TOP STORIES
Mossad Reveals Foiled Iranian Terror Plots in Australia, Greece, and Germany | i24 News
The Mossad announced on Sunday that it had uncovered the mechanisms behind several Iranian-led terrorist plots thwarted in Australia, Greece, and Germany between 2024 and 2025. Israeli intelligence said multiple terror cells linked to these operations have been dismantled and their members arrested. . . . One of the key figures named in the revelations is Sardar Amar, a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and head of the 11th Brigade under Quds Force chief Esmail Qaani. Mossad claims Amar led a network tasked with striking Israeli and Jewish targets abroad and was directly connected to the foiled operations in Greece, Australia, and Germany.
Turkish Nationals Charged over Plot to Smuggle Firearms from Iran into Israel | Jerusalem Post
Three Turkish nationals were charged in Nazareth with plotting to smuggle pistols from Iran into Israel through Jordan, including one accused of aiding terror.
Financial Watchdog Keeps Iran on Blacklist Citing Insufficient Cooperation | Iran International
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said on Friday Iran will remain on its list of high-risk countries for failing to fully accept the body’s rules days after Iran's conditional accession to a UN convention against terror financing.
UANI IN THE NEWS
The source of the dispute is an exhibition organized in the British Parliament by the American activist organization United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). During the presentation, which took place on Tuesday, the Shahed-136 drone was presented, which, according to the organizers, was used against Ukraine. The exhibition was intended to draw attention to Tehran’s role in supporting Moscow's military campaign.
NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Iran Lawmaker Says Nuclear Work Continues Despite Site Damage | Iran International
Iran continues to advance its nuclear program despite damage to several atomic facilities, Fadahossein Maleki, a member of parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, said on Saturday. Maleki said that airstrikes had harmed parts of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure but that “work is ongoing” and would not be halted.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
US Treasury Identifies $9 Billion in Iranian Shadow Banking Through US Accounts | Iran International
The US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network identified about $9 billion in potential Iranian shadow banking activity that flowed through US correspondent accounts in 2024, the department said on Thursday. The Financial Trend Analysis (FTA) released by the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) outlines how Iran used foreign companies and exchange houses to skirt sanctions and fund overseas operations, including oil sales and weapons procurement.
Iranian President Says Petrol Price Increase Inevitable | IranWire
President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that petrol prices must be increased, though he emphasized that such a decision will not be made hastily. . . . The comments come as Iranians recall the November 2019 protests that erupted after a sudden government decision to raise petrol prices.
Energy Reform Key to Iran’s Economic Recovery, Speaker Says | Iran International
Economic reform in the country is impossible without energy reform, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Monday, adding that his remarks should not be interpreted as an immediate plan to raise energy prices.
PROTESTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran Sentences 67-Year-Old Female Political Prisoner to Death | Iran International
Zahra Shahbaz Tabari, a 67-year-old Iranian political prisoner, has been sentenced to death by a revolutionary court on charges of collaboration with groups fighting the Islamic Republic, a US-based human rights group said on Saturday. . . . The ruling was issued last week by Judge Ahmad Darvish of Branch One of the Rasht Revolutionary Court following a brief video hearing. Shahbaz Tabari’s trial lasted less than ten minutes, and her family called the proceedings sham and illegal, [the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)] wrote. She had no access to an independent lawyer, her son told HRANA.
Iranian Laborer Faces Execution over Firecracker Outside Local Courthouse | Iran International
Iran's Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Manouchehr Fallah, a 42-year-old laborer from northern Iran who now faces imminent execution for allegedly detonating a small sound bomb outside a local courthouse. The explosion caused minor damage estimated at 150 million Iranian rials or about $138 to a metal door and the building's stone facade. No injuries were reported, and public services were not disrupted.
26-Year-Old Man Shot Dead by Police in Southeastern Iran | IranWire
A 26-year-old man was shot and killed by police on Thursday after his vehicle failed to stop at a checkpoint on the Iranshahr road in Sistan and Baluchistan province. Hamid Dehmordeh from Zahedan died at the scene after officers opened fire on his vehicle near Piranch village, according to human rights sources.
Iran Refuses to Return Body of Activist Who Died Hours After Arrest | IranWire
Iranian authorities are refusing to return the body of an Arab civil activist who died just hours after his arrest. Hassan Saedi, 34, died on October 14 at an Intelligence Ministry detention center in Ahvaz, 14 hours after security forces arrested him at his home, his brother Ali Saedi told IranWire. Authorities said he died of a heart attack, but his brother said he was tortured to death.
Iranian Court Sentences Man to Write Out Religious Book for Wearing Shorts | Iran International
A court in the Iranian holy city of Qom sentenced a 26-year-old man to rewrite a religious book by hand as punishment for wearing shorts while skateboarding.
18 People Arrested at Mixed-Gender Party in Southern Iran | IranWire
Eighteen people have been arrested for attending a mixed-gender party in Karun, a city in Khuzestan Province, according to the local prosecutor. . . . The prosecutor claimed the party involved “serving alcoholic drinks and creating noise pollution.” [He] said the judiciary is “determined to confront social corruption and norm-breaking,” adding that “holding such ceremonies hurts the feelings of the general public and cannot be overlooked.”
Iran Shuts Instagram Pages of Several Female Singers over ‘Criminal Content’ | Iran International
Iranian authorities have shut down the Instagram pages belonging to several female singers in Iran’s Mazandaran province over the past few days, according to local media. The accounts of Mandana Akbarzadeh, Azadeh Kebriya, Zeinab Berimani, and Fatereh Hamidi have been taken offline, displaying a message that reads: “This page has been blocked due to the production of criminal content.” The message displayed in the closed pages also says: “Warning: Users’ criminal activities are being monitored.” The crackdown comes as part of a broader effort to limit the visibility of women vocalists, whose performances have been banned in public settings since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Khamenei’s Daily Faults Officials over ‘Lax’ Hijab Enforcement | Iran International
Iran’s hardline daily Kayhan, run by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative, blamed government bodies for lax enforcement of hijab rules and called for stronger promotion of compulsory veiling in a commentary published on Saturday. The call came after remarks earlier this week by government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani, who said “hijab cannot be restored to society by force” and that social values should be strengthened through cultural engagement rather than coercion.
Shot, Stabbed, Beaten to Death: The Women Iran’s Laws Fail to Protect | IranWire
. . . Four women. One month. All were killed by male relatives who claimed to act in the name of family “honor.” The cases . . . offer a glimpse into what women’s rights activists say is a persistent crisis of gender-based violence in Iran. The lack of deterrent laws and a patriarchal culture that values “honor” over human life creates conditions for such killings to continue largely unpunished.
Iranian Women Flout Law on Veiling as Police Curtail Hijab Arrests | Washington Post
On a recent evening in the north of Iran’s capital of Tehran, a young woman with long hair fashioned into a high ponytail hopped onto a motorcycle behind a male companion. Not far away, two other young women smoked cigarettes together on a sidewalk, one with her hair cascading down her back, the other wearing a loose T-shirt with elbow-length sleeves, according to videos sent to The Washington Post. . . . Even as the government has eased up on policing the dress of individual women, officials have continued to use other methods to promote what they see as proper modesty. Authorities have closed down dozens of businesses throughout the country—cafes, restaurants, wedding halls and clothing stores—since late June because they allowed unveiled women to gather . . .
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
After Israeli Strikes Cripple Sana’a Airport, Houthis Turn South | i24News
The Houthis and allied pro-Iranian groups have begun using southern Yemen’s Aden as a new base of operations after Israeli airstrikes rendered Sana’a International Airport inoperable, Yemen’s Interior Minister said in an interview published Sunday. Major General Ibrahim Haydan, speaking to A-Sharq Al-Awsat, said security forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized government have recently detained several Hezbollah operatives, along with Syrian and Iranian nationals, accused of drug trafficking and supporting Houthi operations.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Replace Top Coordination Official | Iran International
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has appointed Brigadier General Hojatollah Ghoreishi as its new coordinating deputy commander, replacing Mohammadreza Naghdi, local media reported on Sunday. Ghoreishi, who previously served as deputy defense minister, has reportedly been in the role for several weeks
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Following Khamenei’s Lead, Iran Clerics Blast US in Friday Sermons | Iran International
Senior Iranian clerics denounced US President Donald Trump in Friday prayer sermons, accusing the United States of aggression and deceit as Tehran’s tone toward Washington hardens following a defiant speech by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Friday prayer leaders are state appointees in Iran's theocracy, and their political speeches reflect the official stance of the ruling clerical establishment.
Iran’s Factions Gear Up for Local Elections Despite Public Apathy | Iran International
Many Iranians may have turned away from the ballot box in recent elections, but establishment factions are taking next year’s local polls as seriously as ever. For insiders, the May 2026 vote is another battleground for influence, especially in the capital Tehran where the council elects the mayor, one of Iran’s most powerful local officials and a common stepping stone to higher office.
Nine-Year-Old Girl Dies at School in Western Iran | Iran International
A nine-year-old student died suddenly during a school break in the western Iranian city of Ilam on Saturday, local media reported, amid a spate of student deaths and allegations of mistreatment in schools across the country. The student, identified as Parnia Rezaei, collapsed during recess at Naderi Elementary School, according to the news outlet Didban Iran. The cause of death has not yet been determined. . . . Despite an education ministry directive explicitly banning corporal punishment and verbal abuse, rights advocates and teachers’ unions say such incidents remain frequent, reflecting systemic failures in oversight and student protection.
CONGRESS & IRAN
Gaza Peace Efforts Succeeded Because Iran Wasn’t Involved, US Senator Says | Iran International
Gaza ceasefire talks advanced largely because Tehran was excluded, Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville told Iran International, urging the Trump administration to focus on reviving Israel normalization deals instead of engaging in negotiations with Iran.
RUSSIA & IRAN
IRGC General Says Russia Needs Iranian Missiles and Drones, Not Vice Versa | Iran International
Tehran has never relied on Russia for its military power, a former chief-commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said, adding that Moscow now depends on Iranian missiles and drones, not the other way around. “Iran received assistance from Libya and North Korea in the field of missile technology, but not from the Russians,” Mohammad-Ali Jafari said in an online interview posted on YouTube on Saturday. . . . “The Russians offered no real help,” he said. “On the contrary, they are now the ones who need our missiles and drones.”
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Rebukes Ex-President Rouhani over Remarks on Russia | Iran International
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday sharply criticized former president Hassan Rouhani and ex-foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, saying their recent remarks had undermined Tehran’s growing strategic cooperation with Russia. . . . During Sunday’s open session, several lawmakers were also heard chanting “Death to Fereydoun”—referring to Rouhani by his birth surname. Amirhossein Sabeti, a lawmaker from Tehran, said Rouhani “belongs behind bars.” Rouhani and Zarif recently criticized Russia’s role in the negotiations that led to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), accusing Moscow of contributing to the creation of the snapback mechanism that paved the way for the reimposition of UN sanctions last month.
EUROPE & IRAN
Austrian Airlines Returns to Tehran, Eyes More Possibilities in Iran, Syria | Aviation Week
Austrian Airlines has the highest proportion of Middle Eastern traffic within the Lufthansa Group; therefore, the lack of connecting passengers on routes to and from the Middle East has a negative impact on Austrian’s North Atlantic routes.
ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS
Iran’s Ancient Sites Face Rising Land Subsidence Risk, Experts Warn | Iran International
Land subsidence driven by decades of groundwater over-extraction is emerging as a direct threat to some of Iran’s most treasured heritage sites, including Persepolis, Naqsh-e Jahan Square and the Tomb of Cyrus, Iranian scientists and officials say. Geologists cited by Tasnim news agency said subsidence has accelerated across provinces such as Isfahan, Fars and Tehran, with field observations of cracks, surface fissures and foundation instability near historic structures.
Iran’s Dam Reserves Fall Sharply as Drought Reshapes Central Villages | Iran International
Iran’s dam reserves have dropped by nearly a quarter from last year, official figures showed on Friday, as rainfall across much of the country fell close to zero and drought reshaped rural areas in the central province of Isfahan.