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An Iranian lawmaker has raised concerns over the contradictory messaging emanating from within the country as indirect talks with the United States are set to proceed.
Mohammad-Mehdi Shahriari, a member of the National Security Committee, questioned why Kayhan -- a media outlet affiliated with the Supreme Leader -- would issue a threat against the life of the US president while Khamenei has authorized the upcoming discussions.
"When the Supreme Leader has permitted indirect negotiations, why does one media outlet say that Trump will be assassinated? What does this mean?" Shahriari asked, highlighting the apparent disconnect between the official approval for talks and the aggressive rhetoric from the hardline publication.
Shahriari's remarks referenced a recent rhetorical column by the Kayhan daily, whose editor is appointed by Khamenei, which called for the assassination of Trump for the 2020 killing of Revolutionary Guard commander Qasem Soleimani.
Germany’s Federal Prosecutor says the investigation into the 1992 murder of dissident Iranian singer Fereydoun Farrokhzad remains open, following claims by an ex-IRGC official that the Islamic Republic ordered the killing in Bonn.
Mohsen Rafiqdoost, a founding member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its minister from 1980 to 1999, recently described his role in funding covert operations abroad. His statements indicated that Iran was directly involved in orchestrating political assassinations beyond its borders, including the 1992 murder of Farrokhzad in Bonn, Germany.
Ines Peterson, a spokeswoman for the German Federal Prosecutor, told Iran International that “I can only inform you that the case of Mr. Fereydoun Farrokhzad is not closed, but still under investigation. As a rule, however, we do not comment on details or alleged suspects. Likewise, we do not comment on motions or requests made by third parties to our office. Therefore, I can only confirm that we have received the email you have mentioned.”
The E-mail that Peterson referenced was a letter sent by the German-Iranian activist Behrouz Asadi from the group Forum Woman, Life, Freedom.
The group urged the Federal Prosecutor, Jens Rommel, “to intensify the criminal investigation into these matters – regardless of political considerations. It is of utmost importance that the Federal Prosecutor's Office exhaust all legal means at its disposal to identify those responsible, hold them criminally accountable, and take appropriate measures to protect democracy and public security in Germany.”
The German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) proposed, according to a 2024 report by North German Broadcasting, the theory that Iran’s government executed Farrokhzad because he mocked Iran’s religious leaders during his concerts. The BKA reported said Farrokhzad said during one concert appearance that he had sex with Islamic clerics.
Farrokhzad, who publicly declared his homosexuality at a time when many gay entertainers remained in the closet, frequently ridiculed the Islamic government's restrictions on sexuality.
German-Iranians have long criticized the authorities in the Federal Republic for showing no appetite to solve Farrokhzad's murder case.
Asadi continued that “There is increasing evidence that the IRGC is directly involved in the planning, organization, and execution of assassinations and attacks against opposition figures and dissidents in Europe,” especially in Germany and France, the statement notes. It highlighted the 1992 killing of Farrokhzad as a particularly serious case, adding that legal proceedings are still pending.
When questioned about Farrokhzad’s murder in Bonn, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office for the former capital of Germany, Martin Kriebisch, told Iran International “The exclusive responsibility for any statements concerning your inquiry is with the Federal Public Prosecutor General, so I kindly ask you again to address further inquiries directly there.”
Kriebisch initially sent Iran International’s press query to the Munichprosecutor’s office, which replied that the crime was in Bonn and Munich would be the wrong place to refer to.
Asadi’s letter added that “ In particular, there are statements indicating that high-ranking IRGC representatives—including Mohsen Rafiqdoost - were directly involved in the planning and execution of this crime. In several interviews, he has spoken openly about the elimination of opposition figures, particularly the targeted killing of Mr. Farrokhzad.”
Mina Ahadi, a German-Iranian dissident who is slated to start a speaking tour this month in the US, brought up the case of Iran’s former ambassador to Germany, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, who is currently a researcher at Princeton University, and called for his arrest by authorities because of his alleged role in the murder of Farrokhzad.
Mousavian wrote on X that “After reading the interview with Mohsen Rafiqdoust, ex-IRGC minister, I was stunned, amazed, and shocked...At that time, I was the Iranian Ambassador to Germany, and along with my colleagues at the embassy, I made extensive efforts for the return of Iranians residing in Germany who wanted to return to Iran.”
Iran International reported that Mousavian allegedly played a role in the assassinations of more than 20 Iranian dissidents in Europe in the 1990s, including Farrokhzad. Mousavian, who was Iran’s ambassador to Germany from 1990 to 1997, has vehemently denied the allegations that he was involved in the mass assassination of Kurdish dissidents at the Berlin restaurant Mykonos in 1992.
The former high-level Islamic Republic of Iran intelligence agent, Abolghasem Mesbahi, said during the Mykonos trial in 1997 that "Mr. Mousavian had a role in most of the assassinations committed in Europe."
In late March, the Iranian-American human rights activist Lawdan Bazargan, who oversees the campaign, The Alliance Against the Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists (AAIRIA), issued a call “for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Mousavian for his direct role in Iran’s state-sponsored assassinations across Europe.”
AAIRIA organized a protest in at Princeton in April 2024 to demand Mousavian’s dismissal. Mousavian and Princeton University’s President Christopher Eisgruber refused to answer multiple Iran International press queries about Farrokhzad.
Iran’s former national security chief said the country's nuclear capability forms a complete and irreversible chain, from mining to final product, emphasizing that is has vital role in medicine, energy, agriculture, and the environment.
“Iran’s peaceful nuclear capability, is a complete chain from mine to the final product; not just a scientific achievement but also a vital driver for medicine, energy, agriculture and environment,” said Ali Shamkhani on X. “This national technology is stabilized, irreversible and indestructible.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Wednesday marked National Nuclear Technology Day by defending the country’s atomic program as peaceful and nationally driven.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program is a symbol of national will and the result of the Iranian nation’s effort, innovation, and perseverance,” Baghaei wrote on X.
He said the technology is now “an indigenous knowledge serving the country’s progress, development, and scientific strength,” and added: “Protecting the achievements of the Iranian nation in the field of nuclear science and its peaceful applications is a national responsibility.”
Iran's former government spokesman said that the Supreme Leader would undoubtedly authorize direct negotiations with the United States if he determined it to be the best way to secure Iran's rights.
Regarding the ongoing debate over the format of the upcoming talks, Mohammad-Bagher Nobakht said, "Undoubtedly, if the Supreme Leader determines that our rights can be better secured or realized through direct negotiations, he will certainly say so."
Speaking about the current indirect format, which has been sanctioned by Ali Khamenei, he added, "Today, we should not be too fixated on the method of negotiation (whether it is direct or indirect)."
"Freezing on the method of negotiation will not get us very far in achieving our goals."
