Russia dismisses recruitment flyers in Tehran as scam

Nima Ashrafzadeh is CEO of Iranian e-commerce platform Pindo, a subsidiary of Iran's top online retailer Digikala.

The internal celebration at Pindo last December was reportedly deemed by authorities to have violated public morality codes because men and women attended together and some women appeared unveiled, according to Tehran-based tech outlet Digiato.

Yalda Night, an ancient Persian festival marking the year’s longest night, is traditionally celebrated in Iran with gatherings of family and friends, poetry readings, and fruit such as pomegranates and watermelon.

Digikala co-founder Hamid Mohammadi confirmed the sentence on the social platform X, saying the verdict had become final. He called it “unbelievable” and said it sends a “discouraging message” to those working in Iran’s digital economy.

“A few weeks ago, leaders of the digital economy were invited to meetings with the president and the heads of all three branches of government, where we heard promises of support,” Mohammadi wrote on Tuesday. “Today, the CEO of Pindo has been sentenced to 74 lashes, and the company’s license has been revoked.”

Mohammadi described the punishment as evidence of “a deep gap between official words and action,” saying it reflects growing uncertainty for Iran’s private sector and tech entrepreneurs.

Part of broader hijab crackdown

The case comes amid a renewed campaign by Iranian authorities to enforce mandatory hijab laws in both public and private settings. Earlier this month, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said “the current situation cannot continue,” announcing new coordination between police, prosecutors, and regulators to address what he called “social disorders” linked to hijab violations.

Ejei said intelligence agencies had been ordered to identify “organized promoters of improper hijab,” and warned that restaurants, cafés, and companies could face permanent closure if violations occurred on their premises. Government institutions, he added, would also be held responsible for “unlawful behavior” at official events.

The judiciary statement followed a letter from 155 lawmakers urging tougher enforcement, accusing the courts of passivity toward noncompliance and demanding “consistent application of existing regulations.”

Despite these pressures, many women in major Iranian cities continue to appear unveiled in public spaces, and videos circulating online show mixed gatherings, music, and casual dress — a sign of ongoing defiance amid an intensifying state crackdown.

Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi headed the Iranian delegation. A preparatory session with diplomats and experts from the three countries was held on Monday, according to ISNA.

The meeting reviewed progress in implementing the Beijing accord, which restored diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh after a seven-year rift and set out commitments to reopen embassies and expand political and economic ties.

According to China’s foreign ministry, the three sides called for an immediate halt to Israeli actions against Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, and condemned violations of Iran’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The statement also said the parties look forward to expanding cooperation in various fields, including economics and politics.

The previous rounds of the trilateral committee were held in Beijing and Riyadh, where the sides reaffirmed respect for sovereignty and non-interference and welcomed China’s continued mediation to support regional dialogue.

Regional visits to Tehran

The Tehran meeting followed a flurry of recent diplomatic activity involving Iran and its regional neighbors. Last month, senior officials from Turkey and Saudi Arabia also visited Tehran for high-level talks widely seen as efforts to manage regional tensions through dialogue.

At the same time, new reports shed light on broader diplomatic exchanges behind the scenes.

According to an exclusive report by Iran International, the Trump administration responded to a message from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, conveyed through Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, by reaffirming its three preconditions for any talks with Tehran: a halt to uranium enrichment, an end to Iran’s support for regional armed groups, and restrictions on its ballistic missile program.

Reuters earlier reported that Pezeshkian’s letter to the crown prince, sent before his late-November visit to Washington, said Iran “does not seek confrontation” and remains open to diplomacy if its rights are guaranteed.

During that trip, US President Donald Trump said he was “open” to a new deal with Tehran, while Mohammed bin Salman pledged to “do our best to help reach a deal between America and Iran.”

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei later dismissed reports of Iranian outreach via Riyadh as “pure lies,” though it remains unclear whether he was briefed on the exchange or if Tehran chose to deny it after the US response.

Kamalvandi said the current safeguards agreement under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was written for “normal circumstances” and provides no clear mechanism for facilities that have come under attack. “The safeguards agreement was not designed for wartime situations and therefore needs to be updated,” he told IRNA.

He added that Iran remains committed to the NPT and its verification framework but said the agency’s political approach has complicated cooperation. “When a country is attacked, it cannot be expected to immediately allow inspectors into damaged sites, because that could mean handing sensitive information to its enemies,” Kamalvandi said.

The spokesman said Tehran would continue cooperating with the IAEA over undamaged facilities, but for those hit during recent strikes, “a new legal understanding is needed.” He said the safeguards regime allows for such revisions under its articles 20–22, which permit amendments in exceptional circumstances.

IAEA 'accepted Iran’s point' in Cairo talks

Kamalvandi also revealed that during recent discussions in Cairo, IAEA officials had effectively acknowledged Iran’s legal argument, accepting that the existing safeguards framework does not fully address post-conflict conditions. “Their agreement in Cairo shows that they understood our point — the current text cannot respond to the realities after the 12-day war,” he said.

He stressed that any future cooperation with the agency must ensure that Iran’s security and classified information are protected, saying Tehran is prepared to propose new verification methods “compatible with the realities of a conflict environment.”

“Our main goal is to find a path within the law,” Kamalvandi said. “We are not closing the door to cooperation, but the rules must reflect the conditions that Iran — or any country under attack — faces.”

Foreign minister warns of radiation risk at bombed nuclear sites

Meanwhile, earlier this week Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran faces “security threats and safety concerns” after strikes on its nuclear facilities during the 12-day war in June, warning of potential radiation leaks from damaged sites.

In an interview with Japan’s Kyodo News published on Sunday, Araghchi said the attacks had created “serious dangers,” including possible contamination and unexploded ordnance.

Araghchi added that while Tehran remains open to new nuclear talks if Washington shows “a logic of confidence-building,” IAEA inspections cannot resume at damaged facilities until “clear protocols” are established to protect both safety and sovereignty.

“During just one week, emergency departments nationwide recorded over 170,000 pollution-related visits,” Raisi said on Tuesday, noting that cases had risen by 20 to 25 percent compared with normal levels. “Most of these patients came from the 11 provinces with the highest pollution, showing the scale of the crisis,” he added.

Raisi said the Health Ministry estimates the annual health cost of pollution at about $17 billion, and that more than 59,000 people died last year from diseases linked to poor air quality.

Citing World Health Organization data, Raisi said most Iranian cities suffer from dangerously high levels of pollutants. “Tehran had only 14 clean-air days last year, Isfahan 16, Mashhad 28, and Ahvaz just two,” he said. “This means a large part of the population is exposed to hazardous air nearly all year.”

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He said particles smaller than 2.5 microns “enter the bloodstream quickly and are proven causes of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and severe respiratory disorders.”

Tehran suffers record air pollution, Shargh reports

The reformist daily Shargh said the current Iranian year, 1404, has been Tehran’s worst for air pollution in at least two decades, with more than half of all days so far classified as polluted. “In no previous year have the data been this dark,” wrote analyst Ali Pirhosseinlou in a Tuesday commentary.

He said the number of “acceptable” air-quality days has dropped to about one-third of the year, while at least four days so far have seen daily air quality index readings above 200 — considered “very unhealthy.”

“The situation is worse than at any time in the past two decades,” Shargh wrote. “There is no plan to control the sources of pollution. No effort to renew diesel fleets, improve fuel quality, or reduce traffic. Instead, the municipality has restricted access to air-quality data.”

The paper concluded: “This is not interpretation – it is reality.”

The briefing, described by several participants, said Iran is rapidly restoring its missile manufacturing capacity after suffering heavy damage in June strikes.

The IDF official warned that Tehran’s missile program is “recovering at a fast pace” and remains a top strategic priority for Iran’s military planners.

The warning came as Iran intensified missile and drone testing during large-scale military exercises in the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea.

Last week, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy said a new missile tested during the drills had a range beyond the length of the Persian Gulf, without specifying the exact distance. “The Persian Gulf is 1,375 kilometers long – this missile’s range is beyond that,” Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said on state television.

Tangsiri said the weapon, built domestically by the IRGC Navy, “can be guided after launch” and demonstrated “very high precision.” State media said the exercises also involved ballistic and cruise missile fire, drone operations, and air defense maneuvers around the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s southern islands.

Iran’s missiles have a declared range of up to 2,000 kilometers, which officials say is sufficient for deterrence and covers Israel. The United States and its allies have urged Tehran to limit missile development to under 500 kilometers — a demand Iran has repeatedly rejected.