Friday, January 9, 2026

Iranian Protest Songs Are Galvanizing the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ Revolution 

By Ahmad Rafat The Iranian authorities arrested singer, musician, and activist Mehdi Yarrahi on Aug. 28 on the orders of the Tehran prosecutor’s office. The Judiciary had launched an investigation of Mr. Yarrahi following the...
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My Damavand, 100 Paintings by Bijan Daneshmand

By Ahmad Rafat Mount Damavand, a potentially active stratovolcano (5670 mt high), is the highest peak in Iran, the 12th most prominent peak in the world and the second most prominent in Asia after Mount...
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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...
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VIDEO: Islamic Republic Officials Are Accused of Crimes Against Humanity

By Ahmad Rafat After a year of investigating the brutal repression of the participants in the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement, the United Nations Independent Fact-Finding Committee has presented the results of its investigation at the...

ANALYSIS: Iran’s Revolutionary Movement Poses A Severe Threat to Regime

By Ahmad Rafat The nationwide protests sparked by the September death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini while in the custody of the morality police in Tehran have now subsided. Yet there is ample evidence that the unrest,...

Khamenei Rejects Any Talks With Donald Trump Amid Revolution’s 46th Anniversary

By Ahmad Rafat   On the eve of the 46th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, led by Ruhollah Khomeini, and shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump released a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM)...

PROFILE: Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Speaks Of Her Struggle

By Ahmad Rafat Narges Mohammadi, winner of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, is an Iranian journalist and human rights activist serving a 16-year sentence in prison. She has been detained a total of 13 times...

ANALYSIS: What Is the Future of the Iran Nuclear Deal?

By Ahmad Rafat What will be the outcome of the Vienna talks aimed at rebooting the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran nuclear deal? That is the question that all participants are...

Spain Turns Down Iran’s Request for Extradition of Ex-Diplomat’s Son

By Ahmad Rafat A court in Madrid has ordered the immediate release of Mohammad (Sasha) Sobhani, the son of a former Iranian diplomat and a social media celebrity who was detained by Spanish police at...

ANALYSIS: Iran’s Influence Is Diminishing in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria

By Ahmad Rafat The Islamic Republic’s influence in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and even the Gaza Strip has significantly diminished over the last year. The so-called 'Resistance Front' is crumbling. There are two reasons for this....