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

RFL/RE – Iran is hosting officials from Ukraine in a second round of talks over compensation for a Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed shortly after takeoff in Tehran in January after being struck by two missiles, killing 176 people. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Yenin and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohsen Baharwand met in Tehran on October 19 at the …

Iran-HRM – A political prisoner set fire to himself in front of the prison’s deputy warden and observer judge. The incident happened on Sunday, October 18, in the Central Prison of Urmia. Adel Mokarram who suffered burns in the right foot has been transferred to solitary confinement. He is presently on hunger strike in protest to his undetermined status in …

Al-Monitor An international conventional arms embargo on Iran has expired after 13 years on Sunday, despite a push by the US government to keep Tehran as a pariah in the international weapons trade. The embargo’s termination came in line with provisions under the 2015 nuclear agreement called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Tehran, despite the US administration’s efforts in …

Al-monitor – Iranian officials and analysts say that with the expiration of the arms embargo, they are now ready to sell weapons to other countries. Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami gave an interview to Iranian television outlining the country’s plan now that the UN arms embargo — which was part of the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — has expired. …

latimes.com – My first taste of American greatness was peanut butter. It was in 1965 or so, in Urmia, my hometown in northwest Iran. I was around 3 years old. The peanut butter was a gift from Penny and Richard, two of a handful of Peace Corps volunteers who worked in Urmia in the 1960s. Since President Trump was elected, …