Iran’s factions gear up for local elections despite public apathy
Many Iranians may have turned away from the ballot box in recent elections, but establishment factions are taking next year’s local polls as seriously as ever.
Domestic Politics
Loose lips sink ships, security supremo at center of wedding furor warns
Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s former national security chief, responded to the viral outrage over his daughter’s extravagant wedding with a cryptic but telling line.
Iran’s president says gasoline price hike inevitable, warns of social risks
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday there is no doubt that gasoline prices must rise, signaling that long-anticipated fuel reforms are moving closer despite fears of renewed public unrest.
Iranian filmmakers mount rare collective challenge to state control
Calls are growing across Iran’s film industry to end state censorship, with thirteen trade unions joining directors and screenwriters in demanding the abolition of film production permits and pre-production controls imposed by government bodies.
Shamkhani urges unity after leaked wedding video draws backlash
Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned on Wednesday that internal divisions could damage Iran’s stability, speaking as a leaked video of his daughter’s wedding stirred anger over Iran’s ruling establishment.
Israel, inside job? Tehran blame game flares over Shamkhani wedding leak
The political storm unleashed over a leaked video depicting the daughter of Iran's ex-security chief in a revealing wedding dress shows no sign of calming, with claims of Israeli cyberwarfare pitted against suspicions of skullduggery within the ruling elite.
Fractured republic: Iran’s elites fight it out in Khamenei’s twilight
Tehran’s catalogue of political feuds appears to have grown with the dwindling presence of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei following the June war with Israel—a trend that, Iranian scholars warn, could push a country already rife with discontent to the brink.
Islamic Civilization Party: hardliners’ latest bid to shape Iran’s future
Iran’s ultra-hardliners have launched a new political party this month amid intensified factional rivalry following the June war with Israel and the return of UN sanctions. Here’s what we know so far about the New Islamic Civilization Party.
Double standard: privacy defense over Shamkhani leak angers Iranians
Tehran's establishment is defending former security chief Ali Shamkhani on privacy grounds after a video of his daughter’s wedding leaked online, angering many Iranians who say the elite shields itself while invading the privacy of ordinary citizens.
Car prices jump in Iran as rial slides against foreign currencies
Prices of Iranian-made and assembled cars have surged as the rial weakened against the dollar, with major manufacturers raising official rates to offset mounting costs, Iranian media reported on Monday.
Iran MP warns of four-fold gasoline price rise amid fuel reform debate
A lawmaker warned on Sunday that Iran’s new energy plan could raise gasoline prices by up to 266%, even as officials deny any plan to hike fuel costs — a move widely seen as a potential trigger for protests amid rising poverty.
Naked hypocrisy: leaked wedding video sparks new scandal for Iran’s rulers
A video showing the wedding of the daughter of Ali Shamkhani, a top advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, has reignited public anger in the country, with social media users accusing officials of hypocrisy amid worsening poverty and revived hijab patrols.
The politics of prayer: who controls Iran’s mosques and Friday sermons
Despite millions of dollars in state funding and tight clerical oversight, most of Iran’s mosques sit half-empty, and Friday prayers have dwindled as a platform for religious and political messaging.
Ex and current Iranian MPs sentenced to jail, media bans over public remarks
Two Iranian lawmakers — one sitting and one former — have been handed suspended jail sentences and bans on media activity over separate cases involving public remarks deemed damaging to national security and public order, the judiciary’s official news outlet reported on Saturday.
Iran debate over Russia reliance flares anew amid Putin's mediation offer
A fresh debate has erupted in Tehran over Russia’s role in Iran’s foreign policy amid diplomatic moves that may suggest an intermediary role for President Vladimir Putin between the Islamic Republic and its arch-foes Israel and the United States.
Iran to mobilize 80,000 volunteers for hijab campaign, official says
Iran plans to activate about 80,000 trained volunteers in Tehran province to support social and religious outreach programs, including new coordination on hijab and public behavior, a senior official said on Thursday.
Tehran’s ‘Saint Mary’ station: symbol of tolerance or political prop?
The upcoming opening of Tehran’s new Saint Mary Metro station has sparked both celebration and controversy: hailed by some as a gesture of interfaith harmony and dismissed by others as a hollow publicity stunt to polish Iran’s image abroad.
Pezeshkian blames Iran’s woes on mismanagement, not US pressure
Iran’s economic and social difficulties stem from mismanagement by its own officials rather than from US pressure, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday.
Trump’s peace overtures stir uneasy debate in beleaguered Iran
US President Donald Trump’s repeated entreaties for Iran to agree to Mideast peace in remarks at the Israeli Knesset and Sharm al-Sheikh on Monday has drawn mixed reactions in Tehran as diplomatic isolation and economic pain bite.
Pezeshkian says internal strife menaces Iran more than foreign threats
President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday he was more concerned about political infighting than threats from the United States, state media reported, as the relative moderate faces increasing opposition from hardliners.
Iran split over Trump’s Middle East peace push
The Gaza summit in Egypt and Iran's refusal to take part have ignited fierce debate in Tehran over diplomacy and regional strategy as US president Donald Trump moves to reshape the Middle East.
Khamenei insiders grapple with Iranian policy missteps
Three prominent Iranian figures closely tied to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have publicly expressed regret over past decisions they said damaged Iran’s political trajectory and foreign relations.