Albania Severs Ties with Iran, Expels Diplomats
By Ahmad Rafat
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Sept. 7 that his country had severed ties with the Islamic Republic, giving Iranian diplomats 24 hours to leave the country.
In a televised statement, Prime...
Jailed Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi In Competition at Venice Film Festival
By Ahmad Rafat
The Venice International Film Festival turns 90 this year. Originally launched in 1932, it is the oldest international film festival in the world.
The 79th edition of the festival, organized by La Biennale...
ANALYSIS: Rushdie Attack Highlights Ongoing Persecution of Authors in Iran
By Ahmad Rafat
The recent knife attack on the acclaimed author Salman Rushdie is a shock episode that has shaken the international community. The assailant allegedly tried to carry out a death sentence issued by...
ANALYSIS: Can the Iran Nuclear Deal Be Revived?
By Ahmad Rafat
The ongoing efforts to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iran nuclear deal, bring to mind the story of Lazarus -- in the Gospel of John (John 11:1-4)...
ANALYSIS: Hamid Nouri’s Life Sentence Is A Condemnation of Iran
By Ahmad Rafat
On July 14, a court in Stockholm found Hamid Nouri, an Iranian official, guilty of “crimes against humanity,” “war crimes,” and “premeditated murder,” sentencing him to life in prison.
The court found that...
ANALYSIS: Efforts to Reboot Iran Nuclear Deal Are Faltering
By Ahmad Rafat
For the past few months, European and American officials have warned that the “window of opportunity” for reaching a new nuclear deal with Iran is “closing fast.”
Speaking to French lawmakers on July...
Iranian Regime Accuses Cannes Best Actress Award Winner Zar Amir-Ebrahimi of ‘Blasphemy’
By Ahmad Rafat
Iranian officials have accused the Iranian-born actress Zahra Amir-Ebrahimi -- who won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival recently for her role in “Holy Spider” -- and the movie’s...
Canada Cancels Football Match with Iran Under Pressure From Plane Downing Victims’ Families
By Ahmad Rafat
A recent campaign by the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims forced the Canadian Football Federation to cancel a preparatory match for the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup...
INTERVIEW: Israeli-Iranian Singer Liraz Charhi to Debut Her Album “Zan” In London Concert
By Ahmad Rafat
Liraz Charhi, a 31-year-old Israeli Singer of Iranian descent, will debut her album Zan (“Woman”) at a concert on May 19 in London.
Born in Ramla, Israel, into a Persian Jewish family, she...
ANALYSIS: Iran Nuclear Talks May Soon Resume
By Ahmad Rafat
Enrique Mora, the European Union’s chief negotiator in the Vienna talks to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — the Iran nuclear deal — traveled to Tehran on May...
