Social and Political

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have destroyed the homes of members of the Baluch community in the southeastern city of Zahedan, according to a group that monitors rights violations in Sistan and Baluchistan. Haalvsh reported that police and municipal forces raided the homes in Shirabad neighborhood on the morning of November 30, cut off the electricity in the area and evicted …

Iranwire – The open expression advocacy group PEN America urges the public to join scores of writers, artists, human rights advocates and civil society organizations from around the globe in calling on the Iranian government to release human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi from prison. The petition FREE NARGES NOW! calls on Iranian authorities to immediately free Mohammadi, …

Iranwire – Canada’s foreign ministry has expressed deep concern over reports of intimidation of families fighting for truth and justice for the victims of the downing in 2020 of a Ukrainian passenger plane near Tehran. “We call on Iran to immediately cease its campaign of harassment and intimidation of these families,” it said on the social media platform X, hours …

RFL/RE – For many commuters in the Iranian capital, navigating the subway system means passing through “tunnels of horror.”Entrances and corridors in Tehran’s subway stations are lined with so-called hijab guards, women wearing black chadors and green sashes. And while the role of these squads is clear — to spot and confront women not wearing the mandatory head scarf — determining …

RFL/RE – The United States has imposed a new round of sanctions on more than 20 people and firms that the U.S. Treasury Department says have been involved in a “financial facilitation network” for the benefit of the Iranian military. The sanctions target people and companies inside Iran as well as in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, the …

gatestoneinstitute.org – Awad Darawshe, 23, an Arab-Israeli paramedic, remained behind, refusing [on October 7] to abandon the wounded. “I speak Arabic. I think I can manage,” Darawshe said, supposing that he could reason with the terrorists. Perhaps he thought they would not harm a fellow Muslim Arab. He was wrong. “I never felt that I’m deprived in any way…. Stop …

iranintl – Praising the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that Iran’s policy is not “to throw Zionists and Jews into the sea.” Speaking at a gathering in Tehran, Iran’s 84-year-old ruler said the “Al-Aqsa Storm” was against “the Zionist regime,” but its real aim was to expunge American influence in the region. …

iranintl – After weeks of rocket and drone attacks on US forces in Syria and Iraq, Iran has once again denied involvement in such attacks. Iran’s ambassador to the UN claimed Tuesday that his country has “never had a hand in actions or attacks against US military forces in Syria or elsewhere.” American troops in the region have been targeted at …

iranintl – Iranian prosecutors opened a case against the reformist Etemad newspaper on Sunday for publishing an interior ministry document about enforcing hijab rules. In a report about the deployment of hijab enforcers at Tehran’s subway stations, the newspaper referred to a controversial directive communicated by the interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, to government bodies and organs, including Tehran Municipality and …

iranintl – Three months before the controversial elections in Iran, discussions in Tehran are focused on the role of former President Hassan Rouhani and its potential impact. The upcoming vote on March 1 will determine a new parliament and members of the Assembly of Experts (AoE), responsible for selecting a Supreme Leader after the death of Ali Khamenei. However, the …