ANALYSIS: Who Will Succeed Ali Khamenei as Iran’s Supreme Leader?
By Ahmad Rafat
Elections for the 16th Majlis (Iranian Parliament) and for the sixth Assembly of Experts (which has the power to appoint Iran’s Supreme Leader) were held on March 1 in Iran.
These elections marked...
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...
Pezeshkian’s Cabinet Choices Show No Change In Islamic Republic’s Policies
By Ahmad Rafat
Massoud Pezeshkian, who officially assumed the presidency of Iran on July 30, presented his cabinet nominees to the Majlis (Iranian Parliament) for approval on August 11. Pezeshkian said that he developed the...
ANALYSIS: Reopening of Iran Nuclear Talks Poses Challenges to the U.S.
By Ahmad Rafat
While some White House remarks reveal that there are serious problems with the rebooting of the JCPOA, they also signal a new diplomatic game, which began when President Biden took office a...
Iranian Police Arrest Activist Fatemeh Sepehri, Devout Woman with Secular Views
By Ahmad Rafat
Fatemeh Sepehri -- the civil rights activist who was detained in Mashhad on Sunday, Aug. 1, during a peaceful demonstration in support of the people of Khuzestan and against the security situation...
ANALYSIS: Iran Is Closer Than Ever to Developing Nuclear Weapons
By Ahmad Rafat
In June 2015, the Islamic Republic and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely Britain, France, Russia, China and the U.S. plus Germany (P5+1), signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan...
Islamic Republic Is Allegedly Hiring Crime Gangs to Kill Opponents in Europe
By Ahmad Rafat
The arrest of two individuals in the Netherlands has exposed a strong link between the security agencies of the Islamic Republic and the infamous “Mocro-Maffia” drug gang operating in the Netherlands and...
INTERVIEW: Hunger-Striking Iranian Rights Activist Vahid Beheshti Urges UK Action
By Ahmad Rafat
Vahid Beheshti, a journalist and human rights activist, has been on a hunger strike outside the British Foreign Office in London since Feb. 23 in an effort to urge the British government...
ANALYSIS: 2018, A Crisis Year for the Islamic Republic of Iran
By Ahmad Rafat
The year 2018 was arguably the most tumultuous year for the Islamic Republic since its inception nearly four decades ago. It started with nationwide unrest and street protests which persisted throughout 2018.
The...
Two Iranian Directors Win Prizes at Karlovy Vary Festival in Czech Republic
By Ahmad Rafat
Two Iranian directors have won prizes at the prestigious Karlovy Vary International Film Festival held in the Czech Republic.
The Best Director award was given to the movie "Fremont,” directed by Babak Jalali....
