Activist slams Iran anti-war appeal, says it ignores repression

The US State Department warned Americans worldwide on Saturday to “exercise increased caution” amid the ongoing Middle East war, citing potential security risks, flight disruptions and attacks targeting US diplomatic facilities.

“We remind Americans in the region of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments,” the advisory said. “The Department of State advises Americans worldwide, and especially in the Middle East, to exercise increased caution.”

The advisory said groups supportive of Iran may target US interests or locations associated with the United States and Americans around the world, while warning that US diplomatic facilities have been targeted, including those outside the Middle East.

Iran moved 12 death row inmates to solitary confinement, raising concerns they could face imminent execution, human rights activist Sepideh Gholian said on Saturday.

Gholian said in a post on X that internet access in Iran could be cut off again at any moment, prompting her to publish the names of the prisoners and urge people to repeat the names.

Gholian identified the prisoners as Alireza Sepahi, Abolfazl Sepahi, Alireza Raeisi, Faeghe Hosseini, Golmohammad Mohammadi, Amirhossein Safari, Amirhossein Maleki, Ali Dashti, Amirhossein Ebrahimi Analoujeh, Shervin Bagherian, Erfan Esfandiyari and Abolfazl Ebrahimi. She said Alireza Sepahi had been sentenced to four death sentences, Abolfazl Sepahi to three, and Golmohammad Mohammadi and Faeqe Hosseini to two each, while the remaining prisoners had received one death sentence each.

Anita, a young Iranian singer known online as “Anita Popist,” said she had been sentenced to 74 lashes on a charge of “offending public decency,” after reports that female rapper Rudi had already been flogged.

Anita also said authorities had seized her passport and blocked her SIM card. Women are banned from singing solo in public before mixed-gender audiences in Iran.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Saturday repeated US “violations” of a memorandum of understanding with Tehran had once again proved that the US president’s signature was “worthless,” warning that Iran and the Axis of Resistance had “unforgettable lessons” for the United States.

In a message attributed to Khamenei, he said Washington’s breach of the agreement demonstrated the United States could not be trusted, describing it as “the Great Satan” and accusing it of bullying, expansionism and brutality.

He said the United States had once again revealed its “true face” and that its actions provided further evidence of what he described as America’s dishonesty and unreliability.

Khamenei also warned that if the United States continued to pursue military escalation and accepted heavier costs, “the Iranian nation and the Axis of Resistance have unforgettable lessons” for Washington, adding that recent actions by Iranian fighters and residents of the country’s southern regions had already offered examples of that.

Iran has suspended its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding with the United States after Washington “violated all of its obligations” under the agreement, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Saturday.

"The United States has effectively trampled all of its commitments and suspended them," Gharibabadi said. "We have also suspended our commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding and are not implementing them."

Gharibabadi said Iran was focused on defending the country and accused the United States of violating the agreement through what he described as "aggressive actions." He said there was no new information regarding possible talks with Washington, adding: "We are busy defending the country."