Social and Political

Iranwire – The following article is a narration from a prison inmate in Iran, published by IranWire as part of a collection of reports from convicts on their experiences behind bars. In this instalment, current and ex-inmates describe the youth ward of the 4th Brigade of Greater Tehran Penitentiary, known as Shafark Valley: a hellscape so badly out of control …

RFL/RE – A Taliban delegation has held talks with high-ranking Iranian officials in Tehran amid ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and the militant group.Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem tweeted that the delegation led by deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar met with Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and other officials on January 27.Naeem said the two …

VOA – The U.S. military says it flew a B-52 bomber over the Persian Gulf in a show of force “to deter potential aggression” amid fears that heightened tensions with Iran could result in attacks on U.S. or allied targets in the region.It was the third such mission this year and the first since President Joe Biden took office on …

VOA – Top U.S. diplomat Antony Blinken has signaled that U.S. sanctions on Iran will remain in place for some time as Washington waits to see if Tehran verifiably stops violating a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers before potentially rejoining the deal that the prior U.S. administration quit. Speaking Wednesday in his first news conference since being sworn in …

VOA – Ongoing talks about restoring ties between the Syrian government and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are part of a new attempt by Iran to revitalize a regional alliance, some experts say.   Iran and its proxy militia groups in the Middle East refer to their alliance as the “Axis of Resistance.”   In a recent interview with the pro-Iranian television …

Al-Monitor — International air traffic has resumed at Aleppo International Airport, with the first departing plane touching down in Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on Jan. 15, the official Syrian news agency SANA reported. “The resumption of flights to neighboring countries contribute to setting the wheel of the economy back in motion and restoring the glory of the touristic city of Aleppo,” Bassem Mansour, …

RFL/RE – Iran has sentenced the brother of First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri to two years in prison on finance-related charges. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said on January 26 that charges against Mehdi Jahangiri included “currency smuggling” in the amount of $847,200. Mehdi Jahangiri He was ordered to return the funds and fined four times the amount in question, Esmaili …

RFl/RE – Iranian President Hassan Rohani has criticized Iran’s judiciary over the prosecution of the country’s telecommunications minister after he allegedly refused to block Instagram and impose restrictions on other foreign social media and messaging platforms. Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi was summoned for prosecution last week but Rohani, seen as a moderate, challenged the Islamic nation’s judiciary during a cabinet …

Iranwire – The Islamic Republic of Iran was born in 1979 following a wave of popular uprisings against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The Shah’s policies were modernizing yet his regime was repressive; many Iranians felt his reforms were failing to reach them or were disrupting life for the worse. The Revolution was led by Muslim clerics and the founder of …

Iranwire – An old building sits in Mostafa Khomeini Street, near the Sirus crossroads. Outside, a large sign indicates a medical center is housed there. Several cars are parked in the yard and a guard and several men talk to each other, standing next to one of the cars. Often in the past, the old building has attracted the attention of …