Our Most Popular Articles On Iran In 2019

1. Three Women Sentenced To 55 Years For Defying Compulsory Hijab In Iran

Three women held in custody for "disrespecting compulsory hijab," or the so-called Islamic dress code, have been sentenced to a total of 55 years and six months.

A "Revolutionary Court" in the capital city of Tehran delivered the verdict to Monireh Arabshahi, Yasamin Ariany, and Mojgan Keshavarz who are behind bars in the notorious Qarchak prison.

Arabshahi and Ariany's legal counsel, Amir Raeesian, told Ensaf News website August 1 that if the verdict is upheld, his clients would be sentenced to ten years to serve, each.

2. Sex Videos On Social Media In Iran Get Public Figures In Trouble

A series of various videos published on social media in Iran showing public officials in embarrassing sexual acts have led to controversy.

The dean of Tehran Teachers’ University on Wednesday said he thinks a professor seen in a video of sexual nature should not continue serving at the institution.

The name of the professor has not been officially disclosed, but Dean Mohammad Taqi Ahmadi told ISNA news website, “The Intelligence Ministry and the Judiciary have intervened in this case and are investigating the issue, but our own investigation has unfortunately revealed the film is authentic”.

3. New US Warships Join the 5th Fleet In What Appears To Be Rotation

The U.S. Navy says more American warships have arrived to the Mideast amid heightened tensions with Iran, replacing other ships on duty.

Monday’s Navy statement says the USS Boxer amphibious assault ship, along with the amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry arrived in the 5th Fleet’s area of responsibility.

The Navy didn’t elaborate on where the ships were.

The Bahrain-based 5th Fleet oversees the Navy’s presence in the Persian Gulf and surrounding Mideast waters.

4. Why The World Is Not Sending Aid To Iran, Devastated By Floods

Two weeks into devastating floods that have caused tremendous losses and damages across Iran, there is still no report about other countries extending help.

The United States, a usual volunteer to extend support after every natural disaster in Iran regardless of tense relations between the two countries during the past decades, has not been reported to have seized the opportunity on the world stage to make a publicized offer of help.

On March 25, the Persian Twitter account of the State Department made a short announcement offering sympathies and a one-sentence expression of readiness to help, but senior U.S. officials have not officially made any serious offer.

5. Iran To Arrest Superstar For Sympathizing With Dead Female Football Fan

While the International Football Federation (FIFA) is set to dispatch a delegation to Tehran to look into the case of a female football fan who recently committed suicide by self-immolation, the Islamic Republic has issued a warrant to arrest a movie superstar in Iran for supporting the victim.

A news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Fars, reported that a judge had issued a warrant for arresting Saba Kamali, a famous movie and theater actress.

Saba Kamali had published a post on her Instagram page that, according to Fars, the prosecutor has found insulting to the third Shiite Imam, Hussain ibn Ali.

In a post on Instagram, Kamali had rhetorically said the female football fan Sahar Khodayari had suffered more ruthless treatment than the Imam and his companions who are considered martyrs by Shiites when they were killed in Karbala, Iraq in the 7th century.

6. Young Painter Sentenced To 35 Lashes For 'Insulting' Filmmaker

A court in Tehran has sentenced a student of painting at the University of Tehran to 35 lashes on the charges of 'insulting' a filmmaker.

Mahyar Bahram Asl, a graduate student, may have to receive the lashes if he is convicted for the same or any other reason within the next three years.

7. Iran's Exiled Prince Calls For Overthrow Of Regime Amid Protests

As gasoline price-increase protests spread to a dozen cities in Iran, exiled prince Reza Pahlavi tweeted Friday that the Islamic Republic has brought only poverty and suffering to the Iranian people.

The prince’s reference was to promises made during the 1979 Iranian revolution when its founder Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini promised free electricity, water and public transportation to the people, claiming that the monarchy was corrupt, denying the people the benefits from Iran's vast oil wealth.

Reza Pahlavi said that the only thing offered for free by the Islamic Republic is oil to its allies in the region, a reference to Syria’s strongman Bashar Assad.

8. Young Female Football Fan In Iran Sets Herself On Fire To Protest Jail

A young woman who set herself on fire on September 1 outside the public prosecutor’s office in Tehran is among football-starved Iranian women detained outside Iran's main sports arena, Azadi stadium.

"The 29-year-old is suffering from third-degree burns, and currently under life support," says the CEO/president of Motahari Emergency and Burns hospital in the Iranian capital city.

Meanwhile, the state-run news agency, Rokna, cited the sister of the victim, as saying, "They detained my sister on March 12, 2019, when she tried to enter Azadi Stadium, and watch Tehran's Esteqlal soccer club home match against the United Arab Emirates' Al Ain, FC."

9. What Is A Limpet Mine And Does Iran Have Them?

On June 13 the U.S. Central Command published a statement alleging that an Iranian boat removed an “unexploded limpet mine, ” from the M/T Kokuka Courageous. What are limpet mines and does Iran have such devices?

A limpet mine named after the conically shaped sea creature that sticks to rocks is a military device that contains an explosive charge and can be attached to a vessel. Powerful magnets make it possible for the case with the explosives to be attached to the body of a ship or any other vehicle. Limpet mines can be designed to be triggered in various ways either through electronic means with timers or mechanical means where the explosion is triggered after a certain distance.

10. Flooding In Tehran As Death Toll Climbs And More Severe Rain Expected In Iran

Some parts of the capital city of Iran, Tehran, are reportedly submerged in flood water, while the traffic police have been forced to block several roads and highways.

The latest reports say that at least 32 people have lost their lives in the recent flash floods that hit more than 28 out of 31 provinces in the country.

11. IRGC Commander Calls For Legal Action Against The Rouhani Administration

A top IRGC commander has called for legal action against President Hassan Rouhani and his administration, saying they have ignored the people's demands.

Former IRGC commander-in-chief Mohammad Ali Jafari who is currently the commander of the IRGC's Soft Warfare Headquarters told Tasnim news agency on Wednesday November 27 that Rouhani and his administration's behavior were the main reason for the recent wave of protests in Iran.

In April this year, Jafari, was appointed as the commander of the IRGC's soft warfare (power) headquarters Baqiyatallah which was established in 2016 as a “cultural” entity within the Guards Corps.

12. Is The Boat From The CENTCOM Video An Iranian Boat?

The U.S. Central Command released a video allegedly showing an Iranian boat at side of one of the tankers that was struck in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday June 13. What are the key indicators that this is really an Iranian boat?

The type of boat shown in the video has similar features to a boat that was displayed in a ceremony on March 2016 where Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, the commander of IRGC Navy was present. The Press TV article from 2016 covers Iran’s ambition to build a “fast battle ships cruising at 80 knots p/h”.

Several shapes and features of the boat displayed at this ceremony are similar to the features on the boat in the CENTCOM video.