Trump says Iran must end help for Houthis

The IRGC, including its Qods Force, is designated by the US as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and has been linked to armed groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

The US government has accused the Chinese nationals—Liu Baoxia, Li Yongxin, Yung Yiu Wa, and Zhong Yanlai—of using front companies to illegally procure and transfer US electronic components to Iran.

“Beginning as early as May 2007, Liu and her associates allegedly utilized an array of front companies in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to send dual-use US-origin electronic components to IRGC-linked companies that could be used in the production of UAVs, ballistic missile systems, and other military end uses,” the State Department said in its announcement.

The Justice Department charged them in January 2024 with conspiring to smuggle thousands of restricted components for use in Iranian drones and missile systems.

Last week, Rewards for Justice offered a reward of up to $15 million for information that could disrupt financial networks supporting a drone-production arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Qods Force called Kimia Part Sivan Company (KIPAS).

The company has also sourced key drone components from foreign suppliers, according to US officials.

"Biden’s election was a golden opportunity for the Islamic Republic," Rouhani said Tuesday in an interview with Iran newspaper. "We could have restored the nuclear deal in 2021, but due to political disputes over who would take the presidency next, that opportunity was lost. Now, our situation is harder than ever."

According to Rouhani, who served from 2013 to 2021, his top negotiator at the time, Abbas Araghchi—now Iran’s foreign minister—had reached a framework agreement for reviving the deal with Robert Malley, President Joe Biden’s special envoy for Iran.

Malley, who led US efforts to restart nuclear negotiations, was placed on unpaid leave in April 2023 amid an FBI investigation into his handling of classified information. A Wall Street Journal report in September said that Malley had clicked on a phishing link that compromised his personal email and may have moved classified meeting notes to an unauthorized account.

During Malley’s tenure, the Biden administration informally eased enforcement of US oil sanctions on Iran which were imposed by President Donald Trump in 2018. Iranian oil exports, which had dropped to 250,000 barrels per day in 2019 under Trump’s maximum-pressure campaign, surged to nearly 2 million barrels per day during Biden’s presidency.

Rouhani also said that Malley and Araghchi’s agreement would have ensured not only a US return to the nuclear deal but also the reversal of Trump-era policies, including sanctions on Iran’s Supreme Leader’s office and the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

Rouhani, who according to Iranian laws could run for a third term, was succeeded by hardliner cleric Ebrahim Raisi in June 2021. His administration resumed talks with JCPOA signatories, but negotiations collapsed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The former president blamed internal power struggles for the failure of the negotiations. “Some were more concerned about preventing my administration from achieving success than about the national interest,” he said.

Rouhani’s latest remarks come after he suggested last week that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s firm rejection of direct negotiations with Washington might not be absolute—despite Khamenei himself maintaining otherwise. Nevertheless, with Trump back in the White House, Rouhani acknowledged that engaging with Washington will be even more challenging. “Working with Trump is extremely difficult and complex,” he said. “I hope our officials find a way forward.”

As tensions between the US and Iran remain high, Rouhani’s comments hint at the differing views within Tehran’s leadership on how to approach Washington, both in the past and moving forward.

Celebrations of the ancient festival were marred by clashes with security forces who came to blows with revellers and reports that 19 had died and 5,000 were left injured.

There are no details on whether any of the injuries were caused by security forces who used tear gas and force to disperse crowds in some areas and most incidents occurring in the provinces of Tehran, West Azarbaijan, and East Azarbaijan.

Videos circulating on social media showed large crowds gathering in cities like Tehran, Karaj and Rasht, with bonfires illuminating the night sky and the sounds of music and cheering filling the air.

The festival, marked by jumping over bonfires and setting off fireworks, is a deeply rooted cultural tradition, but it has increasingly become a flashpoint for defiance against the Islamic Republic's restrictions.

The celebrations went ahead with full force in spite of the government warnings against celebrations, young people seeing it as an expression of their cultural identity and a way to challenge authority.

Iranian authorities, including the country’s deputy police commander, have issued warnings of a decisive response to any violations during Nowruz celebrations, as security forces deploy in Kurdish regions to disrupt festivities. The warnings coincide with the IRGC banning official celebrations in Ilam province.

The confluence of Nowruz and Ramadan has heightened tensions, with authorities emphasizing religious adherence.

In the wake of the 2022 uprising, the festival has been turned into an ever growing display of defiance, and in some cases, open protests against the government.

On Tuesday, protests broke out in cities such as Tehran, Karaj, Mashhad and Isfahan, with young Iranians setting fire to images of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The authorities' attempts to discourage the celebrations have also drawn criticism.

"The efforts made to forget the Charshanbe Suri celebration have made the city unsafe for people," said Jalal Maleki, spokesman for the Tehran Fire Department, calling for designated spaces to ensure public safety.

The vessel, intercepted in Iraqi territorial waters, was towed to Umm Qasr naval base for investigation and the crew was handed over to local police. Its name was not visible in a picture released by the navy.

Fuel smuggling is common in the Persian Gulf, where heavily subsidized fuel is sold on the black market to buyers across the region, but Iraqi seizures are relatively rare.

In December, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said that 20 to 30 million liters of fuel are smuggled out of the country daily, calling it a catastrophe amid the country's energy crisis.

Pezeshkian did not specify the destinations but fuel smuggling in Iran often involves routes to neighboring countries where fuel prices are significantly higher.

In December, Reuters reported that a sophisticated oil smuggling network generating at least $1 billion a year for Iran and its proxies has flourished in Iraq since Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani took office in 2022.

Earlier this month Iranian authorities discovered and sealed four illegal taps on a major oil pipeline near the southern city of Bandar Abbas.

Last month, Iran said it dismantled 130 fuel smuggling depots and arrested 41 key suspects in Tehran province.

General Ahmad-Reza Radan, the national police commander, announced on Wednesday that enhanced equipment and operational capabilities would enable a leap in border security for the Iranian year 1404.

"The border and its closure were among the challenges for the police in 1403," Radan stated, promising a decisive shift in the coming year without elaborating on details.

Up to 8 million Afghans have illegally entered Iran since 2021, compounding the country's economic challenges such as shortage of energy and water. The authorities have not been able or unwilling to commit resources to protecting the long border.

Last April, Deputy Police Chief Qasem Rezaei said that the construction of a border wall with Afghanistan would "help prevent drug trafficking, the movement of outlaws, and terrorist infiltrations."

The border fortification plan, which entails building a four-meter concrete wall, along with barbed wire, fencing, and proper roads along the northwestern and eastern borders, is scheduled for completion within the next two years.

In addition to border security, Radan outlined key priorities for the police in the coming year, 1404, including, reducing traffic violations, combating theft and the trade of stolen goods and leveling up the fight against drugs.

"1404 will be a bitter year for thieves and those who deal in stolen goods," Radan warned, as crime has increased amid the current economic crisis.

Radan detailed the extensive deployment of security forces during the Nowruz 1404 Exercise which showcased the police's readiness for the Iranian New Year holidays.

"More than 16,000 patrols, 20 helicopters, dozens of drones, and over 250,000 police personnel will secure the country from the borders to the cities," he said.

Tehran's police chief, General Abbas Ali Mohammadian, reported a 19% decrease in thefts in the capital during the past year, attributing it to increased police activity. He also noted a rise in emergency call responses and significant seizures of narcotics.

Iranian police called for public cooperation and adherence to Islamic fasting rules during the coinciding Nowruz and Ramadan periods, emphasizing that celebrations must align with Islamic rules.

While Nowruz is not officially banned, its pre-Islamic roots have long been a point of contention among religious hardliners who dominate key centers of power. These groups often discourage traditional Persian festivals, viewing them as remnants of the past that glorify pre-Islamic Persian history.

In previous years, authorities have attempted to limit gatherings at historically significant sites such as Persepolis and the tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae, sometimes leading to clashes with participants.