Iranian people

Iran's supreme leader on Tuesday ruled out the holding of popular referendums on state policies.

Iran faced calls for a referendum on the Islamic Republic itself during anti-government protests last year, and a moderate former president recently suggested such votes should be held to decide major policies as a way of reducing divisions.

Be My Voice, a documentary about Iranian women's fight against the forced wearing of the hijab, has won the Amnesty International Slovenia Human Rights Film Award as the 25th Festival of Documentary Film in Ljubljana.

The Ljubljana International Film Festival (LIFFe) will delight film lovers for the 33rd time between 9 and 20 November, this time with 90 feature-length and some 30 short films.

At least four people died and 61 were injured in the fire at Tehran's Evin prison on Saturday, state news agency IRNA reported.

Before they were ousted by the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran's royal family enjoyed a lavish lifestyle with a taste for fast cars quite unlike any ever built.

Now, after half a century hidden away, the royal racers are back on show, with the Iran Historical Car Museum drawing in thousands since it opened to the public in recent weeks.

Iran's new ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi said Tehran backs any diplomatic moves to lift U.S. sanctions but will not bow to pressure, as he took the oath of office on Aug. 5.

class='cf'>

An Iranian intelligence officer and three alleged members of an Iranian intelligence network have been charged in Manhattan with plotting to kidnap a prominent Iranian opposition activist and writer in exile and take her back to Tehran, authorities said on July 13.

Iran's state television reported on May 12 that the country's former firebrand president will run again for office in upcoming elections in June.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reportedly marched accompanied by supporters to a registration center at the Interior Ministry where he filled out registration forms.

After coming under fire from Iran's supreme leader, the country's foreign minister offered him a direct and extensive apology on May 2 for recorded comments leaked to the public last week.

Iran's foreign minister said on June 2 that a plane had taken off from arch-foe the United States carrying scientist Sirous Asgari after his apparent release from a U.S. prison.

"Good news, a plane carrying Dr. Sirous Asgari has taken off from America. Congratulations to his wife and family," Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote in a post on his Instagram account.