Iranian media: Sistani's meeting with Rouhani endorsement of ‘moderation’

President Hassan Rouhani’s audience with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani signaled an approval of the president’s moderate positions both at home and abroad, according to Iranian media.

Iraq

Can books be used for punishment?

The sentencing of a veteran Iranian dissident to a jail term and to copy three books by hand has brought the phenomenon of “alternative sentences” to the fore.

Iran

Sistani to Rouhani: Iraq's sovereignty must be respected

Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in the Iraqi city of Najaf, where Sistani stressed the necessity of respecting Iraq's sovereignty.

Iraq

Rouhani leverages Sistani visit to maneuver on Iran's regional policy

Hassan Rouhani’s first state visit to Iraq as president has ushered in a series of important economic and political accords between the two countries — but his crowning achievement was his audience with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Iraq

Iran's hard-liners praise Rouhani for boosting trade with Iraq

Iran's hard-liners are over the moon that President Rouhani is listening to their advice and capitalizing on Iraq as a key trade partner in the wake of reinstated US sanctions.

Iraq

Profiteering, smuggling push Iran to consider ‘electronic’ food stamps

Rampant profiteering and smuggling are forcing Iranian authorities to move toward a revamped system of direct subsidies for essential goods.

Iran

Iran media: Rouhani tours Iraq 'in daylight' while Trump landed 'in secrecy'

The high-profile visit by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to neighboring Iraq has been welcomed by Iranian media and resulted in a "unified stance" between the two countries.

Iraq

Turkish-Iranian trade disappoints big time

Turkish-Iranian trade has declined to its lowest level in nine years despite political rapprochement, a preferential trade agreement and the use of local currencies in economic ties.

Turkey

Rouhani in Baghdad seeks outlets against US sanctions

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani is paying his first visit to Iraq with the hope of expanding economic relations to allow Iran to counter the tightening noose of US sanctions.

Iraq

Can joint Turkey-Iran action against PKK be real?

Turkey’s wish for a joint operation with Iran against the outlawed Kurdish militants along the Turkish-Iranian border is back on the agenda once again, but how realistic is it? Experts believe it is not.

Turkey

Parliament bill may not prevent US troops from staying in Iraq

Iraq is smack in the middle of a tug of war between the United States and Iran for influence in the Mideast and faces some tough decisions.

Iraq

Iranian human rights lawyer said to receive 38 years in prison

According to her husband, Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been sentenced to 148 lashes as well as 38 years in prison, an extraordinarily long time even by the Islamic Republic’s standards.

Iran