 RFE/RL Iran Report 10/30/2009 6:14:19 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Iran.For more stories on Iran, please visit and bookmark our Iran page . |
 Nuclear Expert Sees Standoff In UN-Drafted Fuel Deal The European Union is urging Tehran to accept a UN-drafted nuclear-fuel deal designed to alleviate Western concerns that Iran is secretly trying to build nuclear weapons. Iran has proposed changes to the UN plan and, according to media reports, appears to be rejecting a key element of the deal. Tehran says its nuclear power program is meant only for peaceful purposes -- such as generating electricity. More  U.S. Wants Clarity, EU Urges Iran To Accept Nuclear Deal After Iran reportedly rejected a key element of a UN-backed nuclear fuel deal intended to ease concerns over the nature of the country's nuclear program, the United States is seeking clarification on Tehran's stance while EU leaders are urging Iran to accept the deal. More  Khamenei And The Student Several Iranian websites, including the official site of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have published details of an unusual encounter between Khamenei and a student who publicly criticized the Iranian establishment. More  Iran's Khamenei Says Don't Question Election Iran' s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has described questioning the country's disputed June 12 presidential vote as the "biggest crime." More  Calls For Iran’s 'Blogfather' To Be Released From Prison The international Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has called on the country's judiciary to release blogger Hossein Derakhshan, who was arrested a year ago. More  Not Only Tehran, But All Iran Will Be Green Blogger Alefba (Alphabet) says the opposition to Mahmud Ahmadinejad, especially students, should use the official occasion of November 4, which marks the anniversary of the occupation of the U.S. Embassy following the 1979 revolution, to demonstrate against the Iranian president. More  Hopes Fading Of Iran Nuke Deal Iran has given an initial response to the UN's nuclear watchdog on a proposal that Tehran would export most of its uranium for enrichment, but Western officials have said privately that they fear the deal has been rejected. More  Kurdish Filmmakers Struggle For Identity, Audience The first New York Kurdish Film Festival took place on October 21-25 under the slogan “A Cinema Across Borders.” While the more accomplished Kurdish directors have attained a degree of recognition abroad, their films are often met with indifference by home audiences. More  UN Conference Addresses Maternal Mortality The United Nations Population Fund this week is highlighting the problem of maternal mortality around the world. Of all the UN's development goals, the effort to reduce maternal mortality rates has seen the least progress in recent years. The lack of improvement is particularly striking in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq. More The families of three Americans detained in Iran have released videos that they say prove that their children were on vacation and meant no harm in crossing the border. More Student protests against the regime of Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad continue. A protest was held today by students at the Islamic Azad University in southern Tehran. Reports say more than 1,000 students participated. More  Don't You Want To Get Yourself A Husband?! Blogger Majarahaye Holu khanum (The Adventures of Peach Lady ) writes about the difficulties of being a woman in Iran and the social pressure that women face to get married and have kids. More  No One Is Born A Dictator A blogger writes in the Zabane Sabz (Green Language or Green Tongue) blog that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was not born a dictator, but that he gradually became one. More  Time To Prove An Important Fact: We Don’t Support Violence And Terrorism Blogger Kamangir reacts to the deadly October 18 attack by the group Jundallah on the Revolutionary Guards Corps by saying that violence should be condemned: More  The Best Place In The World To Live? You Might Be Surprised What's your idea of the best place in which to live? Many people would probably answer that palm trees and a gleaming beach would be a good start to their idea of earthly paradise. But in real life, the country which scores best on a whole range of economic and quality-of-life issues is a good deal colder. More  Examining The Impact Of New Media On Authoritarian Regimes After a year in which Twitter and Facebook catalyzed protest movements in Iran and Moldova and authoritarian regimes around the world unleashed new tools of Internet control, a Congressional panel was told how new media and the Internet affect the balance of power between human rights activists and authoritarian governments. More  Iran Offers Short-Term Solutions To Long-Term Problems The conflict in Iran's southeast with Jundallah, an ethnic Baluch insurgent group, has arisen from a combination of ethnic, sectarian, economic, and political problems. But Iran's Islamic regime continues to offer only short-term solutions to the minority's complaints. More  A Woman Doctor's Regrets Blogger Zendegi Majazi ma (Our Virtual Life) writes about one of her professors, who believes women should not study difficult subjects. More  Profile Of A Sunni Extremist Group After the October 18 suicide attack in southeastern Iran that killed at least 42 people, the extremist group Jundallah is suddenly at the center of international attention. The group champions the cause of Iran’s Baluchi minority, but it may also be taking on a new role: as a pawn in a complicated chess game between states in the region. More  While We Were All Asleep Blogger Maryam, who is in her mid-twenties, believes that young Iranians have been deeply apathetic in recent years and are therefore to blame for the reelection of Mahmud Ahmadinejad. She believes wearing green wristbands, chanting slogans, and campaigning on Facebook will not lead to real change, and calls for action. More  ‘Without Freedom, I Don’t Exist’ Blogger Neveshte bar bad (Written on the wind) writes about his attachment to his green wristband, which for him is a symbol of commitment to freedom. More  Details Emerge About Condemned Detainees In Iran The Iranian establishment seems determined to end the postelection crisis and prevent further protests by issuing harsh sentences, including death sentences, for detainees put on trial over the unrest. Evidence has emerged suggesting three of the four people believed to have been sentenced to death for their role in the postelection unrest were, in fact, arrested before the June 12 vote. More  Ahmadinejad Faces Another Tough Sell On Subsidy Cuts Iran's parliament is putting the final touches on legislation to dramatically curb costly energy and food subsidies. President Mahmud Ahmadinejad says it will reduce energy consumption and allow for more equitable distribution of financial aid. Others say it could prove to be the government's Achilles' heel. More |
