ANALYSIS: Iran Has Executed 225 People Since Late March
By Ahmad Rafat
The Islamic Republic of Iran has conducted 70 executions in the space of two weeks. It is hanging people at the rate of three a day. Iranian authorities have executed 225 people...
EXCLUSIVE: The Sweet Destiny of Arash Sobhani, The Kiosk Band Leader Speaks to...
By Ahmad Rafat
Arash Sobhani is the founder of the pioneering Iranian rock group Kiosk. An architecture graduate, he formed his band before moving to the U.S. Kiosk was one of the prominent bands in...
Iran Barred from International Financial System After Blacklisting by FATF
By Ahmad Rafat
On February 21, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklisted Iran for failing to enact the Palermo Convention, the Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) acts.
The decision came...
ANALYSIS: Islamic Republic Is Militarily Exposed As Its Proxies Suffer Defeat
By Ahmad Rafat
The assault by Hamas on Israeli territory on Oct. 7, 2023, represented a significant event in the Middle East. Following this attack, Israel initiated military operations aimed at the Gaza Strip and...
ANALYSIS: Islamic Republic Looks to China, Russia to Avoid Isolation
By Ahmad Rafat
Under intense U.S. sanctions and facing the looming reimposition of international penalties through the “snapback” mechanism triggered by France, Germany, and the UK (E3), the Islamic Republic of Iran has once again...
Banned Iranian Director Ali Ahmadzadeh Wins Top Award At Locarno Film Festival
By Ahmad Rafat
Ali Ahmadzadeh — an Iranian filmmaker who was banned earlier this year from leaving his country — has won the top award at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland for his movie...
ANALYSIS: Why the U.S. Is Avoiding Direct Military Confrontation With Iran
By Ahmad Rafat
The U.S. has launched a series of retaliatory strikes on the military bases of Iran-backed groups in the Middle East. The U.S. military has used its supersonic strategic heavy B1 bombers to...
ANALYSIS: Will the Iran-Nuclear Deal Talks Be Resuming in Tokyo?
By Ahmad Rafat
Japanese newspapers have reported that Japan will mediate a round of talks to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iran nuclear deal. While Vienna was the site of...
Iranian Athletes Compete Against Each Other At Tokyo Olympics
By Ahmad Rafat
The 2020 Summer Olympic Games, which were delayed by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, finally kicked off officially in Tokyo on July 23.
According to some reports, 80 percent of the...
Actress Nazanin Boniadi Named Amnesty International UK Ambassador, Cast in ‘Lord of the Rings’
By Ahmad Rafat
The British-Iranian actress Nazanin Boniadi has just been appointed as an ambassador for Amnesty International UK. She has also been cast as one of the main characters in the new TV series...
