Iran

• October 16, 2026

  Popular Iranian Band Refuses To Play After Authorities Bar Female Member From Stage

  The popular Iranian music group Pallett is refusing to play concerts in Iran after authorities barred a female band member from performing on stage. Iranian authorities continue its harsh repression of women, enforcing rules that limit their freedom to sing and perform in public.

• October 16, 2026

  Saudis Accuse Iran Of Encouraging Houthi Attacks On Riyadh

  As the conflict in the Persian Gulf continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL's Central Newsroom and Iranian service, Radio Farda, deliver ongoing updates and analysis.

• October 15, 2026

  Iran's Security Challenges Compounded By Rising Domestic Insurgency

  Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan has been the scene of a spate of militant attacks in the past month. What’s behind the violence in one of Iran’s poorest regions?

• October 12, 2026

  Prominent Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Arrested

  A prominent human rights lawyer and activist has been arrested in Iran, sources close to him told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda.

• October 09, 2026

  How Iranian Operatives Used AI To Publish Fake Stories In US Media

  OpenAI has said Iranian operatives used ChatGPT to create fake journalist personas and push anti-American narratives. RFE/RL looks at one of the personas.

• October 09, 2026

  Why A Starlink Test In Italy Has Iran's Internet Censors Worried

  A Starlink trial on an Italian hilltop connected an ordinary smartphone to the Internet without mobile coverage, a satellite dish, or an external antenna. It drew attention in Iran, where Internet access is heavily filtered and authorities imposed a near-total blackout during the January protests.

• October 08, 2026

  No Safe Haven: How Iran And Russia Target Exile Enemies

  Authoritarian states such as Russia and Iran are increasingly pursuing their opponents even after they find shelter in apparently safe Western countries. RFE/RL talks to some of those affected.

• October 07, 2026

  Testing Times For Mecca Alliance Partners As Iran-Aligned Houthis Mount Attacks

  Saudi Arabia’s allies Pakistan and Turkey are facing a major test just two months after signing a joint defense agreement as the rise of Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen test the deal that says “any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all.”

• October 07, 2026

  Rubio In Athens Warns Iran It Will Never Have A Nuclear Weapon

  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran will never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon, declaring that preventing Tehran from doing so is a red line for President Donald Trump. 

• October 06, 2026

  Iran's Medicine Shortages Fuel Black Market For Essential Drugs

  Iran’s worsening medicine shortages are driving patients to a booming black market, where essential drugs can cost several times official prices. Cancer and chronic disease patients face soaring costs, while authorities struggle with imports, currency shortages, and supply disruptions.

• October 05, 2026

  'Don't You Have A Smart TV?': Iranian General's Smartwatch Defense Fuels Security Concerns

  A photo of Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali, the head of Iran's Passive Defense Organization, wearing a smartwatch has sparked a backlash. His response, that it's peacetime and people have smart TVs at home, has only fueled criticism of lax security among Iran's top brass.

• October 02, 2026

  Iran's Hormuz Leverage Is Fading, But It Isn't Gone

  Oil flows from the Gulf have recovered to prewar levels, but the Strait of Hormuz is far from normal. Iran’s ability to disrupt shipping has weakened, yet tankers still face major risks and rely on US military protection and costly workarounds to move crude.

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