Iran has been rocked by one of the world's largest banks frauds, with over $2.5 billion believed to have been stolen. The political repercussions of the scandal could be equally far-reaching, with a top ally of the Iranian president suspected of being involved.

Tehran is talking up its naval capabilities and vowing to deploy its ships far from home waters. Analysts say the real thrust of Iran's new strategy is more political than military.

Forecasts of a revolution to unseat Iran's Islamic regime have long been in abundance but have thus far been proved wrong by events. Now some see a new threat to the power of Tehran's ruling theocrats -- the proliferation of small-scale civil disobedience campaigns.

Renewed clashes between protesters and security forces have been reported in Azeri-speaking areas of Iran, amid demonstrations over the drying up of the country's largest lake. The reports coincide with the announcement of a fresh Iranian military offensive against a Kurdish separatist group.

For most of the past five months, the government in Iran has been notably reluctant to criticize Syria, its main ally in the Middle East. But now Tehran has suddenly begun calling upon President Bashar al-Assad's regime to recognize the "legitimate" demands of its people." Analysts say the change in tone is a sign of the Islamic republic's anxiety that Assad's hold on power may be growing shaky.

Police forces and activists are sparring again in Iran over an issue of national interest. But this time the source of the dispute is far from the corridors of power in Tehran and is centered on the rapidly receding shoreline of one of the world's largest saltwater lakes.

It has been seven months since nuclear negotiations with Iran stalled over the issue of Tehran's right to produce fuel. Now, after initial skepticism, Iran is showing signs it might return to the table under a new Russian step-by-step plan.

In the past week, Iran has been involved in a war of words with Azerbaijan and a mix-up with Turkey, after it was falsely reported that it had captured a leading Kurdish militant. Are the two incidents connected and what could explain Tehran's recent behavior toward its two neighbors?

In Iran, book censors regularly remove what they consider offensive references to sex. Sometimes, their heavy hand even falls on Persian classics.