Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.

Al-Monitor – In the movie Godfather II, mafia boss Michael Corleone says that his rival Hyman Roth “has been dying of the same heart attack for twenty years.” After swearing never to do a Godfather reference in a column, this one came to mind, following the many epitaphs of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran nuclear deal. The JCPOA, …

Shabtabnews– The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report: Increasing Religious Freedom Restrictions on Baha’is in Qatar: This factsheet enumerates restrictions on Baha’is in Qatar and demonstrates ways in which these restrictions may be systematic. It discusses the non-renewal of residency visas and the community’s difficulties related to securing a cemetery. It also discusses …

Al-Arabia – While most attention in the US has been focused on the economic downturn and soaring inflation, a key foreign policy move by the Biden administration stole the headlines of many outlets in recent weeks, and it was not the Ukraine war. US President Joe Biden officially announced his first trip to the Middle East since taking office over a year …

RFL/RE – Iranians are consuming fewer fruits and vegetables as skyrocketing prices shake the country’s food security.Ismail Moradian, the vice-president of the Fruit and Vegetable Sellers Association, told the ILNA news agency on June 22 that consumption has decreased by between 25 and 30 percent because of price rises and the implementation of the economic policies of President Ebrahim Raisi’s government.“Many people …

RFL/RE – Workers on scaffolding projects in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries have joined in Iran’s nationwide labor unrest, striking for higher wages and more structured working hours.The Free Trade Union of Iran launched the action on June 22, repeating similar demands they made last year during a long strike that eventually saw the implementation of the measures several companies, …