Foreign Office minister addresses desecration of cemetery where members of persecuted religious minority are buried Britain has expressed serious concerns about the ongoing destruction of a historic cemetery in southern Iran, where members of the country's most persecuted religious minority are buried. Iran's elite revolutionary guards have begun demolishing the Bahá'í cemetery in Shiraz,...
By posting hijab-less photos onto a 'stealthy' Facebook page, Iranian women are reclaiming their image from the western media and the Islamic republic The Facebook page "Stealthy freedoms of Iranian women" , where Iranian women are sharing photos of themselves without their hijab , is attracting attention in the world's media. That is no surprise. Iran is a country that has been represented...
Picture is the first taken for three years as fears grow for health of Iranian opposition leader An image has emerged of Iran's opposition leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi, who remains under house arrest despite growing fears for his health. It appears to be the first picture of the former presidential candidate for three years, ever since he was confined to his house in Tehran. Continue reading... ...
When it comes to drugs, Iranians traditionally turned to opium and heroin. But a younger generation needed to turn up the dial Crystal meth, known in Iran as shisheh, or crystalline glass, has in a very short time become Tehrans drug of choice. Meth is to sedative opiates, one could say, what new Tehran is to old Tehran. Injecting meth brings a quick rush of energy: energy to keep pace with zooming...
Cheap, widely available and used by students and housewives alike, crystal meth is taking the Iranian capital by storm. The author of a new book about the country reports on an addiction that even the repressive regime is struggling to control 'What economic crisis? Business is good," Bijan winks as he flashes his big, gap-toothed smile. Bijan is a cook and dealer of sheesheh crystal meth which...
Tehran's foreign minister invited to negotiations but ending conflict over Syria is main sticking point with Riyadh Saudi Arabia has invited the Iranian foreign minister to Riyadh for the first senior meeting between the regional heavyweights since the start of the Arab Awakenings in which the two countries have engaged in a proxy war for influence. The Saudi foreign minister, Saud al-Faisal, contacted...
Hosting service Bayan refused to comply with authorities after being told to disclose private information about a user An Iranian blog-hosting service has refused to comply with the authorities after being told to disclose private information about one of its users. Iran's cyberpolice, known as Fata, wrote earlier this month to Bayan, a Tehran-based IT firm, asking it to reveal the log records for...
Campaign set up by London-based Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad attracts more than 130,000 likes on social media site Thousands of Iranian women are taking off their veils and publishing pictures of themselves online, igniting a debate about the freedom to wear or not wear the hijab. A Facebook page set up by London-based Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad 10 days ago has attracted more than 130,000...
Crackdown on Muslim-turned-Christians has seen an increasing number seek refuge, giving religious life a small boost in one of the most 'godless' places on earth On a breezy Sunday morning, 17 Christian converts are being baptized into a Berlin congregation just in time for Christmas. The yellow, stained-glass windows, situated high enough to catch the suns beams, are glowing. The old wooden pews...
West's hunt for alternative oil and gas helps Tehran with one official saying 'Now Russia is the bad guy. Time is on our side' The Ukraine crisis has strengthened Iran's hand in its nuclear talks and other dealings with the west by reminding European countries and the Obama administration of its potential as a major alternative energy supplier if Russia cannot be relied upon, officials and analysts...
Officer says on state TV: 'We have broken its secrets' White House blamed 2011 loss on technical problem Iran said on Sunday it had succeeded in copying a US drone it captured in December 2011 . State television broadcast images apparently showing the replicated aircraft. Iran captured the US RQ-170 Sentinel while it was in its airspace, apparently on a mission to spy on the country's nuclear sites,...
Insiders say western strategy in Syria encouraged radicals and backfired, leading to threat to European security from returning jihadis Iran and its close ally President Bashar al-Assad have won the war in Syria and the US-orchestrated campaign in support of the opposition's attempt to topple the Syrian regime has failed, senior Iranian officials have told the Guardian. In a series of interviews in...
Few signs of life amid the ruins of a once thriving desert village, settled by Zoroastrians hundreds of years ago In Yazd, a city in central Iran, my uncle has gifted me his companys driver - the jolly, talkative Mr Salimi. But Mr Salimi isnt just a driver. Hes a one-man tour office, event organiser and historian. When he sets an agenda, you must follow. The first day, after a trek to the Zoroastrian...
Deputy foreign ministers hopeful of agreement by 20 July but warn of opposition from anti-Rouhani hardliners and Israel Spoilers and "dark forces" are attempting to wreck efforts to clinch a historic compromise between Iran and the west on the country's nuclear programme, senior members of Iran's negotiating team have told the Guardian. Speaking before a new round of expert-level talks, due...
Rightwing activists claim negotiators are ignoring national interests and that west has not shown the same honesty as Iran The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, is facing growing criticism from a broad array of political hardliners and rightwing opponents who say his government is being duped by the US in an over-hasty attempt to clinch a nuclear deal with the west and end economic sanctions. At a...
Censorship persists but there are fewer prohibitions this year at event that draws 500,000 people daily from across Iran On a warm spring day in Tehran, against a backdrop of roses, fountains and the snow-capped Alborz mountains, hundreds of thousands of people have gathered for what organisers bill as the world's biggest book fair. In every direction are colourful literary and academic displays, poetry...
Scepticism is giving way to cautious hope in tough negotiations for a comprehensive nuclear deal "The early hours of July 21!" That was the recent prediction of a European diplomat involved in the multilateral, multi-stage talks with Iran over the country's nuclear programme. The target date for a deal is July 20. The little joke embedded in the diplomat's forecast was that past experience...
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has appealed to the president of Iran to allow the reopening of the headquarters of the Association of Iranian Journalists (AoIJ) and release imprisoned journalists. In a letter to President Hassan Rouhani, the IFJ points out that the AoIJ's Tehran offices have been closed since August 2009, following an order from the general prosecutor. Continue...
On May Day 2014, we student union officers and student activists are calling for the release of imprisoned Iranian trade unionist Shahrokh Zamani. On 23 April, Zamani ended a 47-day hunger strike after officials at Gohardasht prison agreed to transfer him to a wing reserved for political prisoners. A member of the Iranian painters' union jailed for attempting to build independent workers' organisations,...
Babolsar zoo sued and urged to close after social network campaign deplores mistreatment of animals at cramped site The environmental authorities of Iran have sued a zoo for keeping animals in poor conditions, particularly for chaining a bear to a post. Iran's environment department said on Wednesday it had inspected Babolsar's zoo, in the northern province of Mazandaran, and was pursuing a legal case...