Iran
Daily Comment
The War Games of Israel and Iran
While Netanyahu and the Islamic Republic exchange ballistic “messages,” the question of Palestine demands the moral and strategic courage of actual statesmen.
The New Yorker Documentary
An Iranian Woman Finds Her Might, in “The Smallest Power”
Both the subject and the makers of this animated short discover their identities and a new love of their nation.
News Desk
The Fate of Israel’s Hostages After Iran’s Rocket Attack
As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu oversees an increasingly fraught regional confrontation, the families of Hamas captives work to free their loved ones.
News Desk
Israel’s Momentous Decision
After Iran’s dramatic but largely ineffective attack, Benjamin Netanyahu’s response will have tremendous consequences.
Daily Comment
The U.S. Confronts Middle Eastern Militias but Not Iran’s Long Game
Strikes against weapons depots and operations centers in Iraq and Syria will not diminish Iran’s determination to expel the U.S. from the Middle East.
The Front Row
“Subtraction”: A Masterwork of Realistic Fantasy
The Iranian director Mani Haghighi scrutinizes daily life in Tehran by way of supernatural events and inspired images.
The Political Scene Podcast
Christmas in Tehran: Bringing the Holidays to Hostages
In 1979, a minister received a telegram from Iranian militants who had taken hostages in the American Embassy, inviting him to perform Christmas services. Two days later, he was inside.
Q. & A.
Biden’s Moral Calculus in Brokering a Saudi-Israeli Peace Deal
The U.S. is trying to land a tripartite agreement that could dramatically alter its involvement in the Middle East.
The New Yorker Documentary
A Personal Archive of the Islamic Revolution in “I Am Trying to Remember”
Pegah Ahangarani’s documentary short uses family photos and archival footage to tell the story of a dark moment in modern Iranian history.
The Front Row
Jafar Panahi’s Ingenious, Tragic “No Bears” Is a Formalist Triumph
In his latest film, the now jailed director captures the daily absurdities of Iranian lives ruled by surveillance and superstition.
Daily Comment
Iran Detains Its Most Celebrated Actress
Taraneh Alidoosti is the latest prominent figure to be arrested, as the regime faces the most serious challenge to its rule since it took power in 1979.
Replay
World Cup 2022: Maybe Team U.S.A.’s Moment Is Now
With the victory against Iran seeing the U.S. into the knockout stage, it’s tempting to wonder how far this creative midfield can go.
Daily Comment
Iran Arms Russia in the War in Ukraine
Tehran has deepened its alliance with Putin amid widespread protests at home.
Q. & A.
Iranian Feminism and “All These Different Kinds of Veils”
The scholar Homa Hoodfar discusses the current protests and the complicated politics behind the hijab.
Photo Booth
Iran’s New Protest Generation
Even before the recent round of demonstrations, young Iranians were pushing against the regime’s restrictive social norms.
Daily Comment
Iran’s Protests Are the First Counter-Revolution Led by Women
Women are still defying and dying in an uprising that is historically unique for being centered on women’s freedom.
Q. & A.
How Iran’s Hijab Protest Movement Became So Powerful
Four decades after the Islamic Revolution, simmering tensions have come to a head. What sets the current wave of protests apart from those that came before?
Daily Comment
Iran’s Ferocious Return to the Belligerent Policies of the Revolution’s Early Days
The country’s new President, Ebrahim Raisi, is cracking down on women, arming Russia, and playing hardball with the U.S. on nuclear diplomacy.
Daily Comment
The Exiled Dissident Fuelling the Hijab Protests in Iran
Since 2014, Masih Alinejad has published videos of Iranian women removing their head scarves. When a twenty-two-year-old died last week in the morality police’s custody, the country exploded.
Daily Comment
Biden Caters to Autocrats and Draws Battle Lines in the Middle East
The President rallied Israel and key Arab nations as diplomacy on Iran’s nuclear program falters.