Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Lifting the veil on Iranian women rejecting male domination

Short movies nominated for an Oscar often don't get wide public attention. But when one is about an Iranian girl seeking freedom from male domination by taking off her veil, interest is sure to spike

Iranian film director Jafar Panahi released following hunger strike

World-famous Iranian film director Jafar Panahi has been released from Tehran's notorious Evin prison after a hunger strike. By Stuart Braun

The Iranian elites' deafening silence

A speech by a high-ranking member of the Revolutionary Guard recently caused speculation in Iran. Religious leader Khamenei has also dismissed Tehran's former police chief and replaced him with someone even more brutal, raising fears of further escalation. By Ali Sadrzadeh

Iran's 'death committee' president

Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi is overseeing an unyielding crackdown. The current situation grimly echoes his role in a purge of political prisoners in 1988

Exiled artist Forouhar: 'A country in turmoil'

Visiting the country of her parents, murdered by the Iranian regime in 1998, German-Iranian artist Parastou Forouhar finds a changed society: hopeful, strong and courageous, despite all the repression

Covert conflict in the Gulf

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Europe has been trying to find alternatives to Russian gas, inevitably zeroing in on the Arab Gulf states. In his commentary, Yemeni politician Muammar al-Iryani proposes a simple way for the West to secure international shipping routes

Islamic Republic facing a religious watershed

Iranians do not want an Islam that interferes. They are fed up with a system that manipulates people with simple promises of salvation and anti-Western propaganda. Islamic theologian Hamideh Mohagheghi sees Iran at a religious crossroads

Female film stars show solidarity

In Iran, two famous actresses, Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi, were arrested recently. These days anyone who shows solidarity with the protesters is a target to be silenced. By Kevin Tschierse

"A movement to reclaim life"

For seven weeks, Iran has been rocked by protests not seen since the Islamic Republic’s inception. This interview with sociologist Asef Bayat, originally conducted in Persian, examines how this latest wave of unrest differs and asks what has changed in Iranian society

Israel's Ukraine dilemma?

Following Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv using Iranian drones, Ukraine once again asked Israel for military help. Israel, however, is seeking to maintain relations with both Ukraine and Russia. By Tania Kraemer

Shirin Ebadi: "Iran will be democratic one day"

Despite the protests, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi is optimistic about the future of her country. For young Iranians, such a future necessitates the downfall of the Islamic Republic. By Elizabeth Grenier

The Kolbars of Iran’s Kurdistan