Michael Scollon is a senior correspondent in RFE/RL's Central Newsroom in Prague.
After Iranian authorities responded forcefully to demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini a year ago, public anger exploded into nationwide protests. Hundreds of demonstrators followed Amini to the grave amid a brutal state crackdown.
Javad Ruhi, who was arrested and handed three death sentences after being spotted in a video dancing during protests in Iran, died under suspicious circumstances in prison last week. A source close to his family said Ruhi never stood a chance of getting out of prison alive.
As Iran’s antiestablishment protests approach their one-year mark, the authorities are stepping up pressure against the families of slain demonstrators to prevent tributes to those killed.
Members of a musical group that performed in tribute to slain protester Ghazaleh Chalabi in the northern Iranian city of Amol last week have apologized for their actions after facing pressure from security forces.
By shuttingf web-based startups whose services are popular among younger, tech-savvy customers, Iran is forcing the companies police their own employees to comply with the recently reinforced law on women's head covering. But business advocates and observers say the tactic could backfire.
Iran is facing the heat as temperatures soar, water resources dry up, and territory is lost to desertification. Unless the problem is adequately addressed, officials and experts warn, the country faces disaster and a mass population exodus.
Deadly attacks on Taliban officials in Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan Province have left residents fearful of even going to the mosque. As the Taliban claims success in rooting out Islamic State-Khorasan fighters, the attacks raise questions about its ability to impose its authority.
Iran's relations with northwestern neighbor Azerbaijan have devolved into scolding and heated rhetoric as Tehran objects to outside influence from regional rivals in what it considers its backyard.
Tensions remain high following the deadly clashes between Iranian and Taliban border troops over cross-border water supplies. But while both Tehran and the Taliban are doubling down on their water rights, they are leaving the door open for a diplomatic resolution.
Afghanistan's high maternal mortality comes with the territory in a country marked by political upheaval, economic woes, and cultural restrictions, all of which have limited women's access to adequate health care.
Iran's worsening air pollution and continued use of dirty fuels to power automobiles and industrial plants have cast a spotlight on the country's inability to enforce its own clean-air standards.
Iran and Russia continue to build on their defense cooperation, trading weaponry and military technology that satisfies their immediate needs. Experts say it is unclear whether Moscow and Tehran's weapons-swapping partnership is a long-term fit or a case of sanctioned friends with benefits.
The recent past has not been kind to Afghanistan's pre-Islamic heritage. Will history repeat itself under the new Taliban government?
Iran looked forward to a tough winter in Europe that would allow Tehran to capitalize on its enormous natural gas resources. But when freezing temperatures arrived in Iran, perennial winter gas shortages served as a reminder of decades of failed energy policies.
With both Russia and Iran coming under increased international sanctions for their actions in 2022, where can they turn to maintain trade? The answer: to each other and to smaller pariah states. But experts express skepticism about the strength of such a disparate bloc of the sanctioned.
Thousands of Afghan soldiers are living a desperate existence in Iran, where they sought refuge after the Taliban returned to power. Many say they have no choice but to put their fighting skills to work for a private Russian mercenary group that has sought to recruit them to join the war in Ukraine.
As the United States and Iran prepare to face off for a chance to reach the knockout stages of soccer's World Cup, the political gamesmanship is already in play.
The prospect of Russian forces replenishing their depleted aerial arsenal with powerful Iranian ballistic missiles has officials in Kyiv scrambling for more air cover.
Nika Shakarami, 16, left to join anti-government protests in Tehran on September 20. She was never seen alive by her family again. In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL's Radio Farda, Nika's mother says the family is now being pressured to echo the official account of her daughter's death.
The Taliban will import gasoline, diesel fuel, and wheat, making Russia one of the few countries willing to trade with Afghanistan's new rulers. While small, analysts say it fits with Russia's efforts to find new customers and could give it an inside track on access to Afghanistan's mineral wealth.
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