An Iranian Baha’i photojournalist sentenced to 26 years in prison has been denied the right to a standard appeal, a source close to his family told Iran International on Friday, as authorities continued to put pressure on members of the religious minority.
The restrictions on Artin Ghazanfari's appeal come as a court upheld another Baha’i man's prison sentence in northern Iran and security agents seized belongings from three Baha’i homes in the central city of Isfahan.
Ghazanfari, held at Greater Tehran Prison, can challenge his sentence only through the Supreme Court rather than a regular appeals court, the source said.
The developments are the latest in a series of judicial and security measures involving Iran's Baha’i community, the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority, whose faith is not officially recognized by the Islamic Republic.
Journalist sentenced to 26 years, denied medical care
Ghazanfari was sentenced by Branch 15 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
His sentence includes 20 years for "media-related activities," five years for "assembly and collusion" and one year for "propaganda against the state."
A source close to his family said the judge applied Iran's law on increased espionage penalties to impose a 20-year sentence for an offense that would otherwise carry a 10-year prison term.
The source said Ghazanfari was given only 10 days instead of the usual 20 to challenge the ruling and was required to choose a lawyer from a list approved by the head of the judiciary.
His lawyer was also denied an opportunity to speak with the judge, according to the source.
Ghazanfari, who was arrested at his Tehran home in January, has also been barred from joining political groups, engaging in social media activities and leaving the country. Authorities ordered the confiscation of his mobile phone.
HRANA reported that Ghazanfari suffers from heart failure, high blood pressure and asthma but has been denied specialist medical treatment outside prison despite recommendations from prison doctors.
Court upholds sentence over Baha’i religious activities
In a separate case, the ninth branch of the Mazandaran Court of Appeals upheld a sentence of seven months and 16 days in prison against Noyan Hejazi, a Baha’i resident of Jouybar in northern Iran, sources familiar with the case told Iran International.
The court also upheld a ban on exercising social rights for 10 years and one day.
Hejazi was convicted of "promoting the Baha’i faith" and "propaganda against the Islamic Republic" on social media.
Court documents cited activities including organizing recreational camps and music classes for young people, possessing Baha’i religious books and publishing material critical of the Islamic Republic online.
The appeals court rejected his objections and upheld the lower court's ruling. It also cited his lack of cooperation during questioning and what it described as ineffective denials of the accusations.
Security forces arrested Hejazi at his home in June 2025 without presenting a judicial warrant, according to sources familiar with the case. He was released on bail in August.
His wife was also detained while seeking information about him at a detention center in Sari and was later released on bail.
Security agents seize jewelry and belongings from three homes
In Isfahan, 10 plainclothes agents raided three homes belonging to Baha’i families on October 27, seizing jewelry, cash, electronic devices and household belongings, sources told Iran International.
The homes belonged to Raouf Rouhani Najafabadi, his mother Ferdous Ferdousian and his mother-in-law Forough Darab.
According to the sources, the masked agents spent six hours searching the properties and removed nine mobile phones, three televisions, three laptops, cameras, four musical instruments, more than 15 suitcases and bags, and over 30 million tomans in cash.
They also seized gold and jewelry, along with household items including a bag of sugar, an air pump and a ladder.
The sources said agents used pliers to cut two gold bracelets from the wrist of a woman in the family and removed a necklace belonging to an elderly relative.
The agents told Rouhani Najafabadi and his daughter that they would contact them later, according to the sources.
Days before the raids, Rouhani Najafabadi's wife, Taraneh Khosravani, had received a summons to appear before a court handling property confiscation cases under Article 49 of Iran's Constitution.
The court deals with confiscation proceedings and is linked to the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order, an organization that manages extensive assets in Iran.
Sources said dozens of Baha’i families in Isfahan had received similar court notices over the past year, while raids and property seizures had increased.
International concern over treatment of Bahais
The cases come as Iran faces renewed international criticism over its treatment of religious minorities.
Representatives of Britain and Italy condemned discrimination and repression against ethnic and religious minorities, including Bahais, during a meeting of the UN General Assembly's Third Committee on October 28.
Iran's Baha’i population is estimated at more than 300,000, making it the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority.
Unlike Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism, the Bahai faith is not recognized under Iran's constitution.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Bahais have faced restrictions on education, employment, religious activities and property ownership, according to human rights organizations.
In September, a spokesperson for the Baha’i International Community told Iran International that pressure on Bahais had intensified, describing the judiciary as a tool for persecuting religious minorities.
Iranian authorities have long rejected accusations of systematic religious persecution, maintaining that prosecutions involving Bahais concern security or legal offenses rather than religious beliefs.
US Vice President JD Vance has offered to meet Iran's top security official Mohsen Rezaei to discuss ending the war, the Washington Post reported, as Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday to pursue a deal.
Vance sent a letter last week to Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), outlining the interests of both countries in possible negotiations, the newspaper reported on Thursday, citing a US official familiar with the discussions.
The letter stressed that Washington's main objective was to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while recognizing Tehran's interests in rebuilding its economy and preserving its national sovereignty.
The vice president also told Iran it needed to appoint representatives authorized to negotiate over its nuclear program, according to the report.
Istanbul or Doha could host a meeting between Vance and Rezaei if the two sides agree to direct talks, the official said.
The Washington Post reported that US officials regarded Rezaei as an important contact because of his influence within Iran's security establishment and his access to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Qatar returns to Tehran for new talks
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday to advance efforts toward an agreement between Iran and the United States, Reuters reported, citing an official briefed on the negotiations.
The mediators have been coordinating their efforts with Washington as they seek to narrow differences over the nuclear program and the economic restrictions imposed on Iran.
The two sides remain divided over the order of steps needed to reach an agreement. Washington wants nuclear issues addressed from the outset, while Tehran insists that the US first end its naval blockade and lift restrictions on Iranian oil exports.
Qatar presented Iran with a draft peace plan on Sunday, but a senior Iranian official subsequently described the ideas as unacceptable and said Tehran would not change its position on the nuclear issue.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran was consulting closely with intermediaries on ideas for implementing its own seven-day proposal to end the war.
The Washington Post reported that Qatari representatives have maintained regular contact with Rezaei and other senior Iranian officials.
According to the newspaper, Iranian leaders regarded Vance's direct letter as a sign of respect, although there was no indication they had changed their nuclear position.
Washington sees Rezaei as central to negotiations
The Trump administration believes Rezaei could help secure support within Iran's leadership for a nuclear agreement, the Washington Post reported, citing the US official.
US intelligence officials believe Rezaei has maintained regular contact with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, including discussions in recent days after receiving Vance's letter.
Rezaei, a former commander of the IRGC, has gained influence within Iran's political and security establishment and maintains connections with officials overseeing the economy, according to the report.
The newspaper said US officials viewed him as someone capable of securing agreement among Iranian leaders on sensitive nuclear issues.
Vance previously led US negotiations with Iran, including an April meeting in Islamabad with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Those discussions involved possible sanctions relief and economic cooperation in exchange for a nuclear agreement, but they failed to produce a lasting settlement.
The Washington Post reported that US officials believe the opportunity to reach an agreement without further military action could be narrowing.
Trump says contact focused on medical supplies
US President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he had approved Vance's outreach to Iran but said the contact concerned medical supplies rather than instructions to restart peace negotiations.
"They need help with medical supplies and various things. He asked me what I thought. I said, 'if you want to do that, that's OK,'" Trump told reporters.
"Basically, it's getting supplies in to help people that are not well," he added.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the letter to Rezaei, saying the contact was intended to explore whether Washington and Tehran could agree on a framework for negotiations.
Axios separately reported that Vance stressed the need for any renewed negotiations to address Iran's nuclear program.
The discussions come as Trump considers possible renewed strikes against Iran after the November 3 US midterm elections, according to reports by US media outlets.
Vance says Trump will not allow prolonged Iran war
Speaking at a Fox News town hall in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday, Vance said Trump would not allow the conflict with Iran to become a prolonged US military engagement.
"We've been involved in Iran in some form for seven months. The United States has been dealing with Iran for 47 years, and I promise you that Donald Trump is not going to let Iran become a forever war," Vance said.
He said opposing lengthy military interventions did not mean ruling out the use of force.
"I think there's a difference between criticizing foreign military misadventures and saying that you can never ever use the American military," he said.
"He's going to accomplish America's objectives, and then we're going to focus on the other things that we're doing," Vance added.
His comments came as US military officials prepared options for possible further strikes against Iran, with Trump yet to announce a decision.
An Iranian cleric and former Revolutionary Guards member arrested during January's nationwide protests has been sentenced to death twice in separate cases, including for apostasy, US-based rights group HRANA reported Thursday.
The cleric, identified only as Mehdi, was sentenced to death alongside two other protesters, Amirreza Rezaei and Vahid Ghahremani, by Branch 23 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court, according to HRANA.
The charges against the three included allegedly carrying out operations on behalf of Israel, HRANA said. They were informed of their sentences in prison on Monday.
Mehdi, whose surname remains unknown, received a second death sentence from Iran's Special Clerical Court on a charge of apostasy. HRANA provided no further details about the circumstances of that case or his previous service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
All three were arrested separately by security forces during the nationwide protests in January. They were transferred from Greater Tehran Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj on Wednesday.
The sentences come amid warnings from the United Nations that Iranian authorities have intensified executions and prosecutions linked to the protests during the war with the United States and Israel.
UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato told the General Assembly on Wednesday that at least 34 people had been executed in connection with the nationwide protests.
Sato cited one case in which 34 defendants were tried in just five days, with 12 sentenced to death and seven already executed. She raised concerns about mass trials, forced confessions and the lack of due process in capital cases.
"The war has provided cover for the authorities to intensify their crackdown and tighten the repression," Sato said, adding that protesters had been portrayed as agents of foreign powers and peaceful dissent prosecuted as a national security threat.
The protests began in late December with strikes by merchants in Tehran before spreading across the country. At least 36,500 people were killed during the subsequent crackdown by security forces, according to Iran International's reporting, while tens of thousands were arrested or summoned.
Some Iranian families are paying thousands of dollars to put their children in foreign online schools, buying an international education from home and stepping outside the Islamic Republic’s school system, despite the education ministry’s warnings.
The government-affiliated newspaper Iran reported on Thursday that institutions offering foreign curricula and diplomas from countries including Canada and Britain were attracting Iranian students.
A mother whose 15-year-old daughter attends an online high school based in Toronto told the newspaper her family pays $7,000 annually to prepare her daughter for admission to Canadian universities without leaving Iran.
Another father cited shortcomings in Iranian schools’ approach to practical skills and creative thinking as reasons for enrolling his son in a foreign online college alongside his education in Tehran.
Diplomas not recognized in Iran
Mohammad Salimi, head of the Education Ministry’s Center for International Affairs and Overseas Schools, warned that the foreign online institutions in question lack authorization to operate in Iran and that their diplomas are not recognized by the domestic education system.
Students attending only these institutions are not registered in Iran’s official education databases and could face difficulties continuing their studies domestically, Salimi told Iran daily.
For families planning to send their children to universities abroad, however, recognition by institutions in the destination country may matter more than approval from Iranian authorities.
A diploma’s lack of recognition in Iran does not necessarily make it invalid internationally. Its acceptance depends on the school’s accreditation and the admission requirements of individual universities.
What do foreign schools offer?
The expansion of international online schools allows students to follow American and British curricula without relocating.
International Virtual Learning Academy (IVLA), a private American school, provides online education from elementary through high school, allowing students to select courses and progress at a pace suited to their circumstances.
Annual high school tuition starts at $2,679 for its basic program, rising to $3,799 or $5,279 for packages offering additional educational support.
Britain’s King's InterHigh offers live and recorded online classes, with subjects including computer science, economics, psychology and film studies.
For the 2026–2027 academic year, annual tuition is £7,250 for students aged 14 to 16 and £7,585 for the pre-university program covering three principal subjects.
Crimson Global Academy also provides American and British curricula online. Annual full-time tuition for its American high school program ranges from $22,375 to $25,500.
The differences show that foreign online schooling does not carry a uniform price. Costs vary according to grade level, course selection and the educational services provided.
Ideological education and alternative choices
Some families are turning to foreign education in a country whose school system was restructured around the Islamic Republic’s religious and political objectives after the 1979 revolution.
UNESCO has documented how Iranian textbooks were revised after the revolution to incorporate Islamic teachings, with religious and political content extending beyond religious education into subjects including history, social studies and Persian literature.
Iran’s Fundamental Reform Document of Education also identifies the cultivation of Islamic-Iranian identity and religious values among the education system’s central objectives.
In a study published in July 2025, education researcher Golnar Mehran examined Iranian social studies textbooks and the role of Islamization and politicization in their content.
By contrast, the international online schools examined offer greater flexibility in course selection, different academic pathways and preparation for universities abroad.
The YouTube generation and English-language learning
The spread of the internet and social media has also exposed Iranian students to English-language material and international educational resources from an early age.
YouTube, online gaming and English-language social media content have expanded opportunities to learn beyond formal classrooms, despite extensive internet filtering in Iran.
A 2024 survey by the Iranian Students Polling Agency, ISPA, found that roughly half of the university students surveyed used YouTube.
Another official survey published in 2026 found that around 23 percent of children and adolescents aged six to 15 used tools to circumvent internet restrictions.
A 2026 study involving 120 English-language learners in Tehran and Isfahan found that structured educational use of YouTube, Instagram, Telegram and WhatsApp over 12 weeks significantly improved English proficiency among participants in the experimental group.
Such resources can make international online education more accessible to students who develop sufficient English-language skills.
IVLA, for example, expects international applicants to have adequate English proficiency but does not require a language-test certificate at enrollment.
Dollar-priced education and a future beyond Iran’s job market
The cost of foreign online schooling means it is largely accessible to families with greater financial resources, some of whom may be considering educational and professional futures beyond Iran.
English-language instruction, exposure to international curricula and experience with remote learning could help prepare students for university education abroad and potential participation in the global labor market.
The growth of remote employment has also created opportunities for people to work for foreign companies or clients without emigrating. Language skills, digital proficiency and familiarity with international educational and professional environments can support access to such work.
However, Iran’s internet restrictions, difficulties receiving foreign payments because of limited access to international banking networks, and overseas employers’ hiring policies can still obstruct those opportunities.
More than 16.5 million students were enrolled in Iran’s education system at the beginning of the 2026–2027 academic year, but no comprehensive figures have been published on the number attending foreign online schools or whether enrollment is increasing.
It is also unclear how many intend to pursue education abroad and how many regard foreign courses as a supplement to their domestic schooling.
Although the newspaper Iran focused on tuition costs and the risks associated with diploma recognition, the parents it interviewed described different priorities, including alternative curricula and preparation for education overseas.
For families already investing substantial sums in international schooling, recognition by Iranian authorities may carry less weight than access to foreign universities, migration opportunities or employment beyond the domestic market.
The Education Ministry’s warning about unrecognized diplomas therefore addresses only part of a broader issue: how far Iran’s education system can meet the expectations of students increasingly using the internet, English-language resources and online education to explore academic and professional opportunities beyond the country’s borders.
Young Iranians are turning from opium, their parents’ drug, to cannabis, methamphetamine and a widening range of synthetic substances, treatment specialists and officials say, as unemployment, hardship and uncertainty about the future reshape the country’s drug use.
Opium is still common among older users, Tejarat News reported. The younger generation’s drugs go by other names: cannabis, known locally as gol (bud), and methamphetamine, known as shisheh (glass).
In July, the head of prevention at Iran's Drug Control Headquarters, Zahra Abedini, said the highest prevalence of drug use was among people aged 24 to 35.
She estimated the prevalence of drug use among university students at between 2.5 and 2.7 percent, although the figures were based on existing studies. A new nationwide survey is underway to provide updated data on addiction in Iran.
Kamran Fateh, an addiction specialist, told Tejarat News that drug consumption should not be viewed simply as a matter of personal choice.
Behind many cases of drug use lies a combination of social, economic and psychological factors, he said.
"A young person facing anxiety, unemployment, a sense of having no future, emotional setbacks, economic pressure or family tensions may look for a quick way to temporarily escape those pressures," Fateh added.
Cannabis use and the changing drug market
The Drug Control Headquarters' director of treatment has identified cannabis and hashish as among the country's most commonly consumed substances, warning about the rapid emergence of synthetic drugs and new psychoactive compounds.
One concern highlighted in the report is the growing normalization of cannabis use among young people, some of whom regard it as less dangerous than traditional narcotics or believe occasional consumption carries little risk of dependence.
Fateh warned that misconceptions about the safety of certain substances were among the biggest obstacles to prevention.
"When a substance is described as 'recreational,' 'herbal' or 'less harmful,' people's awareness of the risk of dependence decreases," he said.
Addiction treatment specialists in several provinces have reported cases of young people beginning with cannabis before experimenting with other substances, although such progression is not inevitable.
According to prices reported by addiction treatment specialists, a cannabis cigarette costs around 1.5 million rials ($0.55), while methamphetamine sells for approximately 2.5 million to 7 million rials ($0.92 to $2.59) per gram.
Heroin prices range from 2 million to 7 million rials ($0.74 to $2.59) per gram, compared with 1.21 million to 3 million rials ($0.45 to $1.11) for opium. The figures are estimates rather than official market rates.
Experts have also warned that newly emerging substances are increasingly marketed with claims of reducing stress, boosting energy, improving concentration or promoting weight loss.
Economic hardship and uncertainty fuel vulnerability
Fateh said the expanding illegal drug market was making prevention increasingly difficult as suppliers introduced new substances and combinations to meet changing demand.
He also said that families sometimes discover drug use only after occasional consumption has developed into a more serious problem, adding that punishment and intimidation are not necessarily effective responses.
"If society focuses only on 'saying no to drugs' but offers no solutions to problems such as unemployment, social isolation, depression, identity crises, economic pressure and a lack of healthy recreational activities, many of the underlying causes of drug use will remain," he said.
Fateh highlighted the relationship between economic hardship and addiction, saying that rising drug prices could drive dependent users toward cheaper, unfamiliar or more dangerous substances.
"If a dependent person does not have access to effective, affordable and accessible treatment, higher prices may even push them toward more dangerous alternatives," he said.
He argued that enforcement measures against drug suppliers alone would not resolve Iran's addiction problem without addressing the broader economic and social pressures facing younger generations.
Iran has used a secret network of more than 5,000 military agencies to import at least $2 billion worth of equipment, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025, bypassing Western sanctions and the US naval blockade, a Reuters investigation published on Thursday found.
One agency alone, identified as MOD 346428, imported $2.3 billion in military-related goods between January 2025 and June 2026, according to shipping records examined by Reuters.
The shipments included rocket fuel ingredients, explosives, aircraft parts, industrial machinery and hundreds of heavy-duty trucks that could be adapted for military use, with goods recorded as originating in China, Russia, Germany and other countries.
The findings provide details of how Iran has continued to obtain materials used in missile and drone production during the US-Israeli war, which began in February, despite attacks on its weapons production facilities.
Thousands of agencies linked to defense ministry
Reuters identified more than 5,000 agencies whose names begin with MOD, referring to Iran's Ministry of Defense, and which share the Tehran address of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
Although their registration records list February 11, 1979, as their founding date, most were established in 2013, when Iran was facing severe economic sanctions, the investigation found.
Reuters and Israeli-American risk consultancy 240 Analytics traced the agencies through Iranian banking records, corporate filings and shipping documents, including around 19,000 import records.
Some entities were linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and large Iranian foundations known as bonyads.
The agencies use intermediaries and overseas companies to purchase goods with proceeds from oil sales that bypass sanctions, according to the investigation.
In 97% of the shipments reviewed, transactions were recorded as settled "without currency transfer," allowing purchases to be made using funds held outside Iran.
Banking records also showed that 36 agencies held about $1.2 billion in foreign currency deposits at the end of 2024, while the wider network held around $1.8 billion in local currency, Reuters reported.
The news agency said it found no evidence that the numbered agencies identified in the documents had been individually sanctioned by Western governments.
Missile materials and hundreds of trucks imported
The investigation found that Iran continued importing materials that could be used in missiles and drones after the war began on February 28.
In the first six months of 2026, deliveries included detonators, explosives, aircraft engine components and rocket fuel ingredients.
In February, shortly before the war, Iran imported 93 metric tons of Chinese titanium and hundreds of tons of chemicals that could be used in rocket propellants and explosives, according to customs records.
Between January 2025 and June 2026, MOD 346428 also imported 435 Iveco trucks, some of which matched models used as disguised mobile missile launchers, Reuters reported.
The same agency imported thousands of Toyota Hilux and Land Cruiser vehicles, as well as Toyota Tundra trucks, models that Iranian forces have used for military purposes.
The investigation also traced imports of chemicals to the port of Bandar Abbas, where an explosion in April 2025 killed at least 70 people and injured more than 1,200.
Reuters said it could not determine whether chemicals in one of the shipments it identified were responsible for the explosion.
It also could not establish that all imported goods were intended for weapons production, noting that many materials and machines have both civilian and military uses.
Imports continued during war and blockade
The materials entered Iran through several routes, including cargo vessels crossing the Caspian Sea from Russia, trucks traveling from Central Asia and freight aircraft arriving from China, Reuters reported.
Monthly imports by the identified military agency fell by 47% to $54 million in March, shortly after the war began, but recovered to $77 million by May.
The investigation identified five shipments of Russian detonators worth $7.6 million since January 2025, including a $1.9 million delivery in June 2026.
Since the war began, $27 million worth of goods purchased by Iran's military were recorded as originating in the United Arab Emirates, mostly arriving by sea.
The Reuters data also listed hundreds of millions of dollars in trucks, aircraft components and electronics as coming from Germany and other European Union countries.
Reuters cautioned that some customs records identified shipments only through product codes and declared countries of origin, which it could not always independently verify.
Western companies and governments respond
China's Foreign Ministry told Reuters it was unaware of the reported shipments and rejected attempts to link Beijing to the regional conflict.
"We firmly oppose attempts to maliciously link regional hostilities to China or smear China's reputation," the ministry said.
Italian truck manufacturer Iveco said it had safeguards to prevent its vehicles from reaching prohibited users and destinations but could not control products resold by third parties.
Toyota said it did not conduct business in Iran and had no knowledge of the purchases described in the investigation.
The European Union said it was examining information about Iran's efforts to strengthen its missile and drone programs.
A US Treasury spokesperson said Washington had cut off Iran's economic lifelines and would continue enforcing sanctions.
"While the regime may continue its desperate attempts to evade our powerful sanctions, fund its military and weapons programs, and access foreign currency, we are always 10 steps ahead," the spokesperson said.
Iranian government bodies and companies contacted by Reuters, including the country's presidency and its UN delegation in Geneva, did not respond to requests for comment.
