During an Iranian government meeting late last month, a top adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad brought a proposal to expand the political voice of a group more known for its street muscle: the civilian militia corps called the Basij. The motion passed easily, according to pro-government Web sites. And with it ...

TEHRAN (Reuters) - A trial began on Saturday of 16 opposition protesters charged over unrest connected with Iran's disputed June presidential election, with the Revolutionary Guards warning against further demonstrations. Five of the defendants were charged with the capital offence of "moharebeh" (waging war against God) while the remainder were accused of public order and national security offences, a court ...

A senior physics professor who publicly backed Iran's opposition leader was killed when a bomb-rigged motorcycle exploded as he left for work Tuesday. The government blamed the U.S. and Israel for the attack. The blast apparently was set off by a remote trigger, but it was unclear why the professor was targeted. The victim was a 50-year-old researcher ...