Almost five months after Rezaian s still-unexplained arrest, family members say conditions in Iran s Evin prison are taking a fearsome toll on the 38-year-old Tehran correspondent for The Washington Post. But even worse than the physical discomforts, they say, are the psychological effects from near-total isolation and uncertainty over how long the ordeal will last. The uncertainty deepened further Sunday withIran s announcement that formal charges - still unspecified - have been filed

Iran has rejected a U.S. appeal to join a global fight against Islamic State militants, the country s top religious and political figure said Monday, as Western and Arab diplomats gathered to frame strategies against the terror network that controls large areas of Iraq and Syria.

The bulk of Afghan opium passes through Iran before it hits the global market, and that access has long contributed to addiction rates that are among the highest in the world. Now they are dramatically rising, particularly among women. Government agencies and international bodies provide conflicting statistics, but Iran s Drug Control Headquarters estimates that 3 million of Iran s 76 million citizens are addicts, more than 700,000 of them women - double the number two years ago.

A long-smoldering battle over government control of media and culture in Iran is heating up, as opposing political forces fight over where the limits should be drawn on access to information. President Hassan Rouhani and his supporters say that press restrictions should be reduced and that the public should be trusted with greater access to the Internet and television.

"The nuclear issue is an excuse," Khamenei said in a speech broadcast on state TV. "Even if one day, against all the odds it is solved based on the Americans expectations, then Americans will seek another issue to follow it. Just pay attention to the spokespersons of the U.S. government, who have also raised the issue of human rights, missiles and arms." said Khamenei.