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Iranian Chill Thread

Reformist destroyed this country.

Replace “Reformist” with “Democrat” or “Republican” and you got the average American voter.

Gonna be super awkward when Raisi agrees to the “terrible horrible Rouhani nuclear deal”.
no moderate and 90% of them are ex-principalist
 
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Guys, I want to visit Iran this year, end of June preferable
You recommend Tehran or is it to "chaotic", what about Isfahan, Yazd.... (can I make a bustour from Tehran to this citys)
If Tehran, which hotel you recommend, I dont need luxury, just a clean and nice accomodation
which prices I should expect for the hotel, food etc (EUR/USD)
how many days I should stay, any infos highly appreciated, thanks :)
you want go to iran you must first go tehran its so big cuty with lot of people and car and co2 i recammand you soon get out of it if you want see butty cityes first go to isfahan full of pretty classic bullding and holy sits lik monar jonban and bagh shah sioserpoll pole khajo and .... after that you must go to shiraz city of poem and kings palac perspo;is its full of historical sites and so buttiful city with good air its important after that if u like desert and holy city you can go to mashhad its have holy site shraz have too but mashhad is main one in iran the tabas is between these two its have torrist site and have sand desert but i recommand u go to torrist site in internet see what you urself like iran is full of historical and artsite and food ....... you must see what you like to see
 
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All senior Reformist candidates disqualified, good riddance. enough is enough.

Mehralizadeh and Hemmati are members of reformist parties... However, I'm not sure whether they stand any serious chance of getting elected, even if liberal big shots call on their supporters to vote for them.

Negative aspect of the Guardian Council's vote: Sa'id Mohammad not being allowed to run. A strategic mistake indeed, as pointed out by Shapur Zol Aktaf.

Positive aspect: Ali Larijani's sidelining. After the significant measures taken by hajj Ra'isi at the Judiciary (eviction of some 30 corrupt judges, trial against the Larijanis' pointman), the neutralization of this corrupt clan is being pursued unabated. Under a principlist mask, they were backing Rohani's policies - with the notable exception of Mohammad-Javad Larijani to be fair though, who is a staunch critic of the JCPoA.

Ali Larijani's disqualification by the Guardian Council is even more delectable considering that Faezeh Rafsanjani publicly endorsed his candidacy few days ago. Lest we forget that it was Hashemi Rafsanjani's public call to vote for Rohani in 2013, who hitherto was having very low approval rates in opinion polls, which ensured his success.

Also, the Guardian Council took into account the fact that Larijani's daughter and his niece reside and work in the US (the latter being even employed in the American civilian nuclear sector), which is particularly encouraging. The IR seems to be moving towards increased restrictions against politicians who have offspring living in the west or who possess Green Cards, some other foreign residency permits or even dual citizenship. Excellent news.

At any rate, a Ra'isi presidency will be much better than the past 8 years of centrist-reformist administration, with regards to both foreign and domestic (including economic) policy.

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@Draco It depends what sort of places you like to visit.

If you are into cultural and historical sightseeing, then keep in mind that although Tehran doesn't offer a particularly great number of ancient monuments (as other users have observed before me), and even if in the eyes of many, it's not really a nice looking city (with the possible exception of some affluent areas in northern Tehran), it is still home to a vast range of excellent, world-class museums (content-wise) which I would recommend visiting. The most important and largest one of these being the Muzeye Mellie Irān or National Museum of Iran (both pre-Islamic and Islamic sections are formidable), followed by several others such as the Carpet Museum, the Treasury of National Jewels located in the basement of a Central Bank of Iran building (where not only the former shah's and empress's crowns, but also one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, the Dāriāye Nur, are on display), the Rezā Abbāsi Museum ('Geheimtip', it features some amazing ancient miniature paintings in addition to various archeological items from several millennia before Christ a.s. to later periods), and the Contemporary Arts Museum (which has a rich collection of international works bought before the Revolution, and even though most of them aren't on display, this museum is still interesting, and regularly organizes high level temporary exhibitions). There are literally tens of smaller, more specialized museums across Tehran.

On the military side, there is a well made Islamic Revolution & Holy Defense Museum, dedicated to the Iran-Iraq war. The IRGC's newly inaugurated, permanent aerospace fair, showcasing a host of ballistic missiles (as seen on pictures and in videos shared here), deserves a special mention.

Personally, I also like the Qajar-period Golestan Palace, situated right next to the Tehran Grand Bazar. It has some neat tile- and mirror-work. From a sociological and economic point of view, the Grand Bazar is interesting in its own right, being the world's largest roofed bazar-type marketplace. Moreover, some of the best eateries, like Moslem Restaurant, can be found at the Grand Bazar (but at main lunch or dining hours, there's usually a considerable queue of customers waiting in line; don't know how it is now with the corona situation though).

Another thing Tehran is great for, are its natural features north of town along the foothills of the Alborz mountains, as well as some of its parks. People go there to take a break from the smog, the extreme population density and the nerve-racking traffic. In this regard, I'd recommend both the Darband and Bāme Tehrān mountainside promenades; the first includes restaurants along the way (whose facilities are intertwined with nature, such as tables mounted atop water streams), while the second allows for a healthy uphill walk and includes the several kilometers-long Tochāl telecabin that takes one straight to a ski station at the top of the mountain. The Sa'd Ābād complex, a large park containing several palaces pertaining to the former Pahlavi dynasty (with some buildings turned into small museums), is worthy of a visit as well. The Tehran Birds Garden, a vast park with dozens of bird species kept in an open space (the area has nets overhead) can also be cited under the nature-topic.

As far as contemporary architecture and urban planning are concerned, Tehran can be considered an ambivalent place. Nonetheless, when it comes to modern architecture, a tour up the Milād Tower - Tehran's tallest structure and foremost modern symbolic landmark, might be worth it (despite the relatively expensive entry fee, it certainly provides for an impressive overall view of the metropolis at an elevation of some 300 meters). Likewise, a stroll through the Pole Tabi'at or Nature Bridge (close to the Holy Defense Museum mentioned above), an architecturally impressive, multi-storey pedestrian overpass with an integrated food court, can be recommended. Another architecturally remarkable edifice is the nearby Ebne Sina Book City or Shahre Ketābe Ebne Sinā, the largest bookstore in the world (publications on sale there are almost exclusively Farsi-language ones, but this atypical megastore shows how culture and public education are valued in the Islamic Republic). The Āzādi (formerly: Shahyād) Tower in the west-central part of town, commissioned in 1971, used to be a gateway-like symbol of modern Tehran, and is still one of the landmarks most associated with the city. Finally, Tehran's recently developed, far-western district number 22 hosts an artificial lake known as Chitgar Lake or Dariācheye Shohadāye Khalije Fārs / Lake of the Martyrs of the Persian Gulf, which is fairly pleasant to take a walk at. Next to it stands the Iran Mall, largest shopping center worldwide once fully completed, and architecturally not uninteresting (though I'm personally not fond of uber-capitalist shopping malls).

Then as previous contributors to the discussion rightly said, a trip to Iran should last at least two weeks, and the main attractions are indeed located in or around the provincial capitals Esfahan and Shiraz (which includes Persepolis, Naghshe Rostam and to a lesser extent Pasargadae). Two weeks should be just enough to do justice to Tehran, Esfahan and Shiraz. In Esfahan, make sure to book one of the hotels housed in traditional-style old premises, rather than in some random contemporary building. You will find lots of information online or in tourist guide-books on what to see and what to do in Esfahan and Shiraz. But for the sake of completeness, the most important "must see" places of Esfahan, in my opinion, are: the Safavid-period Meydāne Emām or Imam Square (one of the world's largest closed squares) and its four adjacent landmarks i.e. Emām Mosque, Sheykh Lotfollāh Mosque, 'Āli Ghāpu Palace, old bazar, to which one would have to add the medieval Masjede Jāme'ye 'Atigh (Atigh Jameh Mosque), constructed in a style that inspired western Gothic architecture, Khāju Bridge and Siosepol Bridge, Chehel Sotun (Forty Columns) Palace with its superb wall paintings and charming garden, Armenian Vank Cathedral (with Persian-style decorations), Madreseye Chāhārbāgh theological school. In Shiraz: the Nasir ol-Molk Mosque featuring incredible colored glassworks, Eram Garden, the Tombs of famous poets Sa'di and Hafez, Arge Karim Khān (Zand dynasty citadel), Vakil Mosque, Vakil traditional bath house, Vakil bazar, Masjede 'Atighe Jāme' mosque, the Qu'ran Gate, and of course the two major landmarks of Iran's Achaemenid heritage situated few kilometers outside Shiraz, i.e. Persepolis and Naghshe Rostam. While in Shiraz, try the refreshing sorbet ice Fālude Shirāzi, a local specialty.

If you plan on staying longer, any of the following can be considered as further highlights (in no particular order - Iran is so rich in destinations of interest that this list cannot be exhaustive by any means): Yazd (only Iranian city with an entire, continuous and untouched "old town" district, including its typical "wind towers"); the holy city of Mashhad in Khorasan to the northeast of Iran, where one can not only try shishlik (lamb cutlet) skewer kababs (for which the suburb location of Shandiz is famous), but also visit the tombs of Nader Shah Afshar and national poet Ferdosi (in the suburban town of Tus), and of course the outstanding mausoleum of Imam Reza a.s., eighth Imam of Twelver Shia Muslims (but I'm not certain to what extent non-Muslims can visit there - I know for a fact that they aren't allowed into the shrine hall itself, not sure about the surrounding sections, which include fantastic sites such as the Timurid-period Gohar Shād Mosque); Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran - including the ancient hydraulic system of Shushtar (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the ziggurat or stepped pyramid of Chogha Zanbil (also a World Heritage site) dating back several millennia and built under the Elamite empire (i.e. prior to the arrival of Indo-Europeans), the Sassanid bridge at Dezful etc; Kerman city in southeastern Iran and nearby towns of Mahan and Bam (hosting a famous medieval citadel, Arge Bam, which was unfortunately destroyed in the 2003 earthquake but has partially been rebuilt); city of Kashan in Esfahan province (including its delightful traditional Persian garden of Fin, the Sultan Amir Ahmad ancient bath house, and a series of stunning old historical residences open to visitors) and nearby Abyaneh village; the lush forested coastal region of the Caspian Sea to the north, where Tehranis like to vacation (Ramsar, Lahijan, Rasht, Masuleh village constructed in a terraced fashion along a mountain slope, Nizari Ismaili "Assassins" castle of Alamut, etc); Ardabil in the Azari-speaking region of northwestern Iran for its incredible Mausoleum of Sheikh Safi od-Din; Kermanshah, largest city of the Kurdish-speaking areas in western Iran, with its wonderful Sassanid-period rock reliefs of Tāghe Bostān; provincial capital city of Tabriz and the Kandovan troglodyte village in East Azarbaijan province; Soltaniyeh in Zanjan province, not too far from Tehran, for its Ilkhanid (Mongol)-era Dome, one of the highest double-layer brick domes in the world and a World Heritage site too; the mangrove forests of the island of Qeshm at the Strait of Hormoz. Plus so much more.
 
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@Draco I edited my post to include some places which came to my mind later (in particular the penultimate paragraph where I mention modern sites, plus the military museums / exhibition fairs, which I mention right after the other museums, and the final paragraph for additional destinations outside of Tehran, Esfahan and Shiraz). Perhaps you'd like to read that as well.
thanks very much, very appreciated
 
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Interesting. LNA in Libya stockpiling, beefing up its arsenal.

PKK using low tech drone technology to hit targets in northern Iraq.

In Iran Covid vaccine distribution is accelerating at a rapid pace.
covi.jpg
 
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Today government forces in Iraq arrested a prominent PMU member on charges of corruption. The PMU responded by deploying massive forces into Baghdad, closing off the green zone. Tensions mounted and eventually the PMU member was allegedly released according to some reports ?





 
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Does anyone know what the official reasoning is behind barring Larijani or Saeed Mohammad ? Why and how are they justifying it since both are close to the government with decent qualifications ?


 
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Armenian Ministry of Defense confirmed earlier Azerbaijani reports that 6 Armenian soldiers captured at border areas of Gegarkunik region

 
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Armenia will allocate lands in Teh, Megri and Kapan border communities for Russian FSB

 
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im sceptical there is something interesting to reverse engineer with this drone
Iran got hands on a top secret CIA drone (RQ-140) + Global Hawk...,

Iran still lags behind China and US in EO tech. In tact components help Iran make greater advancements in this field.
 
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