Babak Ghafooriazar

1 month ago | rferl.org | Kian Sharifi |Golnaz Esfandiari |Parisa Sohbati |Babak Ghafooriazar

The United States has launched extensive air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, aiming to curb their threat to shipping while also signaling a warning to Iran. In a statement announcinghis directive on March 15, US President Donald Trump also warned Iran to “immediately” end its support for the Houthis and vowed to hold Tehran “fully accountable” if it threatened Americans or shipping lanes.

1 month ago | rferl.org | Golnaz Esfandiari |Kian Sharifi |Parisa Sohbati |Babak Ghafooriazar

Iran has escalated its crackdown on female singers in an effort to silence them. In past weeks, several women have been detained or summoned by authorities, while their Instagram pages have been shut down. Since the 1979 revolution, women in Iran have been banned from singing solo in public. But despite the restrictions, many female artists have turned to social media to share their voices—often defying both the singing ban and the country’s strict hijab laws.

1 month ago | rferl.org | Kian Sharifi |Babak Ghafooriazar |Reid Standish |Golnaz Esfandiari

Senior Russian missile and air-defense specialists traveled to Iran last year as the Islamic republic expanded its military cooperation with Moscow. Reuters, which first reported the story, said seven Russian experts visited Iran on April 24 and September 17, 2024. The visits came at a critical time for Iran, as it was embroiled in a conflict with archfoe Israel, with the two sides launching military attacks against one another in April and October.

1 month ago | rferl.org | Babak Ghafooriazar |Kian Sharifi |Reid Standish |Golnaz Esfandiari

Iranian filmmakers Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani needed a miracle just to get to the 97th Academy Awards, let alone a second to win an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. They got both. A last minute visa allowed them to travel to Los Angeles for the awards on March 2, with the pair arriving just three hours before the start of the ceremonies. Not too long afterward, their animated film "In the Shadow Of The Cypress" won.