Bahram Beyzaie, one of the most influential figures in modern Iranian theater, cinema and literature, has died on his 87th birthday, according to a statement by the Stanford Iranian Studies Program, where he served as a visiting professor for the past 15 years.
Iranian psychiatrists are warning of a sharp rise in acute psychiatric emergencies linked to drug use, particularly among adolescents, raising concerns that the country may face a wave of long-term psychotic disorders if the trend continues.
A network of tunnels formed by illegal underground excavations beneath Tehran’s Grand Bazaar has triggered official warnings over serious safety risks, while raising questions about their purpose and those behind the digging.
There is a cruel ritual in Iranian opposition politics: some voices abroad constantly interrogate the “purity” of activists inside—why they did not speak more sharply or endorse maximalist slogans, why survival itself looks insufficiently heroic.
Iran’s chief prosecutor said on Monday that combating drug abuse and alcohol consumption should be treated as a national security priority, arguing that Iran’s adversaries were seeking to exploit social harm to destabilize the country.
An Iranian labor representative said soaring prices have eroded wages to the point where one gram of gold now equals a full month’s minimum pay for a worker.
Tehran’s recent gestures of apparent flexibility—from looser enforcement of the hijab to an embrace of nationalist symbolism—recall moments in Communist history when a brief opening exposed risks the system ultimately moved to contain.
Soaring costs have pushed many Iranian families to buy nuts and sweets on credit ahead of Yalda Night, the traditional winter celebration marking the longest night of the year, as sharp price increases squeeze household budgets in the final days of December.
Iran is not a war-torn country, yet four decades of Islamic Republic rule have driven mass emigration. UN data show over five million registered refugees or asylum seekers since 1980, with millions more leaving legally – about one in every 15 Iranians now living abroad.
Iranians across generations increasingly see migration not as a dream but as an escape from a future that feels out of reach, a survival strategy driven by economic collapse, shrinking opportunities, and a sense of confinement they say follows them both at home and abroad.
A chronic shortage of nurses and auxiliary staff in Iran’s hospitals has quietly given rise to a new and largely unregulated job: the “patient companion.”
A bus crash on the Esfahan-Natanz highway killed 13 people after an intercity coach allegedly veered into the opposite lane and slammed into a taxi on Tuesday, with Iran’s road police blaming suspected driver fatigue for the accident.
Iranian health officials warned that foreign currency bottlenecks and unpaid state debts are straining the drug supply chain, with the Food and Drug Administration chief signaling possible price rises for medicines and medical equipment to keep producers operating.
The family of Iranian activist Pouran Nazemi says they have had no contact with her since she was violently arrested alongside Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and other activists during a memorial service on Friday.
A prominent UK-based rights barrister has called for an independent investigation into the sudden death of Iranian lawyer Khosrow Alikordi this month after the case stoked outrage and rowdy protests at his memorial service.
A senior Iranian cleric said the northeastern city of Mashhad should be treated primarily as a religious destination rather than a leisure tourism hub, arguing that recreational tourists should visit other provinces such as northern province of Mazandaran instead.
A study on female genital mutilation (FGM) in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province finds the practice is sustained chiefly by family dynamics, gender stereotypes and local customs that often outweigh religious mandates.
Iran is facing growing shortages of vital medicines and could see a sharp deterioration in supplies within months if current conditions persist, an industry official said on Saturday.
Efforts to ease Tehran’s water shortage through transfers from a nearby dam will only partially address the crisis and could fail entirely if dry conditions persist, a senior water researcher said, warning that years of overuse and policy missteps have depleted reserves.
Iran’s presidential chief of staff said the government has begun revoking all forms of unfiltered internet access granted to select users – including senior officials – as scrutiny intensifies over privileged connections unavailable to the general public.
A fast-spreading wave of H3N2 influenza has left hospitals across Iran under pressure, with more than 100 deaths reported since mid-November – most involving unvaccinated patients, health authorities said on Thursday.
Mixmag, a leading electronic music magazine, has named Iranian DJ, producer and composer Nesa Azadikhah among its top DJs for 2025, noting her expanding role in electronic music and her support for Iranian artists.