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TOP STORIES
European and U.S. officials are planning to meet in
Berlin in March for talks on Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world
powers, a German Foreign Ministry source said on Wednesday.
Volatility in Iran's currency is disrupting trade and creating
new challenges for an embattled president after antigovernment
protests rocked the country.
An Iran-based hacking group that in the past has
conducted domestic surveillance is turning its gaze outward across
the Middle East, according to a new report from Symantec.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Iranian military leaders are elevating their proxy wars
in Iraq, Syria and Yemen to a new and dangerous stage, funneling more
money, weapons and advisers to Shia militias in those nations in an
attempt to further cement Tehran's growing influence in the
post-Islamic State Middle East, a former high level American diplomat
in the region said Wednesday.
HUMAN RIGHTS
They sold their homes and possessions, quit their jobs,
and left their country - they thought for good. The Iranians, mainly
members of their nation's Christian minorities, were bound for a new
life in America after what should have been a brief sojourn in
Austria for visa processing. But more than a year later, some 100 of
them remain stranded in Vienna, their savings drained, their lives in
limbo and the promise of America dead. Even as the Trump
administration continued to pledge help to religious minorities in
the Middle East, many of whom face persecution, the United States
denied their applications for refugee status in recent weeks.
Ten days ago, Vida Mehrannia was relieved when she heard
that her husband, Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, had received Swedish
citizenship. It gives her hope for a resolution to the family's
nightmare: "I was so happy, because I got some hope that the
Swedish government can [do] more to help my husband and he will get
more support from Sweden," the 43-year-old told DW. The Swedish
immigration authorities' decision to grant Djalali citizenship has
made a difference in the case. "Of course it gives the Swedish
ministry of Foreign Affairs a formal right to actually meet with him
because he is now a Swedish citizen," says Ami Hedenborg of
Amnesty International's Sweden branch. The doctor's former status in
Sweden - right of residence - did not allow for visits.
CYBERWARFARE
Russia isn't alone in its campaign to spread fake news.
Iran was one of the early adopters in the world of made-up current
affairs designed to spread disinformation and discredit legitimate
media. One of its main targets in recent years has been the BBC. The
news organization's journalists have faced harassment to the point
the BBC filed a complaint with the United Nations last year.
SYRIA & IRAN
The European Union is demanding that Russia, Iran and
Turkey take responsibility for ensuring that the fighting stops in
Syria and that a real 30-day halt in fighting is respected.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
The head of Iran's wrestling federation has resigned
after criticising authorities for letting players be punished because
of the country's ban on athletes competing against Israel... Earlier
this month, Mr Khadem criticised Iranian authorities for their stance
on Israeli opponents, and called for a "fundamental solution"
to the ongoing problem. "Forcing an athlete to accept defeat or
run around all night looking for a doctor's note is not right,"
he said.
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