Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Tehran on Obama: "the hatred runs deep" but "there is a slight chance that there will be direct talks"

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:51:23 +0100

An anti-US billboard in Tehran. Photo: Olaf Koens.

On the day that Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, our Observer Olaf Koens happened to be in Tehran. He tells us how the Iranian capital reacted to the news.

Banned rappers play underground in Tehran

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:59:30 +0100

Rap is banned in Iran, but for the past five years, young rappers have risked using the internet to share their music, which is becoming increasingly popular. Iranian expats tell us why Iran's youth is so taken with the style.

Thinking "Rap is God" out loud could land you in jail in Iran, where the motto is considered blasphemous. That, along with the prohibition of rap, is why the rap scene, increasingly popular over the past few years, has to stay underground. The young musicians, who write about the despair of violence and unemployment, survive on secret concerts and clandestine studio recordings, which are then sold on CD in the back rooms of music shops.

Ahmadinejad is called to order by the almighty one

Julien — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:21:04 +0100

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.

My little bomb

Julien — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:36:00 +0100

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.

In the Big Apple, everyone knows Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – or so he says

Julien — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:54:00 +0100

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".

Post your questions to Jay Bakht, our Regional editor for Iran.