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 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.

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 the Iranian parliament's passage of a bill imposing harsher penalties for espionage has raised concerns.

What You Need To Know

• Widening Use Of The Death Penalty: Over the weekend, Iran’s parliament passed a bill imposing significantly harsher sentences for espionage and collaboration with hostile foreign governments, particularly targeting activities linked to Israel and the United States. Legal experts and human rights organizations warn that the law’s broad definitions and severe punishments could lead to arbitrary accusations and mass executions, including for activities that previously carried lesser sentences or would not have been considered espionage.

• Cooperation With UN Nuclear Watchdog Suspended: President Masud Pezeshkian this week enacted a law to suspend Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), alarming European powers who called the move "disastrous." Suspending cooperation with the IAEA means Iran will halt inspections, reporting, and oversight activities under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Western nations caution that reducing IAEA visibility risks triggering renewed sanctions and significantly heightens nuclear proliferation concerns.

• Will China Give Iran What Russia Won’t? Following its air defense failure during the recent conflict with Israel, Iran is seeking to modernize its outdated air force. Disappointed by Russia’s reluctance to deliver Sukhoi-35 jets -- despite a strategic partnership -- Iran is now looking to China for advanced J-10C fighter jets. However, Beijing is cautious, balancing ties with Persian Gulf states and US pressure, and may prefer economic over military support. With both Russia and China prioritizing their own interests, Iran faces increasing strategic isolation and limited options to rebuild its aerial capabilities.

The Big Issue

Death For Dissent

The passage of this bill comes in the aftermath of a brief but intense conflict with Israel and the United States, during which Iranian authorities have already executed several individuals accused of spying for Israel and detained hundreds more.

The legislation covers a wide range of activities, including intelligence gathering, operational cooperation, providing military, financial, or technological support, as well as manufacturing military drones, conducting cyberattacks, or sabotaging infrastructure for enemy states -- even if such actions are ineffective.

As part of the approved measures, espionage and collaboration with Israel, the US, or other hostile states are now classified as “corruption on Earth,” a charge that automatically carries the death penalty under Iranian law.

The bill also criminalizes a broader set of interactions, such as sharing images or videos with foreign media, publishing false news, or producing content that authorities claim threatens national security or public morale, with penalties ranging from lengthy prison sentences to execution

It also explicitly criminalizes the use, possession, sale, purchase, import, production, and distribution of Starlink satellite Internet devices. Possession or use of a Starlink terminal can result in six months to two years in prison

Why It Matters: The recent war with Israel exposed Mossad’s deep reach into Iran. Israel’s foreign intelligence service has shown clear dominance over Iran’s security apparatus, apparently prompting the bill’s passage.

Proponents have justified the new measures as necessary to counter foreign infiltration and threats to national security, but critics argue that the new law will likely be used to suppress dissent and target marginalized groups.

The bill also covers all Internet and communications equipment not certified by the Iranian government, but Starlink is specifically named as a threat due to its ability to bypass state censorship and surveillance.

The authorities fear Starlink enables clandestine contact with foreign intelligence, particularly Israel and the United States, and undermines state control over the flow of information.

To become law, the bill needs to be approved by the Guardian Council -- Iran’s constitutional watchdog -– before it can be enacted by the government.

What's Being Said: The bill was passed unanimously by the conservative-leaning parliament, with no abstentions. But it has been widely criticized by legal experts and rights groups.

Tehran-based lawyer Mohsen Borhani wrote on X that the passage of the bill was “an ugly joke” and its contents “violate legal and religious principles.”

Dadban, a collective of lawyers that consult activists, expressed concern with the bill’s retroactive application, allowing death penalties for acts not previously punishable, such as “propaganda against the establishment” or “collaboration with hostile media.”

It added that the bill introduces vague definitions of "espionage" and "collaboration with enemies," potentially endangering activists and journalists.

Political analyst Babak Dorbeiki told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that the passage of the bill was so “shocking” he initially thought it was knee-jerk reaction to the war with Israel.

“But when you read the bill, you realize it is just a strange way of seeking vengeance,” he said.

Dorbeiki argued that the bill would also allow those in power to target their critics and neutralize them.

“This will be dangerous to not only critics of the Islamic republic, but also supporters who want to reform it,” he added.

Expert Opinion: “This bill fundamentally contradicts the principles of criminal law, Shi'ite jurisprudence, and the constitution,” legal expert Moein Khazaeli told Radio Farda, specifically criticizing its potential retroactive application if passed.

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.