Iran sanctions kick in Monday

Blinken is looking to drum up support for President Joe Biden's plan to withdraw all troops. He briefed both Afghan and US officials on the next steps, and warned the Taliban against carrying out any attacks.

German-Iranian national Nahid Taghavi is on trial after spending years fighting for women's empowerment and free speech in Iran.

The US navy has used gunfire to chase off Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf for the second time in a few weeks. It took two rounds of fire before the boats turned back.

President Hassan Rouhani thinks the highly infectious variant will spark a fresh surge in coronavirus infections. US sanctions are hampering Iran's vaccination drive as it develops several homegrown alternatives.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Saturday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Saturday.⁣

Ebrahim Raisi once had government critics tortured and executed. Now, he is Iran's new president. His record raises many questions for German-Iranian relations.

The 60-year-old's crimes are linked to prison executions that took place in Iran in 1988. He has been in custody in Sweden since his November 2019 arrest at Stockholm airport.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tells reporters at the State Department that the US should "reflect" on its withdrawal from Afghanistan and "learn from it."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Foreign Affairs Committee that the previous presidency left Joe Biden little choice but to complete the withdrawal. Republicans called it "an unmitigated disaster."

He fled Iran a decade ago. Now Shoan Vaisi is standing for Germany's parliament. The Left Party candidate and former professional wrestler has a political mission.

When the Taliban seized Afghanistan, tens of thousands of people fled the country. Among them were former members of the Afghan security forces. Fearing Taliban reprisals, they've fled to neighbouring Iran, which hosts the second-largest population of Afghan refugees in the world. Temporary camps have been set up, but Iranian authorities are already considering sending the Afghans back. Our correspondent Reza Sayah reports from Tehran.

The former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was in Dubai recently for Expo 2020. Many were struck by the many modern, attractive women he was photographed with. Was it by accident or design? Was one photo taken at the Israeli Pavillion?