Tag: Iran
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Debunking Reza Pahlavi’s Leadership Claims in Iran
Iran stands at a crossroads, grappling with internal crises and external threats, yet Reza Pahlavi’s self-proclaimed leadership offers little more than a mirage. Declaring himself the “leader of the transition,” he has sidelined notions of democracy and pluralism in favor of an authoritarian vision, all under the guise of fulfilling a vague “call from the…
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The Art of Survival in Iran’s Repressive Regime
Life in Iran under a totalitarian regime is a relentless performance, a dance of endurance. It’s like Tehching Hsieh and Linda Montano’s “Art/Life: One Year Performance 1983–1984,” where they tied themselves together by an 8-foot rope, day after day. The rope held them close but kept them apart, bound by rules but divided by the…
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Iran’s Nuclear Tensions: A Deepening Crisis with the West
The nuclear standoff between Iran and the West is more than a diplomatic struggle—it is a tense, layered conflict that increasingly pushes toward a dangerous precipice. Iran’s relationship with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) exemplifies this tangled web of mistrust and maneuvering. The agency’s concerns over undeclared enriched uranium sites and Iran’s restricted access…
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Unpacking Iran’s Sudden Lift on Internet Censorship: What’s Next?
The Islamic regime in Iran is making an unexpected move: lifting restrictions on internet access and some social media platforms like Instagram, offering people more open connectivity. This change, however, is not rooted in freedom of expression or the promotion of free media. The real motives remain ambiguous, raising questions about what the regime’s real…
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The Face of Hate: How Islamic Regime Feeds on Anti-Semitic Lies
Shariatmadari, a former interrogator from the 1980s and now the mouthpiece of Ali Khamenei, reflects a dark legacy in his editorial work. He distorts the global outrage over Palestinian suffering to propagate hateful narratives reminiscent of fascism. His recent statements accuse the German government of Zionist control and dismiss the Holocaust as a fabrication, echoing…
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My Favorite Cake: Cinema, Memory, and Resistance in Iran
For some time now, My Favorite Cake, directed by Maryam Moghadam and Behtash Sanaeeha, has been available to the public through some Telegram channels. After receiving attention in the 74th Berlin Film Festival’s cinema circles, audiences now have easy access to this film. My Favorite Cake draws power from its strong screenplay, memorable performances by…
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Iran’s Economic Woes: Inflation and the Struggle for Survival
The Iranian Parliament’s Research Center has laid it out for everyone—poverty in Iran has clawed its way to 30.1% in 2023. That’s nearly a third of people, everyday Iranians, who can’t make ends meet. We’re not talking a new issue, either. For five years, poverty’s hovered here, stuck like a thorn, and they say it’ll…
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Iran-Israel Tensions: The Shadow of Military Strikes
The escalating tensions between Iran and Israel have resulted in a complex situation with recent military actions unclarified by either side. Israel claims to have struck 20 targets deep within Iran, including a factory known for industrial machinery, while Iranian authorities dismiss these claims as false. The IRGC promotes a narrative of calm in Tehran,…
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Breaking Down Orientalist Views of Politics
Last October, I was talking with friends about the situation. Week after week, it became clear to me: they didn’t care about defending Palestine, or standing with oppressed people, or fighting against colonialism. It was only about fighting Israel, at any cost. I had a conversation with a Palestinian friend about why, as an Iranian,…
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The Anti-Colonial Dilemma: Israel and Palestinian Liberation
What we face today on the global left is a fundamental issue, not just with ideology, but with clarity of purpose. There’s a fixation on the destruction of Israel, a vision rooted in an anti-Semitic worldview. It’s crucial to confront this head-on. The struggle for Palestinian liberation, over the past decades, has become entangled in…
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Iran on the Brink: War, Fascism, and the West’s Hypocrisy
The people in the West, standing up for Palestine over the past year, are doing something important. It’s true, some of them also hold racist and Orientalist views, supporting Islamic fascism without realizing it. But for us Iranians, the fight against Islamic fascism and the struggle for Palestinian liberation are two separate matters. We are…
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Child Labor in Iran: A Silent Crisis Exploiting Youth
The Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) has brought to light a painful truth—children in Iran are working under brutal conditions, exploited and unprotected. In unregulated workshops across the country, young workers are denied the most basic rights, like insurance and social security, even as their employers make significant profits. One garment workshop, for example, employs…
