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AL-Arabia – An Iranian Kurdish journalist reported in an interview with Al Arabiya that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces in Iran’s Kurdistan and its recruiting forces, known as the Basij, received orders to launch a recruitment campaign in preparation for a possible war against the Kurdistan region in the event of its independence. Azad Mustovi, an Iranian Kurdish journalist in exile …

HRW – Spate of Executions Despite Imminent Reforms: The Iranian government should immediately halt all executions for drug-related offenses while parliament debates amendments to reform the country’s drug law, Human Rights Watch said today. Parliament is expected to vote in two weeks on an amendment to the drug law that would drastically increase the bar for a mandatory death penalty sentence. “It makes …

Al-monitor – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, reacting to new US sanctions against Tehran over its missile program and alleged support for terrorism, said Iran should be alert and refrain from acting to the benefit of Washington. AUTHOR Al-Monitor Staff On July 18, the US departments of Treasury and State announced that they were targeting 18 Iranian individuals, groups and networks. Mentioning US President …

Al-monitor – Iranian authorities are struggling to address smuggling in border areas, and particularly the Kurdish region, where local economies are in tatters after decades of government neglect and discriminatory policies. Thousands of Kurds carry illegal goods into the country from Iraqi Kurdistan for a fee in order to provide for their families, in operations commonly organized by wealthy smuggling rings in …

RFL/RE – Iranian President Hassan Rohani says that Tehran would “respond appropriately” to new U.S. sanctions while reiterating that his country remained committed to its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.  “The Islamic Republic of Iran will always stick to its international commitments,” Rohani said at a July 19 cabinet meeting, according to a text posted on the government’s website. JCPOA …