Social and Political

Radiofarda – Speaking on a live program on Iran’s state-run TV on Thursday the Commander of the Guard’s Aerospace Force claimed the United States was planning to hit Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s residence in January. After the targeted killing of Qods Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani on Jnauary 3, President Donald Trump threatened in a tweet that the U.S. …

Radiofarda – Amid concerns about a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak in Iran as a result of an early end to social distancing, officials are considering the re-opening of cinemas and religious centers. Meanwhile, President Hassan Rouhani is under political pressure by influential supporters and opponents of an early end to social distancing. Local officials in the three provinces …

RFL/RE – Millions of Muslims around the world are now abstaining from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset to mark the holy month of Ramadan, which concludes in late May. The Islamic month of fasting is when Muslims believe the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and is about togetherness. It is marked by joyful group “iftars,” where …

RFL/RE – President Hassan Rohani has called on Iran’s armed forces to seek regional stability while maintaining vigilance against “provocations.” The comments on April 24 came after days of rising tensions between Iran and the United States centered on threats involving the two countries’ ships in the Persian Gulf.Rohani was quoted by state television as telling his defense minister that …

Iran Human Right (IHR) – From January 1 to April 23, 2020, at least 84 people have been executed in Iran. It is higher than the similar time period in 2019 and 2018. At least 33 people have been hanged in Iran after Coronavirus pandemic reached the country. Since the government forbids gathering to avoid physical contacts and further spread of …

Radiofarda – The Head of Iran’s Tax Organization on Friday said the government’s tax revenues will drastically shrink in the current Iranian year as a result of the coronavirus epidemic and closure of businesses. Omid-Ali Parsa told Tasnim news agency in the best possible case only 1,400 trillion rials ($33.2 billion) of the projected 1,800 trillion rials ($42.7 billion) of …

Radiofarda – In an open letter to Donald Trump on Wednesday, 51 former U.S. officials and Iran experts called on the President of the United States to increase pressure on Iran. “Now is the time to double down on the maximum pressure campaign to force the mullahs to spend their money on the Iranian people, not their nuclear ambitions, imperialism, …

Radiofarda – Following strong condemnation by the Unites States two of its major European allies, France and Germany, have also criticized Iran’s launch of a military satellite into space. In what is seen by many as a violation of a United Nations Security Council resolution, Iran on April 22 launched a ballistic missile carrying what it said was a military …

Radiofarda – In a statement released on Thursday, twenty human rights organizations called on Iran to immediately free female prisoners of conscience and other political prisoners who have not been allowed to go on furlough despite the catastrophic situation on the ground, particularly in prisons. According to the statement published on the website of the International Federation for Human Rights, prisoners …

RFL/RE – The head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says he has ordered his forces to potentially target the U.S. Navy after President Donald Trump’s tweet threatening to sink Iranian vessels. Speaking on state television on April 23, General Hossein Salami warned that his forces “will answer any action with a decisive, effective, and quick counteraction.” “We have …