Congressman proposes July deadline for Trump’s Iran war powers

Iran is carrying out near-daily executions in secrecy, with families sometimes informed only after prisoners have been killed and, in some cases, denied access to the bodies, the Guardian reported, citing rights groups and sources close to relatives.

At least 24 people have been executed since March, including six over two days, according to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group cited in the report.

The surge has raised fears for hundreds of detainees believed to be facing the death penalty over January’s anti-government protests, as well as prisoners accused of espionage during the war with the United States and Israel.

Rights groups say Iran’s internet blackout, now deep into its third month, has made it harder for families, activists and lawyers to communicate with people inside the country or document executions and abuses.

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  Abroad they talk, at home they hang

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  Iran secretly buries executed Swedish citizen at site linked to mass graves

A family member of Saleh Mohammadi, a teenage national wrestling champion executed in March, told the Guardian the family had faced harassment after his execution.

“After our brother’s execution, individuals who support the government have repeatedly gathered in front of our home, chanting slogans and subjecting us to ongoing harassment and psychological pressure,” the relative said.

Among those reportedly executed over the weekend were protester Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, arrested during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom movement, and two Kurdish prisoners, Nasser Bakerzadeh and Yaghoub Karimpour, who were accused of spying for Israel.

Rights groups also reported allegations of torture and forced confessions. In a voice note sent before his execution, Abdollahzadeh denied the accusations and said he had been tortured for weeks.

A source from Mashhad told the Guardian families of executed protesters were being pressured to remain silent, first in the hope of saving their relatives and later in the hope of retrieving their bodies.

Rights groups warned that the war has pushed Iran’s use of the death penalty out of view, allowing the authorities to intensify repression while international attention is focused on the conflict.

Around 1,500 ships and 20,000 crew members are trapped in the Persian Gulf because of Iran’s threats in the Strait of Hormuz, the head of the UN’s International Maritime Organization said.

“Right now, we have approximately 20,000 crewmen and around 1,500 ships trapped,” IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told the Maritime Convention of the Americas in Panama.

Dominguez said the stranded crew members were “innocent people who are doing their jobs every day for the benefit of other countries,” but had been caught in geopolitical tensions beyond their control.

He said more than 30 attacks on vessels had killed 10 sailors, urging companies to avoid sending more ships into the Persian Gulf to prevent further casualties and economic losses.

Pakistan’s foreign minister said Islamabad had asked Singapore to help facilitate the welfare and repatriation of 11 Pakistani and 20 Iranian seafarers aboard vessels seized by US authorities and currently near Singaporean waters.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said he spoke with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and requested Singapore’s support in the case.

Dar said he also spoke with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and that Pakistan remained in close coordination with Tehran.

He added that Pakistan was ready to help facilitate the safe repatriation of Iranian nationals to Iran via Pakistan.

Dar said Pakistan’s Foreign Office and relevant authorities were coordinating with US authorities and others to ensure the safety, welfare and earliest possible return of Pakistani nationals.

Iranian media have welcomed Beijing’s unusually sharp rhetoric in support of Tehran, portraying recent Chinese diplomacy as evidence of a deepening strategic partnership.

Much of the coverage has focused on Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Beijing and his meetings with senior Chinese officials.

During the trip, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered some of Beijing’s strongest language to date on the conflict, condemning what he called “warmongering by the US and Israel” and warning that the region had reached a “decisive turning point.”

Iranian outlets quickly cast the remarks as evidence that China was moving closer to Tehran.

But beneath the celebratory tone lies a more complicated reality: China sees Iran as a useful junior partner, not an ally worth sacrificing its broader economic interests for.

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Oil prices could rise above $167 a barrel if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed through September, the Washington Post reported, citing projections from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Such levels would likely push US gasoline prices above $5 a gallon, up from the current national average of $4.46, according to AAA.

The report said some analysts see an even more severe scenario, with major banks including Macquarie warning crude prices could hit $200 a barrel by early summer.

Based on previous energy shocks, the Post noted, that could send US gasoline prices above $7 a gallon, potentially enough to trigger a global recession.