( RFE/ RL ) – Iran’s Rasa news agency has rekindled rumors that Mojtaba Khamenei, the influential son of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is being groomed as the successor to his elderly father, despite his lack of credentials. Affiliated with seminaries in the holy Shi’ite city of Qom, the agency used the title of […]
Space Cooperation Between Russia, Iran Raises Western Concerns
Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. I’m senior correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here’s what I’ve been following and what I’m watching out for in the days ahead. The Big Issue ( RFE/RL ) – Russia successfully launched an Iranian satellite into […]
Iran Moves To Tighten Abortion Restrictions
By Golnaz Esfandiari | – ( RFE/RL ) – Maryam ended her pregnancy two years ago using abortion pills. Her husband supported her. The couple already have a boy and a girl, and they decided they did not want a third child. Abortion pills are not easily accessible in Iran due to government restrictions. Maryam […]
In Major Security Shake-Up, Iran Replaces Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Chief
( RFL/RE ) – Hossein Taeb, a hard-line cleric, was the intelligence chief of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the elite branch of the armed forces, for over a decade. But in a surprise move, the IRGC announced on June 23 that it had removed Taeb from his prominent post. The major shake-up […]
‘New Phase Of Assassinations’: Mysterious Death Of Iranian Aerospace Engineer Fuels Speculation
( RFE/RL ) – When Iranian aerospace engineer Ayoob Entezari died on May 31, authorities handed his family a letter of appreciation in which they referred to him as a “martyr,” suggesting that he had been killed. Soon after, authorities in the central city of Yazd backtracked, saying the wording in the letter was a […]
‘State Of Explosion’: Leaked IRGC Document Warns Of Rising Discontent In Iran
( RFE/RL ) – A “highly confidential” state document leaked to RFE/RL’s Radio Farda warns that discontent is rising in Iran, with society in a “state of explosion.” The document highlights the clerical establishment’s concerns over potential social unrest due to the deteriorating economy, which has been crushed by crippling U.S. sanctions and years of […]
‘It’s My Decision’: Iran’s New Population Law Blasted For Restricting Access To Contraceptives, Abortions
By Golnaz Esfandiari and Elahe Ravanshad | – ( RFL/RE ) – Authorities have approved new legislation that imposes further restrictions on abortions, bans the free distribution of contraceptives by the public health-care system, and provides added state benefits to families with more children. The new law is an attempt by authorities to boost flagging […]
Iranians Fear Turning Into Another ‘North Korea’ If Draconian Internet Censorship Bill Passes
( RFE/RL ) – Iranians are warning of public anger and drawing parallels with the world’s most oppressive regimes as legislation makes its way through the country’s parliament that could intensify online censorship and further restrict Internet access. Iranian authorities already block tens of thousands of websites and regularly throttle or cut Internet connectivity during […]
Iranian Voters sent a Message to Iran’s Leaders with Dismal Turnout For Presidential Election
( RFE/RL) – The Iranian leadership has a problem: a record number of voters — more than half of them — turned their back on the presidential election by not taking part in the vote. Official turnout in the June 18 election was 48.8 percent, the lowest ever registered in the Islamic republic, which was […]
© 2025 All Rights Reserved