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

Iranwire – As bloggers and social media content creators in Iran face mounting pressure from the authorities, the government has invited 20 foreign influencers to visit the country in an attempt to boost tourism. Deputy Tourism Minister Ali Asghar Shalbafian made the announcement on February 6, as the Didban Iran website reported that bloggers and clothing sellers are facing stricter …

Iranwire – The mother of Pejman Fatehi, a young Kurdish prisoner who was executed last week, cannot believe his son was killed, as authorities have yet to hand his dead body over to her.  “I cannot bring myself to believe that Pejman has been executed. If my son had truly been killed, they would have returned his lifeless body to …

RFL/RE – Iranian security forces raided a building housing the editorial office of the Fardaye Eghtesad media outlet, detaining an unknown number of its journalists for hours at their workplace in a sign that a crackdown by authorities on free speech continues. Families of the journalists have gathered outside the media building near Tehran’s Argentina Square, seeking answers as to why the …

VOA – Iranian-backed Houthi militants have once again ignored U.S. calls to stop attacking international shipping lanes or face consequences, this time firing six anti-ship missiles from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Red Sea, a U.S. official tells VOA.The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said U.S. naval forces had shot at least one of the missiles …

iranintl – With Iran’s national currency on a rollercoaster, the government has given the green light to state banks for a whopping 30-percent interest rate for special fixed-term deposits. Last week, the Central Banks of Iran announced the issuance of special certificates of deposit with an annual profit rate of 30 percent (paid monthly), a measure aimed at incentivizing people to keep …