Iran executes champion wrestler ahead of Afkari's remembrance

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell underscored the bloc's resolute position on the issue, stating, "The European Union has repeatedly strongly cautioned Iran against transfers of ballistic missiles to Russia." He further mentioned that the EU would "respond swiftly and in coordination with international partners."

Borrell suggested that the EU’s response would likely include substantial new sanctions aimed at individuals and entities connected to Iran's ballistic missile and drone programs. This action comes on the heels of similar sanctions imposed earlier this week by France, Germany, and the UK.

The escalation follows US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's claim that Russia has received ballistic missiles from Iran, which could be deployed in Ukraine within weeks. In response, Iran denied these allegations and summoned the envoys of Britain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, heightening the diplomatic standoff.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Tehran's denial, stating on social media, "Once again, US and E3 act on faulty intelligence and flawed logic - Iran has NOT delivered ballistic missiles to Russia. Period - Sanction addicts should ask themselves: how is Iran able to make & supposedly sell sophisticated arms? Sanctions are NOT a solution, but part of the problem."

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  Iran Air hit by Western sanctions over missile transfer to Russia

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  Iran's nuclear program has no peaceful justification, US tells IAEA

The situation reflects broader geopolitical tensions, with Iran, North Korea, and Russia increasingly coordinating in support of Moscow's war in Ukraine, according to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. He noted this emerging "entente" on Wednesday, following the announcement of new Western sanctions against Iran.

This alliance is seen as part of a larger "axis of upheaval" that includes Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, which the chief of Britain’s army warned in July could necessitate readiness for confrontation within the next three years.

Adding to the tensions, Reuters reported on Friday that Russia started manufacturing a new long-range attack drone last year using Chinese engines and components, which has already been deployed in the Ukraine conflict. According to sources from a European intelligence agency and documents reviewed by Reuters, this development underscores Russia’s continued efforts to bolster its military capabilities.

Meanwhile, Russia's FSB security service announced on Friday that it had revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow, accusing them of espionage and sabotage, a move reflecting the Kremlin’s frustration with what it perceives as London’s significant role in supporting Ukraine.

These developments highlight the growing alignment between Iran, Russia, and North Korea against Western interests. Iran's potential pursuit of nuclear capabilities and Russia's aggressive military actions in Ukraine further exacerbate security threats on the global stage.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, the news outlet reported that the charges could come in a matter of days.

The Washington Post reports that the FBI investigation has focused on an online persona known as "Robert," suspected of acting on behalf of the Iranian government. This “individual” is accused of distributing stolen data from Trump advisers' email accounts to news organizations.

Last month, the FBI and US intelligence agencies confirmed that Iran was responsible for recent attempted hacks into the Trump and Biden-Harris presidential campaigns.

According to AP, which is also reporting the impending criminal charges by the Justice Department, the aim of the hack was to influence or interfere with the outcome of the November presidential election.

On Tuesday, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the Justice Department’s top national security official, told reports on Thursday in New York City that Iran “is making a greater effort to influence this year’s election than it has in prior election cycles and that Iranian activity is growing increasingly aggressive as this election nears.”

Last month, the head of DisinfoWatch told Iran International that as Iran appears to have stepped up its targeting of both presidential campaigns, there also seems to be coordination between Tehran and Moscow's information operations.

“The US and all western democracies need to be paying close attention and exposing them. The combined information and influence operations of Iran, Russia and China represent a serious threat to all western democracies - which we cannot afford to ignore,” Marcus Kolga said.

Trump’s campaign shared last month that it had been hacked and alleged that Iranian actors had stolen and distributed sensitive internal documents.

In August, Meta reported potential hacking attempts on the WhatsApp accounts of US officials by Iranian actors amidst growing concerns over Tehran’s interference in US elections. These officials were associated with both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The company attributed these attempts to APT42, an Iranian hacker group widely believed to be linked to an intelligence division within Iran's military. This group has a history of conducting invasive surveillance operations, often targeting political figures and activists abroad.

In relation to the latest hack-and-leak attack, Politico, The New York Times, and The Washington Post were reportedly given access to confidential material from inside the Trump campaign, with Politico reporting that that it began receiving emails on July 22 from an anonymous account.

The AOL email account, identified as "Robert," sent what looked like a research dossier that appeared to have been compiled by the campaign on Ohio Senator JD Vance, who became the Republican vice-presidential nominee. The document, dated February 23, was created almost five months before Trump announced Vance as his running mate.

So far, the AP reports, each outlet has refused to reveal any details about what it received.

The attack took place in Mirjaveh, a city in Sistan-Baluchestan province near the Pakistani border.

According to IRNA, gunmen in a car opened fire on a border regiment vehicle, killing two soldiers and an officer. A civilian was also wounded in the attack.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of violence in Sistan-Baluchestan, a province that has witnessed numerous attacks attributed to Jaish al-Adl.

Earlier this year, Iran launched missiles at targets in Pakistan claiming to have retaliated against Jaish al-Adl. Pakistan, resenting the violation of its territory, conducted airstrikes in Iran against alleged bases of its own Baluch insurgents. These cross-border operations heightened tensions between the two countries, even as they insisted that their primary targets were Baluch separatist factions.

Jaish al-Adl has a history of conducting ambushes, bombings, and other violent operations, leading to the deaths of both civilians and security personnel. In April, at least 22 Iranian policemen were killed in two separate clashes in the province.

The militant group has been designated a terrorist organization by both Iran and the United States, along with several international bodies.

The group has been involved in a series of cross-border attacks, including the abduction of border guards and security personnel, as well as bombings targeting Iranian military forces, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Last month, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the killing of a deputy chief of the Public Security Police Department in Khash, another city within the same province. Over the years, the group has carried out numerous attacks, aiming to highlight the plight of the Baluch minority, who they argue suffer from systematic discrimination, poverty, and lack of political, economic, and social empowerment.

The UN Special Rapporteur has previously highlighted that the Baluch community in Iran faces systemic marginalization and severe socio-economic hardships. The region is one of the poorest in the country, leaving its residents particularly vulnerable to both man-made and natural disasters, which deepens their sense of disempowerment and lack of representation.

Saeed Chalandari, CEO of Imam Khomeini Airport City, estimated that the newly imposed fee could generate up to twenty trillion rials (over 33 million dollars). Chalandari defended the move as a step towards implementing Iran's Seventh Development Plan, insisting that it is common practice in airports across the world.

The fee targets travelers over the age of two. Hormatollah Rafiei, head of the Association of Iranian Travel Agencies condemned the latest attempt at revenue generation, calling it “reaching into people’s pockets.” He accused the government of enabling "systematic extortion" in the travel industry, warning that this will only empower airlines and travel agencies to raise prices, further burdening Iranian travelers.

“This decision is opening the door to even more profiteering in the tourism sector,” Rafiei noted, pointing out that in addition to this new charge, Iranians are already paying departure taxes, airport fees, and inflated ticket prices.

It is not the first time Iranians have been forced to contend with excessive travel fees as a pipeline of funds. In 2019, the Iranian Parliament imposed a departure tax meaning citizens would pay 5,200,000 rials ($9) for their first trip abroad, and between 7,800,000 ($13) and over ten million rials ($16) for subsequent trips. 

The government's defenders argue that these fees are necessary for development, with Chalandari comparing them to charges imposed in airports across Europe amid Iran’s crumbling infrastructure, inefficient bureaucracy, and rampant corruption.

Social media platforms have become the battleground for a public response. Many Iranians mockingly referred to the fee as "forced payment," highlighting the absurdity of funding "development" in a country where mismanagement has brought nearly all aspects of life to a standstill. One frustrated user on X remarked, “Who doesn’t know there’s no development?” Another sarcastically commented, "Soon enough, they’ll pass a law requiring everyone traveling abroad to bring gifts for parliament members."

The Iranian government’s attempt to draw parallels with practices at airports in countries like Turkey or Saudi Arabia rings hollow for many. "Exactly which development are they talking about?" asked one social media user, alluding to the country's lack of progress in providing basic services.

This new fee comes at a time when travel for most Iranians is already a luxury as inflation and unemployment skyrocket and the currency’s value continues to plummet. One in three Iranians now live below the poverty line, meaning many of those who travel are among the country's wealthy elite.

Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently reported that over 438,000 Iranians entered Turkey as tourists in the first two months of 2024, where they can enter visa free. According to GlobalData’s 2023 Travel & Tourism in Iran report, the most popular destinations for Iranians include Turkey, the UAE, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.

But traveling abroad is increasingly unaffordable for tens of millions of Iranians, many of whom have taken to social media to call this €10 fee “the final straw” amid the worst economic times since the founding of the Islamic Republic.

Many in Iran's "reformist" camp have welcomed Hashemi’s letter but she has come under attack from other political groups who believe she is now advocating reformism despite her past statements that the Islamic Republic is incorrigible.

The debate between regime change and reformism is a key divide in Iranian politics. A shrinking group of loyal politicians and influential figures argue that the Islamic regime, under Ali Khamenei, can still be reformed. In contrast, a growing number of dissidents and younger people in Iran and abroad are calling for regime change.

Hashemi’s father who for decades was the second most powerful man in the Islamic Republic, and helped bring Ali Khamenei to power in 1989, allowed the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) to become an economic player in the country. Still, his daughter Faezeh is known for her critical remarks about Khamenei and the IRGC.

The prominent reformist politician, journalist, and former political prisoner Abbas Abdi is among those who have praised Hashemi in a Telegram post for “courage” to speak up about the problems she has described in her letter. Ahmad Zeidabadi, another reformist politician and journalist who sympathized with Hashemi, dubbed her “the voice of the really voiceless”.

Critics including photojournalist and former political prisoner Alieh Motalebzadeh have blasted Hashemi not only for the allegations she has made in her letter against her fellow political prisoners but also for the timing of the publication of her letter, days before the second anniversary of the Woman, Life, Freedom protests.

Motalebzadeh alleged in a tweet that Hashemi has intentionally portrayed other prisoners as “jailers” when “female political prisoners have risen against death sentences and double oppression of women and are paying its costs.”

“Ideological and cultural differences make life in prison difficult for everyone. Various factors are involved in creating tensions many of which are beyond the control of the prisoner and result from the pressures of prison and security bodies. We cannot ignore the main causes and accuse other prisoners in a one-sided manner,” she wrote in another post.

Hashemi released her letter earlier this week from the Women’s Ward of Tehran’s Evin Prison where political prisoners are usually held.

The former lawmaker turned activist who was arrested during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests is currently serving a three-year and seven-month sentence for propaganda against the regime and blasphemy with tens of other female political prisoners and activists including Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi.

Hashemi has accused two groups, “leftists and monarchists”, of forming “pressure groups” and forcing their opinions on others. She has not named anyone in her letter, but many claim that her allegations are directed at Mohammadi and her supporters.

Neither Hashemi nor Mohammadi have yet commented on these speculations.

Hashemi has also drawn a parallel between the attitude and behavior of these fellow prisoners and the government in general throughout her long letter and accused them of exaggerating the difficulties of prison life.

Hashemi was among those who boycotted the recent presidential elections but claims that the “pressure groups” impeded eight others who were not boycotters from voting by blocking access to the ballot box taken to their ward.

In another letter from prison a year ago, Hashemi said Iranians had long moved past the reformists and voting for them in the March parliamentary elections. She also criticized the “absolute power of [the Supreme Leader] and dominance of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) in all areas” among other things.

In March the US State Department’s Persian-language Instagram page had to restrict comments to a post that featured a photo of Faezeh Hashemi as part of its Women’s History Month tributes when an overwhelming number of negative comments were made to the post.

Hashemi has served nearly two years of her three-year and 7-month of her sentence and could be released from prison according to law. Her lawyer, Mohammad-Hossein Aghassi, told the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) Wednesday that the prosecutor has, nevertheless, refused to grant his client conditional release from prison.

Aghassi also said he and Hashemi’s brother, Mohsen Hashemi, will contact the authorities about the threat to her life in prison which she appears to be suggesting in her letter.