Omid Memarian

Omid Memarian writes for Inter Press Service.

Iran Steps Up Crackdown on Opposition Leaders

On Monday night, Iranian security agents raided the home of opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi, separating him from his wife, searching his house, and arresting his son, Ali Karroubi, according to the local media outlet Saham News. Karroubi’s own Web site reports that percussion grenades were also detonated inside the house. Meanwhile, Iran’s other primary opposition … Continue reading “Iran Steps Up Crackdown on Opposition Leaders”

Iran Sanctions May Target Iran’s Middle Class

Although the United States and its allies insist that the latest round of U.N. sanctions against Iran targets high-level government officials rather than the general population, interviews with a number of analysts, activists and journalists in Tehran reveal a growing concern over the impact on the country’s middle class. "The government will use the oil … Continue reading “Iran Sanctions May Target Iran’s Middle Class”

New Software Could Outwit Tehran’s Censors

While the Iranian government has intensified its aggressive efforts to expand Internet filters, Austin Heap, a young programmer in the U.S., says he has developed software that would enable Iranians to evade their censors. In response to the widespread crackdown following Iran’s June 2009 presidential elections, the San Francisco-based Censorship Research Center (CRC) developed a … Continue reading “New Software Could Outwit Tehran’s Censors”

Iran: Reformist Candidates Complain of Too Many Ballots

Fears that the state apparatus controlled by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is laying the groundwork for possible fraud in Friday’s presidential election appear to be growing among his two reformist challengers and their supporters. While an incumbent has never lost a reelection bid since the creation of the Islamic Republic in 1979, many analysts believe … Continue reading “Iran: Reformist Candidates Complain of Too Many Ballots”

Intl. Support Mounts for Jailed Journalist

Since Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi was sentenced to eight years in prison last week on the charge of spying for foreign governments, human rights and press freedom groups have become increasingly critical of the political nature of her case and the harsh and unprecedented penalty. A dual citizen of the U.S. and Iran, Saberi, 31, … Continue reading “Intl. Support Mounts for Jailed Journalist”

Iranian MP: Détente Unsettles Persian Gulf States

Dr. Kazem Jalali, an influential conservative member of Iran’s parliament, the Majlis, and rapporteur of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, sees possibilities for a thaw with Washington, but he believes that many Arab states in the Gulf "see their interests in keeping the current state of continual conflict among the West, the U.S., … Continue reading “Iranian MP: Détente Unsettles Persian Gulf States”

Obama’s New Iran Envoy Met With Skepticism

The appointment of Dennis Ross as a special advisor to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has found a cool reaction in Tehran and some U.S. policy circles. "The appointment of Ross is an apparent contradiction with [President Barack] Obama’s announced policy to bring change in United States foreign policy," said Iran’s State Radio on … Continue reading “Obama’s New Iran Envoy Met With Skepticism”

‘US and Iran Share an Equal Monopoly on Violence’

"Obama is going to have continuous pressure from Israel to attack Iran and, in some way, their nuclear facilities, and this is going to be tied up with Gaza and Lebanon," according to Robert Baer, a former top Central Intelligence Agency operative and the author of The Devil We Know: Dealing with the New Iranian … Continue reading “‘US and Iran Share an Equal Monopoly on Violence’”

Ahmadinejad Open to US Talks, Denounces Threats

At a press conference following his speech to the UN General Assembly Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he would welcome discussions with the US presidential candidates, but added that "the condition is that our meeting should be open so that all media know what happens." Ahmadinejad’s appearance in New York provoked a series of … Continue reading “Ahmadinejad Open to US Talks, Denounces Threats”

Nothing Behind US Allegations Against Iran?

UNITED NATIONS – While the United States has repeatedly accused Iran of providing lethal weapons to Shi’ite militias, last week, U.S. officials once again failed to provide solid evidence for this charge, raising questions about the actual level of Iran’s meddling in Iraq. Last Wednesday, Alejandro Daniel Wolff, deputy permanent U.S. representative to the UN, … Continue reading “Nothing Behind US Allegations Against Iran?”