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Iran Insights

Iran officials demand concessions to unblock Telegram but use it themselves

Iran officials demand concessions to unblock Telegram but use it themselves

As Iran demands strict new "France-style" concessions from Telegram, officials continue to use the banned app freely, fueling public anger and accusations that President Pezeshkian has failed to deliver on a campaign pledge to unfetter internet access.

Tehran factions battle in mayoral race despite voter apathy

Tehran factions battle in mayoral race despite voter apathy

The race for Tehran’s City Council elections is heating up among state-aligned factions almost entirely detached from an electorate which has largely quit the ballot box.

Too big to hide: Revolutionary Guards daily admits Iranians' economic pain

An outlet linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Thursday conceded that life is getting harder for Iranian families, in a sign that economic malaise has become too severe to ignore even by the ruling establishment.

Fear of fun: what Halloween ban reveals about culture and control in Iran

Iran’s ban on Halloween celebrations has turned plastic pumpkins into symbols of defiance, exposing deeper tensions over culture, joy and control in a nation long haunted by the politics of morality.

Ayandeh Bank collapse lays bare Iran's economic rot

Ayandeh Bank collapse lays bare Iran's economic rot

The collapse of Iran’s Ayandeh Bank resembles a national-scale Ponzi scheme, exposing how reckless lending, political patronage, and failed mega-projects drained public wealth.

Comeback or last stand? Rouhani in crosshairs of Iran’s power struggle

Comeback or last stand? Rouhani in crosshairs of Iran’s power struggle

The president who once stood triumphant after the 2015 nuclear deal is now under fierce attack from hardliners, with no public defense—a stark sign of how far Iran’s politics and society have shifted in the past decade.

Russian Roulette: Tehran’s elite turn on each other over Moscow's role

Russian Roulette: Tehran’s elite turn on each other over Moscow's role

The clash over Russia’s role in Iran has reached unprecedented levels, with the parliament speaker publicly attacking a former president and his foreign minister for speaking out against Moscow.

‘A hungry nation can’t resist’: Tehran centrists call for Washington thaw

‘A hungry nation can’t resist’: Tehran centrists call for Washington thaw

Prominent centrist figures in Tehran are calling for pragmatic measures including a rethink of relations with Washington to address Iran’s deepening economic problems and foreign policy challenges.

A joke that hit a nerve: actress stirs fury over class fault lines in Iran

A joke that hit a nerve: actress stirs fury over class fault lines in Iran

A viral celebrity interview has reignited debate in Iran over class privilege and widening social divides, exposing deep resentment toward wealth and the growing gulf between everyday struggle and elite detachment.

Iran’s factions gear up for local elections despite public apathy

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.

'America Is Gone': Tehran hardliners rally behind Khamenei, reject US talks

'America Is Gone': Tehran hardliners rally behind Khamenei, reject US talks

Hardliners in Tehran have grown more vocal in their opposition to renewed diplomacy with Washington following Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s defiant speech this week.

Iran's defunct bans, from satellite dishes to the veil

Iran's defunct bans, from satellite dishes to the veil

A blunt acknowledgment by Iran’s former state broadcasting chief that the country’s satellites ban and the so-called morality police had become “obsolete” has underscored how the state's strict social codes are eroding in practice.

Israel, inside job? Tehran blame game flares over Shamkhani wedding leak

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

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

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.

Naked hypocrisy: leaked wedding video sparks new scandal for Iran’s rulers

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

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.

Iran debate over Russia reliance flares anew amid Putin's mediation offer

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's real crisis: environmental decay wrought by official neglect

Iran's real crisis: environmental decay wrought by official neglect

As the world races to meet the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, Iran faces a bleak environmental outlook given the scale of its problems and authorities' record of short-term policymaking.

Tehran’s ‘Saint Mary’ station: symbol of tolerance or political prop?

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.

Trump’s peace overtures stir uneasy debate in beleaguered Iran

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.

Iran split over Trump’s Middle East peace push

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.