The Farda Briefing

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. To subscribe, click here.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here's what I've been following during the past week and what I'm watching for in the days ahead.

The Big Issue

Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations, seven years after the regional foes cut formal ties.

In a statement issued on March 10, Tehran and Riyadh pledged to reopen their embassies within two months and reactivate a security cooperation pact. The sides also confirmed their "respect for the sovereignty of states and noninterference in their internal affairs."

The deal was brokered by China, a major buyer of Iranian and Saudi oil. Beijing is also one of the few allies of Iran's clerical regime, which has come under mounting pressure from the West.

Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in 2016, when protesters attacked the Saudi Embassy in Tehran after Riyadh executed a revered Saudi Shi'ite cleric.

Since then, tensions between Shi'a-majority Iran and Saudi Arabia, a predominately Sunni Muslim kingdom, have soared. The two rivals have fought proxy wars across the Middle East, including in Yemen and Syria. Pro-Iranian armed groups have been blamed for drone and missile attacks on Saudi soil.

Why It Matters: If the agreement holds, it could help deescalate tensions in the Middle East, where the two longtime foes have competed for influence for decades.

For Iran, repairing relations with a regional foe would alleviate the growing pressure it has faced at home and abroad recently. The clerical regime has been rocked by months of anti-regime protests, the biggest challenge the authorities have faced in decades. Tehran has also been under mounting Western pressure over its supply of combat drones to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine.

"The Islamic republic is under significant pressure, both domestically and regionally," Thomas Juneau, an associate professor at the University of Ottawa, told RFE/RL. "By stabilizing its relations with its Saudi rival, even if only partially, it provides it with some breathing space."

What's Next: It's unclear if the Iran-Saudi deal will lead to a lasting rapprochement between the countries.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan struck a cautious note, saying on March 13 that "agreeing to restore diplomatic ties does not mean we have reached a solution to all disputes between us."

Juneau of the University of Ottawa expressed doubts that there would be a "significant improvement" in Iran-Saudi ties, although he added that tensions might be "better managed." "The pattern in Saudi-Iranian relations in recent decades has been fairly consistent: Tension ebbs and flows, but never goes below a high floor," he said.

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Women have played a major role in the antiestablishment protests in Iran. Even as the demonstrations have mostly subsided in recent weeks, a growing number of women are appearing in public without the mandatory hijab, in a direct challenge to the authorities. The brutal enforcement of the hijab law triggered the anti-regime protests that erupted in September.

Five Tehran girls were warned by the authorities after posting a dance video that went viral among Iranian social media users. It is illegal for women to dance in public in Iran, but the video has inspired others across the country to post similar videos with the same song, in a potentially dangerous act of open defiance toward the regime.

What We're Watching

Six members of Iran's exiled opposition, including the former crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, issued a charter for a transition to a new, secular democratic system that would be followed by free elections.

The Charter of Solidarity and Alliance for Freedom also called for international efforts to isolate Iran's theocratic regime.

Why It Matters: The charter is among several proposals made by opposition figures and civil society groups inside and outside Iran that would transform or even replace the current theocratic system with a democracy.

The proposals for a post-Islamic republic system come amid growing calls for political change in Iran.

Last month, some 20 labor unions, student organizations, and civil society groups inside Iran published a joint charter. On March 8, a group of women's rights activists released a Women's Bill of Rights they said should form the basis of a new constitution once the regime is removed.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Golnaz Esfandiari

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Wednesday.

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. To subscribe, click here.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here's what I've been following during the past week and what I'm watching for in the days ahead.

The Big Issue

Several thousand schoolgirls have reportedly fallen sick in Iran in recent months amid claims by some officials that they were poisoned.

The authorities appeared to ignore reports of suspected poisonings that first emerged in November. But they have come under mounting public pressure to respond amid a surge in cases in recent weeks.

On March 7, the authorities announced the arrest of five people allegedly involved in the suspected poisonings. The arrests came a day after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that “if the poisoning of students is proven, those behind this crime should be sentenced to [death].”

Iran’s Health Ministry said on March 7 that around 10 percent of the affected students had been exposed to an unknown substance, without elaborating. The ministry attributed the vast majority of cases to “anxiety.”

Why It Matters: The suspected poisonings are the newest crisis to confront Iran’s clerical regime, which is already reeling from months of anti-government protests that erupted in September. There have also been recent demonstrations over rising inflation and the worsening economy.

The public backlash against the government over its handling of the suspected poisonings has also highlighted the deep mistrust of the regime. Some Iranians have accused the authorities of orchestrating the poisonings as an act of revenge against girls for participating in the antiestablishment protests, a claim rejected by the government.

What's Next: Angry teachers and parents have staged protests in a number of cities in recent days, including Tehran, Karaj, Mashhad, Gilan, and Saghez. Security forces dispersed the rallies by using water cannons and tear gas.

The authorities’ failure to conduct a transparent investigation and determine the cause of the illnesses could fuel further protests.

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Several Iranian civil and political activists who were recently released from prison by an amnesty decree have been summoned again. Photojournalist Alieh Motalebzadeh said she has been summoned twice by judicial officials since her release from prison, in a sign of how authorities continue to pressure her and other civil activists. On February 5, Khamenei issued an amnesty for "tens of thousands" of prisoners, including protesters arrested during the anti-regime rallies.

Iranian journalist Keyvan Samimi, who was recently released from prison, says anti-regime protests, which have subsided in recent weeks, are likely to surge again. In an interview with RFE/RL's Radio Farda, Samimi said protesters will not be satisfied until there is real change. “The protests are not over and are quite likely to rise again if something unexpected happens,” the 73-year-old Samimi said.

What We're Watching

Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on March 4 that Iran had promised to restore cameras at its nuclear facilities and allow inspections of three undeclared nuclear sites where traces of uranium particles had been found.

But a joint statement later issued by the IAEA and Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) only included vague pledges by Tehran. AEOI spokesman Behruz Kamalvandi later denied that Tehran had pledged to reinstall IAEA cameras that Iran removed last year.

On March 6, Grossi conceded that any concessions by Iran to the IAEA largely depend on future talks.

Why It Matters: The vague joint statement appears to have been enough to prevent another resolution by the West condemning Iran.

In June, the IAEA adopted a resolution submitted by the West that criticized Tehran for failing to fully cooperate with the body. The censure angered Tehran, which warned of retaliation.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Golnaz Esfandiari

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Wednesday.