Large crowd gathers at protest in Tehran Grand Bazaar

Jailed Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh said Iran’s state broadcaster had chosen censorship and distortion in its coverage of nationwide protests, in an audio message sent from prison to Iran International.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting has once again, as always, chosen censorship and distortion in the face of popular protests,” Valizadeh said, adding that one-sided coverage of clashes with security forces would not change realities on the streets and would deepen public anger toward state media.

Valizadeh, who is held in Tehran’s Evin Prison, urged journalists working for state media to distance themselves from what he described as security-linked reporters and to take a professional stance, according to the message.

Valizadeh was arrested in September after returning to Iran to visit family and was later sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of collaboration with a hostile government, a verdict upheld on appeal. He previously worked for the Persian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is held in Tehran’s Evin Prison.

In a statement carried by state media, the council said allegations and interventionist remarks directed at Iran could be treated as hostile acts if they went beyond rhetoric.

It said Iran’s security, independence and territorial integrity constituted a red line that cannot be crossed, and warned that continued hostile behavior would prompt a response, with full responsibility for the consequences resting with those behind it.

The statement said that, within the framework of legitimate defense, Iran did not consider itself restricted to responding only after an action had taken place and would treat tangible signs of a threat as part of its security assessment.

“Any infringement on national interests, interference in internal affairs or action against Iran’s stability will be met with a proportionate, targeted and decisive response... An escalation in threatening language and interventionist conduct that goes beyond verbal posturing may be interpreted as hostile behavior.”

The Defense Council was formed following the 12-day war in June on the order of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

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The warning comes as protests have continued across Iran in recent days, with senior officials accusing Washington and Israel of interference in the country’s internal affairs.

On Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry said statements by some US and Israeli officials amounted to interference and incitement to violence under international norms.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday night aboard Air Force One that the United States was monitoring developments in Iran closely and warned that if Iranian authorities resumed killing protesters, the country would face a strong response from Washington.

At least 29 people have been killed and more than 1,200 arrested in nine days of nationwide protests in Iran, according to rights group HRANA, as demonstrations and strikes continue despite a heavier security presence.

Iran’s rial fell to a fresh record low on Tuesday on unofficial markets, with the US dollar quoted at about 1.47 million rials as authorities seek to defuse public anger over soaring prices.

The euro was trading around 1.72 million rials and the pound at about 19.94 million rials, traders said.

The latest slide follows sharp swings since late December, when the currency’s plunge helped trigger protests in Tehran and other cities that have increasingly taken on a broader political edge.

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Alexey Dedov said accusations over Iran’s role in the Ukraine war were being used as “merely a pretext for taking aggressive anti-Iran measures,” adding that both Tehran and Moscow had rejected the allegations.

“In my view, European countries are seeking to punish any state that pursues an independent foreign policy and refuses to follow directives from Brussels or other European capitals,” ISNA quoted Dedov as saying.

He said this approach was reflected first in Europe’s stance on the snapback mechanism.

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Iran has emerged as one of Russia’s key backers since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Tehran has been accused of supplying Russia with hundreds of Shahed-series attack drones.

Western governments and Kyiv say Iranian-made drones have played a central role in Russia’s aerial campaign, allegations Iran has repeatedly denied or played down.

“If the issue was not Ukraine, European countries would have found other pretexts to take hostile action against Iranian officials with the same self-serving approach,” Dedov said.

He said relations between Moscow and Tehran had reached an unprecedented level in recent years, adding that cooperation in the gas, electricity and nuclear sectors was expanding.

“Bushehr nuclear power plant is our main joint project, with its first unit having been successfully operating for more than 10 years,” he said, adding that construction of the second and third units was continuing and about 700 Russian specialists were working on the project.

Families of people detained in recent protests gathered late on Monday outside detention sites in areas including Gohardasht to seek information about their relatives, but were dispersed by security forces, according to messages sent to Iran International.

In the city of Baghmalek, residents said security agents raided the homes of some protesters and made arrests late on Monday, with no official figures available.

Separately, retirees in Kermanshah held a rally on Tuesday in support of nationwide protests, chanting slogans before security forces moved to break up the gathering, according to messages received by Iran International.