Social and Political

Radiofarda – After an unprecedented delay amid the COVID-19 epidemic the National Organization for Civil Registration of Iran (NOCRI) has finally published nationwide death figures for past winter. On May 5, NOCRI had said that the organization will not be disclosing the country’s death toll for December 21-March 20, at the order of the country’s National Headquarters to Fight Coronavirus. Overall death …

Radiofarda – Iranian officials on Friday warned the residents of Tehran to be prepared for another possible earthquake after a shallow 5.1 magnitude tremor jolted the capital in the early hours of Friday. The city of Tehran is one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis in Iran and still under partial lockdown. Morteza Salimi, Chief of Iran’s Red …

Al-Arabia – Hackers linked to Iran have targeted staff at Gilead Sciences, the maker of remdesivir, an anti-viral shown to reduce recovery times in COVID-19 patients, in recent weeks, according to sources.In one case, a fake email login page designed to steal passwords was sent in April to a top Gilead executive involved in legal and corporate affairs, according to …

(HRW) – Iranian courts since late April 2020 have sentenced at least 13 people to prison terms, apparently solely for peacefully protesting the Iranian forces’ deadly attack on a civilian airliner and the government’s initial denial of responsibility, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should halt all prosecutions that violate the right to peaceful assembly and protest. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps …

responsiblestatecraft – The U.S. is removing Patriot anti-missile systems from Saudi Arabia as part of a broader drawdown of its military capacity placed there to counter Iran. While the military characterized the move as part of a planned withdrawal that reflects the view that Iran now poses less of a threat, the news has prompted debate over the timing of the decision. …

PayvandNews – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, also known as Sara Khadem, who had announced her retirement from Iran national chess team, has returned to the national team. On January 12, Khadem had published a photo on her Instagram account and said she has retired from national team. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, aka Sara Khadem Khadem is an Iranian chess player who holds the titles …

Radiofarda – The body of Ali Ajami, an Iranian human rights activist, was discovered in McGovern Lake at Hermann Park, Houston, Texas, on Wednesday. The cause of death remains unknown. Houston Police on Wednesday started an investigation into the death of a deceased male found in a pond at Hermann Park but said no other information was available yet. Iranian …

Radiofarda – An official of Iran’s International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES) on Friday said the 5.1 earthquake which also shook the Capital Tehran is not related to Mount Damavand Volcano in the same area. “This quake is not related to volcanic activity. The Masha seismic fault [apparent source of the quake on Friday] which is the closest …

RFL/RE – An earthquake shook Iran’s capital early on May 8, killing at least one person and causing some residents fearful of aftershocks to leave their homes for the safety of the streets. The U.S. Geological Survey said that the shallow 4.6 magnitude quake hit at 00:48 am local time near the city of Damavand, about 55 kilometers east of …

Radiofarda – The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei says a “surge in production is doable” for a nation that launches satellites into space. He was referring to his slogan of the year, “surge in production” and the recent controversial launch of a military satellite into orbit. “The wisdom and intelligence that can build such a satellite and …