Interviews

Although weightlifting has always been one of Iran's medal-winning fields in the Olympic Games and Asian Games, almost all Iranians consider this as a male-dominated sport. But now the taboo is being broken.

Mario Budimir, a Croatian football player who plays for Iran’s Persepolis Football Club, says the world has a wrong view of Iran but Tehran can surprise any visitor.

Iran’s new ambassador to the United Nations says it’s too early to say the window of diplomacy has closed, and that of war has opened in Iran’s ties with the US.

Italy’s former ambassador to Iraq says American officials are fully aware of the role played by Iran’s senior military commander Major General Qassem Soleimani in preventing Baghdad from falling into ISIS terrorists.

Flash floods remain the key challenge for Iran in the Persian New Year. But why did the recent floods leave so many casualties and so much damage? A top academic explains.

A special and adventurous desert tour was recently organized for the disabled in central Iran, where they went on an off-road tour of Rig-e Jenn desert.

Samira Shabani is the first helicopter pilot in Iran, with two years' experience of flying aircraft. She believes flying a chopper is more difficult than flying a plane.

A renowned Nigerian theatre director has hailed Iranian drama, saying that the country has the strongest theatre industry in the Middle East.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal if the majority of the public calls for that.

The German ambassador to Tehran has denied the allegation that the European Union has set conditions for implementing its special purpose vehicle for trade with Iran, but at the same time noted that European banks would not work with Tehran if the country fails to adopt the FATF standards.

Siamak Morreh-Sedgh, the representative of the Jewish community at the Iranian Parliament, says Jewish Iranians have been peacefully living along with other Iranian people for around 3,000 years now.

A former French general believes the late December announcement by US President Donald Trump that he will withdraw forces from Syria and Afghanistan is just for domestic purposes, and is part of Trump’s game to push the Congress to obey its Mexico wall demand.

A former Iranian diplomat says new Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf may adopt a softer line vis-à-vis Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the chaotic situation in the region results from the problematic policies pursued by Saudi Arabia and the Israeli regime, rejecting allegations that Tehran’s "expansionist" policy has brought destruction to the region.

An Iranian woman, who had been appointed as the country’s first female judge, believes that women’s sensitivity can help them in many cases despite the popular belief that women cannot judge because of their sensitive nature.

An expert on US politics believes Washington is hell-bent on settling its Iran problem once and for all, launching a full-scale war against the country that targets Iran’s economy, among other sectors, to bring the country to its knees and cause a regime change.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi has expressed hope that the UN would be able to play its key role in establishing peace in Yemen while remaining unaffected by different pressures.

A French yellow vest protester says they have been inspired by the 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran.

A senior Iranian commentator says US President Donald Trump is pushing America and its secular democracy to the brink of collapse.

Parham Maghsoodloo, or Parhamov, is an 18-year-old Iranian chess player known as Iran’s Kasparov for his participation in many international competitions and the numerous awards he has won.

Torbjørn C. Pedersen, a goodwill ambassador for the Danish Red Cross, has for the past five years used public transport to tour the entire world on a shoestring, without taking even a single flight.

Loss of both legs is definitely the worst thing that can happen for a professional mountaineer who is also a member of the country's national team and has the experience of climbing the world’s high peaks. But it’s not the end of the story.

The Australian ambassador to Iran has described the restoration of US sanctions on Tehran as “real challenge” to the Iranian people, saying the prospects that sanctions could negatively affect Iranian patients and women and children were “deeply concerning”.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi says those who are in favour of rationality and are interested in preserving the Iran nuclear deal must know that the Islamic Republic cannot be the only side paying the price of something which is to the benefit of the whole world.

A senior political analyst says the recent murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul will probably lead to the overthrow of the Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a compromise between the US and its regional allies.