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OPINION

Zarif is right, Moscow wants Tehran locked in confrontation

Zarif is right, Moscow wants Tehran locked in confrontation

While relations between Moscow and Tehran have generally been good, ties between former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the seemingly perpetual Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are decidedly not.

In death, legendary Iranian director who spurned censorship 'found freedom'

In death, legendary Iranian director who spurned censorship 'found freedom'

With the death of Nasser Taghvai, the Iranian film world has lost one of its last great moralists—a filmmaker who, through silence as much as cinema, taught the meaning of integrity.

Hard shell, living core: how everyday life keeps Iran's future alive

Iran today stands at a crossroads between decay and renewal: the old order has not yet collapsed, and any new society has yet to fully emerge.

It's the economy, donkey!

With Iran's rial hitting fresh depths daily amid new international sanctions, it's helpful to remember how the Islamic Republic's founder viewed the economy. The late theocrat famously said it's for the donkeys.

Iranian Love Island mirrors social shifts but carries new risks

Iranian Love Island mirrors social shifts but carries new risks

An Iranian remake of Love Island has exploded online, sparking fierce debate about taboos, personal freedom and the responsibilities of new media.

Five years on, a wrestler's execution still haunts Iran—and demands action

Five years on, a wrestler's execution still haunts Iran—and demands action

Five years after Iran executed champion wrestler Navid Afkari, the Islamic Republic continues to silence athletes and protesters alike—making action against its repressive sports authorities imperative.

Snapback and survival: sanctions gauntlet further imperils Tehran

Snapback and survival: sanctions gauntlet further imperils Tehran

The sands of time fall swiftly through the glass, and with each passing day the Islamic Republic of Iran is borne closer to the fateful hour: 18 October 2025, when a 2015 nuclear deal finally expires.

We need national dialogue, or Iran’s problems will bury us all

We need national dialogue, or Iran’s problems will bury us all

We Iranians need a national conversation — an ongoing, daily dialogue to see the dark and bright sides of the challenges our country faces and, hopefully, find practical solutions.

Sanctions snapback on Iran is about compliance, not politics

Sanctions snapback on Iran is about compliance, not politics

A resilient anti-sanctions consensus dominated major Western policy circles and media narratives for a decade, but this stance risks undermining international law by normalizing Iran’s sustained nuclear defiance.

Watching war from afar: Iranian diaspora grief is real

Watching war from afar: Iranian diaspora grief is real

Watching Iran burn from afar creates a unique kind of anguish—a sense of guilt that you’re free and safe while your homeland is in pain.

In rubble, not in court: Hajizadeh’s death and the voices of PS752

In rubble, not in court: Hajizadeh’s death and the voices of PS752

So much has happened since Israel began striking Iran that the killing of IRGC aerospace chief Amir Ali Hajizadeh already feels half-buried—but not to those who lost loved ones on Flight PS752, shot down by the forces under his command.

What has Iran gained from enrichment beyond symbolism—and at what cost?

What has Iran gained from enrichment beyond symbolism—and at what cost?

After five rounds of talks, Tehran and Washington project cautious optimism while persisting on their shared red line: Uranium enrichment inside Iran. But is the program worth the price it has exacted from ordinary Iranians?

Canada's Poilievre talked tough on IRGC, will he walk the walk?

Canada's Poilievre talked tough on IRGC, will he walk the walk?

Pierre Poilievre, a contender to become Canada’s next prime minister, has vowed to purge the country of “IRGC thugs” who, he says, feast on “stolen money from the Iranian people.” If elected on Monday, will he—or can he—deliver?

Is Iran’s real sedition from the streets or the top?

Is Iran’s real sedition from the streets or the top?

In his Eid al-Fitr sermon, Ali Khamenei once again voiced concern about the possible resurgence of anti-government protests in Iran, using his signature rhetoric to warn of a "new sedition."

Veils and freedom: An Iranian perspective on Women's Day

Veils and freedom: An Iranian perspective on Women's Day

On March 8, 1979, tens of thousands of Iranian women took to the streets, demanding the right to choose what to wear on the first International Women’s Day of the post-revolutionary Iran.

Voices aligned with Tehran should not get a free ride in West

Voices aligned with Tehran should not get a free ride in West

The campaigns against advocates of Tehran interests outside Iran is not about stifling debate but ensuring a balanced one, with dissenting voices challenging those more aligned with the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s expanding cyber operations call for rethinking US response

Iran’s expanding cyber operations call for rethinking US response

Iran has expanded its cyber warfare capabilities in recent years, exposing vulnerabilities in US defenses, meddling in election campaigns even, while policymakers in Washington debate the proper response.

IRGC terrorism designation must spare innocent conscripts

IRGC terrorism designation must spare innocent conscripts

Iranian-Canadian activists fought for a decade to have Canada designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, not to punish its hapless conscripts.

Iran stuck in uncertainty as hardship mounts

Iran stuck in uncertainty as hardship mounts

Iran is in a state of limbo as no one can know whether the country is moving toward negotiations or war - a choice which rests with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran in post-Assad Middle East: Will Khamenei's 2024 gamble haunt him in 2025?

Iran in post-Assad Middle East: Will Khamenei's 2024 gamble haunt him in 2025?

The year 2024 will be remembered as a momentous one for the Middle East, culminating in the collapse of the Assad dynasty’s 53-year rule over Syria, and ushering in a future fraught with both possibility and peril.

Soleimani's assassination weakened Iran's regional power

Soleimani's assassination weakened Iran's regional power

Five years ago, Qassem Soleimani was killed under the direct orders of then-US President Donald Trump, in a watershed moment in the Middle East, triggering a series of setbacks for the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s hijab law tramples our human dignity

Iran’s hijab law tramples our human dignity

The now-viral unveiled performance by singer Parastoo Ahmadi which landed her briefly in jail was not just an artistic endeavor, but a groundbreaking act of defiance of Iran’s new oppressive Hijab law and the theocratic apparatus of control.