Iran’s Interior Minister has urged the Guardian Council to “speed up” the approval of the parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections, which were held on February 16. Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli The Tasnim News Agency reported on Saturday March 12 that in a meeting with the gove ors of all provinces...

A Russian company has a ounced it is set to deliver the S-300 air-to surface missile defence systems to Iran within six months. Ria Novosti reported on Friday March 11 that Sergei Chemezov, the head of Russian industrial conglomerate Rostec, said the first delivery will be made in late August. In 20...

Independent media report that an Iranian-Kurdish transporter was shot and killed by Iranian military officers in the border region of Kurdistan Province. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports that the young man from the city of Marivon, identified as Madeh Partovi, was shot on Sunda...

Twelve student groups across Iran have issued a statement reporting that 160 students in the past two months have been summoned by the disciplinary committees at Tehran and Elm-o-Sanaat universities. In a statement issued on Thursday March 10, the student organizations report that on Tuesday March 8...

Kokab, Zahra and Nargess Mousavi, the daughters of MirHosein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard, the two opposition leaders who have been under house arrest since 2011, say their mother’s general health has been in serious decline. Zahra Rahnvard According to a report published on the Kaleme website on Wed...

Lawyer and human rights activist Mohammad Seifzadeh was released today from Rejai Shahr Prison upon termination of his sentence. Mohammad Seifzadeh The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports that Seifzadeh was sentenced to two years and six years for two separate charges, and by making t...

Iranian officials report that road accidents add 100 people to the country’s disabled population every day. The head of Iran’s Red Crescent, Massoud Habibi, said on Thursday March 10: “Unfortunately, road accidents continue to claim 50 lives each day across the country and the number of road acciden...

Former Iranian president and prominent reformist figure Mohammad Khatami has urged the Rohani gove ment to honour its election promises, adding that the country’s security-laden atmosphere does not befit the Iranian people. Mohammad Khatami In a meeting with his advisers on Tuesday March 8, 2016, Kh...

Iran’s Supreme Labour Council set the minimum wage for the coming year at 811,000 toumans per month after an eight-hour meeting on Tuesday March 8. ILNA reported on Wednesday that 13 million labourers across the country will see a 14-percent increase in their wages. The representatives of the labour...

Ehsan Mazandarani and Davoud Asadi, two Iranian jou alists charged with “propaganda against the regime and acting against national security”, were finally taken to court after being held for months. Their lawyer Mahmoud Alizadeh told Tasnim News Agency that the trial of the two jou alists was held o...

By Shahrokh Heydari

The spokesman for the Iranian judiciary said Babak Zanjani and two other people accused in the oil fraud case have been sentenced to death. Babak Zanjani Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei told reporters on March 6: “Babak Zanjani and the two other accused in this matter have all three been found guilty of ...

Asadollah Taghizadeh, a forest ranger who was arrested and sentenced to Qesas seven years ago for killing an illegal hunter in the Dena forest region, was released on Monday March 7 after the family of the deceased gave their consent. Asadollah Taghizadeh upon release Taghizadeh and two other ranger...

Ali Moayedi, the head of police counter-narcotics operations, says 340,000 arrests were made in co ection with drug charges in the past year. Speaking on a television news program on Sunday March 6, Moayedi expressed conce about the increase in the number of drug-related charges. He added that of th...

A group of Tehran store owners got into a physical conflict with street vendors in the Ghaem Market neighbourhood. On Monday March 7, store owners resorted to force to remove street vendors from the area around their stores, ISNA reports. Store owners say they ca ot possibly compete with the vendors...

The Iranian president has commended the people’s choice in electing moderates in the elections, saying that choice will translate into prosperity for the country in the coming year. Hassan Rohani At a meeting on Sunday March 6, Rohani said that the people chose moderates from among all the existing ...

Tehran’s police chief a ounced that his department is on alert to prevent offences during Chahrshanbeh Souri, stressing that any arrests will last throughout the New Year holidays. ISNA reports that Hossein Ashtari said on Sunday March 6 that special police hubs have been established in various loca...

The head of Replenishment Efforts for Lake Urmia says gove ment efforts are being stalled by various executive offices. Issa Kalantari said on Sunday March 6 that the regional offices are not showing the necessary cooperation and he called for “more determination and firm participation by regional o...

The trial of Iranian jou alist and political prisoner Issa Saharkhiz was held after four months. Issa Saharkhiz Roozonline reported on Saturday March 5 that Saharkhiz attended court without a lawyer and the session was over within five minutes. Saharkhiz was reportedly retu ed to his cell immediatel...

One million cubic metres of lumber is taken a ually from Zagros forests, according to Lorestan Natural Resources. Majid Tavakoli told ISNA on Saturday March 5 that the wood is used for heating purposes and added that “cutting and lopping trees” for either heating or to provide food for stock is the ...