Photos: Iran Celebrates World Cup Qualification

Photos: Tehran Celebrates Iran's World Cup Qualification

Iranians, Observers Wonder How Rohani Was Allowed To Win

IAAB Releases Know Your Rights - Sanctions Toolkit

World Heritage Committee removes the Iranian World Heritage site of Bam and its Cultural Landscape from danger listing

After Eight Years In Office, Ahmadinejad Faces An Uncertain Future

Officials of Iranian website released from jail

Popular Iranian romance novelist Fahimeh Rahimi dies

Iran to import 10 drilling rigs worth $850m from China

Iran wins ticket to World Cup 2014 in Brazil

The P5+1 and Iran: What should be expected from President Rowhani? - On June 15, 2013, Hassan Rowhani became Iran's president-elect and raised expectations about the outcome of future meetings between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, collectively known as the P5+1. -Sasan Fayazmanesh 6/18/13

Tehran municipal election winners announced - The new list of Tehran City council members was announced on Monday, three days after the municipal elections were concluded on Friday. Iranian media published the list, which indicates that 13 reformists were elected to the council along with 18 conservative members and supporters of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibof, the Tehran mayor. 6/18/13

Obama: US Open to Iran Nuclear Talks - President Barack Obama says the United States is open to holding new talks with Iran about its controversial nuclear program. But in an interview broadcast late Monday, Obama said Iran must recognize that international sanctions will remain until the country dispels concerns that it is developing a nuclear weapon. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. 6/18/13

Where is Arash Sadeghi?: Rooz Follows Up on an Iranian Political Prisoner - Close to 200 political activists published a letter through which they announced that disturbing rumors had been circulating about the condition of Arash Sadeghi who had started a hunger strike "because he had been beaten by security agents." In the blogosphere there were even more disturbing news about his situation and there were rumors that this student activist had lost his life in prison. -Fereshteh Ghazi, Rooz 6/18/13

Iranian journalists' group sees better future under new president - Iran's Association of Journalists has announced that the agenda of president-elect Hassan Rohani includes ending a ban on the group. Kaleme reports that in view of Mr. Rohani's slogan of "hope and wisdom", it is only reasonable to expect that he will focus on the problems of journalists in the country. 6/18/13

Iran's President-Elect Pressed Over Release Of Opposition Leaders - The release of Iran's opposition leaders Mir Hossein Musavi and Mehdi Karrubi, who have been under house arrest for more than two years, has been one of the main demands of some of those Iranians who voted for President-elect Hassan Rohani. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 6/18/13

Tiny airplanes and subs from University of Florida laboratory could be next hurricane hunters - Kamran Mohseni envisions a day when the unmanned vehicles in his laboratory at the University of Florida will swarm over, under and through hurricanes to help predict the strength and path of the storms. 6/18/13

Iranian Tar virtuoso Jalil Shahnaz dies at 92 - Iranian tar virtuoso Jalil Shahnaz died of natural causes in Tehran's Arad Hospital. He was aged 92. Shahnaz was born in Isfahan in 1921. His father, Shabankhan, was a music enthusiast, and their house was a gathering place for musicians. 6/18/13

Hope for Change in Iran Tempered With Caution - Analysts are tamping down hopes of major changes in Iran, after the surprise election of relatively moderate candidate Hassan Rowhani as president. Supporters of the new president-elect marched through the streets of Tehran to celebrate. Rowhani's election on the first ballot, with more than 50 percent of the vote, surprised many experts. 6/18/13

Lavrov Says Iran Ready To Suspend 20-Percent Uranium Enrichment - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Iran is prepared to suspend the production of enriched uranium, adding that the move would justify the easing of economic sanctions against Tehran. Lavrov said it could lead to a "breakthrough agreement" that would ease tensions between Iran and the international community. 6/18/13

Iran's President-Elect Hassan Rohani Pledges 'Constructive Interaction' With World Via Moderate Policy - Iran's president-elect Hassan Rohani says he will seek "constructive interaction" with the world through a moderate policy after he takes the oath of office in early August. Rohani, who was speaking in his first press conference on Monday, said his administration of "Prudence and Hope" will follow a "moderate" policy line in serving national objectives. 6/17/13

Karbaschi Tells Rooz: People Taught the Regime and Reformists a Lesson - The head of Iran's pro-reform Agents of Construction party (Kargozaran Sazandeghi) Gholam-Hossein Karbaschi called the June 14 vote of the majority of Iranians for Hassan Rowhani as the next president to be the product of the maturity of Iranian society. He added that the vote was a message for reformers and the regime -Fereshteh Ghazi, Rooz 6/17/13

World responds positively to Iran's presidential election - A number of international figures have commented on the resounding victory of centrist cleric Hassan Rohani in Iran's presidential election, expressing hope that the new president would bring positive changes to the country. 6/17/13

Hassan Rohani In His Own Words - The following is a selection of recent statements attributed to Hassan Rohani, the cleric and relative moderate who emerged the winner from Iran's June 14 presidential vote. The remarks -- on a broad range of topics from the media to morality, the Internat and hobbies, the economy and state intervention in people's private lives... -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 6/17/13

US Urges New Path for Iran Under Rowhani - White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough says Iranians should be congratulated for strong voter turn-out in Friday's presidential balloting, in which moderate cleric Hassan Rowhani emerged as victor. Speaking on CBS' Face the Nation television program, McDonough called the outcome a "potentially hopeful sign." 6/17/13

Iran: President-elect's inauguration set for early August - Iranian Parliament has announced the inauguration of the new president will take place in early August. Mohammadreza Bahonar, the deputy head of Parliament, said Hassan Rohani's inauguration ceremony is likely to take place on August 4 or 5. 6/17/13

Iran's Election of Hassan Rouhani - The National Iranian American Council issued the following statement regarding the election of Hassan Rouhani to be the next President of Iran: The election of Hassan Rouhani to be the next President of Iran signals a potential opening for progress on human rights inside Iran as well as nuclear diplomacy. 6/17/13

Persian Poets' Tour 2013 - The Poetry Translation Centre's Persian Poets' Tour presents three prominent Persian-language poets and their translators: Azita Ghahreman (translated by Maura Dooley), Reza Mohammadi (translated by Nick Laird) and Shakila Azizzada (translated by Mimi Khalvati), for a series of five readings this summer in Manchester, Cardiff, London, Edinburgh and Ledbury. 6/17/13

Iran's 11th Presidential Election (No. 19): The Unexpected Event of Presidential Election in Iran - Although some analysts are trying to argue that the vote for Mr. Hassan Rouhani was, in fact, a negative vote to the Islamic establishment's policies, it was, in reality, a vote to moderation and foresight. These two concepts were major components of Mr. Rouhani's election campaign as well. -Mahmoud Reza Golshanpazhooh 6/17/13

Iran Elects Moderate President Hassan Rouhani - Will U.S. Respond by Easing Crippling Sanctions? - Reza Marashi of the National Iranian American Council says Rouhani's win marks a victory for Iran's "Green Movement" and one that puts the onus for diplomacy on the U.S. after years of crippling economic sanctions. "It firmly puts the ball back in Washington's court," Marashi says. -Democracy Now 6/17/13

Ahmadinejad Ordered To Appear Before Court - An Iranian government website says outgoing president Mahmud Ahmadinejad has been ordered to appear before a criminal court on November 26. The dolat.ir website said on June 17 that the case was based on a complaint filed by parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani and others. 6/17/13

Iran barters over 1.5 bcm of gas with Armenia electricity in 6 years - On June 12, the UK-based energy giant, BP, classed Iran as the world's top gas reserves holder with 33.6 trillion cubic meters." Iran has bartered more than 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas with Armenia's electricity over the past six years. 6/17/13

Photos: Iranians Celebrate Presidency Of Hassan Rohani in Tehran - Part I - People celebrated the victory of president elect Hassan Rohani in the streets of Tehran and other major cities including Bandar Abbas, Gorgan, Isfahan, Mashhad, Kerman, Qom, Shiraz and Tabriz. These photos show the outporing of support for Rohani and reform in Tehran. 6/16/13

Moderate Candidate Hassan Rohani Elected New President Of Iran with 50.7% Of the Vote - Hassan Rohani has been elected as the new president of Iran with 18,613,329 or 50.7% of the vote out of the 36,704,156 votes cast. Rohani's closest rival Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stood far behind with 16.56% of the votes. 6/16/13

Photos: Iranians Celebrate Victory Of Hassan Rohani - Part I - People celebrated the victory of president elect Hassan Rohani in the streets of Tehran and other major cities. Rohani was quoted as saying: "With their celebrations last night, the Iranian people showed they are hopeful about the future and, God willing, ethics and moderation will govern the country." 6/16/13

Photos: Iranians Celebrate Victory Of Hassan Rohani - Part II - People celebrated the victory of president elect Hassan Rohani in the streets of Tehran and other major cities. "This victory is a victory of wisdom, a victory of moderation, a victory of growth and awareness, and a victory of commitment over extremism and ill-temper," Rohani was quoted as saying. 6/16/13

President-Elect Rowhani: A Moderate Voice for Iran - Iran's next president, Hassan Rowhani, is a moderate cleric and former chief nuclear negotiator who has vowed to improve the nation's relationship with the international community. 6/16/13

Iran's President-Elect Addresses Nation After Surprise Victory - Iran's President-elect Hassan Rowhani has called on citizens to remain "committed to the law" in order to establish peace and stability in the country. In his first televised speech since Friday's election, the moderate cleric said Sunday he "deeply" needs the people's assistance along the path toward preserving national pride and national interests. 6/16/13

Rohani's Victory In Iran Signals Desire For Change - The victory of cleric Hassan Rohani, the sole moderate in Iran's presidential vote, signals a strong desire for change among Iranians who are facing soaring prices, unemployment, and increased social and political restrictions. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 6/16/13

Photos: Iranians Celebrate Presidency Of Hassan Rohani in Tehran - Part II - People celebrated the victory of president elect Hassan Rohani in the streets of Tehran and other major cities including Bandar Abbas, Gorgan, Isfahan, Mashhad, Kerman, Qom, Shiraz and Tabriz. These photos show the outporing of support for Rohani and reform in Tehran. 6/16/13

Reformist says voters want release of Iranian opposition leaders - Top reformist figure Mohammadreza Khatami said the first and foremost demand of the "millions of reformists" that went to the polls yesterday is the release of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi and Zahra Rahnavard. 6/16/13

President-elect Rohani addresses Iranians - Iranian president-elect Hassan Rohani has told Iranians: "I will remain faithful to the promises I made to you." ISNA reports that the winner of the presidential race announced to the public: "This is the victory of wisdom, the victory of moderation, the victory of growth and awareness, the victory of religious commitment over extremism and harshness." 6/16/13

India Takes Steps to Boost Trade With Iran - NEW DELHI - India is taking steps to boost exports to Iran as New Delhi tries to fix a trade imbalance with the sanctions-hit country. India has slashed its oil imports from Tehran, but remains Iran's second-largest customer for crude. 6/16/13

IRGC vows complete co-operation with president-elect - Following the victory of Hassan Rohani in the presidential election of June 14, the IRGC issued a statement saying: "We are fully prepared to cooperate with the future administration in the framework of all our legitimate duties and missions." 6/16/13

Presidential Candidates Long On Rhetoric, Short Of Answers For Iran's Ailing Economy - As Iranians go to the polls on June 14, the country's weak and sanctions-hit economy weighs heavily on their minds. The question of what to do about it has dominated the presidential campaign and all the candidates have said they have solutions. But all their programs have sounded vague and, ultimately, remarkably alike. -Charles Recknagel, RFE 6/15/13

Iran: Gold, Currency Market Affected By Presidential Elections - Price of gold and the dollar drops as the election results point toward the possible victory of the moderate candidate Hassan Rohani. ILNA reports that head of Tehran gold and jewellery syndicate announced a drop in the price of gold in the country. 6/15/13

Iranian Dissident Camp Comes Under Mortar Fire In Iraq - The Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) Iranian exile group sheltering in Iraq says at least one person has been killed after its camp outside Baghdad came under mortar fire. The MKO is the militant wing of a Paris-based Iranian opposition group that opposes Iran's current government and fought alongside Saddam Hussein's forces in the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. 6/15/13

Interviewing Hooman Majd (Part 2: It's the Economy & Threats Stupid!) - Hooman Majd is the grandson of an ayatollah, son of a career diplomat, and related by marriage to former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami. Born in Tehran, he spent his formative years globe-trotting for his father's work and was educated in schools in San Francisco, New Delhi, Tunis, London and Washington D.C. -Nima Shirazi, Muftah 6/15/13

Photos: People voting in Tehran - Election centres opened their doors at 8 AM local time on Friday June 14 for the presidential and municipal elections. Voting stations numbering 66,000 in Iran and 290 abroad will remain open for 10 hours as 50 million Iranians are said to be eligible to vote in these elections. 6/14/13

Photos: Voting In Iranian Cities - People across Iran went to the voting stations on Friday to cast their vote in the the presidential and municipal elections. Election centres opened their doors at 8 AM local time. 50 million Iranians are said to be eligible to vote in these elections. Here are some snapshots from voting in different Iranian cities 6/14/13

Presidential Elections Demonstrate the Resiliency of Iran's Green Movement - The Green Movement, which seeks to make deep and irreversible changes in the structure of Iran's political system and move the nation closer to a democratic country, was born during Iran's last presidential election on 12 June 2009. -Muhammad Sahimi 6/14/13

What Are The Likely Scenarios For Iran's Presidential Election? - Iranians are voting to choose their next president. The outcome is likely to be determined by several factors including turnout, the degree of fairness of the vote, the level of state interference, and the choices made by undecided and swing voters. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 6/14/13

Iran Presidential Vote Under Way - Opinion surveys have suggested a close race between moderate cleric and former nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani, who is backed by pro-reform elements, and conservative candidate Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the current mayor of Tehran and a former security official. 6/14/13

Putin says Iran not breaking nuclear treaty - Russian President Vladimir Putin says that as in the past, there is no evidence that Iran is in any way violating its commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Ria Novosti reports that Putin said: "I have no doubt that Iran is sticking to the rules, since there is no proof it isn't." 6/14/13

Reading Marx in Tehran - Iran's industrial workers, teachers, nurses, government and service-sector employees have been hit hard. The profound mismanagement of the economy by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, coupled with stringent international sanctions, has made these workers' plight the most important aspect of Iran's domestic politics. -Mansour Osanloo, NY Times 6/14/13

Obama Approves Arming Syrian Rebels - Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said Thursday that President Barack Obama decided to authorize "direct military support" to the opposition. But he cautioned that the White House still does not support sending American troops to Syria, and that no decision has been made on other military options, such as the enforcement of a no-fly zone. -VOA 6/14/13

Fresh Iran Polls Hint At Clash Of Political Currents - Two fresh opinion polls show Hassan Rohani, the candidate on whom many pro-reform elements in Iran are pinning their hopes, in a virtual tie with conservative candidate Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf ahead of this week's presidential election. 6/13/13

Photos: Election Campaign, Iranian Style - Part II - In many Iranian cities, supporters of various presidential candidates have taken to the streets to campaign for their favorite candidate. These photos show the people in Tehran on Wednesday engaged in the lively campaign. 6/13/13

Vali Nasr: 'Starving Somebody Won't Make Them Do What You Want' - Ahead of Iran's presidential election on June 14, RFE/RL asked top U.S. observers to weigh in on the effectiveness of sanctions, the end goal of nuclear negotiations, and the possible benefits of taking a more diplomatic approach toward Tehran. 6/13/13

Photos: Election excitement in the streets of Tehran - In many Iranian cities, supporters of various presidential candidates have taken to the streets to campaign for their favorite candidate. These photos show the election excitement in Tehran which reached a high on Wednesday night. 6/13/13

Ryan Crocker: 'U.S. Should Engage In Wide-Ranging Talks With The Iranians' - RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari spoke to Ryan Crocker, a career U.S. diplomat who has served in ambassadorial posts throughout the Middle East and South Asia -- including Afghanistan and Pakistan -- and was assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Khorramshahr, Iran in the early 1970s. 6/13/13

Google Warns of Increased Hacking Attempts in Iran - In a statement, the U.S. Internet company said it has disrupted and detected multiple so-called "phishing" campaigns aimed at compromising the accounts of tens of thousands of Iranian users during a period of almost three weeks. 6/13/13

Iran Soccer Coach Demands South Korean Apology - The head coach of the Iranian men's soccer team is demanding an apology from his South Korean counterpart over remarks disparaging of Iran. Coach Carlos Queiroz, who is from Portugal, made the demand ahead of a decisive World Cup qualifying match slated for June 18 between Iran and South Korea in the South's city of Ulsan. 6/13/13

Khamenei Loyalists Slug it Out Over Handling of Nuclear Diplomacy - A review of Iran's domestic politics over the past few weeks can give us a number of insights on what has been simmering unseen over the past four years, and what Iran has to look forward to in the coming years. -Omid Memarian, Iranwire 6/13/13

Iran's Jon Stewart Serves Up Illegal Political Satire - In the world of Iranian actor Kambiz Hosseini, almost everything about his country's presidential elections is side-splittingly funny. "Becoming the president of Iran is like making a James Bond movie," Hosseini said in a recent CBCRadio program. "The characters stay the same, but they just keep changing the actors." -Abigail Nehring, Atlantic 6/13/13

Iranian activists say "political kidnapping" hurts young women - A group of political-social activists in Shiraz has called for the release of Jamila Karimi, a women's rights activist and member of the Reformist Coalition Council of Fars, two months after her arrest. 6/12/13

Even Iran's Conservative Media Complain Of Filtering - Pro-reform Iranians have long complained about Iran's filtering of the Internet and crackdown on online journalists and bloggers. Reformist and independent media have been the main target of the establishment's Internet-control efforts that aim at disrupting the free flow of information. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 6/12/13

Iranian-Americans architects to showcase work in Los Angeles exhibition - Two Iranian-Americans, Michele Saee and Arshia Mahmoodi, are among the selected pool of architects to represent the ultra avant-garde side of architecture in the upcoming exhibition by Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles titled 'A New Sculpturalism: Contemporary Architecture from Southern California' 6/12/13

Iran closes in on World Cup dream with 4-0 win over Lebanon - Iran reached the brink of qualifying for the World Cup finals after trouncing Lebanon 4-0 in front of about 100,000 fans at Tehran's Azadi Stadium on Tuesday. Iran now has 13 points from seven matches in Group A of Asian qualifying. 6/11/13

Exhibition in London: "Utopia" by Ghazaleh Avarzamani - "Utopia" showcases Ghazaleh's Rococo themed needlepoint embroideries which are mixed with contemporary Iranian imagery. These are inspired by the kitsch interpretations of Goblin tapestries. The tapestries are embroidered by hand, tying in with Ghazaleh's belief that the revival of skilled craft is central to the artistic process. 6/11/13

Photos: Iran launches optimized destroyer - Iran launched a modernized destroyer into water on Tuesday in southern Bandar Abbas Port in a ceremony attended by top military officials. The destroyer dubbed 'Bayandor' has been repaired and renewed since 2011. 6/11/13

Iran Opens New Space-Tracking Center - Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has opened a new center for monitoring space and tracking objects passing near the Earth. Iran currently has nine command-and-control centers for its space program, including one in Syria. 6/9/13

Iranian journalists cry out against web interference - A group of Iranian journalists and reporters is speaking out against the censorship of content on news websites. The Mehr News Agency published the group's statement on June 8. It denounces the "rising incidence of unregulated restrictions" on active websites. 6/9/13

Artworks by detained Iranian opposition leader get German exhibit - Germany's Academy of Arts in Berlin has launched an exhibit of works by Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi on June 6, which will remain open to the public until June 23. 6/7/13

The Economic Legacy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - On June 14, 2013, Iran will hold its 11th presidential election to replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. During his two terms in office, Ahmadinejad implemented a number of broad economic reforms and policies that have had a profound effect on socioeconomic conditions in Iran. -Nader Habibi 6/7/13

USC to Offer Iranian Studies Minor for the First Time Ever - For the first time in its history, the University of Southern California's Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences will offer a minor in Iranian studies, as part of an initiative launched in November 2010 through the support of Farhang Foundation. 6/6/13

Iran's oil exports hit new low as U.S. plans further sanctions - The U.S. president has announced the world market can handle further sanctions on Iranian oil exports. The U.S. Secretary of State announced that, together with the international community, the United States is prepared to intensify pressure on Iran until the Islamic Republic addresses concerns about its nuclear program. 6/6/13

Obama Administration Doubles Down on Counterproductive Iran Sanctions - With Iran in the midst of a Presidential election, the Obama administration is continuing to double down on a counterproductive strategy of economic pressure that has empowered the regime, punished ordinary Iranians and hardened Iran's opposition to a negotiated solution to the nuclear standoff. -NIAC 6/5/13

Revelations of Scandalous Economic Statistics: Iran's Presidential Candidates in a Race on Exposes - Since their official endorsement, Iranian presidential candidates have engaged in a game of one-upmanship to expose the dire economic conditions of the country. One announced that Iran owed 30 million Dollars to China, another said there were three million unemployed in Iran, others proclaim unprecedented rise in the rich-poor gap, and various inflation rates, conditions that in the words of Majlis speakers differ vastly with what the Ahmadinejad's administration has been boasting. -Firoozeh Matin, Rooz 6/5/13

Diplomats: Earthquakes Damage Iranian Nuclear Power Plant - Two diplomats say Iran's only nuclear power plant, which already has raised safety concerns, has been damaged by recent earthquakes. The unidentified diplomats told the Associated Press that international monitors believe large cracks have developed in one part of the Bushehr plant. 6/5/13

President Obama Signs Order for New Sanctions Targeting Iranian Currency - U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday signed an order imposing additional sanctions on Iran, for the first time directly targeting Iran's currency, the rial. It's the latest U.S. step to increase pressure on Iran to change course on its nuclear program. -Dan Robinson, VOA 6/4/13

Iranian Woman Among Winners Of UNESCO's Young Scientist Award - Iranian woman Atieh Kazemi Mojarad is among the recipients of UNESCO's Young Scientist Award. She won the award for her research in "sustainable development of Biosphere Reserves through the promotion of key ecosystem services." 6/4/13

Iran's Medical Shortages: Who's Responsible? - For two years, reports have surfaced describing medical supply shortages in Iran, some with devastating consequences, as debate continues to rage about who's responsible - the Iranian government or the sanctions regime. -Jasmin Ramsey interviews Siamak Namazi, Lobe Log 6/4/13

Exhibition by Negar Ahkami in New York: The Consumption - Leila Heller is pleased to announce The Consumption, Negar Ahkami's second solo exhibition at the gallery, on view from June 6 - July 6, 2013. The Consumption will feature a selection of new works by Ahkami, including exuberant paintings with bas-relief surfaces that depict a variety of figures in water. 6/1/13

IAAB's Persian Language Educators' Symposium in NYC: Huge Success for Persian Language Schools - Over 40 directors and educators of Persian Language Heritage Schools in the United States gathered this past weekend in New York City for an IAAB-organized symposium. 5/31/13

Iranian Activists Welcome U.S. Lifting Of Sanctions On Communications Tools - The lifting of U.S. sanctions on the export to Iran of communication tools has been welcomed by activists and groups who had pushed for such a move and argued that the sanctions end up hurting ordinary Iranians, not the regime. 5/31/13

US Moving Toward Strategic Alienation with Iran - "The US Congress continues to move along the line of its old policy to exert pressures on Iran in order to bring about overthrow of Iran's government through attrition and in a gradual manner. This approach [by the US Congress] is only slightly different in terms of tactics from the official statements made by the Obama administration." 5/28/13

Iranian Filmmaker Presents Secret Film At Cannes - An Iranian director sentenced to prison in 2010 for antigovernment propaganda has appeared at the Cannes film festival for the screening of a new film about censorship, which he shot in secret in Iran. The circumstances of Mohammad Rasoulof's visit to Cannes on May 24 and the location where he now lives remain strictly confidential. 5/25/13

Technical university in Isfahan bans women from some programs - The Isfahan University of Technology has closed seven fields of study to female applicants. ISNA reports that the university is now refusing applications from female students in certain branches of agriculture, natural resources engineering and water resources. These programs are now only open to male applicants. 5/24/13

Three Iranian-Americans among the 30 Most Important Women Under 30 In Tech - Women are (relatively) few and far between in the tech industry. So it is quite an achievement for three Iranian-American women (Soraya Darabi, Parisa Tabriz and Roxanne Varza), to have made it to the list of the most important women 30 years old or under in tech compiled by the Business Insider. 5/5/13