By RFE/RL’s Radio Farda ( RFE/RL ) – Pop singer Mehdi Yarrahi has been given 74 lashes for a song criticizing Iran’s mandatory dress code for women, ending a criminal case against him that also included a prison term. His lawyer, Zahra Minuei, wrote on X on March 5 that Yarrahi’s flogging sentence had been […]
Why Is Saudi Arabia Seeking To Mediate A Deal Between U.S. And Iran?
By By Kian Sharifi ( RFE/RL ) – After facilitating the first high-level talks between U.S. and Russian officials since the Ukraine war began, Saudi Arabia is now reportedly positioning itself as a mediator in another high-stakes negotiation — this time between the United States and Iran. CNN, which first broke the story, reports that […]
Can Israel Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Program?
By Kian Sharifi ( RFE/ RL ) – U.S. intelligence has concluded that the odds of an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear program in the next few months are high, according to major American media, but the jury is out on whether Israel can destroy its archfoe’s nuclear facilities on its own. Iran is widely […]
How the Israel-Hamas War Reshaped the Middle East
By Ray Furlong and Abubakar Siddique ( RFE/ RL ) – The 15-month conflict in the Middle East has caused a dramatic shift in the regional balance of power. Iran and Russia have been severely weakened as Israel has pounded Tehran’s proxies in the region, leading also to the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in […]
Syria’s De Facto Leader Wants To Maintain ‘Respectful’ Ties With Iran, Russia
( RFE/RL ) – New Syrian de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa told the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television channel that he wants relations with Iran and Russia, but he insisted any ties must be based on mutual “respect.” Russia and Iran were major allies of Syria under the regime of President Bashar al-Assad until the totalitarian […]
Turkey Replacing Iran As The Dominant Foreign Player In Syria
By Kian Sharifi ( RFE / RL ) – The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government at the hands of rebels, including Ankara-backed factions, has effectively made Turkey the dominant foreign actor in Syria at the expense of Iran and its ally Russia. Turkey and Iran have competed for years for influence in the South Caucasus, […]
Russia Moving Military Assets To Africa After Syria Setback
By Maja Zivanovic and Jean Fernand Koena ( RFE/RL ) – Russia is reducing its military footprint in Syria and shifting some of its assets from the Middle Eastern country to Africa, flight data and satellite imagery analyzed by RFE/RL appear to show. Moscow seems to have withdrawn a significant amount of military equipment from its […]
Iran Detains Singer Who Performed Without Head Scarf
Update: Ms. Ahmadi was released from prison Sunday. She will face trial for the concert. By RFE/RL’s Radio Farda ( RFE/ RL ) – Iranian police released singer Parastoo Ahmadi in the early hours of December 15 following a brief detention after she performed without the mandatory head scarf, her lawyer has confirmed. Ahmadi caused […]
Iranian Leader Blames Assad’s Downfall On U.S., Israel, And Turkey
( RFE/ RL ) – Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in his first public comments since Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted, accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the rebel uprising that toppled the regime over the weekend. Khamenei on December 11 also implicitly blamed Turkey for the lightning push of Syrian rebels […]
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