Rouhani, critics debate 'path to heaven'

President Hassan Rouhani's public battle with hard-line clerics over Iranians' route to heaven is symptomatic of the broader war he faces over his reform efforts.

Iran

Culture minister likens Iran's fear of Internet to fear of fax machine

Culture Minister Ali Jannati has told Iran's Chamber of Commerce that the country needs to open up culturally and must accept new technologies as they are introduced.

Iran

Liberman: Arabs 'must come out of the closet'

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman outlines his vision for a regional arrangement with Arab Gulf states.

Palestine

Hamas sees Russia visit as means to end regional isolation

Hamas political bureau leader Khaled Meshaal will visit Moscow in the coming weeks, where he is expected to ask Russia to help restore Hamas' ties with Iran and to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to soften his opposition to the Islamist movement.

Palestine

Rouhani accused of trying to separate religion, administration

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani continues to be criticized for saying that the administration should leave religious direction in the hands of experts and the clergy.

Iran

Liberman outlines vision for 'regional arrangement' with Arab states

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman offers a plan for open contacts with "moderate" Arab states to deal with the threat from Iran and in pursuit of an agreement with the Palestinians.

Saudi Arabia

'Bad veiling' a protest against government, says Iran cleric

Traditional conservative politician Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri has called "poor veiling" a form of protest against the government and said that the causes of the issue should be studied rather than confronted by police.

Iran

Leaked video renews accusations of 2009 election fraud

In a video leaked online, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps said that the return of the Reformists during the 2009 elections was a "red line" for the organization.

Iran

Obama ramps up on Syria

The US president is giving new priority to the threat from terrorists in Syria, while calling for increased military support for opposition forces.

Syria

Rouhani mocks his critics, reactionary clerics

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani mocked critics who have publicly reprimanded him for saying that “heaven cannot be forced” onto people, comparing other clerics to the reactionary clerics who were once opposed to private showers and daylight savings on the grounds that it would harm religion.

Iran

Israel launches all-out war against corruption

This week, Israeli police finally raided the Ashdod Port, targeting the members of the trade union, perceived by many as a symbol of corruption and nepotism.

Israel

Saudi king’s sons well-placed for transition

King Abdullah’s sons hold key positions of influence in the government as the kingdom transitions to the next generation of Saudi royals.

Saudi Arabia