Hit Song Criticizing Iran-Iraq War Stokes Controversy in Iran

A scene from pareh sang, youtube (Arabic Website)
A scene from pareh sang, youtube (Arabic Website)
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Hit Song Criticizing Iran-Iraq War Stokes Controversy in Iran

A scene from pareh sang, youtube (Arabic Website)
A scene from pareh sang, youtube (Arabic Website)

Iran’s up-and-coming artist Mehdi Yarrahi is believed to have been banned from performing a few days after releasing his anti-war ‘Pareh Sang’ song.

Yarrahi, an Ahwazi Arab, is known for his highly controversial works and is one of the very few artists who maintained a daringly close take on social developments within the Iranian community.

Etemad daily reported that Yarrahi was barred from publishing any of his works after the culture and media ministry summoned managers from the Iranian music publisher Jame Sabz, which sponsored Pareh Sang’s production.

Criticizing the Iraq-Iran war which spanned over eight years, Yarrahi’s hit song expresses the post-war anguish lived in Arab areas witnessed bloody conflict in southwestern Iran.

For the time being, Jame Sabz Manager Farhad Goi Abadi refused to make any statements involving Yarrahi’s work or being questioned by authorities, however, confirmed he will be meeting soon with culture ministry officials.

The reported dispute, on the other hand, was denied by the Public Relations Department of the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Information which said pop singer Yarrahi was not barred in any way.

“I'm the last martyr of this tribe ... My tribe, which has no bread or water,” Pareh Sang’s powerful lyrics say, echoing Yarrahi’s struggle which he labels a “torn stone.”

“Death has won and once again the mind has died and all our memories are subject to war ... do tell me where we are now and in the name of the war pen. Why have not we had a life yet ?!” the lyrics, sung in Farsi, say.

Hard-line media close to the Revolutionary Guard considered the Pareh Sang’s video clip as an appalling attack on the beliefs and values of the “holy war.”

While ultra-conservatives blasted Yarrahi’s work, other musicians and experts applauded his exceptional knack for balancing traditional and pop culture to deliver a wide-reaching product that resonates with Iranians everywhere.

The singer is also very apt in his social innuendoes and references-- throughout his work, Yarrahi was very shrewd in invoking crises faced by Iran such as sanctions and weather pollution. A majority of his work is dedicated to delivering on the suffering of Arabs living south of Iran, namely Ahwaz.

A year ago, at one of his concerts, he wore a mask to protest the pollution. He participated in recent protests that took place in Ahwaz against the diversion of the Karun River. Citing his unmatched passion for defending the environment, southern locals have dubbed Yarrahi “the son of Karun.”



Greek PM: Only US Can Engage Israel and Iran in Discussions

FILE - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks in parliament ahead of the submission of a no-confidence motion by opposition parties over the government's handling of Greece's worst rail disaster two year ago, in Athens, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
FILE - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks in parliament ahead of the submission of a no-confidence motion by opposition parties over the government's handling of Greece's worst rail disaster two year ago, in Athens, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
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Greek PM: Only US Can Engage Israel and Iran in Discussions

FILE - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks in parliament ahead of the submission of a no-confidence motion by opposition parties over the government's handling of Greece's worst rail disaster two year ago, in Athens, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
FILE - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks in parliament ahead of the submission of a no-confidence motion by opposition parties over the government's handling of Greece's worst rail disaster two year ago, in Athens, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)

Only the United States has the clout to engage Israel and Iran in negotiations as the two countries continue to trade air attacks, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday.

"Europe alone does not have the necessary influence to bring the parties concerned to the (negotiation) table. Only the United States can do that. So I think it is up to the President of the United States to decide which path to take," Mitsotakis said in an interview on the sidelines of an energy conference in Athens.

The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain plan to hold nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart on Friday in Geneva, a German diplomatic source told Reuters.

"We are all very concerned about any factor that will push inflation up and significantly disrupt energy markets," Mitsotakis said.

He said Greece was also very worried about the safety of around 180 Greek-flagged and Greek-owned ships that sailed in the wider Arabian Gulf region when Israel first attacked Iran last week.

Greek owners control the world's largest fleet of oil tankers. Commercial ships are being advised by maritime agencies to avoid Iran's waters around the Strait of Hormuz, shipping sources said on Wednesday.