China says it will keep pushing for Middle East ceasefire

The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed a Wall Street Journal report that Russia is sharing satellite imagery and improved drone technology with Iran, calling it “fake news.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the report was not accurate when asked about the newspaper’s claims.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Russia had expanded intelligence sharing and military cooperation with Iran, including providing satellite imagery and drone technology to help Tehran target US forces in the region, citing people familiar with the matter.

The Kremlin also condemned what it called the “murder” of Iranian leaders in US-Israeli airstrikes, after Iranian media reported the killing of senior adviser Ali Larijani in Tehran.

“We unequivocally condemn any actions aimed at harming the health of, or indeed murdering or eliminating, members of the leadership of sovereign and independent Iran,” Peskov said.

NATO will deploy another US Patriot air defense system to southern Turkey, the defense ministry said on Wednesday, as the alliance moves to strengthen defenses amid missile threats linked to the Iran war.

The system will be stationed in Adana province, home to Incirlik Air Base, where US and other allied personnel are based, the ministry said.

“In addition to national-level measures… another Patriot system… is being deployed in Adana, in addition to the existing Spanish Patriot system,” the ministry said.

Turkey said last week NATO had also deployed a Patriot system in the southeastern province of Malatya, near a NATO radar base, as part of efforts to boost air defenses.

Ankara, which has NATO’s second-largest army and borders Iran, has relied on allied systems to intercept missiles it says were fired from Iran since the war began.

Incirlik Air Base hosts personnel from the United States and several NATO allies, including Spain and Poland.

Iran, Russia and China are the main external threats to Sweden, the country’s security service said on Wednesday, citing rising espionage, sabotage and influence activity.

The agency said Iran has increased its activity in Sweden, including using criminal networks to carry out violent acts against Israeli interests and perceived opponents.

“Iran, Russia and China are the foremost actors behind security-threatening activity directed at Sweden,” the security service said.

It said Russia remains the most extensive threat, with intelligence efforts aimed at undermining Nato unity, weakening Western support for Ukraine and acquiring technology, while becoming more risk-tolerant in its operations.

China poses a long-term threat through intelligence gathering, economic influence and cyberattacks, including targeting Swedish companies and diaspora communities, the agency said.

The service warned that foreign powers are using a wider range of methods, including proxies and cyber tools, and that the risk of sabotage and other incidents in Sweden remains.

Mizan said Keyvani was executed on Wednesday morning after his death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court. He had been accused of passing “images and information of sensitive locations” to officers of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.

The report said Keyvani was arrested in Savojbolagh on the fourth day of the 12-day war in June. Authorities said the case had gone through legal procedures, but no independent evidence supporting the allegations was made public.

Later in the day, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said in a statement that a Swedish citizen was executed in Iran without naming him. However, it confirmed that the person was arrested in June.

The legal proceedings leading up to the execution did not meet the standards of due process, she added.

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  Sweden summons Iran envoy amid reports citizen faces death sentence

The semi-official Tasnim news agency said Keyvani had been detained by the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence arm and was found with cash, vehicles and what it described as advanced communication and surveillance equipment.

Tasnim also reported that he had allegedly been recruited through online contact and trained abroad before returning to Iran, though these claims could not be independently verified.

Keyvani is the latest in a series of executions in Iran involving individuals accused of espionage for Israel, particularly since the outbreak of the June war.

Iran has one of the highest execution rates in the world and has long used the death penalty in national security cases, including allegations of spying. Following the conflict, rights groups and international media have reported a sharp increase in arrests and executions on such charges.

The Telegraph reported that executions in Iran have surged since the June war, citing data from human rights group HRANA indicating that the number of executions has risen significantly, including for those accused of links to Israel. The Sunday Times has also reported that dozens more people could face execution on similar charges.

Explosions were reported across several parts of southern, western and central Iran early on Wednesday, according to eyewitness accounts sent to Iran International.

Bandar Abbas, the southern Iranian port city on the Persian Gulf, saw a series of blasts near naval and port facilities. Around 8:00 a.m., explosions were heard from the direction of the navy area and Shahid Bahonar port. More blasts followed at about 8:15 a.m. in the Jahanbar area, and at 8:40 a.m. near the oil terminal and control tower at Shahid Rajaee port.

Ahvaz, the main city of Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province, was shaken by a strong explosion around 9:30 a.m. in the Zeytoun Karmandi neighborhood, rattling windows in nearby homes.

An explosion was heard around 5:00 a.m. in Songhor, a town in Iran’s western Kermanshah province near the Iraq border.

Near Kazerun, a city in Iran’s southern Fars province, an explosion was heard at about 6:55 a.m.

In Malard, west of Tehran, multiple explosions were reported between 6:50 a.m. and 7:10 a.m. In nearby Fardis, in Alborz province west of the capital, several blasts were heard around 7:11 a.m., including in the Naz district.