Graham urges Israel to hit Iran, says Houthis act at Tehran’s behest

The position of the clerical establishment on indirect Iran-US negotiations aligns with that of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said Alireza Arafi, deputy chairman of Iran’s Assembly of Experts.
“Our view is what the Leader has outlined,” Arafi said, cautioning against extremes. “There should be neither excessive optimism nor deep pessimism. The path must be pursued with readiness, endurance, and firmness.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly criticized reported US plans to rename the Persian Gulf, calling the move politically motivated and deeply offensive to Iranians worldwide.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the name Persian Gulf is rooted in “centuries of history” and recognized by international institutions and all regional leaders until the 1960s.

“Politically motivated attempts to alter the historically established name of the Persian Gulf are indicative of hostile intent toward Iran and its people, and are firmly condemned,” Araghchi wrote.

He added that any such move would have “no validity or legal or geographical effect” but would provoke strong backlash from Iranians globally, regardless of their background or political views.

The comments come amid reports that US President Donald Trump may announce the use of the term “Arabian Gulf” during an upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, a change Iran views as a deliberate provocation.

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“Disturbed to learn that Iranian citizens have reportedly been arrested by UK security services,” Araghchi said in a post on X. “If credible allegations of misconduct are established, Iran stands ready to assist investigations. We call on UK to ensure respect for our citizens' rights and afford them due process.”

Earlier, Alireza Yousefi Director General for Western Europe at Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran expected British authorities to respect legal norms.

“We call for immediate and accurate information to be given to Iran regarding the reasons for the arrests,” Yousefi said. “Access to consular services must be granted, and the principles of fair trial must be upheld.”

He added that the timing and nature of the accusations raised “serious concerns about political motives” behind the detentions.

Seven Iranian nationals are among eight men arrested in two major counter-terrorism operations carried out separately on Saturday by the UK’s Counter Terrorism Command.

According to the Metropolitan Police, five of the arrests were part of a pre-planned investigation into an alleged plot to target a specific premises. Authorities say some of those detained remain in custody.

Following the arrests, Labour MPs renewed calls for the government to formally proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. They argue the IRGC’s role in transnational repression and terror plots poses a direct threat to UK national security.

The arrests come as UK intelligence services have continued to warn of sustained threats linked to Iran.

In October, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said authorities had disrupted 20 “potentially deadly” plots tied to Tehran since January 2022.

“Iranian state actors make extensive use of criminals as proxies—from international drug traffickers to low-level crooks,” McCallum said in a public statement.

Cecile Kohler, a 40-year-old literature teacher, and her partner Jacques Paris, in his 70s, were arrested on May 7, 2022, during a tourist trip to Iran.

Both Paris and Kohler were subject to inhumane detention conditions including forced false confessions on state TV.

Several Europeans are being held by Tehran, which France and other European nations consider a strategy of hostage-taking to gain concessions.

"I assure their families that our support is unwavering," Macron wrote on social media platform X, referring to the couple as "hostages."

According to their families, Kohler and Paris are being held in extremely difficult conditions.

Kohler's sister, Noemie, who leads the campaign for their release, said the couple are becoming increasingly desperate and losing hope.

In March, French citizen Olivier Grondeau was released from 887 days in detention in Iran.

France has denied the spying charges against its citizens and demanded their immediate release.

Iranian hardline newspapers on Wednesday dismissed reformist remarks that Yemen’s missile attack on Israel jeopardizes Tehran’s negotiations with Washington.
“This strike amplifies Iran’s position, not weakens it,” Kayhan wrote, rejecting moderate Ham-Mihan’s assertion that the Ben Gurion Airport attack harmed diplomacy.
The other conservative daily Vatan-e Emrooz also accused reformist media of “creating false impressions,” noting that “Netanyahu’s threats of military action have far more bearing on the talks.”
The papers argued that US-UK strikes on Yemen and Israeli lobbying in Washington have already shaped the current deadlock.