Iranian political prisoner sentenced to death again, rights group says

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that no agreement with US would be approved unless Tehran was certain it had secured its rights.

“We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that we have secured the rights of the Iranian people,” Ghalibaf said.

He said those working on diplomacy had no trust in the US words or promises.

Ghalibaf also said revisions to Iran’s seventh development plan would be reviewed by specialized parliamentary committees with a focus on reconstruction after war damage.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized state broadcaster IRIB on Sunday, saying some of its analyses and narratives create an “unrealistic” picture of the country’s conditions.

Pezeshkian said the issue required a serious review.

He said public opinion should not be shaped by undocumented information or interpretations lacking scientific backing.

“Truth is independent of individuals,” he said. “In the language of science, legitimacy is defined by evidence, reasoning and documentation.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy said on Sunday that 28 vessels, including oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels, crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours after receiving permits.

The IRGC navy said the ships passed with its coordination and security support.

It said the Persian Gulf belonged to Muslim countries in the region and accused the US military of being the main cause of insecurity there.

Police in Iran sealed a cafe over accusations that it promoted what authorities called “satanic activities,” state media reported on Sunday.

A video from inside the cafe on Tehran’s Valiasr Street was also released, which appeared to show men and women seated around tables during a live music performance.

In the footage, some audience members could be seen clapping, filming with phones and moving their heads to the music as a performer performed near a microphone and music stand.

The report said Tehran’s public venues police acted after receiving reports about the cafe’s activities.

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A video from inside the cafe on Tehran’s Valiasr Street was also released, which appeared to show men and women seated around tables during a live music performance.

In the footage, some audience members could be seen clapping, filming with phones and moving their heads to the music as a performer performed near a microphone and music stand.

The report said Tehran’s public venues police acted after receiving reports about the cafe’s activities.

Authorities accused the cafe of holding Western music events and providing a setting for what officers described as “deviant sects,” involving young men and women.

They also said customers at the cafe had been seen making “strange and unusual movements.”

In May 2024, police arrested over 260 people at an underground rock music festival, branding the event a “satanist gathering.”

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  Iran Labels Rock Music Fans Satan Worshippers in Mass Arrest