Social and Political

Iranwire – The closest comparable experience Iranians have to what millions of besieged Ukrainians are currently dealing with is the eight-year war with Iraq, from 1980 to 1988. But many Iranians also harbor a historic fear of Russia: one largely not articulated by officials, except behind closed doors. Why has that fear been revived now, in light of a conflict …

VOA – Iran will continue to enrich uranium to 20% purity even after sanctions on it are lifted and a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers is revived, Iranian news agencies quoted the country’s nuclear chief as saying on Friday. “(Uranium) enrichment … continues with a maximum ceiling of 60%, which led Westerners to rush to negotiations, and it will …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – In a statement published today, Impact Iran which is a coalition of 14 human rights organisations, including Iran Human Rights, calls on the EU and the US to be consistent with its human rights values and policies while negotiating political deals with Iran, and warned against lifting any human rights related sanctions to secure a nuclear …

Al-Monitor – As negotiators in Vienna work to revive the landmark nuclear agreement, the US and Iran are also holding indirect discussions over the possible release of several Americans held by the Islamic Republic.  The Biden administration has stressed that the nuclear deal and prisoner issue are separate, but in January, US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley told Reuters it is …

Al-Monitor – Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi traveled to Islamabad last week to discuss a series of attacks on Pakistani security posts along the Pakistan-Iran border. The first attack happened Jan. 25 at Kech, not far from Gwadar port, followed by two more Feb. 2 at Panjgur and Noshki. As usual, the Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility. The insurgents were highly trained, …

Iranwire – In the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, several high-profile officials of the Islamic Republic sought to publicly justify Vladimir Putin’s aggression. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian tweeted that the “Ukraine crisis” was “rooted in NATO’s provocations”: sentiments echoed by Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh. State-controlled media have recycled the same line, with the official narrative so tightly …

Iranwire – In an audio file received by IranWire, Faezeh Hashemi, an outspoken political activist inside Iran and daughter of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has slammed the Islamic Republic’s capitulating stance toward Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. In the recording, Hashemi can be heard apparently speaking to a small crowd, calling the Islamic Republic’s overall policy stance “tumbling into the …

Iran-HRM – A female civil rights activist was beaten by a non-political inmate who has the support of an official in Kachuei Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran. Reports indicate that civil rights activist Yasaman Ariani was attacked by several prisoners detained for common crimes on Wednesday. The women’s rights activist is imprisoned for her opposition to the Iranian regime’s …

CHRI – A proposed bill that would drastically increase the Iranian authorities’ ability to censor and surveil activity on the internet in Iran has taken a significant step forward, with the passage of the outlines of the bill by a parliamentary committee on February 22, 2022. If ultimately passed, the Bill for the Protection of the Rights of Cyberspace Users, also referred to as the …

RFL/RE – Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator has called on Western partners in the nuclear talks in Vienna to “take certain decisions” to seal a deal on reviving a landmark 2015 nuclear agreement. “Being near the finish line is no guarantee to crossing that. It requires extra caution, much perseverance, additional creativity and balanced approach to take the last step,” Ali …