Mahsa Amini protests

Bomb-carrying drones targeted an Iranian defense factory in the central city of Isfahan overnight, authorities said early Sunday, causing some damage at the plant amid heightened regional and international tensions engulfing the Islamic Republic.

Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour, who won a Grammy presented by US first lady Jill Biden, has been sentenced to over three years in prison for his anthem supporting the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. The court found him guilty of "propaganda against the system" and "encouraging people to protest," issuing a 3-year, 8-month sentence.

A wave of unrest has rocked Iran since the 22-year-old Kurdish woman died on September 16 after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly failing to observe the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women. The street violence has led to the deaths of dozens of people -- mostly protesters but also members of the security forces -- and hundreds of arrests.

Filmmakers, athletes, musicians and actors have backed the demonstrations, and many saw it as a signal when the national football team remained in their black tracksuits when the anthems were played before a match in Vienna against Senegal. "We will take action against the celebrities who have fanned the flames of the riots," Tehran provincial governor Mohsen Mansouri said, according to the ISNA news agency.

The incidents come as demonstrations rage on in cities, towns and villages across Iran over the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country's morality police in Tehran.

Flames and a plume of smoke could be seen billowing into the night sky, and the sound of what appeared to be gunfire could be heard in video footage shared on Twitter by the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights. Hundreds of those detained during the demonstrations over Amini's death have reportedly been sent to Evin prison.

The incidents come as demonstrations rage on in cities, towns and villages across Iran over the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini, who died days after being detained by the morality police in Tehran. While Iran's government insists Amini was not mistreated, videos of violent confrontations between women wearing their mandatory headscarf, or hijab, loosely have sparked suspicion she suffered physical abuse during her detention.

Priyanka Chopra has lent her support to the "courageous women" of Iran who have been protesting over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

"The blood of our youths is on your hands," read a message on screen in the broadcast that started 9pm local time Saturday, as protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, again rocked Tehran and other cities.

At least 108 people have been killed in Iran's crackdown on more than three weeks of nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, said Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights.

The unrest erupted more than three weeks ago over the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, an Iranian woman of Kurdish origin who died following her arrest by the notorious Tehran morality police who enforce the strict dress rules on women including compulsory headscarves. Activists say she was beaten in custody, while the authorities in Iran have released a medical report blaming a pre-existing condition.

The two journalists, Niloufar Hamedi, who broke the news of Amini’s death for wearing her headscarf too loosely, and Elaheh Mohammadi, who wrote about her funeral, were sentenced to seven and six years in jail respectively, reported the judiciary news website, Mizan on Sunday. Tehran Revolutionary Court charged them with "collaborating with the hostile American government", "colluding against national security" and "propaganda against the system", according to Mezan. Hamedi worked for the reformist newspaper Shargh while Mohammadi for Ham-Mihan. They were detained in September 2022.

Iranian police arrested two young women for dancing in a Tehran cemetery while wearing inappropriate clothing. This act of defiance against the country's strict dress code, particularly in a sacred site, received strong public backlash and led to their detention, especially from the martyrs' families.

With 2022 coming to an end, Dictionary.com recently announced that they have chosen 'Woman' as their 2022 Word of the Year. Read more details here.

A video shows an Iranian woman protesting strict hijab laws by stripping and climbing onto a police car in Mashhad. In December, Iran's legislature passed a bill introducing harsher punishments for exposed hair, arms, and legs, which has faced international criticism. Despite postponement of the bill, public dissent remains high following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody.

An Iranian woman at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport confronted a cleric over not wearing a hijab, removing his turban and placing it on her head in defiance. Captured on video, this act highlights the struggle against Iran's strict dress code laws and gender apartheid. The video, shared widely, has sparked significant debate and praise for her bold protest.

Widespread protests have erupted across Iran, fueled by a severe economic crisis and soaring inflation. At least seven people, including protesters and security personnel, have died in clashes as demonstrations spread from Tehran to rural provinces. Authorities have responded with security adjustments and a public holiday, while the Supreme Leader faces mounting pressure from multiple crises.

Protests over Iran's economic woes have led to at least three reported deaths, marking the largest unrest since 2022. While demonstrations have slowed in Tehran, they've expanded to rural provinces, with fatalities occurring in cities inhabited by the Lur ethnic group. The unrest, fueled by economic pressures, also includes chants against the theocratic system.

Iran's announcement of a 'treatment facility' for women who violate hijab laws has drawn international condemnation. The facility, intended to provide 'scientific and psychological treatment,' is seen by many as a prison and an escalation of the government's crackdown on women's rights, sparking fear and anger among Iranian women.