Iran-US Wrestling Match in Los Angeles Cancelled

Iranian firefighter saves lives, even after his death

Iran: Presidential Candidate Brags About His Direct Role in Violence and Repression

What Has The Work of Heavens Come Down To?

Iran's car imports drop 68% in month

Iran says election won't hinder nuclear talks

Iran's Election Officials Extend Period For Candidate Review

Photos: Iran joins US charity wrestling event in New York

Iranian students build flying robot capable of taking aerial photos

Iranian MPs call on council to disqualify candidates

EU's Ashton Has 'Useful' Discussion With Iran's Jalili - EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton says she had a "useful" discussion with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili but announced no plans for a new round of negotiations. Catherine Ashton, representing six world powers, said after the meeting May 15 in Istanbul that "we talked about the proposals we had put forward and we will now reflect on how to go on to the next stage of the process." 5/16/13

Iran gives green light to Asghar Farhadi's "Past" - Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has granted a screening license to "The Past", Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi's first movie that was shot outside of his homeland. 5/16/13

Iranian footballer named as Asian football ambassador - Iranian footballer and former player of Hamburger SV Mehdi Mahdavikia has been named as the ambassador of Asian football. According to the report of Asia Football Confederation Website, Mahdavikia, along with Chinese female footballer Bai Lili, were officially named as the first Asian football ambassadors. 5/16/13

Why sanctions on Iran are not working - The current sanctions policy is based on a shaky assumption - the belief that economic pain and dissatisfaction among political elites automatically will result in pressure on the Iranian regime to change its nuclear course. This assumption does not hold. The economic pain imposed on Iran is intense - but directionless. -Trita Parsi & Reza Marashi, Al Jazeera 5/16/13

Turkey to transit 2bcm of Iranian gas to Europe - Turkey will to transit 2 billion cubic meters of Iranian gas annually to Europe, the Mehr News Agency reported on Wednesday. The two neighboring countries are close to finalize pricing terms and conditions. 5/16/13

U.S. Calls For Free, Fair Iranian Election - Sherman said in the run-up to the June 14 presidential poll that the U.S. was doing whatever it could to encourage voices in Iran to press for a free election. She also said that the U.S. would not take sides in next month's vote. "The decision who leads Iran is for the Iranian people." Sherman said. 5/16/13

U.S. Blacklists Two U.A.E. Firms For Dealing With Iran - The United States has barred two financial firms based in the United Arab Emirates for dealing with an Iranian bank blacklisted by Washington. The U.S. Treasury Department said on May 15 that Al Hilal Exchange and Al Fida International General Trading had provided financial services to Bank Mellat. -RFE 5/16/13

Photos: Teams From U.S., Iran, Russia Back Olympic Wrestling - Wrestlers from the United States, Iran, and Russia have appeared jointly at the United Nations to promote the value of wrestling. The teams, which are in New York for a wrestling exhibition on May 15 at New York's Grand Central Station railway terminal, hope to apply pressure on the International Olympic Committee to keep their sport in the Olympics. 5/15/13

May 15: National Ferdowsi Day - May 15 is annually celebrated by Iranians as Fedowsi Day. Many art and cultural festivals are held across the country to commemorate the great Iranian epic poet. Ferdowsi, one of the greatest Iranian poets, was born in 935 CE in a small village named Paj near Tous in Khorasan which is situated in today's Razavi Khorasan province in Iran. -Firouzeh Mirrazavi 5/15/13

Responses to Rafsanjani's Candidacy: The Alignment of Political Groups Disrupted! - Some have called his decision to enter the race to be his turn into the last chapter of his life and have tied Iran's fate to this chapter. Others view him to be among the opposition that ruling circles call seditionists and call for his disqualification. Military leaders are issuing warnings, Majlis representatives are signing resolutions and some media issue secret bulletins against him. -Fereshteh Ghazi, Rooz 5/15/13

Iran's Elections Body Can Now Ask Would-Be Presidents For Plans - Iran's Guardian Council, the powerful body that determines the eligibility of political candidates, announced that it has approved a policy to require concrete administrative plans from presidential candidates when it is deemed necessary. 5/15/13

Tell Me What Car You Drive And I'll Tell You What Kind Of Politician You Are - In recent days, photos of the cars Rafsanjani and Jalili used on May 11 to come to the Interior Ministry to register for next month's vote have been posted side by side on a number of hard-line, pro-establishment websites. - Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 5/15/13

Iran's Intelligence Ministry summons independent candidate after meeting - Independent presidential candidate Ghassem Sholeh Saadi was summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence after he met with a number of reporters and reformist youth. No details have been released about the reason for his summons. 5/15/13

Carnegie International exhibit to screen documentaries by Kamran Shirdel - "Tehran Is the Capital of Iran", "Dubai: Pearls of the Persian Gulf", "Women's Prison", and "The Night It Rained" and five other of his documentaries are scheduled to be screened during the event, which will be held from October 5, 2013 to March 16, 2014. 5/15/13

Parallel Talks Focus on Iranian Nuclear Program - Iran's nuclear program is the focus of two separate meetings Wednesday, but no major breakthroughs are expected ahead of the country's June presidential election. -VOA 5/15/13

Iran to outrun U.S. as world's 3rd largest cement exporter - Iran will leave the U.S. behind by the end of the current year to become the world's third largest cement exporter, the Global Cement magazine wrote in its latest edition. Iran is projected to export 18-20 million tons of cement in 2013, ranking the third place after China and India, IRNA cited the report. 5/15/13

UN Set for Syria Vote - The United Nations General Assembly is expected to adopt a resolution Wednesday condemning the continued violence in Syria and calling on the country's government to give access to U.N. investigators. -VOA 5/15/13

Surprise Candidacy Challenges Plans Of Iranian Establishment - The surprise decision by former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to enter Iran's presidential race poses a challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's plans to bring a loyalist to power, analysts say. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 5/14/13

Iran Elections A Farce: Zahra, A Fictional Character, Enters Race - Ahead of Iran's presidential elections scheduled for June 14, an author and a human rights non-governmental organization are registering their protest by nominating for president a fictional mourning mother whose son was killed by authorities in 2009. 5/14/13

Rafsanjani Candidacy Draws Fire From Iran's Hard-Liners - Influential former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has drawn sharp criticism from Iran's ruling establishment after he filed a last-minute application for candidacy in the country's June 14 presidential election. After months of speculation, Rafsanjani signed up at the end of a five-day registration period on May 11, stunning rivals who had written off the 78-year-old moderate. -Frud Bezhan, RFE 5/14/13

Iranian Student Film needs the support of the Iranian Community - 񓟛" is an NYU undergraduate thesis film that will begin principal photography in late June 2013. The film centers on three Iranian immigrants in small town America during the time of the Iranian Hostage Crisis. We follow Reza and witness the comedic culture clash that follows him and his friends, Masoud and Ata, as they try their hardest to assimilate. 5/14/13

10th Tehran International Cartoon Biennial kicks off - The 10th Tehran International Cartoon Biennial, displaying over 500 works by Iranian and foreign cartoonists, was inaugurated during a ceremony at Tehran's Saba Art and Cultural Institute on Monday. This year the biennial is focusing on the themes of "Persian Cat", "Dilemma" and "Superstition". 5/14/13

Four top UN human rights experts call for immediate release of seven imprisoned Iranian Baha'i leaders - In a press release issued on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the arrest of the seven, the four experts emphasized that the seven are held solely because of their religious beliefs, that their continued imprisonment is unjust and wrongful, and that Iran's treatment of religious minorities violates international law. 5/14/13

Iran transplants aortic valve in sheep's heart - Iran has embarked on conducting several important research plans on different medical and veterinary domains since last year, one of which is transplanting human's aortic valve to several sheep, said Secretary of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution Mokhber Dezfouli. 5/14/13

Iran: 203 city council elections candidates disqualified - Two hundred and three hopefuls have not been approved as candidates for the fourth city council elections, which will be held simultaneously with the 11th presidential election on June 14. 5/14/13

Iranian shipping group leader says industry stifled by sanctions - The head of the IRISL Group (Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines) says revenues from the country's shipping industry have shrunk by more than half in recent years. "Currently European countries prohibit Iranian ships from docking in their ports," Dajmer said. 5/14/13

Iranian wrestlers head to U.S. - The Iranian free-style wrestling team left Tehran for the United States on Sunday morning to participate in an exhibition match in New York's Times Square. The United States, Russia and Iran will come together in solidarity to compete in a unique wrestling competition in Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal in New York City on May 15. 5/13/13

Shiraz shaken by keenly felt quake - Shiraz was rocked by an earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale at 3:10 AM today, Monday May 13. Reports indicate that Shiraz residents ran into streets when the earthquake struck and spent hours in city streets and parks. 5/13/13

Recent Iranian government projects: election advertising or environmental threats? - The Iranian government has proposed new projects such as building infrastructure in Shahrood's Abr Forest and opening up oil development in Kavir National Park by issuing exploration permits, and the government's national development plan promises to donate 2,000 square metres of public land to Iranian families. -Bijan Rohani 5/13/13

Jon Stewart Hosts Iran Censorship Event - Highlighting the heightened censorship and the situation of journalists in Iran, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran hosted a screening of Iranian-Canadian director Maziar Bahari's film Forced Confessions in a joint event with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the PEN American Center on May 8 in New York. 5/13/13

Iran's first locally-made influenza vaccine to hit market - Iran will mass produce the first locally-made influenza vaccine for the first time in 2013, said Iranian Deputy Health Minister for Research and Technology Mostafa Qaneyee. "One of the most important vaccines being produced by Iranian researchers is influenza vaccine y using SPF eggs. The product will hit the market this year," Qaneyee said. 5/13/13

Iran's Guardian Council slams Ahmadinejad for candidate endorsement - Iran's Guardian Council has spoken out against the fact that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accompanied Esfandiar Rahim Mashai as he registered to run in the presidential race. 5/12/13

Former President, Hashemi Rafsanjani, and Ahmadinejad's top aid, Esfandiar Rahim Mashai, to run in Iran's June 14 presidential election - Just minutes before the deadline on March 11 to register as a presidential candidate, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani made it official that he wants to be the next Iranian president. Meanwhile, Esfandiar Rahim Mashai, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's top aide, also entered the race during the final minutes of the registration period. 5/11/13

One Dead As Strong Earthquake Hits Iran's South - Iran's Red Crescent says an earthquake in southern Iran has killed a child and caused major damage, as well as numerous injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake's epicenter was 85 kilometers southeast of the town of Minab. 5/11/13

Prisoner denounces performance of Iran'a Supreme Leader - Iranian political prisoner Mohammadreza Motamednia has challenged Iranian Supreme Leader's competence in managing the country's affairs. In a letter addressed to Ayatollah Khamenei, according to Jaras website, Motamednia writes: "So long as the country is not ruled by the constitution, we will not participate in any election." 5/11/13

Iran Unveils Most Advanced Home-Made Drone called Hemaseh - Iran displayed its most advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) designed and manufactured by the country's engineers.The stealth drone, named Hemaseh (Epic), was unveiled on Thursday evening in a special ceremony in the presence of Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi. 5/10/13

"Reformist" candidate runs for president of Iran - Mohammadreza Aref, the former vice president and a senior reformist figure, registered today, May 10, to run in the 11th presidential election. Aref, who threw his hat in the ring four days after the registration began, served as vice president under Mohammad Khatami and is currently a member of the Expediency Council. 5/10/13

Newly Appointed Iranian-American Judge Makes History - On Thursday, May 2, 2013, Susan Amini was appointed to King County Superior Court judge position 20 in Washington State. Ms. Amini is the second Iranian American to serve as a Superior Court judge in the country, and the first of Middle Eastern descent in Washington state history. -Solmaz Elmi-Sarabi, NIAC 5/10/13

'Iran's Lech Walesa' Says He Left Country After Death Threats - Prominent Iranian union leader Mansur Osanlu, who recently fled that country, has told RFE/RL that death threats from inside government security circles drove him out of Iran. He warned that the atmosphere in the Islamic republic is becoming more repressive "day by day." -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 5/10/13

NOW CASTING unique and culturally diverse couples for a new documentary that celebrates the way people seek, select, and marry their spouse - Looking for couples who are in the courtship process, or are recently engaged. Specifically we are interested in hearing from couples and individuals who are seeking, or have experienced "modern day" arranged, matched, or traditional arranged marriages. -Hot Snakes Media 5/10/13

Iran allocates $157m to import medicine, medial equipment - Iran has allocated $157 million to import medicine and medical equipment since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21), IRNA reported, citing a statement by the Central Bank. Some $1.6 billion has also been allocated to import staple foods, the report added. 5/9/13

Inhumanity and Illegality of Sanctions Justify Iran's Response - Sanctions against Iran have negatively impacted the lives of the Iranian people, and they continue to do so despite lacking a legal foundation. If we recognize the inhumanity and illegality of sanctions, we can better understand the Iranian government's response to them. -Mahmoud Reza Golshanpazhooh 5/9/13

NORPAC: The Mission and the Message - Today (May 8, 2013) hundreds of buses packed with what organizers claim are about a thousand citizen advocates departed from various pick-up points in and around New York and New Jersey for Washington, DC. They represent NORPAC (not an acronym for anything), a much smaller, localized grassroots version of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) -Marsha B. Cohen 5/9/13

Variations on a Persian Theme: maps as messages - May 22nd in London: Welcome by Paul Webley, SOAS with an introduction by Peter Barber OBE, FSA, FRHistS followed by a talk by Francis Herbert Hon. FRGS FBCart.S on Variations on a Persian Theme: maps as messages. 5/9/13

Conflict Kitchen: Changing Americans' Perception Of U.S. Adversaries, One Dish At A Time - In the United States, Iran is better known for its nuclear ambitions than for its "fesenjan," the traditional Persian stew of chicken, pomegranates, and walnuts. Jon Rubin would like to change that. Rubin is the co-founder of Conflict Kitchen, a carry-out restaurant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that only serves food from countries with which the United States is in conflict. -Heather Maher, RFE 5/8/13

Regime wants to isolate Iran, hold elections behind closed doors - Reporters Without Borders condemns the reinforcement of Iran's system of Internet filtering and blocking. Use of the leading VPN censorship circumvention tools such as Kerio and OpenVPN has been blocked since 4 May, making it very difficult for Iranians to access an unfiltered Internet. 5/8/13

Testimonies continue at trial into Kahrizak deaths - The trial of judiciary officials in the case of detainee deaths at the Kahrizak Detention Centre began its seventh session today, Tuesday May 7. Reports indicate that the head of Tehran Province Prisons and four other suspects in the case gave testimony today. 5/8/13

Media War Heats Up Ahead Of Iran Vote - When Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad delivered a speech at a highly anticipated government rally last month, Tehran's Azadi Stadium was nearly empty. At least that's how it appeared in footage aired by Iran's state-controlled television. If one were to judge by a video posted on Ahmadinejad's website, however, they would get a much different picture. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 5/7/13

The Failed Neocon Attempt to Destroy an American Anti-war Organization - The war over war with Iran has many battlefronts. Inside Washington, the battle line is between a small coalition of peace and security, non-proliferation and religious groups opposing war and favoring a peaceful solution to the stand off with Iran, and a well-funded war machine comprising neoconservative organizations who believe war with Iran should have started years ago. -M.J. Rosenberg, Washington Spectator. 5/7/13

Panel Discussion at UC Davis: The Negative Impacts Of Sanctions On The People Of Iran - June 2, 2013 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.: As part of Senses Cultural's mission to promote programs that will bring greater understanding about culture and humanity, Please join Senses Cultural in supporting a panel Discussion about the negative impacts of sanctions on the people of Iran. 5/7/13

Inflation rate hits 29.8%: Statistics Center of Iran - Iran's inflation rate reached 29.8 percent in the first month of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-April 20), the Mehr News Agency reported, citing the Statistics Center of Iran. The figure decreased by 1.5 percent compared to the previous month. 5/6/13

Internet proxies no longer effective in Iran - ITIran reports that the Siphon proxy as well as Kerio and open VPN are no longer effective against the Iranian state's efforts to block websites. The report also adds that internet speed has fallen sharply, restricting user access to most sites. 5/6/13

Esteqlal wins Iran's Premier League title a week before end of tourney - Esteqlal has won the championship of Iran's Premier League (IPL) for the third time after beating Foulad one week before the end of the tournament. The Blues blanked host Foulad 1-0 in a match in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz on Sunday. 5/6/13

Sepahan wins Iran's Hazfi Cup in penalty shootout - Sepahan defeated Persepolis in Iran's Hazfi Cup at Tehran's packed Azadi Stadium on Sunday. The game went to penalties after extra-time finished on 2-2, and Sepahan beat Persepolis 4-2 in the penalty shootout. 5/6/13

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

Turkish novels spark controversy at Tehran Book Fair - The publication of Persian versions of the Turkish novels "The Forbidden Love" and "The Magnificent Century" has stirred controversy at the 26th Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF). 5/5/13

Photos: Fifth Tehran International Sculpture Symposium - Seven sculptors from different countries are participating in the Fifth Tehran International Sculpture Symposium, which opened at Tehran's Noruz Park on Saturday. Among the Iranian sculptors are Mohammad Marvasti, Mehdi Rangchi, Ali Vaziri, Shahriar Rezaii, Samaneh Reihani and Fatemeh Majidi. 5/5/13

Mother of dead Iranian blogger calls for swifter justice - Gohar Eshghi, the mother of blogger Sattar Beheshti, who died five days into his arrest in custody of the Cyber Police, has once again spoken out against the judicial delays in processing his case. 5/5/13

Photos: Iran unveils indigenous helicopter simulator for 214 Chopper - Iran unveiled the first home-made mobile helicopter simulator for 214 Chopper in a bid to facilitate flight training of the pilot students. The system provides flight training to pilot students, conducts all emergency flights, lowers the cost of training flights and decreases life and financial damages. 5/5/13

Iran, India sign four MOUs, seek closer ties - The signing of the MOUs came as Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and his Indian counterpart Salman Khurshid co-chaired the 17th meeting of the Iran-India Joint Economic Commission in Tehran on Saturday. 5/5/13

CHOICES: A Travel Account - Walking aimlessly & losing myself in -- "Sightseeing" around -- Los Angeles -- Practicing to stop the mind its habit of -- Making-unfamiliar-familiar -- Depriving the heart and body -- Of taking in all the freshness & novelty that unseen can offer... -Roya Monajem 5/4/13

Iran's Presidential Election Poses Dilemma For Voters - Like many Iranians, 31-year-old Amir is pondering what to do on June 14, when Iran chooses a new president. He has two options -- to vote or not to vote -- and neither is good, he says. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 5/3/13

Photos: Festival of Turkoman Horses - The Turkoman horse, or Turkmene, was an Oriental horse breed from the steppes of Central Asia, now extinct. They influenced many other horse breeds, including the Thoroughbred horse. Some horses bred in Turkmenistan today are still referred to as Turkoman, and have similar characteristics. 5/3/13

Photos: Tehran International Book Fair - The 26th Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF), Iran's biggest trade show of books, opened during a ceremony on Monday. A total of 77 Publishers from different countries including Britain, U.S., Germany, India, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon are attending the TIBF this year. 5/3/13

Congressman Urges U.S. to Foment Ethnic Tension in Iran - The idea of fomenting ethnic tensions in Iran as a means to destabilize the country is not a new one. Rohrabacher, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, has never been shy about promoting ethnic separatism and supporting violent groups as a way to pressure Iran. In addition to his support for groups like Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), he has championed resolutions promoting Azeri andBalochi ethnic separatism in Iran. -Solmaz Elmi-Sarabi, NIAC 5/3/13

Photos: Morality Police In Tehran Play Good Cop by Handing Out Flowers to Women - The morality police in Tehran are playing the good cop these days. They are out in the streets handing flowers to women to promote "good hijab." But the bad cops may be out soon detaining the women with "bad hijab," as they have been doing so in the past months and years. 5/1/13

Photos: Qasr Prison Museum in Tehran - Qasr Prison in Tehran was one of the oldest prisons housing political prisoners. In 2008, Qasr was closed and turned into a museum. Qasr was originally a palace built in 1790 at the time of Qajar king, Fath-ali Shah by the Russian architect Markov. The palace was converted into a prison and inaugurated by Reza Shah on December 2, 1929. 5/1/13

Sanctions and Regime Policies Cause Growing Crisis in Iran - The international community should target sanctions more effectively to impose costs on the Iranian government and not its citizens, and the Iranian government should end its policies that worsen the crisis in access to medicines, foods, and other essential imports, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today. 4/30/13

Exhibition in London by Iranian Artists: Peace from the bottom of my art - Beyond the artworks presented, the exhibition 'Peace from the bottom of my art' is an expression of everyone's dream of peace. Opera Gallery is proud to host this inspiring collection of all that Iran has to offer, and to guide you in the exploration of those 58 visions of peace. 4/30/13

Iran Unveiled: Photos by Adam Jones - What is the visual image that most of us have of Iran? Probably, it's a black-and-white vision of some medieval-looking back alley, with a dark-shrouded woman walking down it. Perhaps there is no other country where propaganda has succeeded in creating such a misleading and impoverished mental portrait. 4/26/13

Time for Humanitarian Fix to Iran Sanctions - In the past week, Iran has been struck by two earthquakes that have killed dozens of people and leveled hundreds of homes. And because of the political standoff with Iran's government, Americans--including Iranian Americans with family in the affected regions--are largely unable to provide any help. -Jamal Abdi, NIAC 4/22/13

U.S. figures call for direct talks with Iran - Thirty-five prominent former U.S. diplomats and military officials have urged the U.S. administration to make a strong effort to initiate direct talks with Iran. 4/19/13

Senate Brings US Closer to War With Iran - The National Iranian American Council strongly opposes today's Senate Foreign Relations Committee adoption of S.Res.65, a resolution conveying U.S. support for potential Israeli military strikes on Iran. NIAC urges the Senate to delay any further action on this resolution and to instead work to advance a serious diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute. 4/18/13

Cyrus and Jefferson: Did they speak the same language? - Even as the Middle East grapples with Jeffersonian ideals of freedom and democracy, Americans are learning that Thomas Jefferson may have been inspired by an ancient Middle East ruler, Cyrus "the Great" of Persia. -Wm. Scott Harrop 4/16/13

Photos: Innovative UAV Design Competitions in Qazvin, Iran - The competitions are organized by the Shahid Rezaei Research Center of Sharif University of Technology. The goal of the research center is to develop expertise in the following areas for UAV design: Configuration, Structure, Propulsion, Navigation, Control System, Breaking & Code Making and Real Time Data Transfer 4/13/13

Mapping the Iranian Genome - Since PARSA Community Foundation granted $250,000 to Stanford University's Iranian Genome Project in 2010, the project has grown significantly. The Iranian Genome Project aims to provide knowledge to both the scientific and Iranian community by studying and understanding the genetic background of Iranians... 4/10/13

The Atlantic Council's Report: Time to Move from Tactics to Strategy on Iran - The Atlantic Council's Iran Task Force has launched a new report, Time to Move from Tactics to Strategy on Iran, reflecting more than two years of research on a wide range of issues related to this pivotal country. The Task Force, led by Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, recommends a long-term strategy that offers the Iranian government a face-saving exit from the nuclear crisis and seeks to lay the groundwork for better relations with the Iranian people. 4/5/13

Book: In Iran: Text and Photos by Adam Jones - What is it like to travel in the Islamic Republic of Iran? In June 2012, Canadian scholar Adam Jones and his companion Griselda Ramirez made a 26-day, 7,000-kilometer private tour through the western half of the country, accompanied only by their guide, Mahmood, and driver Samad. They visited most of Iran's major cities along with many smaller towns, and travelled to remote frontier areas of Iranian Azerbaijan and Kurdistan. 4/1/13

Shahzadeh Garden in Mahan, Kerman: A Corner In Heaven - The magnificent Shahzadeh garden, located in Kerman desert, and known as "a corner in heaven" has been registered on UNESCO's World Heritage List as one of the masterpieces of traditional gardens. 4/1/13

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