( RFE/ RL ) – Amid the launch of mass COVID-19 vaccination drives in the West, there’s growing concern among Iranians that they could be left behind. They fear U.S. sanctions and what some regard as the Iranian clerical establishment’s failure to prioritize the well-being of its citizens. Iranians, including health workers, have taken to […]
‘There Is No Insulin’: Desperate Iranians Tweet Calls For Life-Saving Drug
(RFE/RL) – Tens of thousands of diabetics in Iran are said to be facing shortages of insulin, with many such patients and their loved ones complaining that the problem could have life-threatening consequences. Some Iranians have taken to social media to protest the scarcity of insulin pens and highlight their plight or that of loved […]
Trying To Be Neutral: Iran Worried Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Could Turn Into Wider War
(RFE/RL ) – Sharing a frontier with both Armenia and Azerbaijan as they fight a bitter war over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh territory, Tehran is closely watching the conflict amid growing concern it could spill over the border. A number of artillery shells and rockets have recently landed in Iranian territory, including a residential area, only […]
Revolutionary Guards Commander Gives Rare Estimate Of Money Iran Spent On Proxies, Military Aid In Region
( RFE/RL) – Iran has spent nearly $20 billion pushing its controversial foreign policy objectives in the region, the deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said in an interview on state television. Speaking to state TV channel Ofogh on September 26, Ali Fadavi said Iran had spent $19.6 billion on the 1980-1988 […]
Outrage In Iran Over Hike In Gas Prices As Economic Woes Worsen
(RFE/RL) – Iranians are blasting their government for rationing gas and greatly increasing its price, with many concerned that the move will lead to inflation and greater hardship in a country where so many people are struggling to make ends meet. The state-run National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company said in an overnight announcement on […]
Iran: After barred woman Fan sets herself Alight, Soccer Star Condemns Female ban at Stadiums
(RFE/RL) -The captain of Iran’s national soccer team has renewed his criticism of a ban on female spectators following reports a young Iranian woman set herself alight after being sentenced to prison for trying to attend a men’s soccer match. Masoud Soleimani Shojaei — who is considered a national hero — said on September 6 […]
Iran: The 14 Defiant Women Who Want To end Gender Apartheid in The Islamic Republic
(RFE/RL) – Iranian human rights lawyer Guity Pourfazel wants to see change in her country and believes Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should step down and the ruling clerical establishment be replaced with a democratic system. Pourfazel is one of 14 women activists in Iran who have publicly called for Khamenei to resign and for […]
Former Revolutionary Guards Chief Says Iran Should Consider Talking To Trump
( RFE/RL) – Amid escalating tensions with the United States and mounting sanctions pressuring Iran’s economy, a former senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says Tehran should not rule out holding talks with Washington. “We can’t leave aside talks, but how to talk is another issue,” said ex-IRGC naval commander Hossein Alaei. […]
Is Washington’s ‘Maximum Pressure’ Bringing An End To Iran’s ‘Strategic Patience?’
(RFE/RL) – Iran is turning up the heat on the United States and its allies by shifting away from a policy of “strategic patience” and pushing back against Washington’s campaign of “maximum pressure” — which has significantly cut Iran’s oil exports, a major source of income, and caused the economy to shrink. Tehran has signaled […]