Once-feared patrols that enforced Iran’s compulsory hijab rules have largely vanished from the streets, and uncovered hair is now commonplace. But the law remains, and the change is uneven, uncertain, and still contested.

Amid an ongoing row between Washington and Tehran over whether international monitors can verify Iranian compliance with its nuclear nonproliferation commitments, former officials have told RFE/RL that the scale, scope, and degree of access are crucial to the success of inspections.

Officials from Afghanistan's Taliban rulers held talks in Brussels for the first time on the repatriation of Afghans despite sharp criticism from rights groups that the European Union was legitimizing the hard-liners amid continued signs they are cracking down further on women.

Delegations from the United States, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan began gathering on June 21 at the Lake Lucerne Summit, launching what could become the most consequential diplomatic effort yet to stabilize the Middle East after weeks of war.

US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict that has roiled the Middle East since late February.

Senior US officials have disclosed details of the framework deal with Iran that is set to be officially signed during a ceremony in Switzerland on June 19.

A senior US administration official has said the United States and Iran were “very close” to sealing a deal that would reopen a critical shipping route and dismantle Tehran’s nuclear enrichment infrastructure.

President Donald Trump said the ⁠United States is going to attack Iran “very hard” if a deal aimed at ending the three-month war is not finalized.

What’s the latest brick in Russia’s effort to build its Great Internet Firewall? A proposal to create a government-run Virtual Private Network, co-opting a tool that has been widely embraced by Russians trying to avoid government censorship. Industry insiders are reportedly unimpressed.

The US House of Representatives has passed legislation requiring the administration to produce a detailed assessment of Russian and Chinese intelligence activities in Georgia

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian early on June 8 declared victory for his Civil Contract party over several pro-Russia groupings after surpassing 50 percent in the initial vote counting.

From Ukraine to Tehran, asymmetric warfare is redefining the modern battlefield. Superiority is no longer measured solely by jets and naval fleets, but by inexpensive unmanned drones.

Families sharing single meals. Appliances sold to pay utility bills. Businesses gutted. Four Iranians inside the country describe an economy in freefall.

The shaky video of the incident recalled the famous "Tank Man" protester on Tiananmen Square in Beijing, who single-handedly defied an armored column during pro-democracy protests in 1989 that were subsequently crushed by tanks.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says any temporary peace agreement between the United States and Iran must be followed by deeper talks about Tehran’s nuclear stockpiles, missiles and other critical issues.

After 88 days of a near-total internet blackout, Iranians are slowly reconnecting, but to the same heavily censored, regulated network they had before.

A senior Iranian official says Tehran has imported Chinese equipment to support a “permanent” internet shutdown, as the country’s unprecedented blackout enters its third month. Experts say Iran's censorship model is cheaper than the Chinese version and easier to replicate for other states.

The United Arab Emirates has deported thousands of Pakistanis, many of them Shi’a Muslims, since the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign of Iran on February 28, according to a Pakistani lawmaker and media reports in the South Asian country.

Trade tensions, Taiwan, and rare earth exports are expected to dominate talks, even as the war in Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz raise the stakes for the Beijing summit.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to steady ties with Italy and the Vatican during a visit to Rome shaped by disputes over Iran, NATO, and migration. He also defended Washington’s military posture in the Middle East and warned Tehran against trying to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz.

More than a million jobs have been lost since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February. With the US blockade showing no signs of abating and little headway made in peace talks, ordinary Iranians are paying the price.

Iran’s currency has fallen to a new record low against the US dollar as the two-month-long conflict rattles the country’s already battered economy.

The unity that Iran’s rival political camps maintained through 40 days of US and Israeli strikes is fracturing over negotiations to end the war. The real divide, experts say, is not necessarily about whether to talk but rather when.

RFE/RL's senior Washington correspondent, Alex Raufoglu, was at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner when a gunman breached security at the black-tie gala attended by President Donald Trump. Raufoglu recounted the chaotic scenes inside the hotel during and after the incident.

While officials in Tehran have long emphasized self-reliance, experts say battlefield evidence points to a far more interconnected war effort, reflecting deepening partnerships that have helped Iran replenish its military, improve targeting, and blunt Western operations during the conflict.

Some analysts argue there’s a hidden struggle going on in the Kremlin between security structures and economic interests.

US President Donald Trump said his representatives are traveling to Islamabad, Pakistan, for another round of talks on April 20 with Iran as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Tehran has not yet confirmed it will take part.

Iran said it has opened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping traffic for the reamiiner of a 10-day cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon, and US President Donald Trump again suggested that Washington and Tehran could reach a deal to end the US-Israeli war with Iran in the near future.

The Czech Republic demanded an explanation after Russia’s Defense Ministry published a list of companies it claimed are helping produce attack drones for Ukraine and bellicose former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called it “a list of potential targets” for the Russian military.

Despite suffering significant losses, Iran believes it is winning the war against the United States and Israel. That view is shaping Tehran’s conduct in the conflict and its demands in peace talks.