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

AL-monitor – Iran and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have become entangled in a war of words as the referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan’s independence nears. Both sides are now making veiled threats, which — if they materialize — could have serious consequences on stability in the region. AUTHOR Fazel Hawramy The Iranians, whether under the shah or the Islamic Republic, have worked hand in glove …

BBC – Members of the Iranian parliament have found themselves under fire for “strange” behaviour involving the EU’s top diplomat, Federica Mogherini. She was in Iran for President Hassan Rouhani’s inauguration on Saturday when she found herself the centre of attention on the parliament floor. Photos showed Ms Mogherini surrounded by a number of male MPs, taking photos. Many social media …

Washington Post— Iran’s official news agency says two Iranian companies have signed the country’s biggest-ever car deal with French multinational automobile manufacturer Groupe Renault to produce 150,000 cars, beginning in 2018. IRNA says the deal was signed on Monday in Tehran. The €660 million — or $778 million — deal follows the lifting of international sanctions after Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement …

RFL/RE – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have reportedly clashed with a group of militants in the country’s northwest, killing two of them. The Tasnim news agency reported on August 6 that the fighting took place in the province of West Azerbaijan bordering Turkey and Iraq, without specifying when the incident occurred. It quoted the commander of the IRGC’s ground …

Al-Monitor — When Hassan Rouhani first became president in 2013, he had a mentor: two-time President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. At the time, Rouhani’s rivals hinted that the real president would be Rafsanjani, despite the fact that Rouhani had an unrivaled experience in diplomacy and security affairs, alongside his extensive experience in the parliament and his standing as a senior cleric. AUTHOR Ali Hashem Now that Rouhani …