Iran death penalty verdict for young protesters sparks social media outrage

The US has blacklisted key Iranian banks in a sweeping clampdown on country's financial sector. Iran's top diplomat Javad Zarif accused Washington of trying to "blow up our remaining channels to pay for food & medicine."

I try to take my pains and turn them into art. So says Mana Neyestani, an Iranian cartoonist who lives in exile here in France. He fled Iran whilst awaiting trial after he draw a cartoon deemed highly offensive by Azeris living in northwestern Iran. He insists he never meant any offence in the cartoon. As his new book "Trois Heures" (Three Hours) comes out, he spoke to us about its inspiration: a three-hour wait at Paris's Orly airport with nothing but a refugee travel document.

Film critic Lisa Nesselson talks to Eve Jackson about prize winning Iranian film "Yalda: A Night for Forgiveness" inspired by a reality TV show and "The Trial of the Chicago 7" directed by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who made "Molly's Game" with Jessica Chastain.

Nasrin Sotoudeh is a women's rights attorney and winner of the prestigious Sakharov Prize. Over the years, she has become a voice for the voiceless, representing children, Iran's persecuted minority communities, as well as leading opponents of the death penalty. Back in 2019, the jailed 57-year-old was sentenced again, for defending women who had removed their hijabs. Last week, she was temporarily released on furlough to receive medical treatment. All that and more has been depicted in a new film, "Nasrin". We speak to Jeff Kaufman and Marcia Ross, who are behind the four-year project.

There is only one known Iranian in Gaza -- an ageing former bodyguard to longtime Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat who dreams only of returning home, but finds himself stuck in the enclave.

Iranian women are expected to wear veils in public — and also ads. A recent clip featuring a woman without the hijab has led authorities to sanction its producers. Why does the veil play such a central role in Iran?

Former Trump adviser John Bolton has criticized the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, saying it was based on a "flat-out lie." He also slammed the outgoing president for failing to bring down the Iranian regime.

Iranian diplomat Assadolah Assadi was convicted of attempted terrorism Thursday by a court in Belgium for his role in a 2018 bomb plot targeting an Iranian opposition group in France. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

An Iranian judoka who fled to Germany in fear of his life will compete in Israel this weekend. The Islamic Republic hit out at Saied Mollaei, who will represent Mongolia at the tournament in Tel Aviv.

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.