Iraq’s Iran-backed PMF militia fears terrorist label by the US

Known as the "Fourth Night of Architects," the 12th Iranian Interior Design Award was held on January 20 at the National Library of Iran, attracting over 500 attendees.

Shortly afterward, videos emerged on social media showing women, including judges and participants, without headscarves.

The head of Iran's Public Security Police stated that under orders from Tehran's prosecutor, "swift and decisive action" was taken against those involved in "acts contrary to morality and public decency."

Police official Majid Fayz Jafari told domestic media on Friday that "the police do not compromise on citizens' security and will take firm action against those who deliberately violate the law."

Tehran's prosecutor Ali Salehi also confirmed legal action, alleging that "some women attended without observing the hijab, and moral and legal standards were not upheld."

This case is part of a broader enforcement of the Islamic Republic's hijab regulations.

Last month, Iranian singer Hiva Seifizadeh was arrested during a live performance at Tehran's "Emarat Roo Be Roo," prompting the venue to announce its closure until further notice.

Authorities have also expanded monitoring efforts, with reports of increasing warning messages and legal cases related to hijab violations.

According to the Dideban Azar website, some women received warnings through text messages, which, in certain cases, were sent to their family members.

In December, Tehran paused implementation of a controversial hijab law, which would impose harsher penalties on women and girls violating veiling requirements, following significant domestic and international backlash.

Yet, Iranian authorities continue to enforce existing hijab regulations, taking action against women who appear unveiled in public.

Earlier this week, 209 lawmakers signed a petition urging Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to enforce the controversial "Chastity and Hijab Law."

Following that, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk addressed the state's hijab policies.

"I call again on the authorities to repeal the (hijab) law fully and permanently, along with all other laws and practices that discriminate against women and girls," Turk said on Monday.

Russia is an active geopolitical player with its own vested interests, Nematollah Izadi told ILNA News Agency on Friday.

"There is no doubt the Russians are interested in mediating between Iran and the US, but whether they can do so effectively remains in doubt," Izadi said. "They play a role in regional issues concerning Iran, the US, and Europe and have their own interests. Therefore, they cannot be impartial mediators."

He also urged Iran to adopt a balanced foreign policy, warning against over-reliance on a single ally.

"If Iran fails to do so, all of its foreign policy ‘eggs’ will end up in Russia’s basket—and most likely China’s as well," he said. "This will undoubtedly have negative consequences, as it will limit Iran’s options."

His remarks come following an alarming report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier this week.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi revealed that Iran had significantly increased its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium, raising further concerns over its nuclear intentions.

Grossi also acknowledged that Western sanctions have failed to curb Tehran’s nuclear expansion, with its program growing significantly in recent years.

“Sanctions aren’t working,” Grossi told Bloomberg. “Quite obviously, the country has learned to circumvent them. The program has grown enormously, especially since 2018.”

The IAEA has consistently argued that there is no credible civilian use for uranium enriched to 60%, as it is just a short technical step from weapons-grade (90%) uranium.

Russia’s expanding role in Iran talks

As Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West intensifies, Russia has positioned itself as a key diplomatic actor, proposing talks with Washington.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov met with Iranian Ambassador Kazem Jalali on Thursday to discuss international efforts to resolve issues surrounding Iran's nuclear program, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.

Moscow has agreed to assist the US in communicating with Iran on various issues, including its nuclear program and support for regional anti-US proxies, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday, later confirmed by the Kremlin.

The report, later picked up by Russian state media, quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that "Russia believes that the United States and Iran should resolve all problems through negotiations" and that Moscow "is ready to do everything in its power to achieve this."

Last month, before the Russian offer of mediation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, where both sides "aligned their positions" on the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal that unraveled following the US withdrawal in 2018.

Additionally, in an exclusive interview with BBC Persian, Russia’s IAEA envoy Mikhail Ulyanov dismissed Western concerns about Iran’s uranium enrichment, calling US and European warnings a "political pressure tactic."

"Our Western colleagues seem to think the Middle East is too calm, and they want to add fuel to the fire," Ulyanov said.

Missile program and regional influence: a key sticking point

A major sticking point in nuclear negotiations is whether talks will include Iran’s missile program and regional influence, issues that the US insists must be addressed in any new deal, but Tehran and Moscow reject.

"Negotiations should not include Iran’s missile program or its regional influence," Ulyanov said. "Adding these topics would complicate the process and make it unmanageable."

This mirrors the original 2015 JCPOA, which focused solely on Iran’s nuclear program while excluding its missile program and regional activities, a framework Iran insists must remain unchanged.

Iran's shift away from the West

Izadi’s concerns over Russia’s mediation come amid Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s ban on negotiations with the United States, issued in early February after President Donald Trump announced plans to intensify sanctions. Trump called for an agreement that would permanently prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Khamenei has long pushed for closer ties with Russia and China, rejecting reliance on the US and Europe, a stance that has hardened since the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and renewed sanctions.

This shift has had domestic political consequences, most notably in the forced resignation of Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s former Foreign Minister who negotiated the JCPOA.

His remarks come as Ramadan coincides with Nowruz this year, a point he highlighted while stressing that celebrations must adhere to religious principles.

"These kinds of celebrations do not align with our Muslim culture, and we cannot act against revolutionary and religious values and principles," Hosseini said Thursday.

At the same time, he indicated that some form of commemoration might still be possible without elaborating on specific details: "Programs have been planned for consultation with media and community leaders to ensure Nowruz celebrations take place according to law, regulations, and religious and revolutionary principles."

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. Similarly, Charshanbeh Souri, the fire-jumping festival held before the New Year, has often faced restrictions.

With Ramadan coinciding with Nowruz this year, officials have placed greater emphasis on religious observance, stressing that celebrations must align with “Islamic values.” However, what this means in practice remains unclear, as authorities continue to tighten control over cultural expressions they deem incompatible with their ideological framework.

Nowruz, the Persian New Year, is based on the solar calendar, which follows the spring equinox and remains fixed in relation to the seasons. In contrast, Ramadan follows the lunar Islamic calendar, which shifts about 10–11 days each year in relation to the solar calendar.

Because of this difference, Ramadan and Nowruz only occasionally coincide.

Last year, Iran’s Supreme Leader chose not to deliver his customary Nowruz speech in Mashhad, citing the overlap with Ramadan.

Asked whether Washington would renew a waiver allowing Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, Bruce told reporters, "We are reviewing all existing sanctions waivers that provide Iran any degree of economic or financial relief."

A decision on whether to renew the waiver on the funds, which by November totaled $10 billion, is due on March 8.

"We are urging the Iraqi government to eliminate its dependence on Iranian sources of energy as soon as possible and welcome the Iraqi Prime Minister's commitment to achieve energy independence."

A decision to renew the waiver in the waning days of the Joe Biden administration stoked the ire of Republicans who criticized the Donald Trump's predecessor for allegedly being too soft on Tehran.

Trump reimposed his "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions aimed at depriving Iran of revenue as he seeks to cajole Iran into guaranteeing it will not acquire a nuclear weapon. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.

The funds were mandated for use on humanitarian needs such as medicines, according to the Biden State Department instructions.

However, its Republican detractors maintain that the money is fungible, allowing Tehran to divert its dwindling cash reserves to its military or regional allies such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi fighters in Yemen.

During the previous Trump administration the waiver was in force but access to the funds was stricter, his supporters have argued.

"Making Iran broke again will mark the beginning of our updated sanctions policy," Bessent told members of the Economic Club of New York, highlighting the impact of US sanctions on the nation's currency.

The Iranian rial has lost half of its value in less than six months, partly because of Tehran's regional setbacks and partly due to harsh sanctions rolled out under Trump.

The President has begun an "aggressive campaign to rebalance the international economic system," Bessent added.

The so-called maximum pressure policy on Iran was introduced in Trump's first administration and renewed immediately after he returned to the White House in January.

The policy involves more sanctions and stricter enforcement on Iran's oil exports.

The Trump administration is considering a plan to inspect Iranian oil tankers under an international accord designed to curb the spread of weapons of mass destruction, Reuters reported earlier on Thursday.

The administration is exploring ways for allied countries to stop and inspect vessels in key maritime chokepoints, including the Malacca Strait in Asia, according to the agency citing six sources familiar with the matter.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, addressing parliament on Sunday, acknowledged Trump’s latest sanctions, saying Iran’s tankers now face uncertainty in unloading their cargo.

Iran's oil exports have fluctuated dramatically in recent years, depending largely on Washington's will to enforce sanctions and Tehran's ability to find new ways to get its oil to its main customer, China.

In 2017, before US sanctions were imposed, Iran exported 2.5 million barrels per day. By 2020, this figure had plummeted to around 350,000 bpd.

As Joe Biden took office in 2021, Iran’s oil exports rebounded, peaking at nearly 1.9 million bpd in the summer of 2024. After President Biden administration’s imposed sanctions on dozens of tankers involved in smuggling Iranian oil, exports dropped by 500,000 bpd in the final quarter of 2024.