Oslo rights conference urges concrete dialogue for Iran’s democratic future

“The Islamic Republic will be held accountable for its proxy activity,” Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said. “Iran must stay away from Israel and stop sending money to Hamas.”

She said the ceasefire is vital for Israel’s stability and long-term security, but can only succeed if all hostages, living or dead, are returned and those responsible are brought to justice. “The hostages must come home without exception,” she said.

Her comments came as the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire took effect under President Donald Trump’s plan to end the two-year war in Gaza. The deal, signed by the leaders of Egypt, Turkey and Qatar alongside Trump, began on October 10 and has so far led to the release of 20 living hostages by Hamas in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas also handed over the bodies of 10 hostages, while Israel says the remains of 18 others are still in Gaza and must be returned without delay.

Analysts say Iran’s next steps could shape future talks

Analysts say the Gaza ceasefire could also have wider implications for Iran. A recent commentary from the Stimson Center said the truce may give Tehran another chance to re-engage in diplomacy with Washington if it chooses pragmatism over confrontation. It said that if the agreement endures, Iranian hard-liners could face pressure to support the peace deal or risk further isolation in the region.

A report from Chatham House said that while Trump’s success in securing the ceasefire was significant, the United States needs a clearer Iran strategy to make the peace sustainable. It said that without renewed diplomatic outreach, a cornered and economically strained Iran could act as a spoiler and undermine regional stability.

The former lawmaker, Mostafa Kavakebian, was convicted after repeating allegations in two televised interviews accusing a French-born journalist of having intimate relations with senior Iranian officials.

“Following the remarks, the former member of parliament was summoned by the judiciary to present evidence and documentation, but after failing to provide any credible proof to support his statements, an indictment was issued by the prosecutor’s office and the case was referred to court for trial,” wrote Mizan News Agency.

The court sentenced him to 14 months in prison, suspended for four years, and imposed a two-year ban on all media activity, including interviews and publication of commentary across outlets or online platforms.

The editor-in-chief of the outlet that broadcast his comments was also fined under the court’s ruling, Mizan News Agency added. The verdicts are subject to appeal.

Kavakebian’s remarks concerned Catherine Perez-Shakdam, a French journalist of Jewish background who had previously visited Iran and written favorably about its leadership. In a July state TV interview, he said that she was an Israeli spy who had slept with 120 senior officials. Speaking to Iran International, Shakdam dismissed the charge as “not true, not possible, and completely absurd.”

Shakdam now works as a political analyst and spokesperson for an Israeli advocacy group We Believe In Israel.

Separate sentence for Tehran MP

In a separate ruling, a current member of parliament representing Tehran was convicted of “disturbing public opinion” after describing the government of President Masoud Pezeshkian as plotting to “end the Islamic Revolution” and “terminate Khamenei’s rule” during an online interview in June.

Abolfazl Zohrevand, who formerly served as Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan, received a sentence of three months and one day in prison, suspended for three years, along with a two-year prohibition on media engagement. The editor responsible for publishing his comments was likewise ordered to pay a fine.

The court said it had first consulted the parliament’s oversight board, which confirmed the remarks fell outside Zohrevand’s duties as a lawmaker.

Each of the lawmakers remains free but under suspended sentences that would take effect if similar offenses are repeated within the designated period.

Ghalibaf issued the notification under Article 123 of the constitution, which requires the speaker to forward approved legislation to the president for enforcement.

The law is part of Iran’s effort to meet Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards requiring countries to monitor and report financial transactions to curb money laundering and terror funding.

Mohsen Dehnavi, spokesman for the Expediency Council, said Iran’s accession was approved with two safeguards. Parliament attached a clause requiring the government to act within the framework of the constitution, and the council added that the Islamic Republic would implement the treaty only insofar as it aligns with domestic laws.

“If any part of the convention conflicts with Iran’s internal legislation, national laws will take precedence,” Dehnavi said. “The Expediency Council approved joining the convention based on these two conditions.”

The move came days after lawmakers voted down a bid to block the government from joining the United Nations convention against terror financing. Lawmakers rejected the motion with 150 votes in favor, 73 against and nine abstentions out of 238 members present. The proposal, introduced by conservative lawmakers, sought to halt Iran’s conditional approval to join the convention.

Earlier this month, the Expediency Council, which resolves disputes between parliament and the Guardian Council under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, gave conditional approval for joining the treaty after years of delay, saying implementation would depend on guarantees that Iran’s economic and security interests are protected.

Backers see relief, opponents fear exposure of financial networks

Hardline lawmakers say joining the UN anti-terror finance convention could expose Iran’s financial networks used to bypass US sanctions and support regional allies. Supporters argue that compliance could reconnect the country’s banks to global systems and attract investment amid a deep economic crisis.

Mohammad-Mehdi Shahriari, a member of parliament’s national security committee, said on Saturday that reopening debate on the Countering Financing of Terrorism bill was illegal and would deepen Iran’s isolation, ILNA reported.

He said President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government had obtained the Supreme Leader’s consent to review the measure after expert study. “The CFT was approved with conditions and safeguards after a long process involving parliament, the Guardian Council, and the Expediency Council,” he said.

Shahriari criticized ultraconservative lawmakers for trying to block progress. “Our revolutionary brothers said it was not the right time to discuss this,” he said. “But with so many barriers in trade and banking, the Palermo and CFT bills can ease the burden created after years of sanctions.”

Revisiting the bill in parliament was illegal because the Supreme Leader had already authorized its review, he said.

Regional ties and economic impact

Failure to adopt global financial rules has worsened Iran’s economic problems and strained ties even with friendly states, Shahriari said. “Russia and China have both said that our refusal to join FATF conventions complicates trade with them,” he said. “When most countries have joined and only Iran and North Korea stand apart, what purpose does it serve except more isolation?”

The United States has for decades accused Tehran of using its regional allies to fund and organize attacks, labeling Iran the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism for 39 consecutive years.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a letter to the UN secretary-general and the president of the Security Council that the resolution’s termination on October 18 was “in full accordance with its explicit provisions.”

He added that all related restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program had now lapsed and that the Council’s involvement in Tehran’s peaceful nuclear activities had formally ended.

Araghchi said Iran had “implemented the JCPOA in good faith and with full precision” while the United States “grossly violated international law” by withdrawing in 2018 and reimposing unilateral sanctions.

The three European signatories, he wrote, “failed to meet their obligations and instead imposed additional unlawful measures.”

Referring to the European decision in August to trigger the deal’s snapback mechanism—which reimposed UN sanctions on Iran without the possibility of a veto—Araghchi called the move “unilateral and arbitrary” and said it had “no legal, procedural, or political basis.”

He warned that any claim to reinstate expired resolutions was “null and void.”

The same position was echoed on Saturday by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, who said Iran believes “no decision has been taken in the Security Council to bring back the lifted resolutions,” citing opposition from Russia, China, and several other Council members.

Russia, for its part, said on Friday it was ready to help defuse tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and urged all parties to avoid escalation.

Moscow’s foreign ministry said Western efforts to restore UN sanctions were “legally null and void,” adding that after the expiration of Resolution 2231, Iran’s nuclear program should be treated like that of any other non-nuclear-weapon state under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier described Iran’s acceptance of the snapback clause in 2015 as “a legal trap,” but said Moscow remained firmly committed to a political and diplomatic settlement of the dispute.

MI5 Director-General Ken McCallum said on Thursday that British security agencies had disrupted more than 20 operations linked to Tehran in the past year and were stepping up efforts to counter what he called attempts by Iran to silence its opponents abroad. He said 2025 had required “a significant expansion of our counter-Iran effort,” citing what he described as a rise in hostile state activity.

The Iranian Embassy in London said on Friday it “strongly rejects” the statements, adding that Iran “denies any involvement in violent acts, kidnappings, or harassment of individuals in the UK or elsewhere.” It said the accusations were made without credible evidence and were “part of a continued effort to distort Iran’s policies and undermine bilateral diplomatic relations.”

The embassy said Iran “remains committed to international law, sovereign equality, and peaceful coexistence” and urged the British government to “refrain from escalating baseless accusations” and instead engage in “constructive dialogue based on mutual respect.”

British officials have said in recent months that Iran’s activities pose one of the most serious state-based threats to the UK, alongside those from Russia and China. The government has cited cyberattacks, surveillance, and the use of criminal networks to target dissidents as areas of concern.

McCallum’s comments followed a July parliamentary report that described Iran as a persistent and growing security challenge. The report said the UK and its allies faced what it called “a sustained campaign of intimidation and aggression” from Tehran.