Category: News & Analysis

How Iran’s Khamenei elevated a little-known moderate to the presidency

By Parisa Hafezi July 18, 20245:03 AM PDTUpdated 2 days ago DUBAI, July 18 (Reuters) – When intelligence officials briefed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in May ahead of a snap presidential election, their report was grim: angered by economic hardship and […]

Voting for Neoliberalism With Iranian Characteristics

BYARRON REZA MERAT Sanctioned, isolated, and living under a neoliberal state seemingly out of options, Iranians go to the polls today. As Iran goes to the polls on June 28 for an emergency 2024 election to replace president Ebrahim Raisi, […]

Iran picks new president at turbulent time

ranians vote on Friday to elect a new president from six candidates, including a lone reformist who hopes he can challenge the dominance of conservatives in the Islamic republic. A presidential election had not been due until 2025, but was […]

UN tribute to Iran’s late President Raisi marred by protests and European and US snubs

Story by EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly’s tribute to Iran’s late President Ebrahim Raisi was snubbed by Western and East European nations on Thursday amid protests against honoring a leader who was reviled for […]

Iran: President Raisi’s death must not deny victims of his grim human rights legacy their right to accountability

The death of president Ebrahim Raisi must not deny people in Iran their right to justice, truth and reparation for the litany of crimes under international law and human rights violations committed since the 1980s during his time in the […]

‘Exhausting and extremely dangerous’: Mohammad Rasoulof on his escape from Iran

Exclusive: The director of The Seed of the Sacred Fig details how he discarded electronic devices and fled over the mountains on foot after authorities sentenced him to eight years in prison and flogging Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof escaped imminent imprisonment […]

‘I am ready to return whenever they say’: Nasrin Sotoudeh on prison, the hijab, and violence in Iran

Exclusive: the human rights lawyer, temporarily released from jail on medical grounds, describes her love for her family, and why she keeps going despite brutal treatment at the hands of the regime Iran’s Qarchak jail has been called many things: […]

Iranian community protests in London over death sentence for popular rapper

Story by Harry Stedman, PA Demonstrators have protested in central London against a death sentence given to a popular rapper in Iran. Members of the Iranian community wore masks depicting the face of Toomaj Salehi and erected a mock gallows outside […]

Iran’s Israel strike coincided with crackdown on dissent at home

By Parisa Hafezi April 23, 2024 DUBAI, April 23 (Reuters) – The same day Iran launched its first ever direct attack on Israel it embarked on a less-noticed confrontation at home, ordering police in several cities to take to the streets to arrest […]

Iran seems like it’s in escalation mode – but all-out war with Israel is the last thing it wants

Lina Khatib The country is on the defensive. While Israel has ironclad support from its allies, Tehran is vulnerable and isolatedMon 22 Apr 2024 11.13 BSTShare Tit-for-tat confrontation between Israel and Iran has sparked concerns about escalation dragging the Middle East into […]