Social and Political

RFL/RE – Four visiting U.S. senators told Lebanese officials on September 1 that the United States was eager to help that country tackle its fuel shortages but warned against Beirut seeking to import Iranian oil to alleviate the problem. The Democratic senators said turning to Iranian supplies could have “severely damaging consequences.” The visit follows statements last month from the …

VOA – France and Germany on Wednesday urged Iran to return rapidly to nuclear negotiations, after a break in talks following Iranian elections in June, with Paris demanding an “immediate” restart amid Western concerns over Tehran’s expanding atomic work. France’s foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told his newly-appointed Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian in a telephone call it was urgent for …

Al-monitor – One of the legitimate criticisms made about the previous administration in Iran — not just by politically motivated conservative politicians in the country, but also by the general public — is that numerous promises were made about vaccines, both about their production and import, yet those promises gave mostly false hope to Iranians. Now, just one month into …

Al-Monitor – The Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan has raised major questions about what comes next for Iran-Afghan ties. The turmoil in Iran’s eastern neighbor — one of Tehran’s top export markets — will certainly have an impact on trade routes. Yet resulting geopolitical shifts could provide some opportunities for Iran. It’s no secret Iran’s relationship with the Taliban is complex. The Taliban’s …

Al-Monitor – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, only one month in office, is giving top priority to regional diplomacy, cheering the Taliban takeover and making the case that the United States, not Iran, is “the main cause of insecurity in the region.” Here are five trends we’re watching: Taliban not good for business. Although Iran is looking to capitalize on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan …

Al-Arabia – The Taliban are designing a government based on Iran’s model through appointing the group’s leader Hibatullah Akhundzada as the Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, CNN-News18 reported on Tuesday. While Iran has a president and a cabinet, the supreme leader is the religious authority who holds the highest office in the country with powers to dictate policy, overrule laws and override the …

RFL/RE – Syrian forces and pro-Iran militias heightened an offensive against a rebel enclave in a southwestern region on the border with Jordan and Israel, military and opposition sources say. Witnesses and military sources said dozens of improvised missiles were fired on August 31 into Deraa al-Balaad by the Syrian military’s pro-Iran Fourth Division. Fighting has escalated this week after …

Iranwire – A man has been arrested and given a prison sentence for setting a statue of former Quds Force commander Ghasem Soleimani on fire. The incident took place in the city of Yasuj in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in August, and the jail term was announced on September 1, though no details of the length of the prison sentence are available. Previously, three …

CHRI – Iran’s judiciary should stay an execution order against political prisoner Heydar (or Heidar) Ghorbani, who was tortured and sentenced to death without a lawyer, and grant him a case review, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said in a statement today. “Executions based on forced confessions extracted under torture and after trials without legal representation are murder, …

Al-Monitor – Iran will soon resume talks with regional rival Saudi Arabia, Iranian officials said, marking an expected fourth round of negotiations to be held in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said last night he spoke about resuming talks when he met Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud during a regional conference hosted by Baghdad on Saturday. Amir-Abdollahian …