TEHRAN The onetime underground pop singer smiled shyly as the high-pitched screams of his teenage fans drifted into his dressing room, just before his show on Friday. This superstar thing, he seemed to be saying, takes some getting used to. Xaniar! Xaniar! Xaniar! the crowds roared from the auditorium in North Tehran. In less than 15 minutes,Xaniar ...

TEHRAN, IRAN Shoulder to shoulder, cheek to cheek, young women and men sit next to each other while a thick film of cigarette smoke fills the dimly lit cafe in central Tehran. Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" blares from the speakers. Young Iranians with slick smart phones and packs of American-made cigarettes who frequent the cafe come for ...