Iran

Grieving, bruised and divided on the wisdom of foreign-backed revolt, how can the Iranian people achieve change?The Japanese writer Haruki Murakami in his novel 1Q84 may have foreshadowed the great and indelible rift Iranian society is about to experience. “The ones who did it can always rationalize their actions and even forget what they did. They can […]

Report claims unrestricted online access will be a ‘government privilege’, limited to individuals vetted by regimeIran is planning to permanently break from the global internet, only allowing individuals vetted by the regime to connect online, according to Iranian digital rights activists.“A confidential plan is under way to turn international […]

Reza Pahlavi sets out ambition to lead country his father once ruled, but many question his level of popular supportReza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s former pro-western monarch, has predicted the country’s Islamic regime will fall and claimed he is “uniquely” placed to head a successor government.His bid to assume the leadership of a possible new Iran […]

US bombs are not the answer, but there’s much the outside world can do – starting with noticing the horror unfolding in TehranDid you notice history being made this week? I am not referring to what may have been the most pathetic moment in recorded time – Donald Trump gratefully taking the Nobel peace prize medal from the woman who actually won it – […]

When he returned to power last year, Trump was eager to negotiate a new deal with Tehran, but a diplomatic breakthrough has been elusiveWill Donald Trump order a US military attack on Iran? That question captivated the world for the past two weeks, as the US president issued bellicose threats warning the Iranian regime not to crack down on nationwide […]

One man speaking to his mother in Iran from Australia said ‘I could hear her talking to someone else on the line’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIranian Australian Hussein* needed to hear his mother’s voice to know she was safe.For almost a week, his mother and other relatives in Iran had been cut off as the country’s […]

The protests were hijacked by Reza Pahlavi and notions of Persian supremacy, then brutally repressed by a violent regime In late December, Iran experienced the beginnings of an uprising driven primarily by economic pressures, initially emerging among merchant bazaaris and subsequently spreading across broader segments of society. As events unfolded rapidly, […]

From his exile in the US, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah of Iran, has galvanised protesters in his home country, calling for them to continue demonstrating against the Islamic Republic. But Pahlavi is a divisive figure. As the heir of a violent authoritarian regime, his potential return is viewed suspiciously by some. Chants in his favour heard in […]

Jafar Panahi, director of Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident, says Iranian leaders want to destroy countryThe Khamenei regime will not be able to maintain control over Iranian society after the violent suppression of the latest wave of protests, one of the country’s leading film-makers has predicted.“It is impossible for this government to […]

This live blog is now closed.Trump news at a glance: The medal may be in Trump’s hands, but peace prize is not his, Nobel officials sayDonald Trump is in Washington today. He’s due to meet with Mariá Corina Machado – Venezuela’s opposition leader – at 12:3opm ET. At the moment that’s closed to the press but we’ll let you know if that changes […]

Relative calm in Tehran and authorities say they have no plan to execute protesters but internet shutdown continuesIran’s nationwide protest movement appeared to have slowed on Thursday under the weight of a brutal crackdown by authorities that has left thousands dead and put tens of thousands in prison.In Tehran, Iranians reported relative calm on the […]

The US president delights in his inconsistency. But his short-term victories have profound long-term costs for his country and the worldThe Middle East was braced on Wednesday night, but the anxious petitioning of Gulf states and Iran’s attempts to appease the US president appeared to win out – at least for the moment. No bombs fell on Tehran. After all […]

This live blog is now closed. For the latest on Iran, read our coverage:Trump says Iran has told him ‘killing has stopped’ as he pulls back from strike threatsFamilies of protesters killed in Iran tell of heartbreakTrump has told Reuters in that Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi “seems very nice” but expressed uncertainty over whether Pahlavi […]

US allies’ lobbying appears to have helped persuade president to hold off for now on military assaultSaudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Oman urged Donald Trump not to launch airstrikes against Iran in a last-minute lobbying campaign prompted by fears that an attack by Washington would lead to a major and intractable conflict across the Middle East.The […]

Survivors of the regime like me are reliving our nightmares as brave Iranians fight for their freedom. They say they have nothing to lose but their chains It has been more than 40 years since I was imprisoned in Iran for speaking out against human rights abuses and state executions, and for defending women’s rights. I spent eight years behind bars in […]

As Tehran’s internet blackout means names of those killed in the uprising are only starting to emerge, the diaspora is reacting with shock, sadness and angerThe families of Iranians killed by the regime in its crackdown on anti-government protests over the past week have told the Guardian of their devastation on learning of their relatives’ deaths.More […]

US president says he has been assured by Tehran ‘there’s no plan for executions’ of protesters Iran protests – live updatesIran crisis explained: what we know so farAnalysis: why western diplomats are wary of predicting regime’s end daysDonald Trump has at least temporarily pulled back from threats to strike Iran, saying he has been assured the […]

Supply failures are dramatic example of way climate crisis threatens basic human needs – and with it political stabilityIran protests – live updatesGripped by a terrible drought now entering its sixth year, Iran’s cities are on the brink of what its meteorological organisation calls “water day zero”: the boundary beyond which supply systems no […]

United Nations says man experienced ‘serious violence’ in detention but Australia argues it did not control PNG facilitiesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia exposed an Iranian asylum seeker to torture and ill-treatment during his years in detention, a UN committee […]

US president says ‘important sources’ told him executions are not going ahead. This live blog is now closed – our new blog is hereFor the first time in days, Iranians were able to make calls abroad from their mobiles on Tuesday, according to reporting by Associated Press. Texting services have not been restored, however, and nor has the […]