Middle East

Health & Safety

Iranians Are Frustrated By How Long It Is Taking To Get Vaccinated

6:18am June 23, 2021

by Peter Kenyon

Official figures show that Iran has had about 3 million COVID-19 cases out of a population of 85 million. Iranians believe in vaccines but getting them has been frustrating and slow.

Demonstrators wave the Palestinian flag during a protest in Damascus Gate, just outside Jerusalem's Old City on June 19. Palestinians and Jewish settlers hurled stones, chairs and fireworks at each other in a tense Jerusalem neighborhood, where settler gr

World News

Palestinians, Settlers Clash In Tense Jerusalem Neighborhood

3:51am June 22, 2021

by The Associated Press

Israeli police and border officials said they arrested four suspects in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, where settler groups are trying to evict several Palestinian families.

Supporters of Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi celebrate in Tehran on Saturday after he won the presidential election.

World News

What The Election Of A New Hard-Line President In Iran Means For The Nuclear Deal

5:25pm June 21, 2021

by Matthew S. Schwartz

The election of a cleric with allegiance to Iran's supreme leader will pose unique challenges for the Biden administration — most notably, when it comes to the Iran nuclear deal.

What Iran's New President Could Mean For The Iran Nuclear Deal

4:40pm June 21, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Vali Nasr about what role Iran's newly elected president might play in efforts to revive U.S. participation in the Iran Nuclear Deal.

Iran Elects A New President As The U.S. Tries To Revive Nuclear Talks

6:29am June 21, 2021

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Robin Wright, U.S. Institute for Peace Distinguished Fellow, about what the results of Friday's elections in Iran mean for on-going efforts to reenergize the Iran Deal.

News Brief: Coronavirus Roundup, Iran Election, NYC's Mayoral Race

6:11am June 21, 2021

The U.S. inches closer to a key milestone in the battle against COVID-19. Iran has chosen a hard-line judge as its next president. Over a dozen Democrats vie to succeed NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Queue Listen Now

In this 2010 file photo, a worker rides a bicycle in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr. Iran's sole nuclear power plant has undergone a temporary emergency shutdown, state TV report

World News

In A First, Iran's Sole Nuclear Power Plant Undergoes Emergency Shutdown

3:49am June 21, 2021

by The Associated Press

An official from the state electric company Tavanir said over the weekend that the Bushehr plant shutdown began on Saturday and would last "for three to four days."

Judiciary Chief, Backed By Supreme Leader, Wins Iran Presidency

5:10pm June 19, 2021

by Peter Kenyon

Iran has elected hard-line cleric Ebrahim Raisi as its next president. Raisi has the strong backing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameini.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced Mustafa Hashem al-Darwish had been executed for allegedly attending anti-government protests years earlier, when he was 17.

World News

A Man Was Executed For An Alleged Crime When He Was A Teen. More Saudis Could Follow

4:41pm June 18, 2021

by Dalia Faheid

Human rights advocates are calling on Saudi Arabia to halt the executions of people sentenced to death for crimes allegedly committed as minors.

As U.S. Troops Prepare To Leave Afghanistan, Local Allies Are Left Behind

6:58am June 18, 2021

In Afghanistan, a crisis is mounting. Taliban insurgents are targeting Afghan citizens who aided U.S. forces.