RFE/RL's Radio Farda breaks through government censorship to deliver accurate news and provide a platform for informed discussion and debate to audiences in Iran.
The body of Iran's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was laid in state in Tehran on July 3 as authorities began funeral processions amid mixed reactions among Iranians over a man whose more than three decades in power was marked by oppression and the death of tens of thousands.
Iran's government is preparing a multiday funeral ceremony for late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who died in US and Israeli strikes in February. But many Iranians are not mourning his loss, and are instead sharing complex reactions to the death of a man who led an oppressive theocratic regime.
Residents of Iranian cities say it's increasingly common for women to go out without a head scarf, a violation that previously would have resulted in harassment or detention.
A rogue statement from top clerics and a censored prime-time broadcast: two bizarre incidents that have exposed deep, unprecedented fractures inside Iran’s elite establishment.
As Iran's wave of political executions continues, 75 French lawmakers took the unusual step of formally adopting individual death-row political prisoners on June 29 as part of a new National Assembly campaign organized by the Iran Freedom Congress (IFC).
Some Iranians say they risked their lives in the streets and endured hunger, air strikes, and destruction, believing this was the price they were paying for freedom. Now, as the regime survives and Washington returns to negotiations, they are left asking what those sacrifices were for.
Consumers in Iran report they are struggling to afford a staple foodstuff: bread. One listener to RFE/RL's Radio Farda calls prices "horrific," while a baker explains he is trying to shield his customers from his own rocketing expenses for rent and utilities.
The doubling of bread prices in Iran is yet another indicator of the deteriorating state of the economy as ordinary Iranians describe cutting meat, skipping meals out, and struggling to buy their children toys.
Iran sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi to 74 lashes for a song without a hijab, but the punishment may only make women’s voices harder to silence, according to a fellow performer, Hana Kamkar.
Iran and the United States cited progress in talks toward reaching a final peace deal, though comments from both sides highlighted the fragile state of negotiations.
Iranian authorities have sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi to a punishment of 74 lashes for performing in a YouTube video that has racked up 2.9 million views over the last two years. Ahmadi sang the well-known patriotic song From The Blood Of the Youth to an empty theater space in 2024.
The first shipments of Iranian crude oil in two months have departed the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-monitoring firm TankerTrackers.com. This comes just days before senior Iranian and US officials are expected to sign a preliminary agreement in Switzerland aimed at ending the war.
Iranians say they have been warned by security officials not to speak to US-funded Persian-language media, such as RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, amid a crackdown in which the Iranian authorities say they have charged increasing numbers with espionage for “cooperation with the enemy.”
A social media post by Pakistan's prime minister set a 24-hour clock ticking on July 13 as he said a deal between Washington and Tehran was closer “than ever before.”
The United States and Iran have traded strikes for a second day as tensions rise in the Middle East. US Central Command released video of strikes targeting Iranian military sites. Iran responded by attacking US allies in the Persian Gulf region.
Iran has declared a halt to strikes against Israel, framing the pause as a completed operation. The move came shortly after US President Donald Trump, whom analysts say is keen on a peace deal with Iran, posted on social media that both sides were seeking an immediate cease-fire.
Iran launched ballistic missiles at northern Israel on June 7, describing the attack as retaliation for Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Israel responded with a "large-scale strike" on Iran's strategic defense systems. US President Donald Trump urged both sides to avoid further escalation.
More than three months into Iran's conflict with the United States and Israel, Iranians say they are desperate about meeting basic needs. Some are down to one meal a day, meat is rare, and household appliances are sold off to pay bills. Some Iranians sent messages to RFE/RL's Radio Farda.
Kuwait's Civil Aviation Authority released images of an Iranian drone attack on the country's international airport that took place on June 3. Kuwait says one person was killed and more than 60 were injured in the attack.
Two more men have been executed in Iran in connection with the January protests with human rights groups condemning growing repression in the country. An Iranian man was also sentenced to 10 years in prison for simply shooting video of protests that first erupted in December 2025.
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