Social and Political

VOA – The Iraqi government is forming a committee to prepare the closing down of the U.S.-led international coalition’s mission in the country, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s office said Friday. Sudani’s statement came a day after a U.S. strike killed a militia leader in Baghdad, prompting anger among Iran-aligned groups that demanded the government end the presence of the …

gatestoneinstitute.org – If the US fails to remove Iran’s nuclear capability — and not just (literally) buy time to enable it — the catastrophes that follow will surely go down as US President Joe Biden’s legacy, as well as the legacy of those around him. From the Iranian regime’s perspective, the failure of the Western powers to counter its nuclear …

iranintl – Questions are being asked about the veracity of the claim that ISIS was behind the twin bombings in Kerman, Iran, which killed between 84-94 people on Wednesday. The bombing took place at an event commemorating Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC’s Quds force and Iran’s most powerful military figure, who was killed by a US drone strike …

iranintl – Each year as Iranian officials extoll IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani on the anniversary of his death, they inadvertently affirm the reasons behind the US decision to assassinate him.  Lawmaker Mohammad Esmail Kosari — who is a former Revolutionary Guards commander – said this week that it was Soleimani who convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin to join Iran-backed forces in …

iranintl – A politician in Iran says Reformists have offered ways out of the current political impasse to the President, such as delaying the upcoming parliamentary elections. The managing editor of one of Iran’s leading reformist newspapers, Elias Hazrati revealed on Wednesday that in their meeting with President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday the Reformists urged him to delay the elections and renew …

VOA – The leader of an Iranian-backed militia tied to repeated attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq is dead, killed in what American officials are describing as a precision airstrike in the heart of Baghdad. U.S. defense officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss details of the operation, said the midday strike targeted a vehicle outside …

Al-Arabia – Russia is planning to buy short-range ballistic missiles from Iran, a step that would enhance Moscow’s ability to target Ukraine’s infrastructure, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing US officials. Last year, the White House said it was seeing more indications that Russia and Iran were expanding an unprecedented defense partnership that would help Moscow prolong its …

iranintl – Iranians, predominantly dependent on mobile data, are outraged by the government’s recent approval of price hikes, with many alleging corruption. “Where there is monopoly, collusion takes shape between [operators] and the government, and they scam the people in any way that they wish, same as in the case of car manufacturers, internet taxis, pharmaceutical import companies, and many …

Iranwire – Iranian officials unveiled a giant mural on the morning of January 4 at Valiasr Square, in Tehran, and vowed revenge following yesterday’s deadliest terrorist attack in the history of the Islamic Republic. Emblazoned with the slogan “Harsh Response,” the mural triggered a cascade of reactions on social media. Islamic Republic officials promised revenge with the same words four years ago …

Iranwire – Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has pledged a “harsh response” after two blasts ripped through a gathering to commemorate General Qasem Soleimani in Kerman and left at least 103 people dead.  “The evil and criminal enemies of the Iranian nation once again created a disaster and martyred a large number of people in Kerman,” Khamenei said in a …