Iran News & Updates | Iran Protests

Iran can see opportunity across border

USA TODAY: Iran's increasing support for insurgent Shiites in Iraq is giving the fighting in Najaf the appearance of a proxy war between Iran and the United States, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

IRANS RULERS FEAR THE PEOPLE

VOA: Like despotic rulers everywhere, the extremist Muslim clerics who run Iran consider the people their greatest enemy. That is why, says U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Irans rulers are worried about the movement toward democracy in Iraq:

Widespread crackdown on women

Iran Focus: A new wave of crackdown against young people, particularly girls, has been launched by the Iranian security forces in conjunction with other security services under the pretext of campaign against symbols of public corruption and improper veiling.

Widespread arrest of young people in Mashad

Iran Focus: Special units of the State Security Forces launched a new campaign in Mashad, provincial capital of the northeastern province of Khorrasan, to crack down on young people.

Tehran tries to bully Iraqi officials into silence

Iran Focus: In a caustic attack on a senior member of the Iraqi government, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi anted the recent spate of heated exchange between Tehran and Baghdad.

Political prisoners beaten up at the end of their hunger strike

Iran Focus: Following the release of a statement by the political prisoners announcing the end of their hunger strike on Sunday evening, July 25, the Revolutionary Guards and prison guards dispatched a number of their agents among ordinary prisoners to prison ward number one in Evin battering severely the strikers.

Iranian prisoners hunger strike at the end of its third week

Iran Focus: In the third week of hunger strike by supporters of the Mojahedin and dissidents at Evin prison in Tehran, the mullahs inhuman regime is trying to prevent its news to leak out.

10 executions in ten days

Iran Focus: The Iranian state-controlled media reported that seven prisoners were hanged between July 12 and 22 in Tehran and other cities. Three more were sentenced to death.

Tougher restrictions on veiling

Iran Focus: Majlis deputies and the State Security Forces (SSF) are taking tougher measures to deal with women accused of mal-veiling. Majlis deputies reported the adoption of a directive in the Majlis to deal with improper veiling.

Hunger strike by political prisoners in Tehrans Evin Prison

Iran Focus: Political prisoners in Tehrans Evin Prison have staged a hunger strike on the eve of the anniversary of July 9 uprising and in protest against a new wave of suppression and widespread arrest of university students and youths in Iran.

Milk for Iraq sold in Iran

AFP: Large quantities of powdered milk donated by international aid agencies to Iraq are being stolen and smuggled across the border to Iran for sale at bargain prices.

Canada backs U.S. concerns about Iran

The Ottawa Citizen: Canada affirmed its support yesterday for United Nations' efforts to curb Iran's growing nuclear ambitions, Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew said.

Iranian journalist arrested in Najaf

Xinhuanet: An Iraqi journalist working for Iran's state Arabic-language Al-Alam TV channel was arrested Sunday in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf for violating the local police's order of leaving.

Mohammad Kazem was detained when he was reporting live on TV the new round of US offensive against Shiite militia in Najaf, the channel said.

US, Canada to Cooperate on Iran, Canadian Foreign Minister Says

Radio Farda: US and Canada pledged to cooperate on pressing Iran to end its nuclear program and bring to justice those responsible for the death in custody of Canadian-Iranian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi.

Powell Asks Japan to Withdraw Business from Iran

Radio Farda: In a press conference in Tokyo, US Secretary of State urged the Japanese government and Japanese businesses to reconsider investing in Iran's energy sector. "It is clear that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon," he said.

Lugar: Get very tough with Iran

UPI:The chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged the United States Sunday to get "very tough" to prevent Iran from making a nuclear bomb.

"We're going to have to get very tough" said Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Inc., when asked how to prevent Iran from making nuclear weapons.

Israel is in our range, says Iran

Reuters: An Iranian military chief said yesterday that Israel and the US would not dare to attack his country since it could strike back anywhere in Israel with its latest missiles, a news agency reported.