News Digest

August 2 Diplomacy: The Iranian embassy in Kabul recommended all Iranians residing outside of the capital city "immediately leave" Afghanistan. Iran hosted intra-Afghan talks in early July amid a renewed military offensive by the Taliban and the withdrawal of nearly all U.S. forces.  Health: Iran…
July 26: Internet: Iran's Parliament tabled a controversial bill that would have limited access to the internet. Major digital business, including online retailers and video streaming services, had opposed the bill, Al Jazeera reported. Nuclear: The French foreign ministry warned that Iran's…
July 19 Health: Iran imposed a week-long lockdown of Tehran, its capital, to deal with the surge in the COVID-19 Delta variant. Most non-essential businesses were already on lockdown, but the new order expanded the lockdown to include all bazaars, markets and government buildings, the Associated…
July 12 Diplomacy: The State Department said that the U.S. delegation was "prepared to return" to Vienna for a seventh round of talks "as soon as they are scheduled."  Health: The European Union donated $17.7 million (15 million euros) to Iran to help with COVID-19 relief efforts and hosting of…
June 28 Health: Iran's health minister pledged that there would not be a shortage of coronavirus vaccines in the coming months.  Nuclear: Iran has not made a decision "negative or positive" on whether to extend a monitoring agreement with the United Nation's (U.N.) nuclear watchdog, a foreign…
June 21 Energy: The Bushehr nuclear power plant was placed on emergency shutdown for repairs, the Associated Press reported. The shutdown would last three to four days, a state electricity company official said.  Nuclear: The Saudi foreign minister met with Rafael Grossi, director general of the …
June 14 Health: Iran approved emergency use of CovIran Barekat, its first domestically developed vaccine. Health Minister Namaki said that a permit for the second vaccine, Razi CovPars, would be issued the following week. "The entire target population of Iran will be vaccinated by the end of…
June 7 Health: Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, a former member of parliament, died from the coronavirus. He passed away in a hospital in northern Tehran, IRNA reported. Mohtashamipour previously served as ambassador to Syria from 1982 to 1986 and helped establish Hezbollah, a Shiite Islamist militia, in…
May 31 Health: Iran's Food and Drug Administration said that it would issue authorization for two domestically produced vaccines "over the next few days." The vaccines - Soberana-02 (jointly developed by Iran and Cuba) and CovIran Barekat - have yet to complete clinical trials. But both met "…
May 24 Diplomacy: President Hassan Rouhani spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the phone. The two presidents discussed the Vienna talks over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Tehran's need for COVID-19 vaccines and trade.   Oil: The Syrian Foreign Minister accused Israel of attacking tankers…