Iran News

Two days after being disqualified from running in Iran's upcoming presidential election , former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani broke his silence Thursday, saying that difficult days loom for the country.

Once again the Islamic regime's desire for absolute control of political life in Iran surprised many when it announced their selection of only eight shortlisted presidential candidates out of more than 600 hopefuls who registered .

An earthquake measuring 3.9 on the Richter scale jolted the town of Kaki in Bushehr province, Southern Iran, on Thursday, IRNA reported.

At the same time, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Republican-led House of Representatives unanimously approved new sanctions legislation that, if passed into law, would blacklist foreign countries or companies that fail to reduce their oil imports from Iran to virtually nil within 180 days.

Iran has announced the list of eight qualified candidates who have been approved to campaign for president, including two men who are suspects in a notorious 1994 terrorist attack.

Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani sharply criticized the country's leadership, opposition website Kaleme said on Thursday, two days after he was disqualified from running in next month's presidential election.

Head of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi said on Wednesday that presence of aliens is the root cause of instability in Afghanistan as well as the entire region, IRNA reported.

Photograph: Jim Young/AP This blog is now primarily a forum for readers to share links and offer commentary on developments.

Every four years, the Islamic Republic of Iran engages in a closely choreographed farce of elections, aimed at maintaining the illusion that the Iranian people have a say in how their country is governed.

Metals swap deals with Iran by Switzerland-based commodities giants Glencore Xstrata and Trafigura could have been a way of skirting international sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program, according to a confidential U.N. Panel of Experts report seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

By now, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is well-accustomed to enduring blows from Iran's ruling clerics as his reputation fell from favored son to political outcast.

The Iranian government caught two "spies" who worked for the CIA and Mossad recently.

Saudi Arabia's interior minister Major General Mansour Al Turki released a statement of Tuesday announcing that 10 members of an alleged Iranian spy ring had been detained by the Kingdom's security forces .

Azerbaijan, Baku, May 22 /Trend S.Isayev, T. Jafarov/ Zahra Mostafavi Khomeini, the daughter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Mostafavi Musavi Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, issued a letter, defending Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani who was earlier disqualified from participating in Iran's presidential elections, Jamaran.ir website ... (more)

Starting today, the campaign moves into the main stage as candidates launch their publicity campaigns.

RFE/RL's Radio Farda received a flood of comments via e-mail, Facebook, telephone, and on text messages from its audience in Iran that overwhelmingly express disappointment and anger at the Guardians Council's final list of candidates for Iran's June 14 presidential election.

A Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011 file photo, shows Iran's heavy water nuclear facilities near the central city of Arak 150 miles southwest of Tehran.

An embezzling case that began with a chef being accused of stealing food from Virginia's Executive Mansion and morphed into a political scandal involving two of the state's most powerful politicians has some... An embezzling case that began with a chef being accused of stealing food from Virginia's Executive Mansion and morphed into a political ... (more)

A pastor of the Central Assemblies of God Church in Tehran was detained Tuesday, May 21, as part of Iran's wider crackdown on evangelical believers, Christian rights activists confirmed.

On Saturday, a number of Iranian MPs criticized the government for buying wheat from farmers at a low price, saying it has encouraged Iraqi merchants to buy wheat from Iranian farmers at a higher price, "Now, Iraqi dealers are buying wheat produced in the country at a price of 1200 tomans ," three MPs said in separate messages to the president and ... (more)