Iran
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Iran: paralysed by environmental neglect
Iranian politicians like to refer to their country as an "island of stability" in the Middle East. But the country has severe environmental problems and nobody feels responsible – with wide-reaching consequences. By Shabnam von Hein
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Award-winning Iranian film director Asghar Farhadi
Watching the foundations crumble
How does human fragility express itself in a rigid social system? Oscar-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi′s "The Salesman" reveals the precariousness of urban middle-class life in the Islamic Republic. By Jasmin Astaki-Bardeh
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"The Pearl of Dari" by Zuzanna Olszewska
Treasuring their common Persian heritage
A book about young Afghan poets in exile casts a new perspective on Afghans in Iran. Marian Brehmer read the Oxford anthropologist Zuzanna Olszewska′s study
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Iranian-Saudi relations
For better, for worse
The West often reduces the strained relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia to the sectarian Sunni-Shia conflict, but the reality is far more complex. By Joseph Croitoru
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Ashura in Iran
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. On the tenth day, Ashura (the number ten in Arabic) will be celebrated to commemorate the massacre of Hussein and 72 of his relatives and companions by the Umayyad Caliphate in Iraq in the 7th century. By Eric Lafforgue
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Iran following the death of Rafsanjani
On a knife edge
Now that Rafsanjani is gone, Iran's President Rouhani has lost his main advocate. In the impending conflict with US President Trump, Rouhani will have to manage without his mentor to keep the conservative hardliners in check, some of whom already see Trump's policies as confirming their distrust of the arch-enemy. By Ulrich von Schwerin
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The German board game 'Istanbul'
Good clean Oriental fun?
Just a game? Think again! If the world is to survive, we all need to move closer together. Yet how can a society that ridicules others and reduces them to the level of pawns in a game expect to make any kind of constructive contribution? By Stefan Buchen
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Book review: Mehrnousch Zaeri-Esfahani's "33 Arches and a Teahouse"
A million butterflies in my head
In her book for young adults "33 Bogen und ein Teehaus" [33 Arches and a Teahouse], Mehrnousch Zaeri-Esfahani tells the story of her life from ages five to eleven: the beauty of her native city of Isfahan, her happy family life, the torture of living under dictatorship in Iran, and her family's flight to Germany. It is a book of poetic power without a trace of sentimentality. By Thomas Linden
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US Middle East policy under Donald Trump
A recipe for further catastrophes?
Trump's election is also being seen as a caesura in the Middle East. Many fear a return to a simplistic way of thinking, which would make his presidency a nightmare for the region, says Loay Mudhoon
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Iran's economy after the nuclear agreement
State firms win most foreign deals
When world powers agreed in 2015 to lift sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear programme, the deal's supporters in the United States, Europe and Tehran hoped renewed trade and investment could boost Iran's private sector and weaken the state's hold on the economy. But a Reuters review of business accords reached since then shows that the Iranian winners so far are mostly companies owned or controlled by the state, including Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. By Yeganeh Torbati, Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Babak Dehghanpisheh
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Donald Trump the author
"Strengthen American Muscle"
Donald Trump has long been known in America as a book author and cautionary voice. He has already set down his plans for the Middle East in writing – and they give cause for concern. By Joseph Croitoru
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Iran's homeless: Cardboard boxes and vacant graves
Iran has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of homeless people in the past few years. Rights activists blame President Rouhani, who promised social justice during his election campaign, for the problem. By Keivandokht Ghahari