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

Al-monitor – Ever since the rial hit an all-time low against the greenback on Dec. 27, top monetary policymaker Valiollah Seif has been reiterating that the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) will use every tool available to strengthen the national currency. Speaking at an e-banking conference on Jan. 2, Seif vowed that the rial’s recent drop will be reversed, adding that …

Al-monitor – Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the most influential politicians in Iran, died Jan. 8 at the age of 82. AUTHOR Rohollah Faghihi It was around 7 p.m. in Tehran when doctors saw that CPR wasn’t going to bring Rafsanjani, who had suffered a heart attack, back to life. People were shocked as they heard the news, which will shake Iranian …

VOA –  A U.S. Navy ship fired three warnings shots at Iranian boats near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, a U.S. defense official told VOA. USS Mahan (DDG 72) steaming in the Atlantic Ocean on September 27, 2002 (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Rex Nelson) Four Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels were “traveling right at” the USS …

Al-Arabia – The United Nations chief expressed concern to the Security Council that Iran may have violated an arms embargo by supplying weapons and missiles to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, according to a confidential report, seen by Reuters on Sunday. The second bi-annual report, due to be discussed by the 15-member council on Jan. 18, also cites an accusation by …

Radiozmaneh – A pivotal politician in Iran’s internal struggles for reform and the former president of the country, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani dies in Tajrish hospital after a heart attack. Hashemi was 82 years old. His brother, Mohammad Hashemi confirmed the news adding that at 18:30 on 8 Jan 2017, Hashemi suffered a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. …