in Iran is now close to reaching the peak. The Health Ministry anticipates the daily number of newly-detected cases will soon top 100,000, driven in large part by the Omicron variant; the dearth of testing in Iran means this is probably only the tip of the iceberg. As yet, however, the …

Iranwire – A few days ago, Saeed Morad Abdevali, a world wrestling champion, announced he was currently spending his time cultivating wheat. He had no intention of going back to wrestling, he said, not as a competitor or as a coach or manager, despite the fact that he practices four times a week. “This year I planted wheat and I am busy with …

VOA – Iran has ramped up its threats and harassment of journalists working for the BBC’s Persian language service and their families, the British broadcaster says. In a complaint filed with the United Nations this month, the BBC called on the U.N. and the international community to “condemn Iran for their unacceptable treatment” of its staff. The complaint cited “extra-territorial …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – The European Parliament resolution calling for an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty is a step forward in the right direction. Welcoming the resolution, Iran Human Rights calls for the moratorium on the death penalty to be considered as one of the main provisions of any talks with the Islamic Republic. “This …

Iranwire – “We have been dealt more damage by Covid-19 than we were in eight years of war,” Iran’s deputy health minister has said. In a speech welcoming the new president of Gorgan University of Medical Sciences, Younes Panahi also issued a fresh call for people to stick to health protocols as Omicron sweeps through Iran. “We know we’ll reach …

CHRI– In a joint statement released today, nine human rights organizations, including the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), urged the governments negotiating a resumption of the nuclear agreement with Iran not to lift any human rights sanctions on the Islamic Republic, which includes maintaining human rights sanctions on Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi for his egregious human rights violations. “We …

gatestoneinstitute.org – According to Western security officials, the high level meetings between senior members of the Houthi terrorist organisation and Iran illustrate the close coordination that is taking place between Iran and the Houthis over the rebel group’s terrorist operations. “There has been mounting evidence of deepening cooperation between Iran and the Houthis, especially in terms of Iran supplying the …

Al-Monitor – House Republicans are warning the Biden administration against forging a renewed nuclear agreement with Iran, warning that a deal struck without congressional approval “will meet the same fate” as its Obama-era predecessor.  “We urge you to change course, learn from the first JCPOA’s failures, and work with Congress to impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime,” wrote more …

Al-Monitor – “It is not a question of weeks, it is a question of days,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, speaking about the Vienna talks on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Wednesday, Feb. 16. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said hours later that “we are in the midst of the very final stages of the talks.” Amwaj has the scoop here from informed …

RFL/RE – Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said Tehran needs nuclear energy, not weapons, amid signs of a breakthrough in long-running negotiations to revive a landmark atomic deal with world powers. In comments aired by state television on February 17, the hard-line Khamenei, who holds ultimate religious and political authority in Iran, said Tehran “has to think about …