Nobel laureates blast death of Iranian woman in prison as 'state murder'

“Martyrdom is the reward of jihad, whether in the eight-year defense, in the heroic 12-day war, or in Lebanon and Gaza and Palestine,” Khamenei said in a message read at Tehran’s Behesht Zahra cemetery, where ceremonies for “Week of Sacred Defense” were held.

He added: “Nations grow with these struggles and shine with these martyrdoms.”

Khamenei said this year’s commemoration “has acquired another dimension with the martyrdom of a number of prominent figures of the resistance path and brave young people in various places.”

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  In rare move, Iran cancels some annual military parades citing security

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  Iran officials double down on martial rhetoric after sharp Khamenei speech

He called on Iranians to “believe in God’s promise of the triumph of truth and the downfall of falsehood and remain committed to our duty in supporting God’s religion.”

Earlier this week, Iran announced rare changes to its annual military parades, calling off at least two events over what it called security concerns and the need to prioritize military readiness.

The parades, traditionally held during Defense Week beginning on September 22, came this year in the aftermath of 12-day war with Israel in June that dealt the Islamic Republic one of its biggest ever military blows.

Mizan said Rashidi, who was arrested in 2022 and 2023 for alleged ties with the exiled opposition group Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK), had previously been released under what it called “Islamic clemency” but later resumed contact with the group. It accused her of receiving money to carry out sabotage missions, including arson.

Rights groups and opposition outlets had earlier reported that Rashidi, 43, was repeatedly denied urgent medical treatment despite a serious condition.

Iran International reported earlier in the month that her level of consciousness had dropped and doctors had little hope of saving her.

Family members had voiced concern after Rashidi suffered several seizures and was moved to Mofatteh Hospital in Varamin in recent days.

According to sources who talked to Iran International on condition of anonymity, security officials attempted to pressure the family to describe her hospitalization as the result of a suicide attempt.

Rashidi, born in 1983, was detained in April while writing slogans in Tehran’s Javadieh district and initially held in Evin prison before being transferred to Qarchak after an Israeli strike on the facility in July. She was reportedly beaten during her arrest.

Khamenei’s televised speech on Tuesday captured both his persistence and his weakness.

Shortly before, Trump told a packed United Nations that Iran's "so-called" Supreme Leader had spurned a US offer of full cooperation in exchange for suspending its enrichment of uranium.

The rasping 86-year-old leader repeated that uranium enrichment is Iran’s sovereign right and dismissed negotiations with Washington as futile, but the context was unmistakable: nuclear sites had been struck, senior commanders lost and the economy reeled after a 12-day Israeli-American war in June.

The timing made clear that the speech was taped hours earlier before Trump had even spoken, and Khamenei’s delivery relied on hand-scribbled notes.

What was presented as a rebuttal was in fact a prepared monologue, more an appeal to a weary population than a real-time answer to Washington.

Turning point: Soleimani

The confrontation has followed a familiar rhythm.

In September 2018 Trump told the UN the US had quit the “horrible” nuclear deal, restored sanctions and denounced Tehran as the “world’s leading sponsor of terrorism.” Days later, Khamenei addressed crowds in Azadi Stadium, boasting of an unbroken axis from Yemen to Gaza.

The following year, protests over fuel hikes revealed cracks at home, and on January 3, 2020, an American drone strike killed Qassem Soleimani, Khamenei’s most trusted lieutenant and the architect of Iran’s proxy network.

By September 2020 Trump was still boasting of Soleimani’s death and tightening sanctions, while Khamenei deflected with reminders of Iran’s endurance during the Iran-Iraq War embargo.

Fractured command

Fast forward to September 2025: Trump once again denounced Iran from the UN podium. Hours later Iranians heard Khamenei’s taped message—defiant, but less an assertion of command than an effort to buy time for a regime battered by war, inflation, and looming snapback sanctions.

Between June 12 and 24, 2025, Israel launched a sweeping air campaign against Iran, killing nuclear scientists along with hundreds of civilians and military personnel. Iran retaliated with volleys of drones and missiles. But the upshot was unmistakable.

Khamenei vanished from public view for nearly three weeks and has appeared only sparingly since. His speech on Tuesday sounded less like triumph than a plea for stamina from a population strained by sanctions and conflict.

In late August 2025, the E3 (Britain, France, Germany) triggered it, citing Iran’s growing stockpile and obstruction of inspections. On September 19, the Security Council failed to adopt a draft to offer relief, meaning all UN sanctions are set to return on September 28.

On borrowed time?

Khamenei spoke against this backdrop of dwindling external support and exposed vulnerabilities. Hopes of Russian and Chinese protection have proven illusory, and Israel’s strikes stripped away the proxy shield that once kept Iran at arm’s length from direct confrontation.

The Islamic Republic—the “system” in Iran’s official parlance—now leans on survival tactics: smuggling networks, repression and symbolic defiance, reminiscent of Saddam in the 1990s.

Tehran seeks to wring advantage from global distractions, from the US-China rivalry to Europeans’ recognition of Palestine. Yet harsh realities persist: a broken economy, an alienated populace and the specter of renewed confrontation.

After the June war, thousands more were arrested—including many from Iran’s Jewish community — on suspicion of collaboration with Israel. At least nine people have been hanged on such charges since October 7, 2023, according to the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights Organization.

Khamenei’s defiant message hardly offered a way out. It functioned more as reassurance to his circle and propaganda for the base—another effort to buy time.

The veteran theocrat's latest message served more as reassurance to his circle and propaganda for the base than as a real strategy. It showed him boxed into a mentality that time can be bought through attrition.

The reckoning ahead will decide whether his persistent defiance can prolong the ruling system, or whether sanctions, airstrikes and popular anger will force concessions that no rhetoric can forestall.

“The death sentence of Peyman Farahavar, which had been issued by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht, was reviewed in Branch 39 of the Supreme Court following an appeal. The appeal was rejected and the death sentence of my client was upheld,” defense lawyer Ramin Safarnia wrote on X.

“A request for a retrial will be submitted to the Supreme Court, and we hope that through legal means, this prisoner’s death sentence will be overturned,” he added.

Farahavar, from Gilan province in northern Iran, was arrested by security forces in 2024.

He was sentenced to death on April 30, this year on alleged charges of baghi (armed rebellion) and moharebeh (waging war against God).

The US-based rights group Human Rights Activists News Agency, citing an informed source close to the family, said the charges were based on his poems and protest activities related to social justice and civil rights.

Iran has executed at least 1,000 people so far this year, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR).

At least 30 people have been executed this year on security-related charges such as baghi (armed rebellion) and moharebeh (waging war against God), according to IHR.

Esmael Khatib, Iran’s intelligence minister, announced that Iranian operatives had penetrated Israeli intelligence circles and stolen significant data, without citing any evidence.

“Westerners and regime officials admit Iran’s influence within the Zionist regime. The arrest of their citizens and members has been publicized, and acknowledging Iran’s penetration and power is a great blessing … documents stolen from this regime and valuable intelligence obtained are additional blessings,” Khatib was cited as saying by Tasnim News.

Following Israel’s 12-day strike in June, Iran cracked down on networks it claimed were linked to Israel, arresting about 700 alleged Mossad collaborators and executing 6 people for espionage. Israel also charged several of its citizens with spying for Iran.

Khatib praised Iran’s domestic response during the conflict, saying it showcased national unity.

“Many may have made mistakes in their political lives, but their presence, solidarity, and empathy with the people during this 12-day war is another impactful factor that should be encouraged by officials,” he said.

Khamenei, Iran's ultimate decision-maker, delivered a rare televised speech on Tuesday in which he ruled out talks with the United States and emphasized a hard line against what he described as Israeli and American threats.

Concessions to Washington, he said, would mean "Iran’s hands should be so tied that if it were attacked, it could not even respond to the US bases.” Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, Khamenei added, is a "treasure" and should not be counted out.

Support for proxy groups

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf emphasized Tehran’s commitment to supporting allied groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, saying they defend Iran’s security interests.

“Our support for these groups defends Iran’s national security and interests. After Operation True Promise 3, the enemy knows that if we don’t stand against the Zionist regime in the Golan, it will advance to Julula in Iraqi Kurdistan, 30 kilometers from Iran’s border,” Ghalibaf was quoted as saying by Revolutionary Guards-linked Tasnim.

“Operation True Promise 3” was Iran’s retaliatory campaign against Israel during the 12-day war, involving multiple waves of ballistic missiles and drone strikes on Israeli targets.

Israeli attacks in the surprise campaign killed nuclear scientists along with hundreds civilians and military personnel. Iranian counterattacks killed 31 Israeli civilians and an off-duty soldier.

Ghalibaf also pointed to challenges in Syria and Iraq, saying Iran remains focused on those fronts.

“Defending the Islamic world, regional security, and human rights requires us to defend ourselves in the Golan, which is why we support resistance groups,” he said.

Addressing Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, Ghalibaf stressed that the operation was planned solely by Hamas.

“There was no mistake in Hamas’s October 7 strategy. The legitimacy and righteousness of the resistance remain intact. The decision was entirely Hamas’s, and neither the Islamic Republic of Iran nor Hezbollah in Lebanon were aware of the operation’s details,” he said.

Israel is currently continuing its military campaign in Gaza and has demanded the release of all hostages as a condition for halting the offensive.