IRGC could emerge as major winners from US deal - Reuters

The southern shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz is open "day or night," the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said on Friday, as it lowered its threat assessment for the strategic waterway from "substantial" to "moderate."

In its latest advisory, UKMTO said vessels could continue using the route, which runs close to Oman, but warned mariners of the possible presence of mines and ongoing naval clearance operations.

"Mariners should be advised of the existence of mines and expect naval presence as clearance operations continue," the advisory said.

A message attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader suggesting he had reservations about the agreement with the United States has sparked a fierce debate in Tehran, with hardliners and moderates offering sharply different interpretations of its meaning and implications.

Supporters of the government presented it as a roadmap for the next phase of diplomacy, while critics argued it showed the leader’s preferred approach had been sidelined during negotiations.

Hardline media outlets and political figures offered a starkly different reading, arguing that the message showed the leader’s views had not been fully reflected in the negotiation process.

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The disciplinary committee at Sharif, widely regarded as Iran's leading technical university, handed down expulsion orders and, in several cases, multi-year bans from higher education, the group said.

The students named in the report include Reza Dalman, a master's student in computer engineering; Fatemeh Khakpour, an undergraduate chemistry student; Hossein Shadman, a master's student in industrial engineering; Sepanta Saeedi, an undergraduate computer engineering student; Masiha Bagheri, an undergraduate computer engineering student; Fariborz Kohanzad, an electrical engineering student; and Parnian Khodabakhshi, an undergraduate materials science and engineering student.

The expulsions come amid a crackdown that has continued since nationwide unrest in January and intensified during the recent war with the United States.

Rights groups say Iranian authorities have used the security climate to tighten control at home, with arrests, student disciplinary cases and executions rising sharply.

Iran has also carried out executions at record levels in recent months, fueling concerns that the political calm following the US-Iran memorandum of understanding could give authorities greater room to suppress dissent away from the battlefield.

United Students said disciplinary cases against three of the students — Saeedi, Shadman and Bagheri — centered on activity on social media. The other four cases were linked to protests in March, the group said.

The group also said detained student Ariana Koochak had been expelled.

Earlier this week, the Islamic Association of Sharif University students said families of several students had received calls from an unidentified number and reported that a number of students had been banned from entering the campus.

Sharif University has long held a special place in Iran's political and intellectual life. Often described as Iran's MIT, it is the country's most prestigious technical institution, with many graduates going on to pursue advanced degrees and careers at leading universities and technology companies abroad.

The university has also been a hotbed of student protest in recent years.

During the war, the campus was bombed in what officials said was an attack on research centers alleged to have dual-use applications.

The strike was condemned by Tehran and by rights organizations, which warned against attacks on civilian educational institutions.

The new expulsions suggest that even as Iran enters a formal diplomatic process with Washington, pressure on students and universities is continuing at home.

The memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran is exposing divisions among Democrats, with some lawmakers criticizing the agreement as a concession to Tehran while others argue the priority should be avoiding a return to war.

Sen. John Hickenlooper denounced the deal in a post on X.

"People have faced increased costs in the US for months because of this war," he wrote. "Iran gets money back. Americans do not. It's despicable."

But Sen. Chris Van Hollen argued that Democrats should frame the conflict itself as a strategic mistake and resist calls for renewed military action.

"The war has been a blunder," Van Hollen said. "There is no good way out of a bad war."

"When you're in a hole, stop digging," he added.

Molavi Abdolhamid, Iran's most prominent Sunni cleric, welcomed the memorandum signed between Tehran and Washington, saying it could benefit ordinary Iranians if widespread corruption allowed.

Speaking during Friday prayers in Zahedan, the Sunni Friday prayer leader said the agreement was in the interests of the Iranian nation.

"If financial corruption is not eliminated, there is a risk that released assets will also be wasted and the people of Iran will not benefit from them," he warned.