Social and Political

Iranwire – One of the lesser-known facts about Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, is his relationship and his close associates’ with the deputy commander of NATO before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and Heydar Aliyev, who later became the president of Azerbaijan.  Aliyev was reportedly associated with Khomeini during his time as an agent of the Soviet spy …

Iranwire – While the United Kingdom and other democratic nations are holding their officials accountable for their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to deflect blame for its delayed and restricted vaccine imports.  The Iranian authorities’ negligence, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iranians, can partially be attributed to political reasons.  …

VOA – The Western powers in the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran accused Tehran on Monday of developing and testing ballistic missiles, transferring hundreds of drones to Russia, and enriching uranium to an unprecedented 60% level for a country without a nuclear weapons program — all in violation of a U.N. resolution endorsing the deal. Iran and its ally, Russia, …

iranintl – Jailed Iranian dissident Zohreh Sarv, who ended her hunger strike following a call from Iran’s exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi, has sent a message of unity for the opposition. In a letter from the women’s ward of Evin Prison in Tehran to Prince Pahlavi, Sarv thanked him and expressed her gratitude to her fellow inmates, including Nobel Peace Laureate Narges …

iranintl – Amid reports of a possible US strike on Iran-backed Houthis, IRGC’s commander-in-chief taunted Americans on Sunday, claiming that they’d leave the region soon. “The US and Israel are reliving their bitter experiences,” said Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami. “Did they find victory in their occupation of Afghanistan? Were they able to stay in Iraq after its occupation? They are …

iranintl – A prominent reformist in Iran says hardliners are “tearing each other apart” over financial gains after pushing reformists out of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Ali Soufi, a minister and top-level official in reformist President Mohammad Khatami’s fist government (1997-2005) told Rouydad24 website that “There is an escalation in infighting over financial gains among Iran’s conservatives now that they do not …

Iranintl – One of Iran’s cyber espionage tactics to support Hamas is using Hebrew-speaking women to gather intelligence from Israeli soldiers, Iran International has learned. According to our sources, several of these women are based in the religious city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran and use social media to seduce Israeli soldiers by sending nude images or provocative footage of …

Iranwire – An ethnic Baluch man died of a stroke five days after his 19-year-old son, Mahmoud Rakhshani, lost his life in the hands of intelligence agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to a human rights group. Haalvsh, an organization that monitors rights violations in Sistan and Baluchistan province, reported that Ebrahim Rakhshani, a 62-year-old construction worker, passed …

RFL/RE – The water level in Iran’s reservoirs has seen a steep decline due to an increased production of hydroelectricity amid shortages prompted by high temperatures, drought, and mismanagement. The ISNA news agency on December 17 reported that the water volume in Iran’s hydroelectric plant reservoirs is currently at 40 percent capacity — a dangerously low level.Official data reveals that while the …

RFL/RE -Services have been disrupted at about 70 percent of Iran’s gas stations, Oil Minister Javad Owji told state TV on December 18, adding that outside interference is a possibility. From early this morning, gas stations across Iran, particularly in the capital, faced disruptions. “A software problem with the fuel system has been confirmed in some stations across the country …