Turkish musician mourns lives lost in Iran protests

Exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi addressed families whose loved ones have been killed by authorities, saying he shares their pain and expressing hope that freedom and justice prevail.

In a post on X on Wednesday, he said he was speaking to “all the families whose loved ones this criminal regime has killed,” adding that he feels their suffering from the bottom of his heart.

“As a father, as a husband, I feel your pain deeply and share this pain with you,” he said.

The exiled prince said Iranians would soon be free of the criminal regime and would celebrate their future together. He added that he hoped to be among them soon, “to embrace you and, hand in hand, rebuild our country.”

“That day is near,” he said, ending his message with the phrase “Long live Iran.”

The judiciary identified him as Hamidreza Sabet Esmailipour and said he was arrested on April 29, 2025. It said he was convicted of “espionage and intelligence cooperation,” alleging he communicated with an intelligence officer and handed over documents and classified information.

In a detailed account published by Mizan, the judiciary’s official media outlet, authorities said Sabet Esmailipour had carried out logistical and support tasks for what they described as Israeli intelligence operations, including moving vehicles between provinces and transferring funds. The report alleged some of the vehicles contained explosives intended for sabotage operations, claims that could not be independently verified.

Mizan said the man acknowledged cooperating with Mossad during interrogations and court proceedings, and that his death sentence was upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court before being carried out by hanging.

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  Iran hangs man accused of spying for Mossad

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  Iran publicly executes man on alleged murder charges

Iran has executed more than a dozen people in recent months on charges of spying for Israel, cases that human rights groups say often involve opaque legal proceedings.

Iranian authorities have said more than 700 people were detained on suspicion of espionage or collaboration with Israel following the conflict in June.

US-based rights group HRANA said in a report earlier this month that at least 313 prisoners were executed by hanging during a period of nationwide protests between late December and late January, adding that executions surged alongside mass arrests and a security crackdown as unrest spread and internet access was widely restricted.

During mass killings by security forces in the Tehranpars area east of Tehran on January 9, Hamid Arzanlou was shot in the head and Vahid was shot twice in the neck while trying to save him, according to sources close to the family.

Both brothers later died from their wounds.

At their funeral, a third brother Kiomars Arzanlou asked mourners to clap if they believed his brothers had chosen the right path, and the mourners responded by applauding the two Arzanlou brothers.

According to the sources, security agencies demanded more than one billion tomans (about $6,670) from the relatives in exchange for handing over the bodies.

Hamid and Vahid, the sources added, actively supported and helped organize walkouts during the early days of strikes in Tehran’s central bazaar beginning late last year.

The large‑scale strike on January 7 at the furniture market in the Delavaran district was organized partly through their efforts and became one of the biggest strikes in eastern Tehran.

Sources close to the family say the two brothers were also among the first on the streets on the night of January 8, standing alongside other protesters for hours before security forces unleased a two-day crackdown which killed them along with thousands of other demonstrators.

Hamid and Vahid were owners and managers of the Aysa Mobl Kian furniture company which is one of the best‑known brands in Iran’s furniture industry.

At its peak, this group created jobs for at least one thousand people directly and indirectly and employed about 200 workers directly.

The two brothers hailed from a working‑class family and grew up in Tehran’s Khak‑e Sefid neighborhood and had built up wealth through their hard work and thrift, the sources added.

Vahid was the father of three children while Hamid is leaves behind two young children. Their mother, 68, survives them.

Senator Lindsey Graham praised President Trump’s recent remarks on Iran and called for continued US backing for protesters, warning that Tehran’s leadership cannot be trusted.

“Mr. President… I hope so. As long as it’s a good deal. Well done. Keep standing by the protestors in Iran. They can be our friends. The ayatollah will never be our friend,” Graham wrote on X, in response to the president’s earlier comments about a US naval deployment near Iran.

Republican Congressman Joe Wilson on Tuesday warned that Iranian influence in Iraq will no longer be acceptable, saying any new Iraqi government must disarm Iran‑aligned militias, expel Iranian operatives, and build strong, long‑term strategic ties with the United States.

“Sever Iranian influence in Iraqi affairs. All Iranian advisers operatives and agents must be removed from Iraq and from all Iraqi institutions,” Wilson posted on X. “Fully disarm and dismantle all Iranian aligned militia groups within six to twelve months.”

Wilson voiced strong support for President Donald Trump’s envoy Mark Savaya, praising what he called their “spectacular efforts” to “Make Iraq Great Again and free Iraq from Iran.”