The Farda Briefing

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, I’m looking at why Iranian media are sounding the alarm over growing ties between Azerbaijan and Syria—one closely aligned with Israel, the other no friend of Iran.

What You Need To Know

• Azerbaijan And Syria Joining Forces… Against Iran?: Syrian interim President Ahmad al‑Sharaa’s surprise visit to Baku last weekend has set off alarms in Tehran and sent media from across the political spectrum scrambling to decode what it means for the region, especially Iran.

• Iranian Director Wins Prestigious Festival Prize: Iranian director Soheil Beiraghi’s film Bidad won the Special Jury Award at the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, despite nearly landing him in prison. The film, featuring women singing without hijabs, defies Iran’s strict rules on dress and performance. Beiraghi and his team faced sentences in Iran, later commuted to fines. Beiraghi told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that he intends to return to Iran despite the legal threats. Accepting the award, he praised Iranian women’s strength, saying they deserve “appreciation, respect, and a standing ovation.”

• Tehran On Edge As Europe Threatens Return Of UN Sanctions: European powers have warned Tehran that UN sanctions could “snap back” if Iran fails to make verifiable nuclear commitments by the end of August. Ali Vaez, the director of the Iran program at the International Crisis Group, told Radio Farda that the ultimatum by Britain, France, and German is “very serious.” He added that they see the so-called “snapback mechanism” as crucial leverage to force inspections and revive talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has warned that such a move would be treated like “a military attack.” Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, citing June strikes on Iranian facilities, says he’s in “no rush.”

The Big Issue

A New Axis: Azerbaijan, Syria, And Possibly Israel?

Sharaa and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared that years of stagnation in their relationship were over, blaming ousted Syrian President Bashar al‑Assad’s “unfriendly policy.”

They unveiled a deal to export Azerbaijani gas to Syria through Turkey, hailing it as a step toward alleviating Syria’s long‑running energy crisis.

Iranian media are sounding alarms over what they claim is a growing security threat along their country's northern and western borders.

Why It Matters: For Tehran, the stakes are high.

The possibility of Syrian militant networks shifting northward, coupled with Azerbaijan’s deepening ties to Israel, suggests a new security headache on Iran’s northern frontier.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian has already pressed Aliyev to explain alleged Israeli drone incursions into Iranian airspace during June’s 12-day war between the two Middle Eastern countries -- accusations Aliyev firmly denied.

But with Baku now forging overt partnerships with Sharaa’s Syria and allegedly hosting back‑channel talks with Israel, Iranian media warn that Tehran could soon face a more coordinated axis of rivals on its doorstep.

Tehran isn’t just watching; it’s concerned and recalibrating.

What's Being Said: Arman‑e Melli, a pro‑reform paper, warned that Syria‑based fighters could be moved through Turkey into Azerbaijani bases -- a “mission,” it wrote, that might aim to “destabilize areas along the borders of Iran and Russia.”

The conservative Farhikhtegan suggested Sharaa is meeting US demands to reduce foreign fighters in Syria by redeploying them to Azerbaijan, potentially turning the country into a “strategic hub” for operations in the Caucasus or even settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh.

In response, Iran’s state-broadcaster-run Jam‑e Jam newspaper charged that meetings between Syrian and Israeli officials in Baku were “clear evidence” some neighbors, specifically Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Israel, are “shaping new dynamics that work against Iran’s interests.”

Expert Opinion: “Indeed a new Middle East: in six months, Syria has transformed from an Iranian vassal state to an independent actor, forging ties and cooperation with Azerbaijan -- a major ally of Israel and rival of Iran,” says Brenda Shaffer, an international energy and foreign policy specialist.

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, I'm looking at how Iran’s leadership is embracing patriotic themes and national identity in an effort to unify a fractured nation in the wake of war.

What You Need To Know

• National Identity Takes Center Stage: In the wake of the recent war with Israel, Iranians are witnessing a marked increase in national symbols, slogans, and patriotic gestures across the country -- an effort widely seen as part of a state-driven campaign to bolster national unity. These expressions have even crept into religious ceremonies that are typically free of overt political or nationalistic themes.

• Debating Nuclear Opacity: Following the war with Israel and the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites, there are growing calls in Iran for pursuing a policy of nuclear opacity. Also known as nuclear ambiguity, it is a policy in which a country deliberately neither confirms nor denies possessing nuclear weapons. The goal is to reap the strategic benefits of deterrence while avoiding the political and diplomatic consequences of being an officially declared nuclear power. With Iran having suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), proponents argue the next step should be the adoption of this policy. Critics, however, say denying the IAEA access to Iran’s nuclear sites isn’t strategic ambiguity but a path to renewed conflict.

• Returning To The Negotiating Table: The United States and Iran are preparing to resume nuclear talks amid deep mistrust exacerbated by last month’s joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Originally set for July 10 in Oslo, the talks have been delayed but remain likely. While both sides claim to support diplomacy, Iran seeks assurances against future attacks. US President Donald Trump has signaled interest in a broader deal but warns of further strikes if Iran resumes high-level uranium enrichment.

The Big Issue

Patriotism Over Piety

In an attempt to strengthen people's national sentiment, the Islamic Republic is leaning into national symbols and slogans as opposed to religious motifs in public spaces and even religious mourning ceremonies.

Over the past couple of weeks, patriotic songs and Iranian flags have been observed in Shiite mourning events. Notably, during an Ashura mourning ceremony attended by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, renowned eulogist Mahmud Karimi sang a rendition of “Ey Iran” -- "Oh Iran" -- at Khamenei’s request.

Ashura is one of the most important and solemn days in the Islamic calendar, especially for Shiite Muslims, marking the death of the third Shiite imam, Hussein.

Meanwhile, state media and billboards have been using symbols from ancient Iran and characters from the national epic Shahnameh.

The increasingly prominent display of national symbols and patriotic themes in religious events is an uncommon move for a political system that has historically sidelined nationalism in favor of religious identity and pan-Islamic unity.

Why It Matters: An unstated but widely believed aim of the 12-day war launched by Israel on June 13 was to weaken -- and possibly topple -- the Islamic Republic.

In power since 1979, the country’s clerical establishment has in recent years faced mounting challenges to its legitimacy, from mass protests to historically low voter turnout. Whereas it once relied on religious sentiment to rally support, the Islamic republic now appears to be shifting tactics, seeking to unify a fractured society by appealing more directly to a shared sense of Iranian national identity.

However, critics say it’s a little too late for that. And they particularly have taken issue with changes made to patriotic anthems sung in religious ceremonies.

What's Being Said: Sadegh Nojouki, a prominent Iranian composer based in Los Angeles, believes the worst damage has been done to the national anthem “Ey Iran.”

“This is like dropping a bomb on Persepolis or Hafez’s tomb,” he told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, referring to a 14^th-century Persian poet. “It’s even worse if the destruction is done from within. As an Iranian, how can you be okay with that?”

Meanwhile, the hardline Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has openly called for a revival of the mass executions of political prisoners carried out in the 1988.

The statement comes amid a sweeping crackdown, including arrests on espionage and national security charges and the execution of several prisoners in the wake of the Iran-Israel war -- developments that have deepened fears of escalating political and social repression in Iran.

Mehdi Aslani, a former political prisoner and survivor of the 1988 mass executions, told Radio Farda that the regime is not undergoing reform but is simply leading prisoners to the gallows—this time to the sound of patriotic anthems instead of religious chants.

Expert Opinion: “This is an attempt to patch up the fractured structure and shaken authority of the regime,” Aslani said.

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.