IRGC used UAE-based network to buy Chinese satellite gear - FT
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards used a UAE-based procurement network to buy advanced Chinese satellite equipment linked to its drone program, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
The report said leaked UAE commercial contracts and shipping records showed the IRGC Aerospace Force acquired military-grade Chinese satellite communication technology in late 2025 through a company based in the UAE.
The deal was sensitive because the UAE hosted a company supplying communications equipment to the same branch of the Guards that later launched missiles at the UAE in response to US-Israeli strikes, according to the report.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards used a UAE-based procurement network to buy advanced Chinese satellite equipment linked to its drone program, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
The report said leaked UAE commercial contracts and shipping records showed the IRGC Aerospace Force acquired military-grade Chinese satellite communication technology in late 2025 through a company based in the UAE.
The deal was sensitive because the UAE hosted a company supplying communications equipment to the same branch of the Guards that later launched missiles at the UAE in response to US-Israeli strikes, according to the report.
A Bahraini court sentenced nine defendants to life in prison on Sunday over alleged cooperation with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Bahrain’s state news agency reported.
The court also sentenced two other defendants to three years in prison in two separate cases involving accusations of spying for the IRGC to carry out hostile and terrorist acts against Bahrain.
Prosecutors said the cases involved surveillance of sensitive sites, photographing facilities and passing information to the IRGC.
They also alleged that money transfers using Iranian and Bahraini bank accounts and cryptocurrency were used to finance the activities.
Bahrain said the cases were heard over several sessions with defense lawyers present before the court issued its rulings.
Reports of a possible agreement between Washington and the Islamic Republic have triggered anger and frustration among Iranians, with messages sent to Iran International reflecting deep distrust toward both foreign powers and Iran’s ruling establishment.
As speculation over renewed diplomacy between Tehran and Washington intensifies, several citizens described the prospect of a deal not as a path toward stability but as another political arrangement reached at the expense of ordinary Iranians.
“We no longer have hope in Trump… we will finish the job ourselves,” one citizen wrote. Another added: “Trump’s decisions should not matter to us. We ourselves must bring down the Islamic Republic from inside the country.”
Reports of a possible agreement between Washington and the Islamic Republic have triggered anger and frustration among Iranians, with messages sent to Iran International reflecting deep distrust toward both foreign powers and Iran’s ruling establishment.
As speculation over renewed diplomacy between Tehran and Washington intensifies, several citizens described the prospect of a deal not as a path toward stability but as another political arrangement reached at the expense of ordinary Iranians.
“We no longer have hope in Trump… we will finish the job ourselves,” one citizen wrote. Another added: “Trump’s decisions should not matter to us. We ourselves must bring down the Islamic Republic from inside the country.”
The messages come amid continued economic pressure inside Iran, where inflation, unemployment and political repression remain key public grievances.
US President Donald Trump said an agreement involving the United States, Iran and several other countries had been “largely negotiated” and was awaiting finalization.
Opposition to ceasefire, negotiations
Some viewers voiced direct opposition to any temporary ceasefire or agreement involving the Islamic Republic.
“We the people of Iran do not want a 60-day ceasefire or agreement,” one citizen wrote. Another described life in Iran as “impossible” and said they were waiting for “another call from the prince,” referring to exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi.
Several messages also urged US President Donald Trump not to strike a deal with Tehran, arguing that the Islamic Republic has systematically deprived citizens of the ability to organize or protest freely over the past decades.
An Iranian man walks next to a mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, May 11, 2026.
The comments reflected broader skepticism that outside governments would prioritize the demands of Iranian citizens over regional security concerns or diplomatic interests.
Economic pressure and public exhaustion
Economic hardship emerged as another dominant theme in the messages.
“We are being crushed under inflation,” one citizen wrote, warning that any agreement with the Islamic Republic would amount to “the biggest betrayal” of Iranians.
Others described mounting psychological exhaustion after years of overlapping crises, including economic decline, executions, political crackdowns and regional conflict.
“Every day we struggle with the stress of execution news, depression, poverty and countless other hardships,” one viewer wrote. Another added: “The news about a deal shows that we the people have become victims of politics.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed on Sunday progress toward a US-Iran agreement, saying any deal must reopen the Strait of Hormuz and guarantee toll-free freedom of navigation.
“We need a deal that truly de-escalates the conflict, reopens the Strait of Hormuz and guarantees toll free full freedom of navigation,” she wrote on X. “Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. It must also end its destabilizing actions in the region, directly or through proxies, as well as its unjustified and repeated attacks on its neighbors.”
She said Europe would work with international partners toward a lasting diplomatic solution and to contain spillovers from the conflict, including on supply chains and energy prices.
