Iran

Iran's handwoven carpet exports, once worth nearly $2.5 billion annually, have now "virtually stopped," a provincial industry official said, reflecting the steep decline of one of the country's best-known exports.

Australia sanctioned seven Iranian individuals and four entities on Tuesday over what it called the Islamic Republic’s crackdown on protesters and women and its destabilizing activity through missile and shadow-banking networks.

A Bahraini court sentenced a woman to life in prison after convicting her of communicating with Iran's Revolutionary Guards with intent to carry out hostile acts against the kingdom and harm its national interests, Bahrain's public prosecution said on Tuesday.

Eight women political prisoners held in Tehran’s Evin Prison have been barred from meeting family members and lawyers following tighter security measures and pressure linked to collective protest activities inside the ward, according to information obtained by Iran International.

Millions of people in Iran have spent more than 70 days dealing with widespread internet disruptions and restrictions that many residents say have disrupted their work, healthcare, daily lives and mental well-being.

Iran executed political prisoner Erfan Shakourzadeh after convicting him of cooperating with US intelligence and Israel’s Mossad, the judiciary-linked Mizan news agency reported on Monday, as rights groups warn of a sharp rise in executions tied to political charges.

Iran’s security and judicial authorities have stepped up a crackdown on the Baha’i religious minority with arrests, home raids, and property seizures across several cities in the country, people familiar with the matter told Iran International.

Prices for some medicines in Iran have surged by as much as 400% and pharmacies are struggling to supply critical drugs to patients, a pharmacists’ association official said on Sunday.

Iran International won four top prizes at the 2026 WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards Middle East, with projects recognized for innovation, audience engagement, data visualization and participatory storytelling under repression.

The shadow of a closed Strait of Hormuz no longer looms as a mere threat; it is a reality that has shattered the traditional foundations of the global energy market.

Rising fertilizer prices and shortages of basic work equipment are squeezing Iranian farmers, laborers and small business owners as inflation, unemployment and falling purchasing power deepen during the fragile ceasefire.

Many Iranians have been forced onto distrusted domestic apps after authorities cut global internet access, disrupting education and business while exposing users to slow speeds, censorship and surveillance fears.

The Institute for Science and International Security said newly available satellite imagery appeared to show possible new defensive measures at Iran’s underground Pickaxe Mountain (Mount Kolang Gaz La) complex near the Natanz nuclear site.

German intelligence officials have privately warned that the risk of Iran-linked attacks in Germany is more serious than the government has publicly acknowledged, according to senior German officials cited by the New York Times.

Over 27,000 workers at the Mobarakeh Steel Company – Iran's largest steel producer – remain in limbo following missile strikes that have paralyzed production at the sprawling Isfahan complex, according to the news site Rouydad24.

At least 30 women detained during recent protests and a security crackdown linked to Iran’s conflict with the US and Israel are being held in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions at Vakilabad prison in northeast Mashhad, the rights group HRANA reported.

Chinese companies continue to ship drone-related parts and other dual-use goods to Iran and Russia despite US sanctions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing customs data, former US officials and weapons analysts.

US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States is not seeking conflict with Iran as it launches a temporary operation to protect shipping in the Persian Gulf.