Interview: Iran Behind Latest Rocket Attacks Against U.S. in Iraq, Activist Says
By Ahmad Rafat
The Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday. The last time a U.S. president welcomed an Iraqi Prime Minister to the White House was...
Iranian Oil Workers Go On Strike In a Major Challenge to Rouhani’s Government
By Ahmad Rafat
Workers at 15 oil, gas, and petrochemical projects and four power plants in nine Iranian provinces are on strike since Aug. 1, in the first large-scale industrial action by workers in Iran’s...
Beirut Explosion Delays Hariri Court Verdict for Iranian-backed Hezbollah
By Ahmad Rafat
On Aug. 8, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) postponed its verdict for two weeks in the trial of four men accused of assassinating the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, who...
Iran to Go Ahead With Religious Ceremonies Despite Rising COVID-19 Deaths
By Ahmad Rafat
One person is dying from COVID-19 every seven minutes in Iran, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) TV said on Aug. 3. The number of people dying of the coronavirus every...
ANALYSIS: Iran Is Increasingly Isolated, Losing Influence In the Middle East
By Ahmad Rafat
The so-called “Axis of Resistance” -- a political alliance between the Islamic Republic of Iran, the government of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and the Lebanese Hezbollah -- has suffered several humiliating defeats...
Who is Behind the Suspicious Fires and Explosions in Iran?
By Ahmad Rafat
Several suspicious fires and explosions have occurred at Iranian nuclear facilities, power plants, and weapons depots in recent weeks. The latest explosion was at the Isfahan Power Plant on July 19.
There were...
Iran and China on the Verge of Signing 25-Year Deal
By Ahmad Rafat
After years of talks, Iran and China are reportedly getting ready to sign a wide-reaching 25-year contract. There has been no official announcement regarding the agreement. It is also unclear whether the...
VIDEO: Actress Nazanin Boniadi Meets Refugees in Calais
By Ahmad Rafat
In July 2019, the British-Iranian actress Nazanin Boniadi visited refugee camps in Calais (France) and Dunkirk (UK), and met asylum seekers from Iran, Afghanistan and other countries. “Stateless” — a documentary film produced during...
EXCLUSIVE: Oscars Academy’s Invitation to Filmmaker Abyar Sparks Furious Petition in Iran
By Ahmad Rafat
Screenwriter Narges Abyar is one of five Iranian-born film-industry professionals to have been invited on June 30 to join the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Her selection has met...
ANALYSIS: Iran’s Economic Crisis Is Sparking New Wave of Civil Unrest
By Ahmad Rafat
The volatile foreign exchange market is the leading indicator of the economic crisis in Iran -- even for those who live abroad and are not part of the everyday struggle in the...
