The clerical establishment in Tehran has lost the battle for the hearts and minds of Generation Z and hopes now to win the loyalty of Gen Alpha, Middle East analyst Holly Dagres told Iran International.
Female Iranian football fans are no longer officially banned from stadiums but religious fundamentalists still publicly rue the lifting of the four-decade-old restriction.
35-year-old Iranian refugee Sina Rostami, who is detained in a Turkish deportation camp for not having proper documentation, is routinely awakened in the morning with the strike of a jailer's baton.
Public participation in the ancient Zoroastrian Sadeh festival, once nearly forgotten but now surging in popularity among Iranians, is being banned anew by authorities in the Islamic Republic.
US President Donald Trump's latest remarks on Iran, which downplayed the likelihood of military conflict and suggested possible dialogue, have prompted some Tehran insiders to favor direct talks and a potential agreement with his administration.
Iranian media and political commentators have criticized Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s official visit to Kabul on Sunday, arguing that Tehran has not yet formally recognized the Taliban government.
A shadowy new ultraconservative party calling itself the Society of Revolutionary Clerics is staking a place in Iranian politics well to the right of Saeed Jalili, the main standard bearer of opposition to the current relatively moderate government.
A pivotal aspect in choosing a successor to Ali Khamenei, the ultimate authority in Iran and Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, will involve assessing the candidates' religious knowledge and credentials.
The Ham-Mihan newspaper in Tehran has cautioned President Masoud Pezeshkian that delaying a response to US President Donald Trump for direct talks would be more detrimental than making a poor decision.
Political figures in Tehran are divided over ties with Moscow and Beijing. Some warn that Russia could exploit Iran’s tensions with the US, while others stress the importance of trade ties with both countries.
The costs of Iran’s nuclear program are negligible compared to the achievement of gaining nuclear technology despite sanctions, the country’s atomic energy chief said on Sunday.
Infighting persisted among rival factions in Tehran over possible US talks after Ali Khamenei gave an implicit green light earlier this week, though with caveats reflecting his recurrent distrust of America.
The year 2025 began with festive fireworks and colorful lights around the globe. In Iran, it was marked by the execution of at least 19 individuals across the country, according to Iran Human Rights (IHR NGO).