In Nov. 2012, it seemed as though Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s legal problems had finally concluded. But on Christmas Day, the 35-year-old Christian preacher was, once again, detained by Iranian officials and sent to Lakan Prison in Rascht – the same jail he was held in from his arrest in 2010 until his release last year. Today, Nadarkhani was, again, released from the prison after serving 13 days, according to sources close to him and his family.

The initial three-year-sentence was given after Nadarkhani’s most recent legal problems began in 2009; he was charged with renouncing his Muslim faith. The pastor’s case quickly gained international attention, which, to a degree, may account for the regime’s decision to heavily-reduce his initial execution sentence. In fall 2012, he was released 45 days early after being acquitted of apostasy. Read more from The Blaze.

Iran’s revenues from vital oil and gas exports have dropped by 45 percent because of sanctions over its suspect nuclear program, a senior lawmaker said Monday, a clear admission that sanctions over Iran’s suspect nuclear program are having a severe impact.

Iran’s sanctions-driven financial crisis has led to collapse of the currency, proposals for an austerity budget and government demands that local airlines clear their debts pay cash for fuel, or faced grounding — but its leaders have given no indication that they might give in to the pressure and scale back their nuclear development program.

Continue reading at the Washington Post.