IRGC-linked outlet says Tehran remains pessimistic on US talks

In a detailed statement published Sunday, the judiciary said some defendants were convicted of “corruption on earth,” a capital offense often used in politically sensitive security cases, while others received prison terms and additional punishments.

The statement did not specify how many people received death sentences or identify them, but IRGC-linked Tasnim News cited Tehran's Revolutionary Court as saying four of the nine defendants had been sentenced to death.

The case stems from the death of Arman Aliverdi, a 21-year-old Basij member and seminary student who was fatally injured during clashes in Tehran’s Ekbatan neighborhood in October 2022, at the height of the nationwide protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody.

The Ekbatan proceedings became one of the most closely watched legal cases arising from the 2022 protests, which evolved into the Islamic Republic’s biggest challenge in years and spread across dozens of cities under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom.”

The judiciary said forensic examinations, medical reviews, video evidence and investigative findings established that Aliverdi died from severe head trauma caused by a hard object, but investigators were unable to determine which individual inflicted the fatal injury because of what officials described as chaotic conditions and the large number of people present at the scene.

A criminal court consequently refrained from issuing qisas, or retributive execution sentences, ruling that while some defendants had participated in assaulting Aliverdi, responsibility for the fatal strike could not be conclusively assigned.

Three defendants were sentenced to prison and ordered to pay financial compensation, while three others were acquitted of direct involvement in the killing.

Separate proceedings in a Revolutionary Court addressed broader security-related accusations including acting against national security, propaganda against the state and “corruption on earth.”

It was in that branch of the case that death sentences were issued, according to the judiciary.

Rights groups and lawyers have repeatedly raised concerns about due process in protest-related prosecutions, including allegations of coerced confessions and heavy reliance on national security charges.

Iran has sharply increased executions over the past year, according to rights organizations, with activists warning that authorities are increasingly using capital punishment not only in criminal cases but also as a tool of deterrence.

The judiciary said all verdicts in the Ekbatan case remain subject to review by Iran’s Supreme Court.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Hezbollah against destabilizing Lebanon and reaffirmed Washington’s support for the Lebanese government, as regional diplomacy increasingly focuses on whether any Iran-related agreement can contain conflict involving Tehran’s allies.

“The era in which a terrorist group held an entire nation hostage is coming to an end,” Rubio posted on X.

Iranian officials have repeatedly indicated that any sustainable reduction in tensions would need to extend beyond direct US-Iran issues and include fighting involving regional allies, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis publicly questioned the Trump administration’s wartime claims about Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities, saying current diplomatic discussions appear inconsistent with earlier assertions that Tehran had been “obliterated.”

Speaking to CNN, Tillis said he was struggling to reconcile past statements by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials with reports that Washington may now accept arrangements allowing nuclear material to remain inside Iran.

“Now we’re talking about a posture where we may accept the nuclear material may remain in Iran,” Tillis said. “How does that make sense at all?”

“There are a lot of things that need to be explained,” he added.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia have stepped up consultations over the latest round of diplomacy between Tehran and Washington, as regional players push to prevent tensions from sliding back toward conflict.

Qatar’s foreign ministry said Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed ongoing negotiations involving Iran and the United States during a phone call.

The two sides also reviewed regional mediation efforts and coordination aimed at supporting de-escalation and broader stability, according to the ministry.

Senior adviser to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Mohammadreza Naghdi said Iran’s enemies failed to destroy the country’s naval capabilities during the recent war, arguing that otherwise US warships would already be moving through the Strait of Hormuz.

“If they had destroyed the navy, their ships would have set off and passed through the strait,” Naghdi said in remarks carried by IRGC-linked Fars News.

He also claimed Israel launched 2,100 projectiles and 300 surface-to-surface missiles at Abu Musa island during the conflict but that Iranian forces “stood firm without any weakness.”

Naghdi further said Israel attempted to assassinate the IRGC’s commander-in-chief during the war but “missed the target and failed.”