Exiled Prince Pahlavi proposes Middle East without proxies or nuclear threat

Two men appeared in a London court on Thursday accused of carrying out “hostile” surveillance of the UK’s Jewish community on behalf of Iran, The Associated Press reported.

Iranian-British national Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, and 22-year-old Iranian citizen Alireza Farasati are alleged to have assisted the Iranian intelligence service between July and August last year, targeting the Israeli embassy, a Jewish community centre, a college, and Britain’s oldest synagogue.

Neither entered a plea and both remain in custody until their next hearing at London’s Central Criminal Court on April 17.

European Union leaders on Thursday proposed temporary measures, including electricity tax cuts, lower grid fees, and state support, to mitigate soaring energy prices triggered by the war in Iran, Reuters reported.

Europe’s dependence on energy imports has left it vulnerable to rising costs after the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed and Iran began targeting energy infrastructure in the Middle East, the report said.

Around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows normally pass through the narrow strait.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United States said on Thursday that Israeli forces had carried out strikes on Iranian navy vessels in the Caspian Sea and targeted commanders and militants linked to Iran’s operations in Lebanon.

"Over the past 24 hours, we hit Iranian navy boats in the Caspian Sea all the way up in the north, after the American Air Force took out their navy ships in the Gulf area in the south, we hit more Basij checkpoints so there could be more freedom of movement of the Iranians," Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) Leiter posted on X.

"We hit the commander of the Imam Hussein division, who was just on the job for a week. We see more and more of these commanders hesitant and anxious about taking command," he added.

Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan on Thursday condemned recent Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and civilian infrastructure in the Persian Gulf.

The joint statement warned that Tehran’s drone, missile, and mine‑laying operations threaten freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and called for immediate measures to ensure safe passage and stability in global energy markets.

The United States Department of Justice said on Thursday it had seized four internet domains linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), in a court‑approved effort to disrupt “cyber‑enabled psychological operations” and transnational repression activities.

The move comes amid allegations that Tehran uses online platforms to post stolen data, claim hacking attacks, and incite violence against journalists, dissidents, and Israeli individuals, DOJ said in a statement.

The Justice Department said the seized websites had been used to further psychological operations targeting perceived adversaries of the Iranian regime, including by publishing sensitive information obtained through hacks and encouraging attacks against critics.

The operation highlights growing US concerns over Tehran’s use of cyber tools not only for espionage and disruption but also to influence and intimidate foreign audiences and civil society actors, in line with what officials describe as a broader pattern of malign Iranian cyber activity.