The US believes Iran is still prepared to do something if they choose to, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday, referring to Iran's promised attack against Israel.
"The US continues to monitor Iran, and is not taking anything for granted," Kirby added.
Kirby's comments came shortly after a phone call between US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, during which they discussed "continued exchanges of fire on the Israel-Lebanon border and the risk of escalation from Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Iran-backed terrorist groups across the Middle East.
"I confirmed the US commitment to Israel’s security and shared that the US is well postured across the region to defend Israel and protect US personnel and facilities," Austin said in a Friday tweet about his Thursday conversation with Gallant.
A grassroots coalition of lawyers and concerned Iranians in Canada is urging the public to share any information they may have about individuals connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Islamic Republic.
This appeal follows Canada's official designation of Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a "terrorist entity" in June, underscoring the government's responsibility to act against such threats.
Established in 2022, StopIRGC is a British Columbia-based organization led by Iranian-Canadian lawyers and volunteers dedicated to investigating and identifying potential activities associated with the IRGC. Since the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Tehran's morality police in September 2022, the coalition has taken on the task of tracking the Islamic Republic’s agents operating on Canadian soil. These agents are believed to spy on Iranian diaspora activists and engage in activities such as money laundering and sanctions evasion.
In response to persistent appeals from the Iranian diaspora to bar regime-affiliated officials from entering Canada—particularly following the Iranian authorities' brutal crackdown on the nationwide "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests in 2022—the Canadian government has begun deporting individuals linked to the establishment. In July, reports emerged that Canadian immigration authorities had initiated deportation proceedings against five suspected senior Iranian government officials residing in the country. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has alleged that these individuals held senior positions within Iran’s government and has requested the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) to conduct hearings on their cases, as reported by Global News.
Although the Trudeau government imposed sanctions in November 2022 to bar individuals connected to the Iranian state from entering Canada, the first deportation order was issued in February 2024. According to Global News, this policy has already resulted in deportation orders against Majid Iranmanesh, a former science advisor, and Seyed Salman Samani, a former deputy interior minister.
Nevertheless, the influence of the Islamic Republic extends beyond the Iranian diaspora, encompassing anti-Israeli activities as well. In early August, Iran International exclusively reported that Iran was orchestrating anti-Israel protests at a Canadian university, aiming to weaken Western support for Israel and sow division within Canada.
Furthermore, in its annual report released in May, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) highlighted cyber-attacks originating from the Islamic Republic, specifically targeting Canada. A separate report on foreign interference, also published in May, identified Iran, alongside China, Russia, India, and Pakistan, as key threats to Canadian national security.
In an unprecedented development, the chairman of Iran National Development Fund has called on President Masoud Pezeshkian to re-establish US consular services at the venue of former American embassy in Tehran.
Mehdi Ghazanfari, appointed by former hardline president Ebrahim Raisi, addressed Pezeshkian in a tweet, saying, "It would be good, at the very least, to restore consular services at the US Embassy in Tehran out of respect for the Iranian people, so that the many Iranians there can travel more easily."
"Now that all the pillars of the regime are supporting you and your government, please, if you see fit, implement a few tasks that have been left unfinished for many years. It might be better to do these before the honeymoon period ends."
In 1979, a few months after the establishment of the Islamic Republic, a group labeled as student supporters of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini attacked the US embassy in Tehran and took dozens of Americans hostage for 444 days. They were release in January 1981, the day when President Ronald Regan was taking his oath of office. US and Iran have severed diplomatic relation for the past 44 years.
The National Development Fund (NDF) is Iran’s sovereign wealth fund and Ghazanfari is considered a high-level government official. Most of the fund, estimated to be around $100 billion has been drained in the past five years because of the impact of US sanctions.
Ghazanfari began his message to Pezeshkian by saying, "Now that all the pillars of the regime are supporting you and your government, please, if you see fit, implement a few tasks that have been left unfinished for many years. It might be better to do these before the honeymoon period ends."
He went on to say that the students who took over the embassy were most probably linked to the Iran’s Communist Tudeh Party. “They threw a rock into the well, which no one has been able to retrieve so far,” Ghaznfari said.
It is difficult to determine if Ghazanfari was expressing his personal opinion, or his tweet was an effort by the government or a certain faction to raise the issue of re-establishing ties with the United States.
An Iranian analyst, who wants to remain anonymous, told Iran International that if the government orchestrated Ghazanfari’s comments, the aim might have been to raise the issue and initiate a national conversation, using an economic figure to break the ice rather than a political official.
The analyst further noted that reactions in Tehran to Ghazanfari's remarks could indicate whether the government was involved. If Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or President Pezeshkian swiftly dismiss or condemn his statement, it would suggest that the policy at the top remains unchanged.
Amid unsurmountable economic crisis, there have been some signals in the past two months that Tehran might be open to improving relations with the West. The specter of Donald Trump’s re-election has made the Islamic Republic more nervous about harder times ahead. The Biden administration has been softer on Tehran, allowing breach of sanctions and releasing $16 billion of frozen funds.
Masoud Pezeshkian is the first Iranian president to publicly acknowledge that his ministers were either chosen or approved by the Supreme Leader. Some argue this was a clever move to underscore Ali Khamenei’s accountability.
In his final address to the Parliament, before his cabinet was put to vote, Pezeshkian stressed that Khamenei had not only approved every proposed minister but had also personally urged at least one reluctant candidate to join.
He insisted that every single minister had been vetted by the Intelligence Ministry and the Intelligence Organization of the Revolutionary Guards and could get a vote of confidence for two of his most controversial ministers, the 'reformist' Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi and Ahmad Meydari, without much trouble. The final vote count was a serious blow to the ultra-hardliners who had supported Saeed Jalili in the elections.
Many interpret Pezeshkian’s remarks as a deliberate surrender of presidential authority, reducing himself to a mere executor of Khamenei’s policies and orders. Critics have labeled him the "first minister" for Khamenei, arguing that he has undermined the constitutional powers granted to the presidency.
Hamid Aboutalebi, a former diplomat and adviser to Hassan Rouhani in a tweet described Pezeshkian’s situation as winning the “battle” with the Parliament and losing the “war” to uphold “constitutionalism” and the “republic”.
However, some pundits and supporters believe that Pezeshkian’s candid admission of “coordinating” everything with Khamenei might be part of a larger strategy. They argue that by openly involving the Supreme Leader, Pezeshkian ensures that Khamenei will share the burden of criticism if the ministers fail to address the country’s critical situation.
An observer in Tehran also told Iran International, “He outmaneuvered the ultra-hardliners by using their own tactics against them. Hardliners have long accused their political opponents of defying Khamenei’s wishes to discredit them. With his shrewd speech, Pezeshkian turned the tables, putting Paydari Party lawmakers and their allies in the very position they’ve often used to attack others.”
“Ultra-hardliner’s opposition to his ‘national accord government’ and ministers who come from various political factions, with Khamenei’s full blessing as he claimed, would only mean defying or undermining Khamenei,” he added.
Netizens have also widely taken to X and other social media platforms to comment in favor or against Pezeshkian’s unprecedented public disclosure of the extent of Khamenei’s role in administrative affairs.
“It’s not fair that the Leader always interferes in the selection of ministers and the head of the government is blamed for their possible failures,” one of the tweets in support of Pezeshkian’s move read. “Pezeshkian has put pressure on parallel [state] institutions with this move to cooperate with the administration rather than pushing cogs in the government’s wheel as they did to Rouhani’s government,” the X user added.
Another netizen surmised that Pezeshkian’s move could also help prevent military bodies from “throwing spanners in his works”. “And everyone thinks he is saying these things naively,” the netizen remarked.
Some have also described Pezeshkian’s seemingly impromptu remarks as “clever”. “We think that Pezeshkian is an idiot because of the way he behaves. But this guy knows how to kill without injuring,” another tweet argued.
Others have commented that Khamenei’s tacit support which Pezeshkian tried to bring to light has been imposed on him by “special and unique circumstances of the country” including the perceived danger to his authority from ultra-hardliners who declare obedience to him but have secret plans for his succession.
In some of her strongest foreign policy statements to date, US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said she would take whatever action was necessary to defend US interests against Iran and would not cozy up to tyrants and dictators.
"I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists," Harris declared, in the toughest statement yet since she emerged as a replacement to President Joe Biden for November.
Formally accepting her party’s nomination Thursday night, Harris said, "In the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs," Harris said, accusing Trump of bowing down to dictators.
Government-controlled media in Tehran dubbed Harris's speech "anti-Iran," slightly twisting her words, claiming that the Democratic candidate threatened the Islamic Republic.
However, many foreign policy observers have been warning on social media that if she wins in November, the Harris administration will continue Biden’s relatively “soft” approach toward the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Former President Donald Trump was known for his hardline stance against Tehran, implementing crippling oil export and other sanctions that remain in effect today. However, under President Biden, enforcement of these sanctions has softened, allowing Tehran to significantly boost its oil exports and revenues.
One Iranian opposition figure in the United States tweeted after Harris’s speech, “The Harris-Biden administration had over three and a half years to take a tough stance against the Islamic regime in Iran. Instead, by abandoning Donald Trump's maximum pressure policy and failing to enforce sanctions,” they allowed Tehran to sell more oil. He added that the White House also released $16 billion in frozen funds for Iran in 2023.
As Harris prepared to deliver her speech at the Democratic convention, five Republican senators sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging the White House to deny visas to several foreign leaders, including Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York this September.
The letter signed by Senators Marco Rubio, Joni Ernst, Rick Scott, Markwayne Mullin and Tom Cotton, called Pezeshkain and Cuban dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel, and “the narcodictator of Venezuela,” Nicolas Maduro Cuban dictator, V “raises serious security issues for the United States and our allies.”
The letter said, “Iran is directly responsible for the horrific October 7th attack on Israel and the recent rocket strikes that killed a dozen innocent Israelis, including children, at a soccer field in the Golan Heights.”
The senators maintained that although the United Nations General Assembly is a diplomatic forum, the US should take a stand against foreign leaders “who threaten our values.”
“President Ronald Reagan denied a visa to Yasser Arafat in 1988 due to his support for state-sponsored terrorism, and President Trump similarly denied a visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. In this spirit, we urge you to deny entry visas to dictators Pezeshkian, Díaz-Canel, Maduro and any other leaders whose presence at the UN General Assembly would undermine our national security,” the Republicans lawmakers stated.
Germany has selected Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s movie ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ as its official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.
The selection was made by an independent jury of experts appointed by German Films, who said they reviewed 13 films before making their decision.
“It is an outstanding work by one of the great directors of world cinema and someone who has found refuge in Germany from state despotism in Iran. We are very happy to know that Rasoulof is safe in our country. And we are delighted that he will be representing Germany at the Oscars in 2025," German Films said in their statement.
This marks the first time an Iranian film has been put forward by Germany for the Oscars.
The film delves into the protest movements in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. Amini's death in custody, allegedly for not adhering to hijab, ignited widespread protests across Iran.
The exiled dissident filmmaker fled Iran by foot through rugged mountainous terrain after receiving an eight-year prison sentence, a flogging, a fine, and property confiscation for “signing statements and making films and documentaries,” which the Iranian authorities called “collusion to commit a crime against the country's security.”
Earlier this year, the exiled director’s film won a special jury prize at Cannes.
Alongside dissident actress Setareh Maleki, who stars in the film, Rasoulof attended the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival shortly after fleeing Iran.
While Germany hails Rasoulof’s work as “outstanding,” Iran's Culture Minister Mohammad Mehdi Esmaeili had condemned the production and distribution of his film, labeling it "illegal."
As the film garners global attention, it not only shines a light on the struggles of the Iranian people but also underscores the importance of cinematic expression as a tool for resistance.