Iran

Iran's top prosecutor Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi called for a crackdown on imports of western toys Monday, in particular Barbie dolls, saying that her curvy figure, which continues to find its way into the country, is threatening the country's Islamic culture and revolutionary values. Read more...

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In a speech on Tuesday Barack Obama declared that he is in favour of talking to Iran - something that would constitute a huge shift in the policy of the American diplomacy. Abolhassan Banisadr, the first ever elected Iranian president, today exiled in France, reacts to the announcement. Read more…

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This video was sent to us on Sunday by our Iranian Observer, blogger Arash Kamangir, who says that the young man in the clip has been arrested for having long hair. Warning, you might find the images upsetting. See the video...

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After years spent in Los Angeles, Azad returns to live in Tehran. He wanders his vast and rambling town capturing these striking images on his simple mobile phone. His message: ‘Don't believe what they tell you; life goes on in Tehran'. Read more...

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Iran's International Fajr Film Festival was hosted in Tehran last week for the 26^th time. But pictures from this year's edition of the popular festival offered an unusual view of the showbiz affair. The FARS news agency blurred out the faces of female guests, making them almost unrecognisable. Our Observer for Iran, feminist Farnaz Seifi, explains why. Read more...

UPDATE (17.30, 15 Feb. 08): Thanks to comments on this post, we have found photos posted by the Fars agency where actresses' faces are not blurred. The photos are part of a different set found at a seperate link. This would suggest that the agency has no consistent policy on whether or not their photographers can show the faces of female actresses.

Photos from the FARS news agency posted on Arash Kamangir's blog.

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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad received a letter from the revolutionary figurehead Ayatollah Khamenei on Monday, urging him to unblock resources that fund gas supplies to isolated villages in Iran. This public disavowal could add to Ahmadinejad's worsening reputation concerning economic policy, which has already come under criticism from the largely dissatisfied population. While Iranians battle through a particularly harsh winter, rising gas and oil prices are a hotter topic of conversation than nuclear power. One of our Iran Observers, Reza Moini, explains why the conflict between the two Islamic leaders flared up this week. Read more...

 

‘Iranian Economic Growth' (20.01.08) by the Iranian cartoonist Nikahang, currently exiled in Canada. His blog.

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Two weeks have passed since the suspension of Turkmen gas supplies to Iran. The pipelines are still empty and both sides are stiffening their position. Read more...

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Since being posted just over a year ago, this video has been viewed almost 200,000 times. The song is an altered version of an Iranian nursery rhyme that's usually sung as part of a popular children's game. Our young Observer, Delazad, has translated and sub-titled it. See the video...

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This speech was delivered at a Nov. 11 gathering of Revolutionary Guards, or Pasdaran, as the dreaded security force is known across Iran. The meeting was in the Iranian capital of Tehran. We've simply added the sub-titles. At the end of the video, Ahmadinejad mentions his recent visit to New York, "where everyone knows me". See the video...

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Material compiled by our regional editor for Iran and Afghanistan, Jay Bakht

This video was captured on a mobile phone at the Abouzar roundabout in the eastern Iranian city of Birjand. It shows two girls being arrested by the police for not covering their hair properly. The police are supposed to act like a ‘moral authority’ that protects and enforces Islamic customs in Iranian society. But they are not always official. They can approach people acting ‘inappropriately’, for example an unmarried couple holding hands or a girl with heavy make-up. Many people try to resist; as the girls in the video.

Post your questions to Farnaz Seifi, Iranian feminist and our observer in Iran, or to Jay Bakht, our regional editor for Iran and Afghanistan.

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