Social and Political

Radiofarda – The senior spokesman of Iran’s Armed Forces has insisted that only eight Iranian servicemen have been killed in Israeli airstrikes against Iranian military bases in Syria in recent years. An Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)-linked news agency, Fars, cited Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi as denying on Thursday, July 16, reports that “hundreds” or even “thousands” of Iranians had …

Radiofarda – In a statement on Wednesday, the exiled Queen of Iran Farah Pahlavi condemned the impending execution of three young men in Iran for participating in nationwide protests against the rise in the price of gasoline in November 2019. The exiled Queen warned that the death sentences will only add to people’s anger and make them want revenge. “This …

Radiofarda – While beating on the drums of war for years by Lebanon’s Hezbollah has driven major foreign investors out of Lebanon, the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah has called for turning to China to rescue the country’s failing economy. This comes while Hezbollah has opposed taking loans from the International Monetary Fund to save Lebanon’s economy. In the meantime, U.S. …

VOA – The upcoming expiration of an international arms embargo on Iran has left the United States and its allies in the Middle East uneasy, fearing that the seemingly unavoidable outcome in October could lead to a proliferation of weapons in the hands of Iran and its proxy groups across the region. Even though an economically crippled Iran may not …

Iran-HRM – The state security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters gathered in the southwestern city of Behbahan in the oil-rich Khuzestan Province. People came out to the streets on Thursday following days of social media protests against the impending death penalty for three young men who were arrested during the protests in November 2019. Videos from Behbahan show …

gatestoneinstitute.org – Announcing Iran’s intention to build a new military base in the Indian Ocean, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the naval attachment of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that the base would be used to protect fishing and commercial vessels from piracy and “foreign ships”, a reference to the US-led multinational naval task force that is …

Al-Monitor – Iranian armed forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi said July 16 that the Israeli media is exaggerating attacks on Iranians inside Syria, adding that Iran will not remain silent on reported Israeli attacks. Shekarchi said, “We warn the lying Zionists that with continued mischief you will see the upper hand of the resistance and the Islamic Republic of Iran in action.” Israel has …

Reuters – Hospitals in Iran face acute shortages of medical personnel and beds as the country tackles a powerful second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior official of Tehran’s anti-coronavirus task force said on Thursday. Iran, the Middle East country hardest hit by the pandemic, began relaxing its lockdown in mid-April. But a second wave of infections emerged in …

Radiofarda – The Chief of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday warned Iran of “bad” consequences if access is not granted by the end of July to two sites where undeclared nuclear activities may have taken place in the past. “I keep insisting on the absolute necessity for us to resolve this issue very soon,” Rafael Mariano …

Radiofarda – At least seven vessels caught fire in a massive blaze at a shipyard in Bushehr’s port in southern Iran, the head of the local Crisis Management Organization disclosed on Wednesday, July 15. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)-linked Tasnim news agency cited Jahangir Dehqani as saying that the fire has not yet been contained, and the cause is …