The two traditional rivals agreed to normalize relations in a March 10 deal brokered by China. Iran's international outreach to its regional rival comes amid major domestic unrest.

Mohamed ElBaradei was director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1997 until 2009. In an interview with FRANCE 24, he reflected on the US-led invasion of Iraq 20 years ago this week, which he opposed. "If I now look in hindsight, it was not really about weapons of mass destruction.

At the height of the Iraq war an estimated 10, 000 African mercenaries participated but their contributions are seldom talked about. 20 years on, The Flipside explores the untold stories of Africa’s Iraq war veterans.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated that the hijab is the law for women's dress, after a video of two unveiled women being attacked with a tub of yoghurt went viral.

A Beijing-brokered deal between rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia marks major diplomatic progress which could reshape relations across the region which has witnessed decades of conflict and violence.

The Iranian authorities are reported to have prevented sports climber Elnaz Rekabi from traveling to Spain for training. Rekabi had recently broken a long silence on social media.

Two rights groups said the number of those executed in 2022 was 75% higher than the toll from 2021. Last year saw the start of nationwide protests following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini.

The Iraqi Constitution states that a quarter of the government must be made up of women. In the 1950s it became the first Arab country to have a female minister and to have a law that gave women the ability to ask for divorces. Women attained the right to vote and run for public office in 1980.

Those who encourage women to remove their headscarves in public will be "dealt with in the criminal court, whose decisions are final and unappealable," Iranian officials say.

In Yemen, more than 900 prisoners were released this past week as momentum builds to end the nine-year conflict there. This is linked to the fact that the leadership in Saudi Arabia and Iran are talking to each other again. The two powers broke off relations seven years ago, impacting politics and conflict across the region.

For seven months, large groups of people in Iran have been demonstrating for their freedom. The role of sports in this struggle is a sensitive subject.

Tehran holds Jamshid Sharmahd responsible for a terrorist attack. Activists and German politicians describe the allegations as unfounded.