Iran news in brief, May 23, 2019
Pentagon is considering request to send 5,000 troops to the Middle East
The US Department of Defense is considering a US military request to send about 5,000 additional troops to the Middle East amid increasing tensions with the Iranian regime, two US officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
The officials said the request had been made by US Central Command but added that it was not clear whether the Pentagon would approve the request.
Female Singer Prosecuted for Singing Solo In A Village
A female singer called Neghar Moazam has been prosecuted for solo singing in a local gathering during a sightseeing tour of the village of Abyaneh.
Ali Isfahani, Prosecutor of Isfahan, announced the news on Tuesday, May 21, adding, “The preliminary case regarding this incident has been filed upon the report of the intelligence police for public security, and the Prosecutor of Natanz is following up on it.”
Security Forces Raid Restaurant Serving Food During Ramadan
The state security forces on Wednesday, May 22, raided a restaurant in a university in the northeastern city of Mashhad for serving food during the Ramadan fast.
A video circulated on social media showed college students fleeing from rooftops as state authorities raiding the restaurant to arrest anyone eating during fasting hours.
There are other videos published on social media during the past few days, showing the state security forces arresting people for eating during fasting hours.
1,600 Iran child brides forced into marriage in western province
A judicial official in the province of Hamedan said that 1,596 child brides were married in the province last year.
The Social Deputy of Crime Prevention at the Hamedan Judiciary also said that of these marriages, 10% had led to divorce.
These kinds of marriages have dire consequences for child brides including child pregnancy, death from childbirth, depression and sometimes suicide in addition to divorce and lack of education.
According to official sources, the marriages of at least 37,000 child brides between the ages of 10 to 14 were registered in Iran in 2017. This does not include marriages that were not legally registered.
French Court to Rule On Extradition of Iranian Engineer to U.S.
An appeals court in France is set to rule on the extradition of an Iranian engineer to the United States.
Jalal Rohollahnejad was detained under a U.S. extradition warrant at the airport in the French city of Nice on February 2.
According to court officials, U.S. authorities suspect Rohollahnejad was involved in an attempt to export sensitive industrial equipment, including microwave systems and anti-drone systems, to Iran via the United Arab Emirates.
Turkey Stopped Purchasing Iranian Oil as of May
Turkey stopped purchasing Iranian oil as of May as U.S. sanctions waivers expired. It will continue to abide by Washington's demand that it halts all imports of crude oil from the Islamic Republic, a senior Turkish official said on Wednesday.
Analysts said it has replaced the oil from Iran with oil from Iraq, Russia and Kazakhstan.
