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Son of Iran’s top Sunni cleric detained after court summons - Baluch rights group

Feb 16, 2026, 10:34 GMT+0Updated: 12:35 GMT+0

A son of Molavi Abdolhamid, Iran’s top Sunni cleric in Sistan-Baluchestan province, was detained after being summoned to a clerical court in Mashhad and pressured to post a public statement condemning the recent unrest, Baluch rights group Haalvsh reported on Monday.

Sources cited by Haalvsh said the judge in the case threatened and pressured Mohammad Tayyeb Esmailzehi a day before his detention, telling him to post a statement on his personal Instagram account condemning the burning of mosques and Qurans, as well as the killing of government security forces during the unrest in January.

Esmailzehi was summoned by phone and appeared at the Special Clerical Court in Mashhad on Feb. 13, according to Haalvsh’s Telegram channel.

He was questioned for several hours over two consecutive days and was detained on Monday after the interrogation sessions ended, then transferred to an unknown location, the group said.

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IAEA chief holds ‘in-depth’ talks with Araghchi ahead of Geneva negotiations

Feb 16, 2026, 09:13 GMT+0

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said he held detailed discussions with Iran’s foreign minister ahead of planned negotiations in Geneva.

Rafael Grossi said he had “just completed in-depth technical discussions” with Abbas Araghchi “in preparation for important negotiations scheduled for tomorrow in Geneva,” according to his post on X.

Araghchi meets IAEA chief ahead of second round of Iran-US talks

Feb 16, 2026, 08:50 GMT+0

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency met Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Monday, state media reported, a day before a second round of talks between Iran and the United States.

The first round of Iran-US negotiations was held earlier this month in Muscat, mediated by Oman. Tuesday’s talks are also set to take place at Oman’s embassy in Switzerland.

Iranian media described the meeting with the IAEA chief as part of preparations for the next phase of negotiations. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said talks were moving forward within frameworks approved by senior state bodies and stressed that Iran was negotiating “in a climate of complete mistrust.”

Baghaei said Iran’s position was “completely clear,” adding that as a committed member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran accepted both its obligations and its rights. “Our right under Article 4 of the treaty is the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and enrichment is part of that,” he said.

He added that issues such as “what level of enrichment, to what extent, and how many centrifuges we will have” had not yet been discussed in detail. Baghaei also said different branches of the system had reviewed the negotiations and reached a unified decision to use available capacities, including at the foreign ministry and the Supreme National Security Council, to advance the talks.

Producer of Israeli thriller Tehran found dead in Athens mid-shoot

Feb 16, 2026, 08:48 GMT+0

Israeli television producer and “Tehran” co-creator Dana Eden was found dead in a hotel room in Athens on Sunday at age 52 while the series’ fourth season was being filmed in Greece, Greek police officials said.

Police said a relative found Eden after making several failed attempts to reach her.

The case is being treated as a suicide based on evidence and testimonies, police officials said. Greek investigators found pills at the scene and a coroner found bruises on her neck.

Greek police ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and are reviewing security camera footage and taking testimony from hotel staff.

Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, said Eden had traveled to Greece to oversee the production of the hit spy thriller.

Some Greek outlets had suggested police were examining the possibility she was murdered by agents of the Iranian government, citing Tehran’s past criticism of the television series.

International production company Donna and Shula Productions said in a statement, “This is a moment of great sorrow for the family, friends, and colleagues.”

The company said rumors of a criminal or nationalistic motive were not true and urged media and the public to refrain from publishing unverified reports.

Israeli man charged with spying on ex-defense minister for Iran

Feb 16, 2026, 08:41 GMT+0

Israeli prosecutors have charged a man with gathering intelligence on former defense minister Yoav Gallant on behalf of an Iranian agent.

According to the indictment, Fares Abu al-Hija was arrested in late January after photographing streets near Gallant’s home in Amikam at the direction of his handler. Police and the Shin Bet security service said he is from the Galilee village of Kaukab Abu al-Hija.

Prosecutors said he first made contact with the alleged Iranian agent on Telegram while searching for work and was paid in cryptocurrency for carrying out intelligence-gathering missions. Before surveilling Gallant’s residence, he was allegedly instructed to film a cafe in Tel Aviv, earning $1,000 in digital currency.

He has been indicted on charges of contact with a foreign agent, and prosecutors are seeking his detention until the end of proceedings.

Iran judiciary chief urges swift indictments for protesters

Feb 16, 2026, 08:12 GMT+0

Iran’s Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said authorities should not delay issuing indictments against what he described as the “main protesters” involved in the unrest, adding that the public expected trials and punishment.

“We must not delay in issuing indictments related to the main elements of the disturbances,” Ejei said, according to state media. He added that investigations may take longer in some cases because of the “multi-layered” nature of the alleged actions.

Rights groups say tens of thousands of protesters have been arrested during the uprising, with detentions continuing.