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

Al-Monitor – The US Navy and its Middle Eastern and European allies have ramped up naval and air patrols in and around the Strait of Hormuz following a spate of civilian tanker seizures by Iran. The US Navy’s Fifth Fleet commander Vice Adm. Brad Cooper spoke with commercial shipping industry representatives via teleconference from Bahrain on Wednesday to assure them of the increased security measures. The precautions …

iranintl – A man has been executed in Iran for leading a human trafficking and prostitution ring, according to state officials. The judiciary’s Mizan Online news website said that Shahrouz Sokhanvari was hanged Saturday morning after his sentence was confirmed in the supreme court. The report said that Sokhanvari was charged with “corruption on earth” for “establishing and managing a wide network …

Iranwire – In a dramatic response to Friday morning’s executions of the detained protesters Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeed Yaqoubi, outraged Iranians have flooded the streets of several cities, igniting widespread protests against the Islamic Republic. Tehran, the nation’s capital, witnessed powerful demonstrations as protesters assembled in various locations, including Sattar Khan Street, Tehran Pars, and Ekbatan Town.  Social media reports …

Iranwire – Iran’s most prominent Sunni cleric has again called for a halt in executions in Iran, saying that the Islamic Republic’s increasing use of the death penalty will not succeed in quelling popular calls for fundamental reforms. Molavi Abdulhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of the south-eastern city of Zahedan, made the comments on May 19, hours after three men accused …

VOA — The Mideast-based commanders of the U.S., British and French navies transited the Strait of Hormuz on Friday aboard an American warship, a sign of their unified approach to keep the crucial waterway open after Iran seized two oil tankers. Tensions in the Persian Gulf have been volatile since Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers collapsed, following the U.S.’ unilateral …