IRAN

IRAN – When Israel launched heavy strikes on June 13 against Iranian nuclear and military sites, it set off the fiercest confrontation between the two foes in years. Iran’s counterattacks have so far failed to halt the bombardment, prompting fears that what began as a tit-for-tat exchange could expand into…

TEL AVIV / TEHRAN — For the second consecutive day, Israel and Iran continued to trade airstrikes and missile attacks, following a preemptive Israeli strike targeting Iranian nuclear sites, senior military figures, and scientists.    Iran’s armed forces declared that their response would know no boundaries and warned that any…

TEL AVIV / TEHRAN — In a dramatic escalation that marks the most significant direct attack on Iran since the 1980s, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a sweeping aerial offensive early Friday, striking nuclear sites and top military leadership across Iran. A statement from IDF Spokesperson BG Effie Defrin on…

STOCKHOLM — A new report has cast a chilling light on the scale of gender-based violence in Iran, documenting the deaths of 46 women and 5 children in just one month. The data, published by the Sweden-based Nujinha Women’s News Agency, underscores what advocates describe as an escalating crisis in…

TEHRAN — On Tuesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei voiced deep skepticism about negotiations with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program, asserting that such talks are unlikely to produce meaningful outcomes. His remarks coincided with the Iranian parliament’s ratification of a sweeping 20-year strategic partnership agreement with Russia,…

TEHRAN — An Armenian national, Hakop Gochumyan, has been serving a 10-year sentence at Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison since February 2024, after being convicted on what rights groups condemn as “unfounded” charges of “deviant proselytising.” His latest appeal for a retrial was rejected this week, prompting fresh international calls for…

DARAMSUQ — As the world commemorates International Workers’ Day on 1 May , or May Day, organizations in Syria and Iraq issued statements honoring the resilience and contributions of workers while reaffirming their commitment to labor rights and equality. The Beth Nahrain Patriotic Union (Huyodo d’Bethnahrin Athroyo, HBA) extended warm…

BAGHDAD —  New Lines Magazine has highlighted the gradual disappearance of the Mandaeans, one of the oldest religious communities in Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia). In “The Weight of Gold: A Mandaean Journey“, journalist Nora Adin Fares, who lives in Sweden but of Mandaean origin, describes how post-Saddam Hussein violence has led…

WASHINGTON — As high-level talks between the United States and Iran approach in Oman, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged President Donald Trump’s administration to prioritize addressing Iran’s ongoing violations of religious freedom. The independent, bipartisan commission has highlighted the “egregious” persecution of religious minorities in…

TEHRAN/WASHINGTON, D.C. —  During an interview on X with Tucker Carlson, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Envoy to the Middle East Stephen Witkoff said that the U.S. is working to avoid armed conflict with Iran by building bridges of trust. Witkoff declared that the recent message sent by Trump to Iran…