Iran plotting to keep dissident rapper behind bars say advocates

Earlier in the day, Iran's acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani said nuclear talks with the US are ongoing through indirect negotiations mediated by Oman.

However, White House national security communications advisor John Kirby categorically denied Bagheri's remarks and said, "No active negotiations are going on right now with respect to Iran's nuclear ambitions."

"I won't speak or can't speak to channels of communication with Iran one way or the other, but there are no active negotiations going on to restore the nuclear deal," Kirby told Iran International's Samira Gharaei on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s summit in Washington DC.

Kirby said "the reason for that is because Iran was killing its own people in protests activity. Iran was continuing to spin centrifuges. Iran was continuing to support terrorist groups. And in the early stages of the negotiations, Iran was making unnecessary demands that made it impossible for us to do that. They weren't negotiating in good faith."

The White House national security spokesman reiterated the US president's commitment to making sure Tehran would never develop nuclear weapons, and said, "We'd love to be able to do that through diplomacy. But right now, there's not a path, a diplomatic path ahead of us."

Earlier in the day, US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) told Iran International's Arash Alaei that Washington had not engaged in direct negotiations with Tehran for a long time for a “good reason," pointing out to the oppressive nature of the Iranian government.

He referred to reports by the UN’s nuclear watchdog on Iran’s nuclear activities, saying, “The administration told us they are not engaged in (talks with) them. But obviously the IAEA has told us there is a lot of nuclear development that’s happening there and a lot of things they’re not able to see but what they are able to see and detect has pretty dramatic increases.”

The US senator's comments came after Bagheri Kani said on state TV that details of ongoing negotiations might be kept secret due to their sensitive nature.

“Given the confidential nature of these negotiations, the specific components may not be fully disclosed. However, I can emphasize that the trajectory of lifting sanctions is decidedly progressive,” Bagheri Kani said during a special news program.

The current administration is trying to "achieve significant progress before the incoming government takes office,” Bagheri Kani added, referring to the new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

Kirby had stated on Monday that the US is not willing to resume nuclear talks with the new Iranian president, citing Tehran's policy of supporting terrorism as a significant obstacle.

Asked whether the election will change the US negotiating position, Kirby simply answered, "no".

According to Bagheri Kani, negotiations with the West have been "intensive" over the past three years, with a notable "pause" in February 2022 which he attributed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Since then, Iran has exceeded uranium enrichment limits and is now "weeks not months" away from a nuclear weapon, according to the UN's nuclear chief.

During his election campaign, Iran's next president spoke of promoting constructive talks with Western powers to revive the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) and to lift the sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy since the withdrawal of the US from the agreement in 2018.

However, with Iran's Supreme Leader holding the keys to the country's foreign policy, it is unlikely the new figurehead will be able to truly change course while Iran's proxies wreaking havoc across the Middle East.

During the meeting which took place in Washington DC on the sidelines of the NATO Summit Yellen "outlined Treasury actions to disrupt Iran and its proxies including Hezbollah and Hamas," said a readout from the US Treasury Department.

Yellen further emphasized the importance of information sharing between the US and Israel to counter Iran's influence.

"Secretary Yellen welcomed additional information sharing with Israel and noted that ongoing collaboration to combat terrorist financing has yielded fruitful results with respect to countering Iranian financial and military support to Hamas, Hezbollah, and its other regional partners and proxies," the readout added.

In a post on social media platform X, Israel Katz stated that during the meeting he expressed gratitude for US support while urging for increased US sanctions against Iran in cooperation with Europe.

"I thanked her for the American support for Israel and reviewed Iran's activities as the leader of the axis of evil against Israel, the US, and the entire free world. I emphasized that now is the time to impose severe sanctions on Iran, led by the US and in cooperation with European countries, to stop its nuclear and missile activities and support for terrorist organizations..."

This meeting follows a contentious debate on Tuesday where Congressman Mike Lawler accused Yellen of lax enforcement of sanctions aimed at curtailing Iran's oil trade with China.

In late June, diplomats quoted by the German Press Agency (DPA) indicated that several EU countries, including Germany, are advocating for the designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) IRGC as a terrorist organization based on a ruling by the High Court in Düsseldorf linking a 2022 synagogue attack in Bochum to Iranian state authorities.

Without revealing details, Salehi's social media page administrator disclosed new charges against him on X on Thursday, adding, "Intelligence agents with the cooperation of judicial officers are opening two new cases with false charges against Toomaj Salehi."

German MP YeOne Rhie, Salehi’s political sponsor, also reported the new charges, saying that the Iranian government does not want to release Toomaj so the authorities have levied new charges against him.

“The Iranian regime is afraid. Afraid of releasing Toomaj…that is the only reason for the new, completely abstruse charges, which once again lack any basis in the rule of law,” Salehi’s political sponsor German MP YeOne Rhie wrote on X reacting to the news.

In June this year, a death sentence against the rapper was overturned by Iran’s Supreme Court. His lawyer Amir Raisian announced that the case had been referred to a parallel branch for consideration.

The assertion, made in an article for the IRGC-affiliated Javan newspaper Thursday, underscores the entrenchment of Khamenei's influence over Iran’s political machinery. Hajizadeh’s words were unequivocal: "Today, the Islamic system, the Iranian nation, and above all, Khamenei are the victors, and the president's vote should not be questioned."

This statement comes in the wake of the election of Masoud Pezeshkian, following the sudden death of President Ebrahim Raisi. The transition of power, which appeared smooth and controlled, reinforces the perception of political stability under Khamenei's system, as well as his tight control over the electoral process through the Guardian Council.

Its un-elected members play a pivotal role in vetting and approving presidential candidates, ensuring that Pezeshkian’s presidency would align with Khamenei’s broader strategic objectives.

Hajizadeh also urged supporters of Saeed Jalili, the defeated candidate in the election, to "refrain from any comments about the election and any statements that could be interpreted as undermining Masoud Pezeshkian's vote."

He stated that Masoud Pezeshkian is the president of "the entire nation and every single person in Iran and is supported by revolutionary forces."

He added that support for a particular candidate and competition are relevant only before the election.

Critics argue that the recent elections simply reflect a consolidation of power within pro-Khamenei factions, effectively continuing his vision across critical domains such as foreign and military policy, economic strategy, and internal governance.

Lawmaker Mehrdad Goodarzi suggested that the voter turnout was a testament to Khamenei's leadership, despite it being nearly 40% in the first round, the lowest in presidential elections in the history of the Islamic Republic.

The low turnout barely reached 50% in the runoff according to official figures that cannot be independently verified. "The people's participation in the elections was the result of Khamenei's measures and the people's trust in the country, the homeland, and the governmental structures," Goodarzi said.

The narrative positioning Khamenei as the principal victor not only bolsters his legitimacy among his followers but also portrays the electoral process as a direct manifestation of his authoritarian command. It signals that any political transition or policy continuity is merely an extension of his influence.

The US openly said the elections are "not free or fair" in spite of allowing remote polling booths across America.

Amid the tightly controlled campaign, Khamenei's office issued a warning against the 'misquoting’ of the Supreme Leader and his officials by presidential candidates.

The office criticized what it called "incomplete or incorrect references" made by presidential candidates and their associates, insisting that all quotes must be verified through official documents.

Patrick Clawson from the Washington Institute said Khamenei has historically kept senior IRGC figures outside the presidency in order to retain a firm control over his number two. The IRGC, designated a terror group by countries such as the US, remains deeply entrenched in the country's political and economic machinery. It is closely under Khamenei's watch but its leaders are kept out of the presidential field.

"Most famously, he [Khamenei] refuses to allow talk about who will succeed him and has not named a deputy," Clawson said. "In addition, he has created a multitude of competing institutions with overlapping responsibilities and has moved previously powerful figures into shadowy positions at those institutions or made them into one of many advisors."

It means that over the years, Iran's presidents have ultimately lacked true power. "Khatami complained openly that he had no authority over some of his most important cabinet members, including the minister of intelligence, who had been chosen by Khamenei," added Clawson.

In addition, when Raisi took office in 2021, though it was believed he would wield more power and widely felt to be being groomed as Khamenei's successor, "that did not prove decisive ... and he was not particularly consequential in decision making."

Detailed reports from IODA, a platform monitoring global internet access quality, indicate that significant network interruptions began impacting users on Wednesday afternoon.

A tweet from IODA highlighted “two significant network disruptions involving Host Iran and TCI [Telecommunication Company of Iran].”

It comes as the Raisi administration serves its last days in office, sparking suspicion that it is a final push to impose draconian internet crackdowns which characterized the Raisi years.

It sparked fury online. “The minister of internet_shutdown is doing everything he can to finish the job in his final days,” wrote one user.

“Last night, electricity, internet, and even the mobile network were cut off, and they were still down until I went to sleep. The situation is such that it feels like an invisible terrorist group has attacked all the infrastructure. This invisible group is the incompetent management,” wrote another.

Mohammad Jafarpoor, the Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology and CEO of the Infrastructure Communications Company acknowledged the issue a few hours after the disruptions began.

He announced that "about 40% of the incoming international internet capacity in neighboring countries had been cut" and stated that "less than half of this drop" had affected the country's communication network.

However, on Wednesday night, the Infrastructure Communications Company in a separate statement said, “there is currently no traffic drop in the network due to international link outages, and the communication status is normal.”

Iran has faced repeated internet disruptions and increased filtering pressures in recent weeks following the sudden death of late President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.

During the presidential campaign, internet restrictions stood alongside hijab laws for the contenders as the public demands change. Some of the six candidates criticized the blocking of hundreds of websites and popular social media platforms. However, most proposed developing a national intranet under full state control.

Incoming president, Pezeshkian, the only reformist-backed candidate, even defended the government's "intervention" in internet access, justifying shutdowns during national crises such as the recent protests which led to mass blackouts.

Amid the campaign, he admitted, "When intervention is necessary in a specific crisis, I will intervene".

Standing behind the draconian practice and traditional government line, Pezeshkian claimed that all countries intervene in internet access, a frequently repeated but inaccurate defense by Iranian officials.

Iran is currently ranked 156th out of 181 countries for fixed broadband speeds according to the Speedtest Global Index. The government has escalated its censorship efforts, frequently blocking access to widely used platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, and deliberately causing service disruptions.

The new president even argued during the campaign that the use of VPNs facilitates access to "obscene" content, not acknowledging that by cutting internet access, millions of Iranians are unable to conduct business amid the country's economic crisis. Millions of small businesses in Iran depend on platforms such as Instagram for e-commerce which internet crackdowns have critically impacted.

A report published by the Podro platform shows that intensified internet disruptions in the two weeks leading up to the snap presidential election resulted in a 40% decrease in traffic for active Instagram stores and a 25% drop in their orders.

However, the government again denied that the internet is in crisis on the back of the Tehran E-Commerce Association's third periodic report which revealed the poor state of the country's digital economy. It emphasized that Iran ranks among underdeveloped countries like Ethiopia and Angola in the international standards of internet quality.

It is a quick fire way for the government to silence dissent. Following the mysterious crash of late President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter, the government also increased internet access restrictions as celebratory reactions went viral.

This week, the Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly published a report criticizing the country's low internet speed and cited the involvement of various entities in filtering as factors contributing to the complexity and disorder in managing cyberspace in Iran.