Social and Political

Iranwire – As the Covid-19 death toll rises in Iran, people aged between 40 and 60 are most at risk, an infectious disease expert in Tehran has warned. The number of people over 60 getting the vaccine in Iran has increased in recent weeks, meaning middle-aged Iranians are dying from Covid-19 more than any other age group. In an interview with …

Iranwire – In the eyes of Iran’s ruling clerics, music, the arts and youth culture are among the permanent prime suspects in fostering what they perceive to be “deviance” in society, and what might elsewhere be classed as progress. The essence of these suspicions is rooted in tradition, and their reading of Shia Islam, which takes a hostile approach toward …

VOA – The U.N. atomic watchdog on Tuesday criticized Iran for stonewalling an investigation into past activities and jeopardizing important monitoring work, possibly complicating efforts to resume talks on the Iran nuclear deal.  The International Atomic Energy Agency said in two reports to member states reviewed by Reuters that there had been no progress on two central issues: explaining uranium …

Al-Monitor – The commander of the Ground Forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of a “decisive and harsh response” against Kurdish fighters based in the semi-autonomous Kurdish territory. “The current situation is no longer tolerable,” said Gen. Mohammad Pakpour in reference to a recent uptick in border clashes between Iraq-based Iranian Kurdish …

RFL/RE – The Iranian Foreign Ministry says Tehran will “definitely” continue talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the country’s nuclear deal with world powers.Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh made the comments on September 6, a day after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held a phone conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, during which the two leaders discussed the nuclear talks launched …

Iranwire – Ebrahim Raisi has appointed Ansieh Khazali as his vice president for women and family affairs. She confirmed the news in a tweet, quoting a verse from the Quran in which Moses pleads with God: “O Lord! Expand my breast for me/… And loose the knot from my tongue,/ [That] they may understand my word.” Ansieh Khazal is a former president …

Al-Arabia – Israel has put more extensive plans in place for when it decides to “attack” Iran, Defense Force Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi said on Monday. “We have greatly accelerated our preparations for activities in Iran,” Kochavi told Israeli news site Walla, adding that a considerable increase in the budget has been allocated to that purpose, with more intelligence …

Al-Arabia – France demanded Iran provide a full explanation about the presence of “undeclared nuclear material” in the country, the foreign ministry said on Monday. “Iran must immediately provide the necessary full and technically credible explanations to the questions the Agency is asking about the presence of undeclared nuclear material in Iran,” a ministry spokesman said. For the latest headlines, …

Iranwire – This week a conservative MP for Kashmar, a city in Razavi Khorasan province, added his name to growing calls in parliament for ex-president of Iran Hassan Rouhani to be investigated, and potentially prosecuted, over issues during his time in office. Unlike others, though, Javad Nikbin based his demand on the content of the divisive TV series Gando: a spy …

Iranwire – Wherever power or wealth accumulates without adequate checks or accountability, corruption becomes a near-inevitable outcome. In Iran almost every official institution, from municipalities to courts to the police, are affected by this destructive tendency. The most common face of corruption in Iran is bribery: so much so that between six and 13 percent of all respondents in a survey …