Islamic Republic Keeps Military Advisers in the Middle East
By Ahmad Rafat
Despite strong protests by the international community, Iran continues to expand its sphere of influence in the Middle East. “We have advisers in Yemen,” said Major-General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of...
Tate Modern Shows Iranian Photography Since the Revolution
By Ahmad Rafat
A new exhibition at Tate Modern showcases a vast collection of images by prominent Iranian photographers who documented the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the subsequent Iran-Iraq War.
“Iranian Photobooks: From Revolution To War”...
Whirling Dervishes: An Interview with Painter Irandoust Moghadam
By Ahmad Rafat
The Iranian artist Hossein Irandoust Moghadam was born in 1978 in Iran to an Iranian mother and a Chinese-Iranian father. He was recently in London for an exhibition at London's Gallery 8,...
Dual Nationals Imprisoned in Iran Face Uncertain Fate
By Ahmad Rafat
Efforts by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe have once again highlighted the plight of dual-national Iranians, who are imprisoned on fabricated charges by...
Shirin Neshat Talks About Her Latest Film: A Tribute to Oum Kulthum
By Ahmad Rafat
Shirin Neshat – the Iranian visual artist and filmmaker who won the Silver Lion award for best director at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival for "Women Without Men" – was in...
Iranian Films Win Awards At Venice Film Festival
By Ahmad Rafat
Iranian filmmakers and actors won three awards in the Horizons (Orizzonti) section of the Venice Film Festival earlier this month. The section runs parallel to the main festival competition.
Dominique Welinski and René...
Iraqi Kurdistan Worried About Iran’s Role As It Prepares for Referendum
By Ahmad Rafat
The Islamic Republic of Iran appears to consider Iraq and the Kurdish region as its own backyard. It seems to believe that it has the right to interfere in the Kurdistan Regional...
Iranian Journalists Urge Their Association to Change Discriminatory Membership Rules
By Ahmad Rafat
In 1997, the Association of Iranian Journalists began its activities as the Iranian branch of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Two months after the 2009 presidential elections, the association was shut...
Israeli Museum Celebrates Iranian Graphic Art
By Ahmad Rafat
An exhibition of contemporary Iranian poster art is currently on in a highly unexpected location: the L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem. Ending on November 19, the exhibition is a...
ISIL’s Retreat from Mosul: The Nasty Consequences
By Ahmad Rafat
The Battle of Mosul is a joint military offensive launched in October 2016 by Iraqi government forces, Iranian-backed Shia militia, and the Peshmerga military forces of Iraqi Kurdistan. Its aim is to...
