MORE

All RFE/RL websites

Breaking News

Kian Sharifi

Kian Sharifi is a feature writer specializing in Iranian affairs in RFE/RL's Central Newsroom in Prague. He got his start in journalism at the Financial Tribune, an English-language newspaper published in Tehran, where he worked as an editor. He then moved to BBC Monitoring, where he led a team of journalists who closely watched media trends and analyzed key developments in Iran and the wider region.

SharifiK@rferl.org

Also by Kian Sharifi

June 02, 2025
Tehran Skeptical Of Reported US Sanctions Pause, Signals Pushback On Nuclear Proposal

Iran has cast doubt on a reported pause in new US sanctions, demanding guarantees and verifiable relief. Meanwhile, Tehran is reportedly preparing to reject a US nuclear proposal involving a regional fuel consortium.
May 30, 2025
Truckers' Strike Sparks Supply Shortages And Public Support Across Iran

This edition of The Farda Briefing looks at the nationwide truckers' strike in Iran, its impact on the country's supply chains, and how it's challenging the government amid mounting economic pressures.
May 29, 2025
US-Iran Nuclear Talks Stall, Raising Risk Of Escalation And Sanctions

As uranium enrichment remains the key sticking point in US-Iran nuclear negotiations, new proposals from Oman -- including a regional consortium -- are testing the limits of compromise. With no date set for further talks, the clock on diplomacy is ticking.
May 29, 2025
As US Ends Protected Status For Afghans, Thousands Face Deportation And Persecution

The United States will end Temporary Protected Status for Afghans in July, leaving up to 12,000 at risk of deportation to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Human rights groups warn the move could be deadly, while DHS cites national security and claims conditions have "improved sufficiently."
May 23, 2025
Iran, US Dig In As Nuclear Talks Resume In Rome

This edition of the Farda Briefing looks at how Tehran and Washington are digging in on the core nuclear issue: enrichment. The United States insists Iran can’t enrich uranium; Iran maintains it won’t give it up. With both sides refusing to budge, the standoff is heating up.
May 23, 2025
As Iran And The US Stand Firm On Nuclear Red Lines, Who Will Step Back First?

Iran and the United States are set to resume nuclear talks in Rome amid rising tensions, hard-line demands, and Israeli threats of military action. With uranium enrichment at the core of the standoff, the window for diplomacy is narrowing -- and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
May 21, 2025
Afghan Female Athletes Flee Taliban Only To Face New Hurdles In Pakistan

Afghan women athletes who fled to Pakistan to escape Taliban restrictions now face poverty, lack of training facilities, and stalled asylum cases. Stranded in limbo for years, many are calling out the UN refugee agency for inaction as they struggle to survive and pursue their passion in exile.
May 19, 2025
As US Pushes For Zero Enrichment, Iran Insists It Won't Give Up Nuclear Program

US special envoy Steve Witkoff declared on that the Donald Trump administration’s “red line” in the nuclear talks with Iran is Tehran’s ability to enrich uranium at any level, prompting Iran to say it will continue enrichment “with or without a deal.”
May 16, 2025
Syria's Shift Away From Iran Sparks Media Backlash After Trump Meets With Ahmed al-Sharaa

US President Donald Trump's historic meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on May 14 has not gone over well with the hard-line media in Iran.
May 16, 2025
Having Lost Syria, Iran Watches As 'Axis' Lynchpin Turns Toward US

This edition of the Farda Briefing looks at how hard-line Iranian media have reacted to President Donald Trump’s historic meeting with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia.
May 15, 2025
Iran Pitches Enrichment Consortium To Save Nuclear Program

Iran has proposed a regional nuclear consortium involving Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to ease concerns over its nuclear program. The plan, presented in talks with the United States, would allow limited uranium enrichment under international oversight to boost transparency and trust.
May 14, 2025
Trump Pledges Syria Sanctions Relief In First US Meeting With Al-Sharaa After Years Of Isolation

After over a decade of war and isolation, Syria enters a new era. US President Donald Trump lifts sanctions and meets insurgent-turned-president Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, signaling a major geopolitical shift.
May 13, 2025
Trump Signs Economic Deal With Saudis On First Day Of Mideast Tour

US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman signed a strategic economic partnership agreement hours after the US leader arrived in the kingdom to kick off a four-day Middle East tour.
May 12, 2025
PKK Ends Armed Struggle, Seeks Peaceful Path For Kurdish Rights

The PKK has announced it is dissolving its armed structure and ending its decades-long insurgency against Turkey, marking a significant shift toward democratic politics. The decision seeks a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue, though concerns about Turkish reconciliation remain.
May 12, 2025
Trump Eyes Saudi Civil Nuclear Deal, Sidestepping Israeli Concerns

US President Donald Trump’s decision to separate Saudi nuclear talks from normalization with Israel marks a major policy shift, signaling diminished Israeli leverage and injecting fresh uncertainty into a region already tense over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
May 09, 2025
For Iranians, Trump's Proposal To Rename Persian Gulf Is Personal

This edition of the Farda Briefing looks at how Iranians are rallying against a reported plan by the Trump administration to rename the Persian Gulf -- an issue that experts say could damage the US president's standing among Iranians.
May 07, 2025
Trump's Reported Move To Rename Persian Gulf Unites Iranians In Outrage

A reported plan by US President Donald Trump to rename the Persian Gulf as the “Arabian Gulf” or “Gulf of Arabia” has sparked rare unity among Iranians across the political spectrum -- including his supporters -- who see the name as a matter of national identity and historical legitimacy.
May 04, 2025
Yemen's Houthis Grow Bolder Despite US Bombing Campaign

Since mid-March, the United States has struck over 1,000 Houthi targets in Yemen in a bid to curb attacks on Red Sea shipping and pressure Iran. But experts say the campaign has failed to deter the Houthis, who remain resilient and may now be even more closely aligned with Tehran.
May 02, 2025
The Economic Fallout From Deadly Blast At Iran's 'Golden Gateway' Of Trade

This edition of the Farda Briefing looks at the potential economic impact of a massive explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaei port and whether it will impact Iranian trade and hopes for foreign investment.
April 25, 2025
Even With A Nuclear Deal, Iran's Sticking With China

This edition of the Farda Briefing looks at how Iran is seeking to reassure China that, even with a nuclear deal in place with the United States, Beijing will remain a key partner for Tehran.

XS

SM

MD

LG