Iran International
Articles about Iran International
Kayhan attacks Ghalibaf’s role in talks. Didn’t Khamenei approve it?
An editorial questioning Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf’s role as Iran’s lead negotiator has raised an awkward question in Tehran: who exactly is Kayhan criticizing, given that senior officials have said the parliament speaker was given the job with the Supreme Leader’s approval?
China’s turn to Iraqi crude shows growing impact of Iran oil blockade
China’s independent refiners are turning to Iraqi crude to replace dwindling Iranian supplies as a US blockade chokes Tehran’s exports, forcing some of Iran’s biggest oil customers to seek barrels elsewhere.
Tehran divided over $2 billion plan to prop up rial
Iran’s central bank is offering as much as $2 billion in cash dollars to the public in an effort to slow the rial’s slide, triggering a fierce debate over whether the intervention can stabilize the currency or merely burn through increasingly scarce foreign reserves.
Rubio says Iran missed deal chances as Tehran digs in on enrichment
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Iran had failed to take advantage of repeated opportunities to reach an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program, while also saying Tehran had “lost complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz.
Parsian Exchange transferred millions of dollars for Iran despite sanctions
Iran’s Bank Parsian, under US sanctions, used its foreign-exchange arm to move millions of dollars abroad through a network of intermediaries, according to an Iran International investigation based on leaked internal correspondence and transaction records.
Iran protester recounts torture, mock execution after January arrest
“Write your will.” Those were the words Iranian protester Erfan Nabian says he heard in solitary confinement before he was handed a sheet of paper and asked what he wanted for his final meal before his execution.
Family of executed January protester says Iran concealed burial site
The family of Alireza Raisi, executed this week over the January protests in Isfahan, still does not know where he was buried after security agents took his father blindfolded to the burial site, a source close to the family told Iran International.
Iran lawmaker named in alleged illegal treasure excavation
A senior hardline Iranian lawmaker has been named in an allegation involving unauthorized excavation for antiquities and treasure, while parliament is also examining a reported excavation case involving an unnamed member of the legislature.
Iran’s own surveys reveal demand for ‘fundamental change’
Two surveys emerging from within or around Iran's political establishment paint a bleak picture of public confidence: deep skepticism toward state institutions, single-digit trust in political officials and overwhelming demand for change.
Iran says economy holding up as pressure mounts on oil, rial
Iran’s central bank chief has rejected what Tehran portrays as a US prediction of economic collapse, even as the rial trades near record lows and Iranian oil exports have fallen to zero.
How Iran’s 2022 crackdown was coordinated from the top
Iran’s repression of the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising was coordinated from the top through a functioning chain of command linking senior authorities to security forces on the streets, Amnesty International says.
‘Let ’em take out Los Angeles’: Trump’s Iran remarks ignite backlash
President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego has sparked a backlash from California officials and prompted the White House to insist that he was misunderstood as he defended the mounting costs of the war with Tehran.
‘Hugging actors are married’: Tehran theatre navigates contact restrictions
A theater production in Tehran displayed a notice to spectators before a performance saying two actors who embrace on stage are married, underscoring the restrictions governing physical contact between men and women under the Islamic Republic.
Iran executes nearly two people a week since January protests
Iran has executed nearly two people a week in political and security cases since the January protests, including over protest- and war-related accusations, while another 194 people face death sentences, an Iran International review of cases shows.
Iran, US back to ‘square one’ as diplomacy stalls
Rhetoric is hardening on both sides of the Iran-US standoff, with even Iranian analysts traditionally optimistic about diplomacy warning that relations are slipping back to “square one” as military and economic pressure intensifies.
Three Iranians spied on Iran International journalists in UK, prosecutors say
Three Iranian men spied on Iran International journalists to assist Iranian intelligence services and prepare for serious violence against at least one target, prosecutors told a London court Tuesday.
Iranians cross into Armenia to earn what they cannot at home
Economic crisis is driving some Iranians across the border to Armenia for construction, taxi and delivery work, turning a longtime holiday destination into a source of income for families struggling to make ends meet at home.
Houthi gains reversed at Bab al-Mandab, but Iran’s leverage runs deeper
Saudi-backed Yemeni forces on Monday reversed weeks of Houthi gains around Bab al-Mandab, the strategic strait linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, exposing vulnerabilities in the Iran-backed group even as fighting elsewhere showed how far Yemen remains from a decisive shift.
Tehran police warn cafes over live music, DJs and hookah
Police in Tehran have warned cafes that they could face closure or lose their licenses for hosting live music, using DJs or serving hookah, extending a broader campaign of enforcement against businesses over entertainment, mandatory hijab rules and support for protests.
Clothes, diaries, dolls: Iran forces raid slain protesters’ rooms
Clothes, diaries, books and childhood dolls are being taken from the bedrooms of protesters killed in Iran, as security forces extend pressure on families seeking accountability into the most private spaces of their grief nearly nine months after the January 2026 killings.
Iran releases cleric who called for replacing Islamic Republic on bail
Iranian authorities have released hardline cleric Mohammad-Bagher Kharrazi on bail after about a month in detention, the judiciary said on Tuesday.
Iran sentences 38-year-old to death as January protest executions mount
Hadi Abbasian, a 38-year-old resident of northeastern Iran, has been sentenced to death by a Revolutionary Court in Bojnurd after being arrested over his support for the nationwide protests in January, according to information obtained by Iran International.
Why Iran’s oil minister quit at a critical moment for exports
Iran’s oil minister left office as exports fell sharply and questions mounted over billions of dollars in sanctioned crude sales, bringing disputes over oil intermediaries, corporate management and political pressure into focus.
IRGC commander, son helped build new oil-sales network
Senior IRGC commander Hossein-Reza Sadeghi and his son Saeed played central roles in efforts to preserve an IRGC Intelligence oil-sales network and shift its financial operations from the United Arab Emirates to Russia, an Iran International investigation found.
IRGC commander says his wife founded Minab school hit in February strike
The school struck in February in Iran’s Minab was founded by the wife of senior IRGC commander Ali Fadavi as part of a wider educational project linked to the Guards’ navy, according to his remarks and an earlier Iranian media account.
Iran says US talks ‘meaningless’ as third tanker hit near Hormuz
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that talks with the United States were meaningless, even as President Donald Trump remained open to direct negotiations, while a third tanker in two days was struck near the Strait of Hormuz.
Pezeshkian nominates missile-industry veteran as defense minister
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has nominated Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi as defense minister, moving to fill a post left vacant since Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed in US-Israeli strikes in February.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan activate defense pact over Houthi attacks
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan activated collective deterrence measures Monday and agreed to rapidly deploy forces and military capabilities to the kingdom, as Saudi-backed Yemeni troops advanced against the Iran-backed Houthis.
Netanyahu predicts Iran’s fall, top general warns of new war
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu predicted the eventual fall of Iran’s leadership while the Islamic Republic’s top armed forces commander warned a new conflict would engulf the region, sharpening exchanges over the prospect of renewed fighting on Monday.
Two more January protesters executed in Iran
The Islamic Republic executed two more people detained in connection with the January 2026 protests, bringing to seven the number put to death in the Alikhani Square case in Isfahan, rights groups and the judiciary reported Monday.
Iran escalates Starlink threats over fears of losing internet control
Iranian authorities have stepped up warnings against Starlink as the cost-of-living crisis deepens and the prospect of renewed public protests grows, signaling mounting concern over citizens’ access to satellite internet.
Iran workers face delayed wages, lost benefits and job fears
Workers across several sectors in Iran say employers are delaying or splitting wage payments, cutting benefits and warning staff they could lose their jobs for protesting, as inflation and rising living costs deepen pressure on households.
What can Iran’s new oil chief change under the US blockade?
Iran’s oil minister Mohsen Paknejad resigned Sunday, leaving acting minister Hamid Bovard with crude exports choked by a US blockade and scrutiny of intermediaries used to sell sanctioned oil, raising questions over what he can change.
Iran’s Olympiad paradox: Building scientific talent for a future abroad
Iran’s scientific Olympiad system has become a pipeline of elite talent into universities feeding sensitive nuclear, missile and technology sectors, even as many of the same high achievers leave the country for better opportunities abroad.
Iran reviews US response to seven-day proposal as officials debate next steps
Iran is reviewing Washington’s response to a seven-day proposal sent through intermediaries, a senior foreign ministry official said on Sunday, as other officials offered differing assessments of whether further negotiations with the United States were needed.
Iranian currency hits another record low under US economic pressure
Iran’s currency fell to another record low against the dollar on Sunday, extending its decline during a US campaign aimed at restricting the Islamic Republic’s oil exports and financial flows.
Trump weighs Iran decision with ‘all options’ on the table
US President Donald Trump said Saturday he was approaching a decision on Iran, warning Tehran faced the “easy way or the hard way” as the Pentagon kept military options open amid continued attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran demolishes prison despite warnings of erasing evidence of mass killings
One of the last watchtowers at Iran’s Rajaei Shahr (Gohardasht) prison was demolished Saturday, as authorities dismantle a site of mass political executions despite longstanding warnings that its destruction could erase evidence of crimes against humanity.
Security meeting, military buildup: US weighs next move on Iran?
An unannounced meeting of President Donald Trump’s senior national security team at Camp David, as another aircraft carrier and thousands more US troops move toward the Middle East, has raised the prospect of another major operation against Iran.
Iranian women break records and barriers at Asian Games
Iranian women have delivered a record-breaking performance at the 2026 Asian Games, winning medals across an unusually broad range of sports and achieving a series of firsts for the country.
Khamenei adviser warns UAE as tensions with Tehran escalate
A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader issued a pointed warning to the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, saying “imported security has an expiration date” as tensions between Tehran and Abu Dhabi continue to rise.
‘The end of illness is not treatment. It is death’: Iranian MP on the cost of care
Iranians are selling livestock, cars and furniture to pay for treatment their insurance no longer covers, and a member of parliament's health committee says the system has reached the point where falling ill can end in death rather than care.
Euro tops 3 million rials as Iran’s currency hits fresh record lows
Iran's rial fell to new record lows on Saturday, with the euro crossing 3 million rials for the first time and the US dollar hovering around 2.7 million rials on the open market.
Smartwatches on Iran’s security chiefs spark row within the inner circle
Senior Iranian military and security officials have been photographed wearing smartwatches, drawing fresh criticism of their basic security discipline after years of reports that Israel has used electronic devices around Iranian commanders to track and kill them.
Islamic Republic’s ‘slow meltdown’ leaves it fewer ways out, analysts say
The Islamic Republic is in a "slow meltdown" that may not bring it down soon but is narrowing its options as the economy sinks, repression deepens and divisions open up among its own hardliners, analysts told Iran International's Eye for Iran podcast.
Iran executes man arrested during January protests
Iran has executed Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi, who was arrested during January’s protests in Shahrekord, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency announced Saturday.
Officials trade blame as Iran’s economy sinks deeper
Iran’s worsening economic crisis has opened an increasingly bitter argument over who is responsible, as the government points to outside pressure and market psychology while hardliners accuse Tehran’s own economic officials of making the situation worse.
‘They shot on sight’: Amnesty details 2022 protest killings in Kurdish areas
Iranian security forces shot civilians at close range, pursued fleeing protesters and prevented wounded people from receiving help during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising in Kurdish cities, according to Amnesty International’s investigation into the crackdown.
Two Iranians charged over foiled plot targeting Manchester Jews
Two Iranian men have been charged over a terrorist plot targeting Manchester’s Jewish community that was disrupted before it could be carried out, British police said Friday.
Iran denies teachers are quitting despite viral resignation videos
Iran’s Education Ministry dismissed reports of teacher resignations over working conditions and security pressure as a “rumor,” despite numerous videos of teachers announcing departures and a teachers’ council warning of a growing exodus.
As the rial sinks, Iranians seek shelter in almost anything else
Iran’s stock market is breaking records even as the dollar and gold hit new highs, an apparent contradiction that may point to the same dynamic: households and investors scrambling to protect their wealth as the rial weakens and the economic toll of the Iran-US war grows.
Iran court upholds film star’s jail term over post mourning protest victims
An appeals court in Tehran has upheld a one-year prison sentence for renowned actress Elnaz Shakerdoost over an Instagram story mourning people killed during January’s protests, her lawyer said Friday.
Five killed in roadside attack as violence spreads in southeast Iran
At least five people were reported killed on Friday in an attack near Zahedan in southeastern Iran, as the Revolutionary Guards confirmed a roadside bombing in the area that killed one of its fighters.
Shot in leg, forced into hiding: Iran protester recounts January crackdown
Hamid Kouhsari was carrying a wounded woman on his back through the streets of Gorgan on January 8 when security forces shot him from behind. He spent the next eight months in hiding with his leg untreated, before leaving Iran.
Iran’s truck repair hub feels the squeeze as work dries up
Business at one of central Iran’s main heavy-vehicle service hubs has fallen by about 30% from a year earlier, offering a ground-level view of an economy where soaring food prices, a battered currency and weaker freight activity are squeezing workers and small businesses.
Al-Qaeda is Iran’s quiet backup if the war turns, expert says
Iran has spent two decades keeping al-Qaeda close as a partner it can deny, and could turn to it if the war with the United States escalates, a counterterrorism expert told Iran International. With Hezbollah and Hamas weakened, she said, it is the card Tehran has left.
An account of espionage: From banks and phone lines to Malard missile base blast
A former Mossad agent says he spent years inside one of Iran's best-known telecom businesses, using its banking tricks to fund Israeli operations and deleting a file from a switch near Malard minutes before the 2011 blast that killed the father of Iran's missile program.
Iranian press sees diplomacy alive but narrowing after US response
Tehran media see diplomacy with Washington as increasingly precarious but not yet dead, with the two sides far apart over the sequencing of any deal and the window for compromise appearing to narrow.
Leaked Kremlin plan undercuts Moscow’s claims on ruble-rial trade with Iran
A leaked Russian government roadmap obtained by Fox News put the share of Russia-Iran trade settled in national currencies at 68%, far below Moscow’s public claims that nearly all bilateral trade had shifted to rubles and rials.
Iran links under scrutiny in separate Flydubai, UK airbase investigations
Iran on Thursday was linked by US and Israeli officials to the Flydubai incident, the second such case after British police opened a probe into possible Tehran involvement in a suspected RAF Fairford plot and arrested a dual UK-Iranian national.
Iran’s rhetoric against UAE hardens after Netanyahu visit
Iranian officials and media have sharply condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the UAE, warning Abu Dhabi over its deepening ties with Israel amid renewed tensions over three disputed Persian Gulf islands.
US targets Iran auto, rail and metals sectors in new sanctions blitz
The US Treasury sanctioned Iran’s automotive and rail sectors Thursday, expanding its campaign to some of the country’s largest industrial companies as Washington seeks to choke off Tehran’s sources of revenue with Operation Economic Outcast.
Four January protest detainees sentenced to death by Tehran courts
Four men detained during Iran’s nationwide January protests have been sentenced to death by Tehran Revolutionary Courts, HRANA reported Thursday, as rights groups warn of mounting use of capital punishment against protest detainees.
Iran oil exports vanish as regional flows surpass prewar levels
New tanker-tracking data shows that Iran’s new oil exports have effectively ground to a halt, while crude exports from Arab countries in the region surpassed pre-war levels in the final week of September.
Iran sentences 20-year-old blogger to more than 13 years in prison
Iranian authorities have sentenced 20-year-old blogger Iman Sadeghi, who was arrested in Kashan during the nationwide protests earlier this year, to more than 13 years in prison, according to information obtained by Iran International.
Trump says renewed bombing of Iran after midterms ‘possible’
US President Donald Trump said renewed large-scale bombing of Iran after the November midterm elections was "possible," while rejecting Tehran's latest ceasefire proposal as insufficient, according to an interview with TIME published on Thursday.
670 bridges, 380 tunnels: the network that moves Iran’s army and its missiles
Four small bridges, struck in one night in April, cut Tehran off from Iran's entire railway. All were fixed within days. The bridges that would take years to rebuild are still standing, on lines that carry Iran's missiles, its troops and its trade.
Iranian weapons, Chinese supplies fuel Houthi advance in Yemen - WSJ
Iranian weapons and growing supplies of Chinese dual-use components have helped Yemen's Houthis expand their territory and strengthen their ability to threaten shipping through the Red Sea, the Wall Street Journal reported.
IRGC says six gunmen killed in clash in Iran’s restive southeast
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said six gunmen were killed on Thursday in an hours-long clash with security forces in southeastern Iran, the latest in a series of armed confrontations in the restive Sistan-Baluchestan province.
Iran turns to younger children in postwar ideological push
The Basij has long maintained a presence in Iran's high schools and universities. Its growing visibility among much younger children is drawing attention to a new front in the Islamic Republic's effort to shape a generation that has repeatedly challenged its authority.
Iran official warns Starlink could end state control of internet
The spread of Starlink could deliver the “final nail in the coffin” of Iran’s ability to control cyberspace, Deputy Communications Minister Mohammad Hafez Hakami said Wednesday, even as authorities seek to suppress the technology through arrests, seizures and criminal penalties.
Tehran weighs what comes next if US diplomacy fails
Continued contacts between Tehran and Washington, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, have intensified debate inside Iran over whether diplomacy can still produce a deal despite President Donald Trump’s rejection of Tehran’s latest proposal and what should happen if it fails.
Can the Caspian give Iran a way around Hormuz?
With war disrupting Iran’s southern trade routes, Tehran is looking north to the Caspian for alternatives. But the available evidence suggests they cannot replace its crucial oil exports.
UK points to Iran role in suspected plot near RAF Fairford
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday there are “strong indications” Iran played a role in a suspected plot near RAF Fairford airbase used by US forces to carry out strikes on the Islamic Republic.
Prisoners beaten, kept in windowless cells at Isfahan prison
Prisoners in a security ward at Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan are beaten with cables and metal rods and held in overcrowded, windowless cells with poor ventilation, according to accounts provided to Iran International.
US ‘feedback’ leaves Iran debating the price of diplomacy
Iran’s receipt of Washington’s response to its seven-point proposal for ending the Strait of Hormuz crisis has sharpened divisions in Tehran over whether to pursue further compromise or intensify pressure on the United States.
‘I never asked about regime change’: Student speaks out after El-Sayed exchange
An Iranian-American student who pressed Michigan Democratic US Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed to state his position on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards says he and his family have faced threats and harassment after a video of the exchange went viral.
Iran takes US response to cabinet, Hormuz clashes continue
Iran took a US response to its latest diplomatic proposal to cabinet, a tanker was struck in the Strait of Hormuz and two January protesters were executed among the key developments on Wednesday.
Iran death-row protester shot, tortured in custody
Iranian security forces shot death-row protester Alireza Sepahi four times during his arrest at home before subjecting him to weeks of torture in custody, according to a former cellmate who described his treatment.
Israel-bound flydubai flight lands in Saudi Arabia after pilots injured
Both pilots of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv were injured and taken to hospital after the aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, Saudi airport authorities said, as officials investigated what happened aboard the plane.
Iran debtors face prison, hiding and suicide attempts
Years spent in prison or hiding from arrest, suicide attempts and families pushed into severe financial hardship are among the consequences of Iran’s use of imprisonment to enforce unpaid financial obligations.
Iranian hardliners turn on Ghalibaf and judiciary after lawmaker’s sentencing
Attacks by hardliners on Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei following hardline lawmaker Hamid Rasaei’s imprisonment have intensified the rift among Iran’s conservatives.
German-based aid worker gets 10-year prison sentence in Iran
A German-based humanitarian worker has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran after entering the country to help vulnerable Iranians, in a case rights experts say is the latest example of Tehran using foreign detainees as political leverage.
US blockade divides Iranians online over pressure on rulers, cost to public
Iran’s deepening isolation is drawing divided reactions from Persian-language social media users, with some welcoming US pressure to weaken the country’s rulers and others warning that ordinary people will bear the cost without producing political change.
The body as a battleground: Iran's resistance etched in ink and blood
After the Islamic Republic turned its guns on protesters during Iran’s nationwide January uprising, filling streets, hospitals and morgues with the wounded and the dead, it may have silenced the streets, but protest and dissent have found a new battleground: the body.
Iran says awaiting US response on Hormuz proposal
Iran said on Tuesday it is awaiting a US response to its proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as regional oil flows continued to recover and the rial sank past 2.5 million to the dollar.
Iran’s Guards urge Americans to vote out their leaders in 26-page letter
A designated terrorist organization has written to American voters. Iran's Revolutionary Guards sent a 26-page letter to US scholars, students and media describing a government in decline and telling Americans they have the power to change it at the ballot box in November.
Hannah Neumann declines meeting with Islamic Republic envoy
European Parliament lawmaker Hannah Neumann said she had declined a meeting request from Iran’s ambassador to France, citing the government’s treatment of critics and efforts to target dissidents abroad and spy on European representatives.
Khamenei’s vision of Iranian power faces a test of reality
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has portrayed the country as stronger after successive wars and pressures and among the world’s foremost powers, a vision that key economic and military indicators and recent regional events put to the test.
Disease, drug shortages grip overcrowded Iran prison
Prisoners at an Iran prison face severe overcrowding, infectious diseases and shortages of food, medicine and medical care, according to accounts obtained by Iran International.
US-Iran contacts continue as terms of possible deal remain disputed
The United States and Iran remained in contact through mediators Monday as efforts continued toward a possible agreement, but conflicting accounts left the terms of any deal unclear.
Key IRGC intelligence figure in Iran’s oil sales identified: Who is Mostafa Ahadi?
Iran International has obtained exclusive information and documents indicating that Mostafa Ahadi, a senior official in the IRGC Intelligence Organization, runs the organization’s corruption network in the sale of Iran’s oil.
Iran’s shrinking air links raise costs, strain regional ties
Iran’s rapidly narrowing international air connections are forcing travelers onto longer and costlier routes while adding friction with neighboring states, as Tehran pressures regional governments over flight restrictions.
Iran jails hardline MP over article accusing Ghalibaf of document tampering
Hardline Iranian lawmaker Hamid Rasaei was transferred to Evin Prison on Sunday to begin a 10-month sentence stemming from a complaint by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s judiciary said Monday.
IRGC outlet accuses reformists of feeding Trump’s pressure campaign
Iranian reformists are helping sustain Washington’s pressure campaign by signaling that sanctions and other coercive measures are pushing Tehran toward negotiations and concessions, the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency argued Monday.
Iran’s rial hits another record low under economic and military pressure
Iran’s rial fell to another record low on Monday, with the dollar reaching 2.44 million rials as economic and military pressures persisted and efforts took shape for possible new indirect talks with the United States.
UAE outmaneuvers Iran’s Hormuz strategy, state TV analysts say
The UAE has found ways to blunt Iran’s ability to disrupt oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz by exploiting its maritime tactics, Iranian state television commentators said in a recent broadcast.
Hormuz oil flows rise despite Iran threats against shipping
Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have climbed despite the conflict, with Washington pointing to rising exports as Iran warns shipping companies against unauthorized passage and threatens US forces with retaliation if fighting resumes.
Iran International establishes scholarship in memory of presenter Farahnaz Espad
Iran International has established an annual postgraduate scholarship in memory of Farahnaz Espad, one of the channel’s first presenters, who died in August after eight years with the channel.
Families of slain protesters challenge Pezeshkian over UN remarks
Relatives of protesters killed during Iran’s January crackdown challenged President Masoud Pezeshkian’s portrayal of the unrest as foreign-driven, saying their family members were unarmed and had no links to foreign governments, after his UN General Assembly address on Wednesday.
Why Trump said no to Iran’s Hormuz proposal
US President Donald Trump’s rejection of Iran’s proposal for a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz may say less about Washington’s opposition to a deal than about its changing assessment of Tehran’s most important bargaining chip.
Tehran seeks negotiated way out as Washington maintains pressure
Iran says a negotiated settlement remains the only way out of the war and is awaiting a formal US response to its latest proposal, despite President Donald Trump saying he has rejected Tehran’s offer.
Iran eases Korean appliance curbs through informal border trade
Iran on Saturday expanded limited imports of South Korean home appliances through its border trade system, five years after Ali Khamenei ordered restrictions on products from LG and Samsung.
Iran’s oil industry has too many masters
The problem facing Iran’s oil industry is not just sanctions or a shortage of investment. It is a question of governance: who makes decisions, who signs contracts, who receives the money and, ultimately, who is accountable?
Iran wrong to expect midterms to restrain Trump, former US official says
Tehran is making a “total miscalculation” if it believes the US midterm elections will constrain President Donald Trump’s actions against Iran, former senior US official Morgan Ortagus told Iran International.
Iran upholds death sentence for Red Crescent worker after coerced confession
Iran's Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Mozhdeh Hashemi Bazargani, a 27-year-old Red Crescent worker who said in a recording from Qazvin prison that interrogators beat her until her teeth broke and made her sign a confession, a source told Iran International.
Prosecutors target Tehran play over scene between male and female actors
Tehran prosecutors have opened a criminal case against a theater company after a spectator's phone video showed an actress resting her head against an actor's chest on stage, in a scene the production says depicts a brother and sister.
Trump may be buying time on Iran until after the midterms
President Donald Trump may be putting off a difficult choice over Iran until after the US midterm elections, a former senior US diplomat told Iran International.
Pezeshkian’s Fox News nuclear overture draws hardline backlash
Iranian hardliners have intensified attacks on President Masoud Pezeshkian after he signalled nuclear flexibility and backed negotiations with Washington in a Fox News interview.
IRGC outlet rebukes Iran VP over Saudi National Day celebration
The IRGC-affiliated Fars News criticized Iran’s executive vice-president on Friday for joining Saudi officials in a cake-cutting ceremony marking the kingdom’s National Day in Tehran, which it said created an overly “friendly” image at a time of heightened regional tensions.
Iran rules out nuclear concessions even if US accepts Hormuz proposal
Iran will not make concessions over its nuclear program even if the United States accepts Tehran’s proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported Friday citing a senior Iranian official.
US and Iran want a deal, but neither wants to move first
Talks between Iranian and US diplomats have continued in New York despite increasingly harsh rhetoric from both capitals, but the emerging dispute is less over whether to negotiate than over who must move first.
Rushdie returns to the fatwa that nearly cost him his life
Salman Rushdie says he never intended The Satanic Verses to provoke the reaction that followed its publication, in a new documentary revisiting Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s 1989 fatwa calling for his death and the attempt on his life 33 years later.
Trump warned Xi against intelligence and military aid to Iran, envoy says
US President Donald Trump told Chinese President Xi Jinping that direct or indirect assistance to Iran, including intelligence, components and military equipment, was unacceptable, US Ambassador to China David Perdue said Friday.
Prosecutors take no action against Iranian arrested at UK submarine base
Scottish prosecutors will take no proceedings at this time against an Iranian man arrested after an alleged attempt to enter Britain’s nuclear submarine base in March, Sky News reported Friday.
Bareheaded mother, veiled daughter: Iran’s schools keep a rule its streets have dropped
Mothers without headscarves walked daughters in regulation hoods to school in Iran this week. Women who remember 1980 describe the same scene from the year the state began imposing hijab. The picture is identical. What has changed is the society around it.
Iran threatens regional air travel as US sanctions cut its flight links
Iran threatened to disrupt regional air travel if its airlines lose access to flights and airport services, as Iraq's Najaf, Erbil and Sulaimaniya joined other destinations restricting Iranian connections under mounting US sanctions pressure.
Saudi Arabia, UAE urge Trump to maintain pressure on Iran - WSJ
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are urging Washington to maintain sanctions and its naval blockade of Iran, complicating efforts to restart peace talks as attacks threaten their oil exports, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Iranians report SIM cards blocked over political posts and likes
Social media users in Iran say their phone lines have been cut off after posting political content or liking posts on Instagram, extending a practice previously reported among political activists and journalists.
Pezeshkian straddles Iran’s divide at UN as US talks test balance
President Masoud Pezeshkian’s UN speech won unusual praise across Iran’s political establishment Thursday, but emerging details of negotiations with the United States could soon test the president’s careful balancing act.
US-Iran talks focused on phased deal to reopen Hormuz
US and Iranian negotiators are exploring a phased agreement that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington lifting its economic blockade of Iran, Reuters reported Thursday, citing Iranian, regional and Western sources.
From Hormuz to Indian Ocean: Iran threatens to redraw the map of the war
Tehran is signalling that its response to US pressure may be to widen the conflict, turning restrictions on its shipping and aviation into risks for airports and waterways stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea and potentially the Indian Ocean.
UAE says it suspended Iranian airline flights over US sanctions
The United Arab Emirates said on Thursday it had suspended all flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the country from Thursday until further notice, citing US sanctions targeting Iran’s aviation sector.
‘Bully at home, victim abroad’: Iranians on Pezeshkian’s UN speech
Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN that Iran would not accept the language of force. Iranians writing to Iran International had one reply: that is the only language his government uses at home. Their messages picked apart what he said, what he left out, and how he said it.
Pezeshkian gets the generals’ applause, and no word from the man above them
Iran's generals and hardliners spent the week warning Masoud Pezeshkian not to smile in New York. After his UN speech they lined up to praise him. He had not changed their minds about talking to Washington. He had given a speech that did not require them to.
Iran judiciary charges six officers over teen abuse but omits sexual assault allegation
Iran's judiciary said six officers had been indicted over the abuse of a teenager in Tabriz, but did not include sexual assault among the charges despite video that showed the boy being sexually humiliated by police.
‘Killers in suits’: Iranians ask New York’s mayor why Pezeshkian walks free
Iranians writing to Iran International this week did not see a diplomatic visit. They saw the men they hold responsible for January's massacre walking free in New York, and they asked the city's mayor, who once promised to arrest Netanyahu, why.
China shipments help sustain Iran’s weapons programs despite US pressure - WSJ
Chinese suppliers sent around 1,300 shipments of dual-use components to Iran’s defense ministry in the first half of 2026, helping sustain its weapons programs, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Iran, US end UN talks still divided as Hormuz blockade continues
Iran and the United States ended Wednesday divided over how to end their war despite renewed UN talks, as Tehran rejected US pressure and Washington maintained its blockade of Iranian ports while oil shipments continued through Hormuz.
War deepens Iran’s energy crunch ahead of winter
Iran’s economy contracted sharply in the spring as war hit its oil and gas sectors, with new data pointing to an energy crunch that could force Tehran to balance gas exports against rising domestic demand as winter approaches.
Threats and counter-threats complicate new US-Iran diplomacy
Iran warned Wednesday that any renewed US attack would draw a stronger military response, even as officials from the two countries pursued a new diplomatic opening in New York that has triggered a backlash among hardliners in Tehran.
Iran’s new school year begins in the shadow of protest and war
Iranian children returned to classrooms Wednesday for an unusually somber start to the school year, the first since young people were killed in a government crackdown on January protests and in the war with the United States.
New US-Iran talks run into old question of who speaks for Tehran
Any effort to end the Iran war faces a fundamental obstacle even after the resumption of US-Iran diplomacy in New York: apparent divisions within Tehran over who has the authority to negotiate and how far those negotiations can go.
Iran warns it would disrupt regional airports if its flights are barred
Iran threatened to disrupt airports in neighboring countries that comply with a US campaign to ground Iranian airlines, escalating its response to new sanctions that have already begun cutting some of the country’s remaining air links.
Canada sanctions Iranian officials, entities over censorship and rights violations
Canada imposed sanctions on five Iranian individuals and five entities over what it described as Tehran’s continued human rights violations and restrictions on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, Global Affairs Canada said.
Khamenei adviser says Tehran can negotiate, hardliners say it must not
A military adviser to Iran's supreme leader said the government has room to deal with Washington, and within hours a lawmaker and Guards-affiliated outlets condemned reported contact with it. The split surfaced as the Guards were reported to be directly engaged in Yemen.
Iran warns oil pollution spreading along southern coast could last years
Oil pollution has spread along parts of Iran’s Hormozgan coast and reached the entrances of shrimp farming channels in Sirik, with environmental officials warning that some of the contamination could remain in the marine environment for years.
They can erase you without arresting you
One morning your phone simply stops working. There is no warning, no explanation and often no piece of paper telling you what you have done. Welcome to the Islamic Republic of Iran v.3.1.
Iran executed IT expert after months in isolation and forced confession
Iranian authorities executed IT expert Hossein Pedaran after what sources familiar with his case described as months of solitary confinement, severe physical and psychological pressure and a forced confession.
Iranian airlines continue foreign flights after US sanctions deadline - Bloomberg
Iranian airlines continued operating international flights on Wednesday after a US deadline aimed at grounding the country’s fleet by sanctioning companies that provide services to its carriers, Bloomberg reported.
Freeway sign hack aims to frighten Iranians in Los Angeles, experts say
A hacked freeway sign in the heart of Los Angeles’ Iranian community directed drivers to a website threatening opponents of the Islamic Republic, in what cyber and security experts describe as a psychological operation designed to spread fear.
The price of US pressure moves up Iran’s social ladder
Expanding US pressure on Iran's aviation sector is bringing a class dimension to the debate over the costs of the country's growing isolation, with some Iranians welcoming restrictions they say are finally reaching the better-off.
Iran sets out terms as US-Iran talks intensify in New York
Iran formally set out its conditions for ending the war as indirect talks with the United States intensified in New York on Tuesday, with the Strait of Hormuz and Washington’s naval blockade emerging as central points in efforts to turn renewed contacts into an agreement.
Pezeshkian squeezed at home over meeting Trump in New York
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian is facing competing pressure at home over whether to use his UN visit for direct diplomacy with US President Donald Trump or strike a more defiant tone as the two countries remain at war.
Trump sees ‘momentum’ for Iran deal after New York meetings
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday there was “a lot of momentum” toward a deal with Tehran after his envoys met regional mediators and Iran’s top diplomat, as contacts in New York put the Strait of Hormuz at the center of efforts to end the war.
Iran cancels Baghdad, Muscat flights as regional restrictions tighten
Iran has canceled flights from Tehran to Baghdad and Muscat from midnight Wednesday as regional airports begin restricting Iranian carriers under mounting US pressure aimed at cutting the country’s airlines off from international operations.
Iranian hacker in IRGC-linked cyber case to be extradited to US
Montenegro will extradite Iranian-Turkish hacker Amir Barati to the United States, where he faces charges over a sweeping cyber campaign that US prosecutors say stole research and data for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and other entities.
Can Iran and US find a deal while threatening escalation?
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's presence in New York this week could provide an opportunity to revive diplomacy with the United States, but the path to any direct engagement is unclear as both sides continue to mix offers of a deal with threats of further escalation.
Professor-turned-swimmer becomes first Iranian woman to complete Triple Crown
Iranian dissident open-water swimmer and university professor Raha Akhavan became the first Iranian woman to complete the sport’s Triple Crown after swimming the English Channel on Tuesday, spending nearly 20 hours in the water.
Iran bill allows 20% cargo seizure for ships breaching Hormuz rules
An Iranian parliamentary committee has approved provisions allowing authorities to seize 20% of the cargo or its value from ships violating Iran’s rules for passage through the Strait of Hormuz and temporarily detain the vessels until the penalty is paid.
State media release purported handwritten letter from Mojtaba Khamenei
Iranian state media on Tuesday published what they said was a handwritten letter from Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to a military commander, potentially offering the first physical indication that he survived the February attack on his father’s office.
Iranian hardliners talk up nuclear weapons before Pezeshkian’s UN trip
Iranian hardliners spent the day before President Masoud Pezeshkian left for the UN General Assembly talking publicly about nuclear weapons, leaving the treaty that restrains them, and preparing for a long war with the United States.
Iran offers to reopen Hormuz within seven days if US lifts Hormuz blockade
Iram offers to reopen Hormuz within seven days if the United States begins easing military pressure, said reports citing a senior Iranian official, as President Masoud Pezeshkian headed to New York and the military portrayed negotiations as another form of warfare.
Iranian test-takers head abroad as exam access shrinks
Iranian applicants are turning to costly overseas trips and alternative exams after access to international tests narrowed, compounding difficulties caused by internet disruption, payment restrictions and the falling value of the rial.
Journalist ties tanker attacks to oil middlemen, drawing treason accusations
Iranian investigative journalist Yashar Soltani says the middlemen who move Iran's sanctioned oil revenues had a financial motive to wreck the June deal with Washington, and that the tanker attacks weeks later served it. Hardline outlets have answered with accusations of treason.
Iran diplomacy intensifies at UN as Hormuz crisis keeps pressure on region
Diplomatic efforts around the Iran war intensified in New York as Western and regional governments pushed to restore Hormuz shipping, curb Houthi attacks and lay the groundwork for renewed talks with Tehran.
UN says Iran committed crimes against humanity, US committed war crimes
Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity in suppressing nationwide protests in January while two US strikes on civilian sites in February amounted to war crimes, the UN fact-finding mission on Iran told the Human Rights Council on Monday.
Flying to or from Iran? What to know as US pressure squeezes air links
Travel to and from Iran is becoming harder as major foreign airlines, including the flag carrier of Turkey, a key affordable hub for Iranians, suspend services and new US sanctions threaten remaining international routes operated by Iranian carriers.
Turkish Airlines says all Iran flights suspended until March 2027
Turkish Airlines has suspended all flights to Iran until at least March 2027, a company representative told Iran International, as Iraq also moves to halt Iranian carriers following a US Treasury warning of a worldwide shutdown of their operations.
US targets Iranian airlines, Iran threatens wider war
The United States moved to shut Iranian airlines out of international operations from September 23, while Iran threatened to widen the battlefield if fighting resumes and regional mediators pursued efforts to restart talks with Washington in the latest developments on Monday.
Frozen embryos advertised for sale online in Iran
An informal market for frozen embryos appears to be emerging on Iranian social media and online marketplaces, where sellers are advertising them for cash outside the country’s donation system, local media reported on Monday.
Economic crisis puts Iran’s coal miners at greater risk
Iran’s economic crisis and rising currency costs are making essential safety equipment harder for coal mines to obtain, increasing risks for workers already operating in dangerous conditions, labor news agency ILNA reported on Monday.
Trump weighs Iran options; Tehran signals Hormuz leverage
US President Donald Trump weighed military action, economic pressure and a possible deal with Iran, while Iranian leaders paired diplomatic overtures with warnings over the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.
Iran factories face deepening raw material shortages
Iranian manufacturers are rapidly running down stocks of raw materials as supply disruptions and rising costs deepen pressure on industrial production, according to the latest survey by the Iran Chamber of Commerce.
Iran threatens regional strikes as MPs question nuclear policy
Iran’s military threatened sustained attacks on US bases and interests across the Middle East on Sunday, while parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf argued that Tehran must both fight and negotiate.
Iran mobilisation drive extends to children under 15
The spokesman for Iran’s mass mobilisation campaign said children under 15 could be introduced to military concepts, while denying that minors were receiving formal weapons training as authorities expand a civilian defence drive launched during the war.
Will shutdowns forced by US blockade damage Iran’s oil wells?
The sharp fall in Iran’s oil loadings is forcing it to curb production, raising costs beyond lost sales, from restarting aging wells to maintaining reservoir pressure and protecting shared fields. But could the shutdowns cause lasting damage?
How a Basij-linked cultural network helped identify Iran protesters
A local network tied to state-backed cultural and media groups helped Iranian authorities identify protesters during the January crackdown, with footage passed to Revolutionary Guards intelligence, sources familiar with the operation told Iran International.
Iran sets terms for renewed US talks, says ready for escalation
Iran has conveyed three conditions for re-engaging with Washington through a Qatari mediator and is awaiting President Donald Trump’s response, top security official Mohsen Rezaei said Saturday, as Trump weighs whether to resume major attacks on Iran.
Iran executes man it accused of spying for Israel on missile sites
Iran has executed a man it accused of passing information about missile sites in Isfahan to Israel's Mossad, the judiciary said on Saturday, the latest in a series of espionage executions that rights groups say rest on confessions extracted in detention.
Death-row Iran protester denied hospital treatment, family says
An Iranian woman sentenced to death over January’s anti-government protests is struggling to walk but has been denied hospital treatment despite a prison doctor saying she urgently needs an MRI, her family told Iran International.
Tehran sees Beijing as potential bridge to Washington
Iranian officials and media are increasingly looking to China as a possible diplomatic bridge to Washington, as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s second wartime visit to Beijing coincides with preparations for President Xi Jinping’s talks with Donald Trump next week.
Democrats seize on Iran war costs to hit Trump ahead of midterms
Democrats are intensifying attacks on President Donald Trump over the Iran war as the midterm elections approach, seeking to tie the six-month conflict to an issue closer to American voters’ wallets: the rising cost of gasoline and everyday goods.
Unveiled runners draw attention at Tehran 10k race
Videos showing women running without headscarves at a road race in Tehran went viral on Friday, months after a similar event on Kish Island prompted action against its organizers.
Tehran ‘ashamed’ as Iranians struggle to make ends meet
Iran’s economic hardship has grown so acute that senior government officials are increasingly acknowledging in public the scale of the pressure on ordinary households.
Iran’s Guards stage show of force two days after protest anniversary
Iran's Revolutionary Guards paraded uniformed volunteers, Basij paramilitaries and children through Tehran on Friday in a state-organized show of force, two days after the anniversary of the 2022 protests.
Iran faces postwar winter with a third of gas capacity lost
Iran is racing to restore gas infrastructure before winter after losing about a third of its pre-war production capacity, a reconstruction challenge that could force Tehran into difficult choices between keeping homes warm, power plants running and industry supplied.
Iranian protester, 21, dies after about 30 operations for gunshot wounds
A 21-year-old taekwondo athlete shot by Iranian security forces during January protests has died after undergoing about 30 operations, according to information received by Iran International.
Iran’s nightly pro-state rallies become factional battleground
Iran’s nightly pro-government rallies have become an increasingly visible show of political force, occupying streets and squares for 200 consecutive nights and, more recently, turning their fire on rivals within the Islamic Republic itself.
Trump weighs major Iran escalation as China steps up diplomatic push
President Donald Trump said Thursday he was weighing renewed large-scale strikes on Iran as China intensified diplomatic contacts with Washington and Tehran amid mounting pressure to contain the regional conflict.
US offers substantial whistleblower rewards for tips on Iran sanction evasion
The US Treasury is offering whistleblowers up to 30% of collected penalties for information leading to enforcement actions over Iran-related sanctions evasion or money laundering, as Washington seeks intelligence on Tehran’s financial networks abroad.
Iran rapidly rebuilding site tied to past nuclear weapons research - report
Iran is rapidly reconstructing a heavily fortified facility at the Parchin military complex that was previously linked to nuclear weapons research and has been struck twice since 2024, new satellite imagery analyzed by a Washington-based nuclear watchdog shows.
Why Iran’s hardliners keep talking of ousting Pezeshkian
Renewed talk among Iranian hardliners of removing President Masoud Pezeshkian has revived comparisons with Iran’s only presidential impeachment, but there is little evidence so far of a coordinated effort capable of unseating him.
Woman, Life, Freedom and the Iran that cannot go back
Four years after Mahsa Amini’s death, the deepest legacy of Woman, Life, Freedom may be that Iran cannot simply be returned to the society it was before September 2022.
Iran police filmed sexually abusing teenager draw fury
A video showing Iranian police beating and sexually humiliating a teenager while officers laugh, insult him and film the abuse has unleashed fury across Iranian social media, with users asking what may happen beyond public view.
US House passes Iran sanctions as Trump signals war may be nearing end
The US House of Representatives passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, clearing the sweeping measure for President Donald Trump’s signature as Washington also signaled that the Iran war could be approaching a diplomatic turning point.
Iran cancer patients sell household goods to pay for treatment
Some cancer patients in Iran are selling essential household goods or abandoning medication as soaring drug prices and gaps in insurance coverage put treatment beyond the reach of low-income families, a charity director said on Thursday.
UN says Iran crackdown amounted to crimes against humanity
Iranian security forces committed crimes against humanity in their crackdown on nationwide protests, a UN fact-finding mission said on Thursday, citing mass killings, torture and arbitrary detention.
Italian city dedicates riverside green space to Mahsa Amini
The Italian city of Imola has dedicated a green space to Mahsa Jina Amini, marking the fourth anniversary of her death in Iran’s morality-police custody and honoring the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising that followed, a Bologna-based daily newspaper reported.
Calls to quit NPT grow in Iran as critics warn of strategic trap
Calls for Iran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty are gaining ground among hardliners after the IAEA referred the country to the UN Security Council and its nuclear chief was barred from attending the agency’s annual conference in Vienna.
Mahsa Amini and the century-long struggle of Iranian women
In September 2022, the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police ignited a fire that still burns.
From Halkbank to Golden Global: Iran sanctions and Turkey’s banking ties
Turkey has stepped in to take control of shareholder rights at a bank accused by Washington of helping Tehran turn oil revenues into cash and gold: the latest chapter in a decades-long story linking Turkish banking, US sanctions and Iranian money.
Mahsa’s Dandelion: Step by step through “Woman, Life, Freedom”
Mahsa Amini’s death in September 2022 set off something that could not be put back in its box. Woman, Life, Freedom was challengeed the foundations of the Islamic Republic. This interactive project retraces the uprising, what was lost, but also what survived and what changed.
Iranian women recall the first time they went out uncovered
Four years after the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, Iran International asked women on Instagram to describe the first time they went out without a headscarf. The answers came back in the same four registers: fear, freedom, grief and solidarity.
US officials met Iran-aligned Houthis in Oman - Reuters
US officials met representatives of Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis in Oman over the weekend, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing five sources familiar with the matter, days after the group seized a strategic stretch of Yemen's Red Sea coast.
Shot and left for dead, Iran protester faces 26th surgery
Twenty-five surgeries have failed to end the ordeal of a protester shot during January demonstrations in Iran, with a severe infection still spreading through the wounded leg and a 26th operation now planned, Iran International learned.
Iran used state machinery to crush 2022 uprising, Amnesty says
Iranian state authorities organized a systematic, high-level campaign of murder, torture, and sexual violence to crush the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, according to a 1,000-page investigation published by Amnesty International on Wednesday.
Security forces deploy as shops in western Iran strike on Mahsa Amini anniversary
Iranian security forces fanned out across several western cities on Wednesday as shopkeepers shut down businesses to mark the fourth anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, according to videos and messages sent to Iran International.
A generation shaped by Woman, Life, Freedom refuses to go back
Four years after Mahsa “Jina” Amini’s death in Iran’s morality police custody sparked the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, teenagers who watched her name become a rallying cry have grown up amid repression but beyond many of the social and political boundaries of pre-2022 Iran.
‘This is the cost you must pay’: Iran accused of denying food to death-row twin
Twin sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi have been tortured in detention and threatened with sexual violence, while death-row Taraneh is now being denied food in retaliation for family advocacy, their cousin told Iran International.
Iranian court upholds death sentence for another protest detainee
An Iranian appeals court has upheld the death sentence of Ali Rahimi Rigi, a 32-year-old detainee from the January protests, a source familiar with the case told Iran International.
Tehran political circles see US hand in postponement of Oman Hormuz talks
Iranian lawmakers, hardline media and analysts have blamed Washington for postponing Oman-hosted talks on Strait of Hormuz shipping arrangements, despite officials attributing the delay to regional objections and Saudi concerns over Yemen.
January’s unfinished love stories: Lives severed by Iran protest killings
Eight months after Iran's January protests, the partners left behind by some of those killed are recounting lives abruptly divided by gunfire – marriages measured in months or days, anniversaries spent at graves and final embraces they never knew were their last.
After Muscat collapse, Tehran argues over what comes next
Iranian newspapers that agree on almost nothing agreed on Monday that the Muscat talks had collapsed. Kayhan, Shargh and Donya-ye Eghtesad all reported it, and the argument has already moved to what Tehran does next.
Hormuz traffic plunges ahead of Iran-China talks
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply as Iran prepared diplomatic talks in China, while attacks on Saudi Arabia and damage to Persian Gulf cloud infrastructure underscored the widening consequences of the war on Tuesday.
EU Parliament names Iran among states behind hybrid attacks on Europe
The European Parliament on Tuesday named Iran among countries it said were involved in hybrid attacks targeting Europe, including cyberattacks, sabotage, espionage and signal jamming.
Women face forced undressing, breast touching at Iran’s Evin Prison
Female political prisoners at Iran's Evin Prison face increasingly invasive body searches involving forced undressing and breast touching, leading some to forgo medical treatment and visits, sources told Iran International.
Islamic Republic asks public to identify opponents abroad
The Islamic Republic has launched a platform asking citizens to identify and report opponents living abroad. Iranians met it with ridicule, pointing to how deeply the state's own security apparatus has been infiltrated.
Iranian security forces arrest three Baha’is in Shiraz, source says
Iranian security forces arrested three Baha’i citizens during raids on their homes in Shiraz, southwestern Iran, on Monday and transferred them to an undisclosed location, Iran International has learned.
US seeks $61 million in cryptocurrency tied to Iran oil sales
US prosecutors are seeking the forfeiture of about $61 million in cryptocurrency that came from black-market sales of sanctioned Iranian crude oil and petroleum products and was intended to finance Iran's government and military, including the Revolutionary Guards.
Xi’s BRICS peace call sparks debate in Iran over China’s role in war
China’s call for a collective BRICS role in restoring peace in the Persian Gulf and Middle East has triggered debate in Iran over whether Beijing is preparing to mediate between Tehran and Washington.
Iran’s Saudi leverage could become its liability
Iran has gained leverage over Saudi Arabia as Houthi advances and attacks put pressure on the kingdom’s territory and oil routes. But Riyadh is responding more forcefully, raising the risk that Tehran’s advantage could provoke a military backlash that ultimately weakens it.
US, Iran hint at talks even as sanctions tighten and Hormuz tensions stay high
The United States and Iran both signaled openness to renewed negotiations Monday, even as Washington intensified its financial pressure campaign and conflicting accounts of incidents around the Strait of Hormuz underscored the mistrust surrounding any diplomatic opening.
US sanctions Russia’s VTB Bank over Iran ties as financial crackdown widens
The United States on Monday imposed new Iran-related sanctions on Russia’s VTB Bank on Monday, accusing the already heavily sanctioned lender of helping Tehran evade restrictions through banking relationships and payment arrangements.
Resistance born from Mahsa Amini’s death endures, UN rapporteur says
UN Special Rapporteur on Iran Mai Sato said the movement born from Mahsa “Jina” Amini’s death in Iran’s morality police custody remains alive four years on, despite another deadly crackdown and continued enforcement of mandatory hijab rules.
Second Sunni cleric killed in Iran in less than a week
Sunni Baluch cleric Molavi Yousef Gorgij was killed by unknown assailants outside his home in Zahedan, Iranian state media reported on Monday, the second killing of a Sunni cleric in Iran in less than a week.
IAEA raises alarm over Iran access as Hormuz tensions mount
Concern over Iran’s nuclear program intensified on Monday as the UN nuclear watchdog said it had conducted almost no inspections in the country for more than six months, while tensions surrounding Hormuz deepened and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis claimed another attack on Saudi.
US pilot rescue inside Iran draws mockery of Guards
A newly disclosed US operation that sent more than 90 American troops into Iran to rescue an airman shot down during the war drew ridicule from Iranians online over the Revolutionary Guards’ failure to find him before his extraction in April.
Iranians say basic food slipping beyond reach as bread prices soar
Iranians are struggling to afford basic food as bread prices rise sharply and citizens describe soaring costs for vegetables, snacks and other everyday purchases, according to an local media report and messages sent to Iran International on Monday.
Hormuz diplomacy stalls as attacks deepen pressure on Persian Gulf oil routes
Hormuz diplomacy hit a fresh setback Sunday as Oman postponed talks between Iran and Persian Gulf states, while attacks on shipping and Saudi energy infrastructure raised pressure on key regional oil routes.
Foreign investment in Iran hits zero after war
Foreign investment in Iran has effectively come to a halt following the war with Israel and the United States, with no new foreign investment recorded so far this Iranian year, a senior industry ministry figure said.
Eight women face execution in Iran, rights group warns
At least eight women are facing death sentences in prisons across Iran, including four in cases linked to the nationwide January protests, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) rights group reported on Sunday.
Iran court sentences January protest detainee to death, rights group says
An Iranian court has handed down a death sentence to a man detained in connection with the January 2026 protests in the northeastern city of Shandiz, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported on Sunday.
Deadly ship strike deepens crisis over Strait of Hormuz
An Iranian container ship was struck by an unidentified projectile, killing one crew member and injuring four, with Iran ruling out reopening the Strait of Hormuz despite plans for a new maritime corridor on Sunday.
Iranians buy bread on credit, queue for chicken scraps
Iranians are increasingly buying basic food on credit and lining up for chicken scraps, with shopkeepers and residents describing shrinking purchasing power under rapidly rising prices in a report published Sunday.
Iran students go without as elite schools charge billions
Some Iranian schools are charging billions of rials for pools, therapy and small classes as students elsewhere reuse old bags and go without uniforms, shoes and stationery because their families cannot afford them ahead of the new school year.
Iran regime used Claude to expand surveillance of dissidents, Anthropic says
Anthropic said Iranian paramilitary and security units used Claude to surveil thousands of Iranians and identify opposition and diaspora accounts, while a separate MEK-linked operation used the AI to impersonate an activist and profile people inside Iran.
Iranian actress dedicates Venice award to ‘brave women of Iran’
Iranian actress Laleh Marzban dedicated her best actress award at the Venice Film Festival to the “brave women of Iran,” saying they were enduring immense pressure and paying a heavy price for basic freedoms.
Mideast oil flows recover while Iran exports vanish, tracker says
Middle Eastern oil exporters are finding ways around months of war and shipping disruption, with UAE crude exports back at pre-war levels, according to TankerTrackers.com, which says Iranian exports have effectively vanished.
Rushed trials, public hangings: Iran courts race to crush dissent
Iran has executed at least 29 people arrested in connection with the widespread protests in January, more than half of whom were not accused of killing anyone, with some put to death in public in what rights groups describe as a campaign to deter further dissent.
Iraqi groups deny Saudi pipeline strike, say ‘would be proud if we did it’
Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups denied responsibility on Saturday for the drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, rejecting an accusation that has already prompted Baghdad to dismiss a military commander and close border crossings with Iran.