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Iran sounds alarm over sharp decline in birth rate

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Dr. Alireza Raisi, Deputy Health Minister, announced the figures during a press briefing marking National Population Week.

“In 2024, fewer than one million births were recorded, compared to two million in 1986 – despite an increase from 10 to over 16 million married women,” Raisi said. “This is a serious warning.”

He noted that more than 60% of married women of reproductive age are now between 35 and 50 – a group nearing the end of their fertility window. “Special attention must be given to women born in the 1980s, who are now at the tail end of their childbearing years.”

Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, and Sistan and Baluchestan recorded the highest number of births this year.

Raisi also highlighted Iran’s extensive maternal health infrastructure, including 13,700 midwives in the national health network and over 54,000 healthcare workers, yet emphasized that urgent policy action is needed to reverse the fertility decline.

The decision for Iranians to have fewer or no children is rooted in a mix of economic, social, and political realities.

Soaring inflation, job insecurity, and housing costs have made raising children increasingly unaffordable, particularly in urban areas.

Rose harvest festival celebrates agriculture, tourism in Babol

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Running from April 21 to May 24, the festival coincides with the peak rose harvest season in the region.

Organizers hope the event will not only highlight the cultural and economic importance of the Damask rose but also encourage investment in its cultivation and related industries.

More in pictures:

5G internet will be available in Iran’s metropolises by March: Minister

By
IFP Media Wire
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Mobile Internet Iran

Sattar Hashemi said on Sunday that the government will hold auctions in the coming days for radio frequencies needed to expand Iran’s 5G network.

“We hope we can roll out the fifth generation of mobile (internet) in the country in the current year with a focus on metropolises,” Hashemi told reporters on the sidelines of an annual book fair in Tehran.

He also said that Iran had reached an agreement with South Korean authorities to have the 5G option enabled in Samsung phones imported from the East Asian country.

Hashemi later wrote on his X account that expanding the 5G network in Iran has been one of the main priorities of the country’s telecoms ministry.

He said that the 5G network will allow Iranian users to enjoy download speeds of up to 500 megabits per second (mbps).

“… we will get to know the real meaning of online services, gaming, and movie streaming,” added the minister.

The speed of mobile internet in Iran reached an average of 37.36 mbps in May last year, according to data from the international speed monitoring websites.

The same data showed that Iran had moved up three places to 73rd in the global ranking of countries with regard to mobile internet speed in May.

Figures released by Iran’s Communications Regulatory Authority in August also showed that the number of 5G mast sites in the country had increased to a total of 1,313 in late March 2024.

Iran faces severe water crisis as dam reserves drop by 20%

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Experts are warning of an escalating water crisis as inflows to the country’s dams continue to decline sharply.

From the beginning of the current water year (starting in late September) through May 9, total inflow to dam reservoirs stood at just 19.08 billion cubic meters – a staggering 39% decrease compared to the 31.38 billion cubic meters recorded during the same period last year.

The current volume of water stored in reservoirs is 27.26 billion cubic meters, down from 33.92 billion cubic meters in the previous year, marking a 20% reduction. Outflows have also dropped by 16%, from 19.57 to 16.34 billion cubic meters.

National dam capacity is now only 52% full, with 48% remaining empty.

Rainfall has also plummeted, with total precipitation recorded at just 139.9 mm – a 38% decrease compared to both the long-term average (224 mm) and the same period last year (224.5 mm).

Authorities are urging immediate conservation efforts as the water shortfall threatens agriculture, industry, and urban supply systems.

Iranian archaeologists uncover prehistoric and early metallurgy sites in central Kerman plain

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The research, authorized by Iran’s Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, aimed to identify historical sites and ancient settlement patterns in the central Kerman plain.

Led by Amin Mahani, director of the UNESCO-registered Gohar Riz Qanat heritage site, the team has confirmed continuous human presence in the area from the Paleolithic era through to the modern period.

One focus of the study was the relationship between human habitation and subterranean water resources such as qanats, which have played a crucial role in shaping regional settlement patterns and sustaining communities over millennia.

Situated between the 4,000-meter-high peaks of Plovar and Jopar and just 35 kilometers from Kerman city, Mahan has historically functioned as a cultural crossroads linking the civilizations of Lut, Shahdad, Bardsir, and Jiroft.

The survey also highlights the coexistence of nomadic and sedentary lifestyles in the region, influenced by favorable climate and water availability.

Notable Islamic-era structures in the area include the Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine Complex, Shazdeh Garden, and the Gohar Riz Qanat.

Study puts true death toll in Gaza war at around 110,000

By
IFP Media Wire
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The study published in The Lancet reviewed hospital records, online civilian death submissions, and an independently compiled list based on social media obituaries and death announcements.

By comparing the three lists, researchers concluded that the number of people killed in Gaza was significantly higher than the figure reported by authorities in the besieged Palestinian region.

The study estimates that the real death toll could be 46–107% higher than reported, meaning that between 77,000 and 109,000 people have died in Israeli attacks. Based on current numbers, that is the equivalent of between 4% and 5% of Gaza’s pre-war population.

Israel describes all those killed in Gaza as “fighters,” even as most of them are women and children.

The latest figures by the Gaza Health Ministry stated that Israel has killed 52,787 Palestinians in Gaza, stressing that it could not reach or register many victims, who are either under the rubble or in areas that Israel’s military continues to target.

The ministry’s data are compiled from hospitals across Gaza and an online form that allows families to report killings, often in areas inaccessible due to continued attacks.

The findings cast new light on the underreported deaths in Gaza, especially amid ongoing Israeli destruction of health infrastructure and communication networks that further hinder accurate documentation.

Additionally, deaths caused indirectly by the war, such as from the collapse of medical services, may not be fully represented.

“A definitive count of how many have died in this war will be difficult, even after it ends,” the researchers concluded.

“And that may still be a long way off.”

Israel’s relentless air and artillery strikes keep killing more civilians in Gaza, as the regime presses ahead with its genocidal war in the besieged territory.

Nineteen months into Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, the regime keeps hammering the devastated strip, leaving a trail of death and destruction behind.

Figures show that 90 percent of Gaza’s current population of 2.1 million people has been displaced, lacking access to sufficient shelter, food, life-saving medical services, clean water, education, and livelihoods.

Taliban bans game of chess

By
IFP Media Wire
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Taliban

“There are religious considerations regarding the sport of chess,” the Taliban government’s sports directorate spokesman, Atal Mashwani, told AFP, adding that the game is “considered a means of gambling,” which was outlawed under the morality laws imposed by the Islamist group.

The game will remain prohibited “until these considerations are addressed,” the spokesman stated. According to Mashwani, the national chess federation has not held any events for around two years anyway.

The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, capitalizing on the withdrawal of US forces after their two-decade presence in the Central Asian country. Upon taking power, it restricted a number of sports disciplines. Last year, it banned mixed martial arts (MMA) and other free fighting championships, declaring them too “violent” and “problematic with respect to Sharia.”

The Taliban does not view all sports negatively, though. In January, a Taliban delegation led by acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi discussed sports cooperation with India during talks in Dubai. Cricket, which is very popular in both countries, featured in the negotiations, according to New Delhi.

In February, the Washington Post reported that Afghanistan’s popular local sport of buzkashi was “thriving” under Taliban rule despite initial fears of a ban. The equestrian sport involving horse-mounted players trying to direct a goat or a calf carcass into a goal had been prohibited during the Islamist group’s first stint in power in the 1990s. Now, however, the game reportedly regularly draws audiences in the thousands, including Taliban members.

Israel asks ICC judges to withdraw PM arrest warrant 

By
IFP Media Wire
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Benjamin Netanyahu

Documents published on the ICC website also show Israel has asked the court to order the prosecution to suspend its investigation into alleged atrocity crimes in the Palestinian Territories.

The documents are dated May 9 and signed by Israeli Deputy Attorney General Gilad Noam.

The ICC issued arrest warrants on November 21 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.

Israel, which rejects the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court and denies war crimes in Gaza, is contesting the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.

In April the ICC’s appeals chamber ruled that the judges of the pre-trial chamber which issued the warrants must review Israel’s objections regarding the court’s jurisdiction and the legality of the arrest warrants.

It is not clear what form the ordered review will take and there are no specific deadlines set for decisions on Israel’s request to withdraw the warrants and halt the investigation.

Israel is prolonging war, hindering hostage agreement: US

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israel Protest

Steve Witkoff made the remarks during a meeting with families of Israeli hostages being held by Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza, according to Israel’s Channel 12. The network did not specify the time or location of the meeting.

“We want to bring the hostages home, but Israel is not prepared to end the war,” Witkoff said, according to sources present at the meeting.

He sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza, saying the Israeli government is “prolonging the war, even though we do not see where further progress can be made.”

“Still, there is currently a window of opportunity that we hope Israel and all the mediators will take advantage of. We are putting pressure on all the mediators and doing everything to return the hostages,” he added.

His remarks came as the Palestinian group Hamas announced Sunday that it will release Israeli-American soldier Alexander Idan after talks with the US administration amid efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire.

Witkoff’s comments came ahead of Trump’s scheduled tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from Tuesday through Friday. The itinerary does not include a visit to Israel.

US and Israeli media have recently reported growing tensions between Trump and Netanyahu, with the Trump administration signaling that it may take independent steps on Middle East policy without waiting for the Israeli leader.

Israel estimates that 59 captives remain in Gaza, including 21 believed to be alive. Meanwhile, over 9,900 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel, where rights groups report widespread torture, starvation and medical neglect, resulting in several deaths.

Israel has blocked humanitarian aid at Gaza’s crossings since March 2, leaving the territory’s 2.4 million residents facing famine conditions.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan also reported that Netanyahu told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Sunday that there is a “strong possibility” that Alexander’s release will go ahead.

More than 52,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Health officials warn of new COVID-19 surge in Iran

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
COVID in Iran

Dr. Mohammadreza Salehi, a member of the National Scientific Committee on COVID-19, reported that hospitals in Tehran have witnessed a notable uptick in respiratory infections and coronavirus hospitalizations.

“Until recently, we saw about one or two COVID-19 patients per week. Now, we’re seeing five to eight new cases daily,” he said, noting a slow but steady upward trend.

The Ministry of Health has issued a nationwide alert to medical universities, calling for heightened surveillance and preventive action against respiratory illnesses, particularly COVID-19 and influenza. Official data suggests the share of COVID-19 among respiratory infections has doubled from 2% to 4% in recent weeks.

Though there is no confirmation of a new variant, experts emphasize the need for genomic monitoring. Patients are exhibiting symptoms such as sore throat, dry cough, nasal discharge, and in some cases, lung involvement – particularly among the elderly and immunocompromised.

Health officials are urging high-risk individuals – including transplant recipients, chemotherapy patients, and those over 65 – to avoid crowded spaces and public transport. Experts also stress the continued use of masks and hand hygiene.

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