Michael Scollon is a senior correspondent in RFE/RL's Central Newsroom in Prague.
An Iranian newspaper's publication of a classified document outlining the state's plans to deploy thousands of "volunteers" to enforce the country's hijab law has revealed a cover-up over responsibility for the intrusive squads of women harassing commuters.
As fighting in the Gaza Strip threatens to spill over into a broader regional conflict, Iran's plan to help its extremist allies acquire the ability to manufacture their own weapons and hone their battlefield capabilities is coming together.
Behrouz Chamanara, a professor at Kurdistan University in western Iran, was arrested, interrogated, and ultimately dismissed after the authorities suspected he and other professors were pushing students to participate in antiestablishment protests.
In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL's Radio Farda, prominent Iranian religious scholar Sedigheh Vasmaghi accused hard-liners in the Islamic republic of using violence against civilians to ensure all orders are followed "without question" and said those who oppose the government should not face bloodshed.
Russia and Iran say they're free to trade missile technology now that UN sanctions barring such cooperation have expired. But while some worry they could expand their trade into more advanced weaponry and know-how, experts suggest that not much will change from the current reality.
Over the course of four decades, Iran has perfected the use of proxies and alliances with militant groups and state actors to fight its battles abroad.
Iran has officially denied responsibility for the massive attack pulled off by Hamas against Israel. But Tehran still relishes in what it sees as a great victory showcasing its investments in Sunni and Shi'a proxies, the export of the Islamic Revolution, and the disruption of Arab-Israeli relations.
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?
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