PRAGUE, April 16, 2006 -- Pope Benedict called for an "honorable solution" to the nuclear standoff with Iran, a truly independent Palestinian state, and global cooperation to combat terrorism.

The pontiff made his appeal in his Easter "Urbi et Orbi" ("to the city and to the world") message from the loggia of St. Peter's basilica at the Vatican to nearly 100,000 people as he concluded the first Easter season of his pontificate.

Touching On Current Themes

The pope urged the international community to negotiate with Iran to assure peace in the Middle East. "Concerning the international crises linked to nuclear power, may an honorable solution be found for all parties, through serious and honest negotiations," he urged.

Benedict also defended Israel's right to live in peace while calling on the international community to help the Palestinian people build their future. "May the international community, which reaffirms Israel's just right to exist in peace, assist the Palestinian people to overcome the precarious conditions in which they live and to build their future, moving toward the constitution of a state which is truly their own," Benedict said.

He also called on leaders of nations and of international organizations to work for peaceful coexistence among races, cultures, and religions "to remove the threat of terrorism."

Benedict expressed the hope that Italy will regain its serenity once final official results are announced next week from the country's elections, which the opposition coalition led by Romano Prodi won by a small margin.

Religious Rites

Western-rite Christian churches around the world were celebrating April 16 as the day of Jesus Christ's resurrection after his crucifixion on Good Friday (this year on April 14). The Eastern-rite Christian Orthodox churches celebrate Easter one week later.

Late on April 15, Benedict presided over a vigil inside St. Peter's Basilica. He called the resurrection of Christ the "most crucial leap into a totally new dimension." He described the resurrection as having been like "an explosion of light" and urged Catholics to let the risen Christ help them transform a world of violence and corruption.
Catholics in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, held the traditional candlelight vigil in the Church of the Nativity on April 15.

The Church of the Nativity is built above a cave that is believed to have been the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

Last year, Easter celebrations were overshadowed by Pope John Paul II's deteriorating health. The Polish-born pontiff could barely speak when he greeted pilgrims massed in St. Peter's square, and a cardinal delivered his Easter message. John Paul II died six days later, on April 2.

Meanwhile, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the commutation of all death sentences to life imprisonment as her predominantly Catholic country marked Easter Sunday. The order would spare the lives of 1,205 convicts currently on death row.

European Union politicians said they are continuing their push into possible support for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty after the US government moved to cut the Prague-based broadcaster's funding amid concerns its closure would be a blow to pro-democracy media.

Czech European Affairs Minister Martin Dvorak told reporters in Brussels on March 18 that several nations have supported the initiative so far but the bloc must act quickly as "it would be a big mistake to let this institution die."

"We must initiate some interest and meet with commissioners and some states. At this point, that initiative has been supported by seven other nations, and after we make the initiative public at the General Affairs Council, more countries will join us," Dvorak said, adding the issue needs to be resolved in a matter of "several weeks."

At the initiative of the Czech Republic, a meeting of foreign ministers from the bloc's 27 members on March 17 addressed the issue with the future of RFE/RL unclear due to the cutting of its Congress-approved funding by the administration of President Donald Trump over the weekend.

EU Countries Voice Their Support Of RFE/RL

While Dvorak said he did not want to reveal the names of the countries that have voiced their support for the move, diplomatic sources told RFE/RL that Germany, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, and the three Baltic nations are among those who support the initiative.

"The financial challenges faced by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty put independent journalism at serious risk in regions where the free press is silenced, from Russia and Belarus to Iran and Afghanistan," Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said in a post on X.

" If RFE/RL disappears, disinformation and propaganda will fill the void. That would a direct win for those who seek to undermine democracy.... Europe cannot let that happen. Protecting a free press means protecting democracy. Access to fact-based reporting is not just a principle, it is a necessity for security and fundamental freedoms," he added.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said after the March 17 foreign ministers meeting that he sensed "a certain interest" from other EU members in his country's initiative, and that "it is our responsibility to seriously deal with this issue."

Radio Free Europe's Cold War History

Lipavsky's Polish counterpart, Radek Sikorski, also voiced support for RFE/RL, recalling how his father listened to the station as well as the Voice of America broadcaster during the Cold War.

"It's how we learned the basic facts about our own countries because communist propaganda was so tightly controlled," he told reporters. "And these institutions continue to do similar work for autocracies today."

Trump signed an executive order late on March 14 that aims to reduce seven federal agencies -- including the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other federal broadcasters.

The order, which also targets agencies that deal with homelessness, labor disputes, and community development, gave the heads of each governmental entity named seven days to submit a report confirming full compliance.

Hours after the executive order was published, a letter from USAGM said the Congress-approved grant that funds RFE/RL, headquartered in the Czech capital, Prague, had been terminated.

RFE/RL President and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Capus said canceling the grant agreement would be "a massive gift to America's enemies," a point that was echoed by many media rights watchdogs, democracy advocates, and politicians.

Added US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: "The Trump administration's latest effort to dismantle entities established and funded by Congress that provide accurate, unbiased information to hundreds of millions of people in countries where press freedom is under attack undermines the US commitment to democracy."

'Critical Lifeline'

“If President Trump gets his way, those who depend on US-supported independent media as alternatives to Chinese and Kremlin run media outlets and those living under authoritarian regimes will lose a critical lifeline."

The USAGM is an independent US government agency that oversees the broadcasting of news and information in almost 50 languages to some 361 million people each week.

The total budget request for the USAGM for fiscal year 2025 was $950 million to fund all of its operations and capital investments.

This includes media outlets such as RFE/RL, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio Marti), Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), and the Open Technology Fund.

"Sweden has cosigned a Czech initiative to look for ways in which the EU and its member states can support Radio Free Europe and its role as a voice of freedom, where it is needed the most," Swedish EU Affairs Minister Jessica Rosencrantz said.

Trump, who has taken several moves to slash government spending since taking office for a second term in January, clashed with the USAGM over editorial independence and the direction of programming during his first term.

He has reiterated those concerns again since retaking office. Supporters of the broadcasters say they are an important arm of US diplomacy.

RFE/RL operates in 23 countries and 27 languages across Central and Eastern Europe, the Near East, and Central Asia.

More than 300 people were reported killed after Israel launched deadly air strikes in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and southern Syria in what it said were targeted attacks against extremists planning terror assaults, reigniting tensions that threatened to engulf the region in a new, bloody conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he instructed the military to take "strong action" against Iran-backed Hamas -- deemed a terrorist organization by the United States and EU -- in response to the Islamist group's refusal to release all remaining hostages and its rejection of new cease-fire proposals.

"Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

The strikes represent the biggest escalation in the conflict since the cease-fire was reached in mid-January.

Citing medical officials under the control of Hamas, several media outlets reported that the death toll across the Gaza Strip had reached at least 326 people from the attacks.

The information could not independently be confirmed.

The United Nations' Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory called the strikes "unconscionable" and demanded an immediate reinstatement of the ceasefire.

"People in Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering. An end to hostilities, sustained humanitarian assistance, release of the hostages and the restoration of basic services and people’s livelihoods, are the only way forward," Muhannad Hadi said in his statement.

Israel's military said the Gaza strikes targeted mid-level Hamas commanders and leaders and the group's infrastructure.

Along with the strikes against Hamas in Gaza, the Israeli military said it conducted air strikes in southern Lebanon and southern Syria as well.

It said it was prepared to continue attacks against Hamas for as long as necessary and would expand the campaign beyond air strikes. Israeli tanks and soldiers operated extensively in Gaza during the previous retaliatory action.

The White House was consulted by Israel in its latest strikes on Gaza, a White House spokeswoman told Fox News.

"As President [Donald] Trump has made it clear -- Hamas, the Houthis [in Yemen], Iran, all those who seek to terrorize not just Israel, but also the United States of America, will see a price to pay. All hell will break loose," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox.

Trump on March 5 warned Hamas that there would be “hell to pay” if it does not immediately release all hostages after the White House confirmed that it had conducted secret talks with the extremist group.

Reuters quoted a senior Hamas official as saying that Israel is "unilaterally ending" the Gaza cease-fire agreement and that the action put the fate of the remaining Israeli hostages in jeopardy.

The violence comes amid disputes between Israel and Hamas over ways to maintain the three-phase cease-fire that began on January 19, including the exchange of remaining hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Two weeks ago, Israel cut off all food, medicine, fuel, electricity and other supplies to the territory’s around 2 million people to pressure Hamas to accept a new proposal to extend the cease-fire.

Much of Hamas's leadership was killed during Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza following the extremist group’s bloody cross-border attack in Israel on October 7, 2023.

The Hamas-led militants' attack on settlements in southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, with 251 hostages being taken to Gaza. Some two dozen remain in Hamas control.

Israel struck back by launching a devastating war in the Palestinian enclave that has killed tens of thousands of people, according to local authorities, and displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.

Following the cease-fire agreement – which led to the release of numbers of hostages and prisoners -- the Israeli military has often conducted attacks against Hamas as well as strikes against Hezbollah locations in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has also been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU has deemed its armed wing but not its political section as a terror group. Much of its leadership was also killed during Israel's 14-month war against the group prior to a US-brokered cease-fire in November.

In the renewed attacks, Israel said it struck two Hezbollah leaders in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor. It said the men were “observation operatives.”

The military said other, unspecified strikes were carried out against Hezbollah sites in Lebanon.

In Syria, Israel has seized a buffer zone in the south after the collapse the brutal autocratic regime of Bashar al-Assad in December. It described the move as a preemptive measure against the former Islamist insurgents who overthrew Assad and now control Syria.

On March 17, Syrian authorities said Israeli strikes hit a residential area in the southern city of Daraa, killing three people. The report could not be verified.

Israeli said it was targeting military command centers and weapons sites in southern Syria belonging to remnants of Assad’s forces and that they posed a threat to Israel.

Assad fled Syria and in December and was reported to be in Russia, which along with Iran, was a major backer of his regime. Assad assumed power in 2000 upon the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

The United States has launched extensive air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, aiming to curb their threat to shipping while also signaling a warning to Iran.

In a statement announcing his directive on March 15, US President Donald Trump also warned Iran to “immediately” end its support for the Houthis and vowed to hold Tehran “fully accountable” if it threatened Americans or shipping lanes.

On March 17, Trump turned up the heat, posting on his Truth Social platform that “the hundreds of attacks made by the Houthi, who are hated by the Yemeni people, emanate from, and are created by, Iran.”

"Any further attack or retaliation by the 'Houthis' will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that the force will stop there,” he wrote.

The strikes come as Iran is weighing its response to a letter by Trump on direct talks over Tehran’s nuclear program, and possibly its regional activities and missile development.

Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at the Bahrain-based Le Beck International consultancy, said he believes the attack on Houthi targets may well have something to do with Iran’s opposition to direct talks with the Trump administration.

“There is a message being sent in the type of weapons used, including sea-launched missiles,” he told RFE/RL. “Nuclear negotiations haven’t started, and Trump is threatening to use force if diplomacy doesn’t work. This is a way to show that he is serious.”

How Are The Attacks Different From Past Strikes?

Designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the Houthis, who are formally known as the Ansarallah movement, seized power in Yemen in 2014 by toppling the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government.

Soon after the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Houthis began launching attacks on Israel and targeting ships in the Red Sea believed to be sailing to or from Israel. The group said this was in solidarity with the Palestinians.

The attacks stopped after a fragile cease-fire went into force in January, but the Houthis have threatened to resume their attacks if aid does not flow into Gaza.

Last year, US and British militaries carried out multiple air strikes against the Houthis, but the new wave of attacks seems to be different.

Horowitz said the administrations of former US President Joe Biden was focused on defensive and pre-emptive strikes, targeting weapon depots and weapons just before they were launched.

“Trump appears to have widened the scope of those strikes to include Houthi officials and offices. I would not discount that we’ll even see a campaign of targeted assassinations,” he added.

The Houthis have vowed to retaliate and claimed to have launched 18 drones and missiles against USS Harry S. Truman on March 16. The United States has not commented on the claim, but reports citing unnamed US officials say the drones were intercepted and the missiles did not reach the warship.

The Yemeni group claims US strikes have killed dozens of people, including children. But White House national-security adviser Mike Waltz said on March 16 that the United States “took out” multiple Houthi leaders.

How Has Iran Responded To The US Air Strikes?

The X account of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 16 posted a quote from the top Iranian decision-maker dating back to 2020, in which he insisted that the “nation of Yemen is definitely victorious.”

“The only path is that of resistance. That which has caused the US and its allies to panic today is the fact that the Muslim nations are standing firmly and that this resistance will prove to be effective,” the post read.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi criticized the Trump administration for demanding that Tehran cut ties with the Houthis, saying that US government “has no authorities or business dictating Iranian foreign policy.”

Meanwhile, Hossein Salami, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), rejected assertions that Iran influences the Houthis, insisting that Tehran “has no role” in the Houthis’ decision-making process.

The Houthi movement is a key member of the Iran-led "axis of resistance," a network of non-state actors that has suffered major setbacks over the past year. The movement has particularly risen in stature as a defender of the Palestinian cause since it started hitting Israel and alleged Israeli-linked vessels.

Horowitz said the Houthis’ rising profile within the axis of resistance gives them some level of autonomy, but they are ultimately an Iranian proxy.

“They are still extremely dependent on Iran for weapons they use regularly so they will follow Iran's lead in my opinion,” he added.

Iran has escalated its crackdown on female singers in an effort to silence them. In past weeks, several women have been detained or summoned by authorities, while their Instagram pages have been shut down.

Since the 1979 revolution, women in Iran have been banned from singing solo in public. But despite the restrictions, many female artists have turned to social media to share their voices—often defying both the singing ban and the country’s strict hijab laws.

Among them is Golsa Rahimzamani, whose Instagram account was banned following an order by Iran’s Cyber Police. Reyhanoo, another singer, also had her page removed, while Bita Hajisadeghian, a singer and music teacher, was summoned by authorities in Isfahan and accused of “harming public decency and publishing indecent work.”

In February, singer Hiwa Seyfzadeh was arrested mid-performance in Tehran when plainclothes agents stormed the venue and took her away. She was later released, but her social media accounts were also shut down.

Last August, singer Zara Esmaili was detained after videos of her performing in public— including singing Amy Winehouse’s hit Back to Black—went viral. Her current whereabouts remain unknown.

In December, singer Parastoo Ahmadi created a stir after recording a performance with her hair uncovered, wearing a dress, and accompanied by male musicians. The video, uploaded to YouTube, quickly went viral—earning her praise for challenging both the ban on female singers and Iran’s compulsory hijab laws. Authorities briefly detained her and launched legal proceedings against her and her bandmates for what they called an "illegal concert."

The crackdown has drawn criticism from many, including religious figures.

Pro-reform cleric Mohammad Taghi Fazeli Meybodi, from the holy city of Qom, dismissed the ban as baseless, stating that there is no religious justification for prohibiting women from singing.

Iran’s music icon Googoosh, who was banned from performing at the peak of her career, has also voiced her support.

"This is a historic moment that future generations will talk about," she told Radio Farda in December. "More women will take the stage—there is no turning back."

U.S. officials vowed to continue hitting Huthi targets in Yemen after launching air strikes aimed at curbing the group’s attacks on maritime shipping and naval vessels in the Gulf region.

Speaking on CBS News on March 16, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also signaled that there were no imminent plans to send US troops to directly engage the Huthis, which Washington has designated a terrorist group.

"I don't think there's a necessity for it right now,” he said.

"This was [also] a message to Iran — don't keep supporting [the Huthis] because you will also be responsible for what they are doing in attacking Navy ships and attacking global shipping," he said.

The March 15 overnight attack – which included fighter jets launched from a US aircraft carrier in the Red Sea and missile barrages— killed at least 12 civilians, Huthi authorities said, though the toll could not be independently confirmed.

"Huthi attacks on American ships & aircraft (and our troops!) will not be tolerated; and Iran, their benefactor, is on notice,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X:

The barrage followed warnings from President Donald Trump that "hell will rain down upon" the Huthis if they continue firing missiles on ships in the Gulf region, and at Israel.

"They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones," he wrote.

The strikes in Yemen appeared to be the largest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office on January 20. Media outlets quoted US officials as saying the strike “is not a one-day event -- this is the first of many days if not weeks of strikes."

Huthi rebels have launched dozens of attacks on shipping over the past 18 months, claiming they are intended to support Palestinians over Israel's war in Gaza.

Many shipping firms have been forced to change their courses to longer and more expensive routes to avoid the Gulf region.

Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, denied Tehran's involvement in Huthi operations.

"Iran will never start a war... but if anyone threatens us," he was quoted as telling state media. Iran "will give appropriate, decisive and final responses."

"I warn all enemies that we will respond to any threat, if it takes on a practical aspect, with a stubborn, decisive, and destructive response," he said.

The US president has ratcheted up pressure on Tehran since taking office in January, seeking to bring it back to negotiations aimed at curtailing its nuclear ambitions.

The White House last week sent Tehran a new proposal regarding its nuclear program but Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has so far rejected the proposal.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda and Reuters

The US military has launched a large-scale attack against Iran-linked Huthi fighters in Yemen and warned Tehran that it must immediately cease support for US-designated terrorist group.

The March 15 attack -- conducted by warplanes from a US aircraft carrier in the Red Sea -- came after President Donald Trump warned the Huthis that "hell will rain down upon you" if they do not stop their extremist actions, including attacks on shipping in the Gulf region and missile launches against Israel.

Trump also warned Iran that "America will hold you fully accountable and, we won't be nice about it!" as it ratchets up pressure to force Tehran back to the negotiating table over its nuclear program.

Trump posted on his social media platform that he had "ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Huthi terrorists in Yemen."

"They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, shops, aricraft, and drones."

The US president referred to the Huthi as "thugs" who are "funded by Iran."

US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and informed him of the military operation.

The strikes in Yemen appear to be the largest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office on January 20. Media outlets quoted US officials as saying the strike “is not a one-day event -- this is the first of many days if not weeks of strikes."

Huthi officials said at least 12 civilians were killed and another nine injured in the US attacks, but the claims could not be independently confirmed. The officials vowed revenge, without being specific.

Reuters quoted a resident, who gave his name as Abdullah Yahia, as saying that "the explosions were violent and shook the neighborhood like an earthquake."

Huthi rebels have launched dozens of attacks on shipping over the past 18 months, claiming they are in support of Palestinians over Israel's war in Gaza with Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union.

The Huthis have also struck shipping vessels, claiming they are only targeting Israeli ships but hitting a number of others registered elsewhere. Many shipping firms have been forced to change their courses to longer and more expensive routes to avoid the violence.

The US Central Command said the action was the beginning of large-scale "operation consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Huthi targets across Yemen in order to restore freedom of navigation."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X: "Huthi attacks on American ships & aircraft (and our troops!) will not be tolerated; and Iran, their benefactor, is on notice."

"Freedom of Navigation will be restored," he added.

Meanwhile, Trump wrote on social media that "we will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective."

The Huthis on March 11 warned they would resume attacks on Israeli ships in the region, ending a period of relative calm that followed the January cease-fire agreement reached by Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The action also comes as Washington steps up pressure on Iran to reenter talks over its nuclear program.

The White House on March 9 warned Tehran that it can be dealt with either through military means or by negotiating a deal regarding its nuclear program, remarks that came hours after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected a US proposal for negotiations between the two bitter rivals.

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. Trump said the terms of that deal were not strong enough to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign that was the cornerstone of his Iran policy in his first term, with the aim of slashing Tehran's oil exports to "zero." Experts say the United States is unlikely to be able to stop Iran's oil sales entirely but will be able to substantially reduce it.

Huthi rebels in 2014 seized much of Yemen's northwest and its capital, Sanaa, leading to a war that has killed tens of thousands of people and created a humanitarian nightmare in the Arab world's poorest country.

Many observers described the hostilities as a "proxy war" between Saudi- and Iranian-led groups. Saudi Arabia supports the nationally recognized government that the Huthi rebels seek to overthrow.

With reporting by Reuters

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 Iran continues to reject direct talks with the Donald Trump administration while weighing its response to the US president's nuclear outreach.

What You Need To Know

• Trump’s Letter To Khamenei Arrives In Tehran: US President Donald Trump’s letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing talks over a nuclear deal was delivered this week by an Emirati delegation. Hours before the delegation arrived, Khamenei reiterated his stance that there was no point in negotiating with Washington.

• IRGC Veteran Claims Killing Of Iranian Dissidents In Europe: Mohsen Rafiqdoost, one of the founders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed this week that he had orchestrated the killings of several high-profile Iranian dissidents in Europe between 1979 and 1992. His office later attributed the comments to “extensive complications” from a brain operation, while the IRGC dismissed Rafiqdoost’s comments as “his personal opinion.” One dissident whose assassination Rafiqdoost claimed is Fereydoun Farrokhzad. RFE/RL’s Radio Farda has produced a documentary on his grisly killing.

• Spotlight On Iran And Russia After Violence In Syria: While the eruption of violence in western Syria has raised questions about the transitional government’s ability to control its affiliated factions, it has also brought Russian and Iranian involvement in Syrian affairs into sharp focus. Through interviews and analysis of open-source data, RFE/RL can give a clearer picture of what's happening inside Syria.

The Big Issue

Will Talks Lift Pressure On Iran? Khamenei Doesn’t Think So

Khamenei on March 12 again dismissed the prospect of talks with the Trump administration, telling an audience in Tehran that “negotiating with this US administration won’t result in the sanctions being removed.”

As Khamenei was delivering his speech, Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, was on his way to Tehran to deliver Trump’s letter to the Iranian supreme leader.

The contents of the letter have not been disclosed, but Trump said last week when he revealed he had written to Khamenei that Washington “cannot let [Iran] have a nuclear weapon”, insisting that he preferred a peaceful resolution to tension over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Why It Matters: Iran’s economy has been reeling from years of sanctions, particularly after Trump, in his first term, pulled the US out of a landmark nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions.

But more sanctions could come if Tehran and Washington don’t reach an agreement. With the 2015 nuclear deal formally expiring in October 2025, world powers only have a few months before they lose the power to “snap back” UN sanctions on Iran.

Washington’s European allies have gradually begun threatening Tehran that they will trigger a return of the sanctions. Iran has threatened to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if UN sanctions are reimposed.

While the Islamic republic has not formally responded to Trump’s letter, the White House has warned that military action is very much on the table should Iran reject the US president’s outreach.

What's Being Said: Khamenei claimed in his speech that negotiating with Trump “will cause the knot of sanctions to become tighter and pressure to increase,” though he didn’t elaborate further.

Shahin Modarres, an Iranian security expert based in Rome, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that the weakening of Iran’s offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as the unraveling of its network of regional proxies, have left Tehran with “no leverage” at the negotiating table.

“The lack of leverage at the table leads to a kind of surrender,” he said.

In an interview published on March 13, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran won’t negotiate with Washington as long as Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign is in force.

“If we enter negotiations while the other side is imposing maximum pressure, we will be negotiating from a weak position and will achieve nothing,” he said, adding that talks can only take place when both nations are on “equal footing.”

Expert Opinion: “Negotiating with this US administration could result in some sanctions being removed. That's what negotiations address: Often they fail, occasionally they succeed. Dismissing negotiations, especially out of hand, guarantees that the knot of sanctions becomes tighter,” writes Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at International Crisis Group.

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.

China, Russia, and Iran demanded an end to Washington's "illegal, unilateral sanctions" on Tehran, after three-party talks on the Iranian nuclear issue in Beijing on March 14.

But a leading sanctions expert involved in past nuclear talks with Iran says lifting sanctions as a precursor to negotiations is neither likely nor advisable.

The meeting included Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.

"We conducted in-depth exchanges of views on the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions. We emphasized the necessity of ending all illegal unilateral sanctions," Ma said after the talks concluded.

"The relevant parties should work to eliminate the root causes of the current situation and abandon sanctions, pressure, and threats of the use of force," he added.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who welcomed the Iranian and Russian diplomats ahead of the meeting, was set to have his own meeting with them later during the day.

The Iranian position has been that it will not negotiate with the Trump as long as his "maximum pressure" campaign is in force and sanctions in place.

"I don't think there's any likelihood the Trump administration is going to drop sanctions against Iran just to talk. I wouldn't advise him to," said Richard Nephew, the lead sanctions expert for the US negotiating team that clinched a landmark nuclear deal with Iran in 2015.

"At the end of the day, that's a concession for a talk, as opposed to a concession for actual action," he added.

Tehran and Moscow have strengthened relations in recent years as Iran's disputes with the United States have mounted. Both nations have had close ties to China.

Moscow, which is engaged in efforts to normalize relations with Washington, has offered to mediate talks between the United States and the Islamic republic.

Both China and Russia have benefited from Iran's stand-off with the United States. China has been buying Iranian oil at a sharp discount while Russia has been using Iranian drones against Ukraine. But if tension with the United States spirals, it may have consequences that both Moscow and Beijing would want to avoid.

"I'm not sure that the Russians or the Chinese each have an interest in a deal. I think they have an interest in not having a bigger crisis," Nephew said.

This week, the three countries conducted naval drills in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz in a show of force in the tense Middle East, with participating ships stopping at Iran's Chabahar Port.

Attention on Iran's nuclear issues has intensified in recent days after US President Donald Trump said he had sent a letter to Tehran urging a resumption of nuclear talks and warning of possible military action if Iran refused.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry on March 13 said it would conduct a "thorough assessment" before responding to Trump's letter.

"The letter was received last night and is currently being reviewed," spokesman Esmail Baqaei was quoted by the official IRNA news agency, adding: "A decision on how to respond will be made after a thorough assessment."

Trump, during his first term, quit the nuclear deal, which had imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. Trump said the accord was not strong enough to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and he accused Tehran of fomenting extremist violence in the region -- a charge denied by Iran.

China, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany had also signed the nuclear deal with Iran in 2015.

Following the US withdrawal in 2018, Tehran eventually started expanding its nuclear program, while efforts to reach a new accord through indirect talks have failed. Tehran claims its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes.

Iran has floated the possibility of resuming indirect talks, but Nephew dismissed its viability.

"To be clear, I think indirect talks have been a disaster. It has been both a strategic mistake...as well as something that actually limits the possibility of negotiations being successful," he said, adding that Trump's letter was unlikely to change the Iranian position.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations -- the United States, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan -- labeled Iran the "principal source of regional instability" in a joint statement on March 14.

They said Tehran "must never be allowed" to develop and acquire nuclear weapons, adding, "Iran must now change course, de-escalate and choose diplomacy."

The United States said on March 13 that it was sanctioning Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad and a number of Hong Kong-flagged ships that are part of a shadow fleet "on which Iran depends to deliver its oil" to China. Tehran blasted the move, calling it "'hypocrisy."

With reporting by AFP and Reuters

Iran said a delegation led by a senior Emirati figure has delivered a letter from US President Donald Trump to the Islamic republic's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei told the semiofficial ISNA news agency on March 12 that Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, had delivered the letter.

Trump said last week that he had written to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing talks to reach a deal over Tehran’s expanding nuclear program.

"We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon," he said, adding that "something is going to happen very soon."

"Hopefully we will have a peace deal," he said, apparently meaning a peaceful resolution of tension over Tehran's nuclear program. "I’m just saying I’d rather see a peace deal than the other. But the other will solve the problem.”

Khamenei has opposed talks direct talks with the Trump administration and said after the president’s announcement last week that Tehran would not negotiate with “bullying governments.”

"Such negotiations aren’t aimed at solving issues. Their aim is to exert their dominance and impose what they want," Khamenei said during a Ramadan speech on March 8.

Without explicitly naming the US, he said “bullying governments” are not only focused on Iran’s nuclear program but also “make new demands” targeting the Islamic republic's defensive capabilities and regional activities.

“Negotiations are a means to impose new demands. Iran will definitely not fulfill these new demands,” Khamenei said.

The Iranian leader has accused Trump of being untrustworthy after US president withdrew the US from a landmark nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms.

After abrogating the accord in 2018, Trump welcomed an offer by Japan's then-prime minister, Shinzo Abe, to mediate and in 2019 asked the Japanese premier to deliver a letter to Khamenei. The Iranian leader rejected the letter, saying it was "not worthy" of a response.

Russia, which is one of the signatories to the original nuclear deal, has expressed an interest in mediating talks between Tehran and Washington, though many have questioned whether Moscow can be an impartial broker.

Referencing Moscow’s talks with Washington, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on March 12 said the Iranian nuclear program has been discussed and that Trump has made Tehran ending its support for its proxies a “precondition for a new nuclear deal.”

Meanwhile, China has announced that it will host a trilateral meeting with Iran and Russia on March 14 to “exchange views on the Iranian nuclear issue,” among other topics.

While the eruption of violence in western Syria has raised questions about the transitional government’s ability to control its affiliated factions, it has also brought Russian and Iranian involvement in Syrian affairs into sharp focus.

Various human rights groups monitoring the situation in Syria have documented over 800 casualties, including civilians, since clashes erupted on March 6 between government forces and gunmen loyal to the deposed president, Bashar al-Assad.

Rebel groups led by Ahmad al-Sharaa toppled the government in a lightning offensive in December 2024, bringing an end to half a century of Assad family rule over Syria.

Assad’s government was backed by Russia and Iran. While Russia has maintained ties with the new government, Iran has been completely excluded.

Through interviews and analysis of open-source data, RFE/RL can give a clearer picture of what's happening inside Syria.

Men Executed By Gunshots

Rights groups say among the dead are hundreds of civilian casualties, most of whom were Alawite, a minority community which Assad belongs to. The UN on March 11 said entire families, including women and children, were killed during the violence.

Social-media footage analyzed by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, suggests that some of the worst violence against Alawite civilians took place in the port city of Latakia, where Russia’s Hmeimim air base is located.

Some videos showed unarmed men being executed by gunshot from behind and others depicted victims being physically abused and humiliated, such as being forced to bark like a dog and crawl over dead bodies.

Nobil, a Syrian from Latakia who currently lives in Greece, told Schemes that factions affiliated with the transitional government entered his home village of Muzayraa on the night of March 6 and indiscriminately shot at houses with large-caliber machine guns mounted on trucks.

He said he lost six family members in the attack, including two aunts and two nephews, but his brother managed to escape.

Schemes found the Facebook profile of one of the alleged attackers known as Abu Bakr Mork, also called Talha, whose page is filled with posts about the attacks in western Syria.

In one post, he called for men to come to the area because the women in the area “are widowed and there are no men left.” In another, he wrote about the “campaign to clear the remnants of the defunct regime,” referring to Assad’s government.

Seeking Refuge In A Russian Air Base

Satellite images provided by Planet Labs and analyzed by Schemes show that, as early as March 7, people started to gather near the Russian-operated Hmeimim air base, seemingly seeking refuge from the clashes.

“This very well may be the only safe place for people to stay, given that neither side wants to spoil relations with Russia at the moment,” Ihor Semyvolos, director of the Kyiv-based Center for Middle East Studies, told Schemes.

Russia was a major backer of Assad, providing his forces and Iranian-backed proxies air support as they fought not only against Islamic State (IS) militants but also rebels opposed to Assad’s rule.

Those same rebels are now in charge, but Moscow has managed to position itself as a critical partner to Syria’s new rulers, who rely on Russia to print its local currency.

The Russians have maintained a significant presence at their two military bases, especially at Hmeimim.

Systema, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit, has confirmed at least 37 flights by large Antonov An-124 cargo planes between December 2024 and March, identifying 22 arrivals and 15 departures from the air base. Each plane can carry up to 150 tons of equipment, indicating substantial movement of personnel or equipment.

Analyzing images on social media from the last few days, Systema has found that Major General Sergei Gashkov, head of Russia's Center for Reconciliation and Refugee Movement Control in Syria, is currently at the air base.

It is unsurprising that Russia seeks to maintain strong ties with Damascus under its new leadership, as retaining control over the Hmeimim air base and the naval base in Tartus provides strategic access to the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea.

What Is Iran’s Role?

There is no solid evidence suggesting that Russia is involved in fomenting unrest along Syria’s western coast, but some have accused Iran of playing a part.

In Assad, Iran lost a key ally who had allowed Tehran to use Syria as a land corridor to connect its regional proxies in Iraq and Lebanon.

When Syrian rebels deposed Assad, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed that Syrians would rise and resist the rebel government.

Iran currently has no way of getting funds or arms into Syria, but several key figures leading the pro-Assad resistance to the new government are close to Tehran and trained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

Assad’s surviving loyalists are led by four figures: Major General Suhail al-Hassan, whose hometown of Aita was among the first to witness clashes; Muqdad Fatiha, founder of the Coast Shield armed group; Ibrahim Hawija, former head of Syrian Intelligence; and Ghias Dalla, aformer officer in Syria's elite 4th Armored Division with links to the IRGC and the US-designated Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.

Phillip Smyth, an expert on Iranian proxies and Shi'ite militias, told RFE/RL that Iran “desired an overreaction” from the transitional government, and it got what it wanted.

Tehran "is happy this was set off," especially since it establishes that Iran "can cause massive disruption" in Syria, Smyth said.

With reporting by Olya Ivleva, Kyrylo Ovsyaniy, Anna Myroniuk of Schemes; Daniil Belovodyev, Dmitry Sukharev, Svetlana Osipova, Yelizaveta Surnacheva of Systema; and Iliya Jazaeri of RFE/RL’s Radio Farda

Iran said it will not enter negotiations with the United States over its disputed nuclear program under what it said is “pressure and intimidation” from Washington.

The stance comes as US President Donald Trump increases pressure on Tehran by ending a sanctions waiver that had allowed Iraq to buy electricity from its neighbor.

"We will NOT negotiate under pressure and intimidation. We will NOT even consider it, no matter what the subject may be," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X on March 10.

Araqchi’s comments came a day after Iran's mission to the United Nations struck a more conciliatory tone, saying Tehran could be open to talks aimed at addressing concerns about the potential militarization of its nuclear program.

"If the objective of negotiations is to address concerns vis-a-vis any potential militarization of Iran's nuclear program, such discussions may be subject to consideration," said a March 9 statement from the mission.

But Araqchi appeared to close the door on such talks, saying Tehran's nuclear program is peaceful and there was "no such thing as its 'potential militarization.'"

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. Trump said the terms of that deal were not strong enough to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign that was the cornerstone of his Iran policy in his first term, with the aim of slashing Tehran's oil exports to "zero." Experts say the United States is unlikely to be able to stop Iran's oil sales entirely, but will be able to substantially reduce it.

The US State Department said on March 9 that the decision not to renew Iraq's sanctions waiver was made to "ensure we do not allow Iran any degree of economic or financial relief."

Iran supplies one-third of Iraq's gas and electricity, providing Tehran with significant revenue.

The White House on March 9 warned Tehran that it will deal with its nuclear program either through military means or by reaching a deal, remarks that came hours after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected a US proposal for negotiations between the two bitter rivals.

"We hope the Iran Regime puts its people and best interests ahead of terror," White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement on March 9.

In an interview with Fox Business recorded on March 6, Trump said, "There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal" to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Khamenei, speaking on March 8 to a group of Iranian officials, said the US offer of talks “are not aimed at solving problems” but to "impose" their demands on Tehran.

Warships from China, Russia, and Iran will hold exercises in a key Middle Eastern waterway as the three partners highlight their deepening cooperation and showcase their growing capabilities, according to reports in state-run media.

The joint naval drills will start on March 10, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, while the Chinese Defense Ministry said the Security Belt 2025 exercise would be held near the Iranian port of Chabahar on the coast of the Gulf of Oman with the aim of deepening "military trust and pragmatic cooperation."

The drills are part of an annual exercise between the three countries and comes as both China and Iran are navigating tensions with the United States.

All three countries are also increasing their cooperation. The Chinese and Russian navies have been hosting more frequent drills together in recent years, including in the Pacific and further away location like off the coast of South Africa.

Russia and Iran also signed an agreement in January to boost cooperation in areas such as trade and defense issues.

This year's naval exercises will include simulated attacks on maritime targets, joint search, rescue drills, spot checks, and arrests.

China also said it will send its Type 052D guided-missile destroyer, a new type of advanced warship that is at the center of Beijing's push to build up its navy.

Russia and Iran have not yet confirmed which of their fleets will be involved, but they gathered in March 2024 along with other countries for live-fire exercises focused on anti-piracy.

During those exercises, China's 45th naval escort task participated, along with Russia's Pacific fleet and more than 10 Iranian vessels. Representatives from Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Oman, India and South Africa acted as observers.

The drills come after a series of moves in recent months where China has been looking to showcase its power at sea.

China now possesses the world's largest maritime fighting force, operating 234 warships to the U.S. Navy's 219, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The United States maintains a technological advantage in its fleet, but Beijing is investing heavily to catch up.

In February, China conducted live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea near Australia. Australian and New Zealand ships and aircraft monitored three Chinese military vessels for several days and the Australian government complained that the Chinese drills forced airlines to adjust flight routes due to safety concerns.

In December 2024, Taiwan also said China had conducted one of its largest military exercises ever around the self-governing island, as Chinese ships encircled the island and jets entered Taiwanese air space.

Tensions over Taiwan, which Beijing regards as its own and has long threatened to invade and annex if the island refuses to peacefully accept unification, is at the heart of ongoing tensions between China and the United States.

The United States is Taiwan's largest military backer and its support is considered vital for its survival.

Beijing has been intensifying its rhetoric around the island, with China's military saying on March 9 that it would tighten a "noose" around Taiwan if Taipei pursues a path of formal independence, which Beijing views as separatism.

The White House again warned Tehran that it can be dealt with either through military means or by reaching a deal over its nuclear program, remarks that came hours after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected a US proposal for negotiations between the two bitter rivals.

"We hope the Iran Regime puts its people and best interests ahead of terror," White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement on March 9 while reiterating remarks by President Donald Trump that "if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing."

In an interview with Fox Business recorded on March 6, Trump said, "There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal" to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

"I've written them a letter saying, 'I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing,'" Trump said.

"I would rather negotiate a deal. I'm not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily," Trump added.

"But the time is happening now. The time is coming up. Something's going to happen one way or the other."

Snippets of the interview were aired on March 7, but the full sit-down will be broadcast on March 9, Fox said.

In separate comments to reporters, Trump said: "We have a situation with Iran that, something's going to happen very soon. Very, very soon."

Ali Khamenei, speaking on March 8 to a group of Iranian officials -- without specifically mentioning Trump or the United States -- said, "Their talks are not aimed at solving problems."

"It is for...'Let’s talk to impose what we want on the other party that is sitting on the opposite side of the table.'"

"The insistence of some bullying governments on negotiations is not to resolve issues.... Talks for them is a pathway to have new demands; it is not only about Iran's nuclear issue.... Iran will definitely not accept their expectations," Khamenei was quoted by state media as saying.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on March 8 said Tehran had not yet received a letter from Trump.

"We have heard of it [Trump’s letter], but we haven't received anything," Araghchi said on state TV.

The United States and Israel have long stated they will never allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons, even as Iran continues to enrich uranium at near weapons-grade levels.

Tehran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes.

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from a landmark 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms.

Trump said the terms of that deal were not strong enough to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and he also accused Tehran of fomenting extremist violence in the region -- which Iran has denied despite widespread evidence of such activity.

Khamenei last month said he opposed direct talks with Trump, charging that he cannot be trusted since he left the nuclear deal.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign that was the cornerstone of his Iran policy in his first term, with the aim of slashing Iran's oil exports to "zero." Experts say the United States is unlikely to be able to entirely stop Iran's oil sales but will be able to substantially reduce it.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

The United Nations and the United States have called on Syrian authorities to take immediate action after it was reported that Syrian government forces have killed hundreds of civilians belonging to the Alawite minority group in recent days.

The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on March 8 that it had identified 745 civilians belonging to the Alawite minority who were killed in two days of clashes between security forces and fighters loyal to the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad in Latakia Province. The numbers have not yet been independently verified.

"The killing of civilians in coastal areas in northwest Syria must cease, immediately," UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement on March 9.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Syria's interim authorities to hold accountable the "radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis" who have committed "massacres against Syria’s minority communities" in recent days.

"The United States stands with Syria's religious and ethnic minorities," Rubio said in a statement on March 9.

Reuters quoted diplomats as saying the United States and Russia have asked the Security Council to meet behind closed doors on March 10 over the escalating violence. Russian state media quoted Moscow's UN mission as saying the meeting would begin at 10 a.m.

According to SOHR, the total death toll from the violence rose to more than 1,000, including at least 125 security personnel and 148 Assad loyalists.

The monitoring group, which has a network of sources across Syria, said most of the civilian victims were shot at close range by "security forces and allied groups."

The clashes that erupted on March 6 mark the country's worst outbreak of violence since the regime of Assad, an ally of Iran and Russia, was overthrown in December.

Reuters and Al-Jazeera reported that dozens of people, mostly women, children, and elders, have sought refuge at the Russian Khmeimim military base in the Latakia countryside. There has been no immediate comment from the Russian authorities.

The monitoring group also reported that electricity and drinking water were cut off in large areas around the city of Latakia, the heartland of the Alawite minority to which Assad belonged.

Sharaa's Struggle To Maintain Control

Ahmed Sharaa, Syria's interim president, called for peace on March 9, saying the nation has to "preserve national unity and domestic peace."

"We will be able to live together in this country," Sharaa said speaking at a mosque in Damascus.

Sharaa had earlier blamed what he called "remnants" of Assad's government for the violence, but he did not address allegations that his forces had killed civilians.

Reuters cited a Syrian source as saying on March 9 that clashes continued overnight in several towns where armed groups fired on security forces and ambushed cars on highways leading to main towns in the coastal area.

A curfew has been enforced in Homs, Latakia, and Tartus due to ongoing fighting.

Analysts say the fighting exposes Sharaa's struggle to maintain control in a post-Assad Syria -- to the delight of Iran, Israel, and even Islamic State (IS) extremists.

Colin Clarke, director of policy and research at the New York-based Soufan Group intelligence consultancy, said what is transpiring in Latakia is "simply an inevitable outcome" in any postconflict setting.

Did Iran Start The Unrest?

The fighting started about a week after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whose country is a major backer of Sharaa's rule, warned Iran against moving to challenge the new Syrian government by empowering groups opposed to it.

He warned that it "would not be the right" approach and said doing so may result in "another country doing the same thing to you in return."

Sharaa, who saw Ankara-backed groups join the offensive launched by his US-designated terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) against Assad, has received scores of foreign delegations since seizing power in Damascus but has frozen Iran out in favor of its rivals Turkey and Saudi Arabia, as well as Western nations.

Phillip Smyth, an expert on Iranian proxies and Shi'ite militias, said there is "a lot of evidence" pointing to Tehran's involvement in the new outbreak of violence.

Iranian figures, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said after Assad's fall that Syrians would revolt against Sharaa's rule.

Smyth said Tehran "is happy this was set off," especially since it establishes that Iran "can cause massive disruption" despite losing a key ally in Assad.

"Better for Tehran is the fact that HTS militants demonstrated they would engage in human rights abuses. Iran desired an overreaction," he added.

Some observers have also suggested Tehran could look to back the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to challenge not only Sharaa, but also Turkey's growing influence.

The SDF commander Mazloum Abdi told Reuters on March 9 that factions “supported by Turkey and Islamic extremists” were chiefly responsible for the latest violence in Latakia.

Syria, under Assad's rule, played a pivotal role in Iran's strategic land corridor to the Levant. This corridor was crucial for Iran's regional influence, serving as the logistical backbone for its network of state and nonstate actors.

Who Else Stands to Gain From The Unrest?

Since rebels seized power, the new government has faced numerous security challenges.

Elements loyal to Assad, who belongs to the Alawite community, have sporadically attacked the new government's security forces, while IS remains active in various pockets throughout the country.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have expanded territorial control in southern Syria, with reports saying they are positioned about 20 kilometers from the capital. Israel has been targeting military assets and demanding the demilitarization of southern Syria.

"IS is extremely opportunistic and will be biding its time and waiting to strike. Israel will also take advantage of the situation by launching more strikes in the south of Syria," Clarke said.

"Sharaa is indeed struggling with control, but much of this is to be expected," he added.

US President Donald Trump has said he sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing talks to reach a deal over Tehran's nuclear program.

In an interview with Fox News recorded on March 6, Trump said he had sent the letter "yesterday."

"I've written them a letter saying, 'I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing,'" Trump said.

Snippets of the interview were aired on March 7, but the full sit-down will be broadcast on March 9, Fox News said.

"I would rather negotiate a deal. I'm not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily," Trump added. "But the time is happening now. The time is coming up. Something's going to happen one way or the other."

In comments at the White House later on March 7, Trump again voiced hope for a deal in the near future.

"We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon," he said, adding that "something is going to happen very soon."

"Hopefully we will have a peace deal," he said, apparently meaning a peaceful resolution of tension over Tehran's nuclear program. "I’m just saying I’d rather see a peace deal then the other. But the other will solve the problem.”

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from a landmark 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms.

Khamenei last month said he opposed direct talks with Trump, charging that he cannot be trusted since he left the nuclear deal.

After abrogating the accord in 2018, Trump welcomed an offer by Japan's then-prime minister, Shinzo Abe, to mediate and in 2019 asked the Japanese premier to deliver a letter to Khamenei. The Iranian leader rejected the letter, saying it was "not worthy" of a response.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign that was the cornerstone of his Iran policy in his first term, with the aim of slashing Iran's oil exports to "zero." Experts say the United States is unlikely to be able to entirely stop Iran's oil sales but will be able to substantially reduce it.

In comments to AFP, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi insisted Iran's nuclear program "cannot be destroyed" through military action and dismissed the prospect of talks with Trump as long as the "maximum pressure" campaign was in force.

Iran significantly accelerated its nuclear program after the United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and is now enriching uranium to 60 percent purity. Experts say Iran is a short technical step from enriching uranium to 90 percent, which is considered weapons-grade level.

Tehran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and has no plans to weaponize it. But the International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed "serious concern" over the speed with which Iran is accumulating highly enriched uranium.

On March 6, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign aims to shut down Iran's oil industry and "collapse its already buckling economy."

He added that "making Iran broke again" will mark the beginning of the government's sanctions policy toward the Islamic republic.

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 Russia's offer to mediate between Iran and the United States was received in Tehran.

What You Need To Know

• Russia Offers To Mediate Iran-US Talks: Various reports this week said Russia has offered to mediate between the United States and Iran, with the Kremlin insisting both nations should resolve issues through dialogue. The reports say US President Donald Trump has asked Moscow to help communicate with Iran on not only its nuclear program but also regional activities. Iranian media, however, are watching with narrowed eyes. They argue that Moscow is only looking to secure its own interests.

• US Wants To Make 'Iran Broke Again': US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week said the Trump administration's sanctions aim to shut down Iran's oil industry and "collapse its already buckling economy." He added that "making Iran broke again" will mark the beginning of the government's sanctions policy toward the Islamic republic. Tehran has not commented on Bessent's remarks.

• Singer Flogged For Song Slamming Mandatory Hijab: Iranian pop singer Mehdi Yarrahi received 74 lashes this week for a song that criticized Iran's mandatory hijab law. Released in August 2023 ahead of the first anniversary of the Women, Life, Freedom movement, the song led to his arrest later that month. The flogging sparked widespread outrage on social media, with figures like Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi condemning it as an act of revenge against his support for Iranian women.

• Iranian Animation Makes History At Oscars: Iranian animated short film In The Shadow Of The Cypress made history this week by winning the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards. Directed by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani, the 20-minute, dialogue-free film portrays a father's struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and his relationship with his daughter as they attempt to save a beached whale.

The Big Issue

An Ally Or Sacrificial Lamb?

Just a couple of weeks after reports emerged that Saudi Arabia is looking to broker talks between Iran and the United States, Russia has also thrown its hat in the ring.

Whereas potential Saudi mediation was generally welcomed by Iranian media and pundits, the Russian offer has been met with skepticism.

While both Tehran and Moscow refer to each other as allies, critics say Russia ultimately looks out for its own interests and has no qualms about sacrificing Iran.

Why It Matters: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came out against direct talks with the Trump administration, saying his government cannot be trusted because he pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Russia was among the five world powers that signed the landmark nuclear accord, but Mohammad Javad Zarif, a former Iranian foreign minister who negotiated the deal, has previously charged that Moscow actively sought to erode the deal.

Relations between Iran and Russia have grown in recent years, but the deep mistrust of Moscow remains.

This particularly came to the fore after senior US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia last month to discuss normalizing relations and ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This led to concerns in Iran that Russia will ultimately abandon its ally for the sake of a good deal with the Trump administration.

What's Being Said: Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Russia lost its authority as one of the signatories to the Iran nuclear deal after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

He argued that with its offer to mediate, Moscow was looking to "regain its place" and even "influence Iran's decision-making."

Nematollah Izadi, a former ambassador to Oman, charged that Russia "cannot be an impartial and honest mediator." He argued Saudi Arabia would be a better mediator because relations between Tehran and Washington would have little impact on Iran's dealings with Saudi Arabia. The same, he insisted, could not be said for Tehran's relations with Moscow.

The consensus among prominent media outlets in Iran is that Russia is only looking out for itself.

The reformist Sazandegi newspaper asserted Moscow "has shown in the past that it prioritizes its interests over everything else" and argued Iran would stand to lose if the United States and Russia reached any kind of agreement.

Even the Keyhan newspaper, whose editor in chief is appointed by Khamenei, insisted Tehran "does not need a mediator."

Some analysts, including Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group and Eurasia Group's Gregory Brew, argued that European signatories to the 2015 deal -- Britain, France, and Germany -- would be apprehensive about Russian mediation, concerned they would be frozen out.

Expert Opinion: "It's entirely possible that in the coming months we find ourselves in a scenario where the US joins Russia in opposing UN sanctions snapback on Iran," says Eric Brewer, deputy vice president for the Nuclear Threat Initiative's Nuclear Materials Security Program.

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.

Pop singer Mehdi Yarrahi has been given 74 lashes for a song criticizing Iran's mandatory dress code for women, ending a criminal case against him that also included a prison term.

His lawyer, Zahra Minuei, wrote on X on March 5 that Yarrahi's flogging sentence had been carried out.

Yarrahi became a household name in August 2023 after releasing a song titled Roosarito -- which translates as Your Head Scarf in Persian -- ahead of the first anniversary of the deadly nationwide protests that gave rise to the Women, Life, Freedom movement.

In January 2024, Yarrahi was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison and 74 lashes over the song. He was sentenced by the court on multiple charges and the sentences ran concurrently, meaning the singer would serve one year in prison.

In a video message days ahead of the flogging, Yarrahi said his prison sentence had been changed to house arrest with an ankle monitor due to his health problems, but insisted he had not requested the flogging sentence be dropped.

Messages of support have poured in for Yarrahi on social media.

Imprisoned Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi in a statement said the flogging was "retaliation" for his support for Iranian women.

"Mehdi Yarrahi stood against the suppression of women's voices -- let us be his voice," she wrote.

Political activist and former prisoner Arash Sadeqi hailed Yarrahi for "becoming the voice of the people and amplifying their grievances."

He praised the singer for "not bowing to force" and added, "People will never forget who stood by them in their toughest days."

Your Head Scarf urges women to remove their mandatory head scarves. It was released as officials clamped down on dissent ahead of the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2023.

Amini died in police custody for an alleged hijab violation. Her death sparked the Women, Life, Freedom movement and nationwide unrest over the government's restrictions on women and their daily lives.

Senior Russian missile and air-defense specialists traveled to Iran last year as the Islamic republic expanded its military cooperation with Moscow.

Reuters, which first reported the story, said seven Russian experts visited Iran on April 24 and September 17, 2024.

The visits came at a critical time for Iran, as it was embroiled in a conflict with archfoe Israel, with the two sides launching military attacks against one another in April and October.

Neither Iranian nor Russian officials have commented on the report and there is no formal explanation for the trips. Analysts say that while the visits are noteworthy, they are not surprising.

"There has been a two-way learning process in the Iran-Israel tit-for-tat, which also provided the Russians with data about air defenses," Nicole Grajewski, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Nuclear Policy Program, told RFE/RL.

In addition to domestically developed air-defense systems, Iran also uses Russian S-300 missile-defense systems whose delivery was completed in 2016.

In April 2024, satellite imagery showed that an S-300 radar had been damaged by a limited but precise Israeli strike, which came in retaliation for Iran launching a massive drone and missile attack weeks earlier.

The failure of Russian-supplied air defenses to intercept the Israeli air strikes is another reason the Russian experts may have visited Iran, according to Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow with the Washington Institute.

"One of the main purposes of the visits was to provide Iran with technical assistance to understand what exactly happened and how to defend against Israeli attacks," Nadimi told RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

"They were meant to study the data and improve the performance of air defenses against future attacks, which, as we saw, didn't work out," he added.

Israel last October retaliated against Iran's second and biggest-ever direct attack, targeting key military sites and degrading Tehran's air-defense and missile-production capabilities.

Would A US-Russia Deal Hurt Tehran-Moscow Ties?

The trips to Iran by Russian military experts represent the kind of perk that Tehran is loath to lose if Moscow and Washington reach an agreement requiring Russia to scale back its defense cooperation with the Islamic republic.

Since senior US and Russian officials met in Riyadh last month to normalize relations and end the war in Ukraine, there has been speculation that the Kremlin might give up Iran to get a better deal.

Grajewski argued that Iran and Russia do not have a strong economic relationship, so financially Tehran would not suffer much. But the impact could be felt elsewhere.

"If Russia does completely abandon Iran, Iran would primarily suffer the most in terms of improvements to its conventional military capabilities," she said. "The Russians have been crucial here both for the domestic production of Russian weapons and for the transfer of weaponry."

Iran has provided Russia with cheap but effective drones that have been used against Ukraine over the course of the war, and Western governments have accused Tehran of providing Moscow with ballistic missiles to aid in its 2022 full-scale invasion.

The Washington Institute's Nadimi noted Russia's reliance on Iranian hardware was not due to a lack of technology but rather time, because Iranian drones are cost-effective and quick to produce.

Still, analysts said it was unlikely that any sort of agreement between the Kremlin and US President Donald Trump would result in a long-term change in Russia and Iran's defense cooperation.

"The key thing to remember is that the Russia-Iran relationship has many layers that may persist even with a US-Russia deal," Grajewski said.

She added that "military-to-military channels are so deeply embedded" that technology and knowledge transfer could continue even if only parts of the Russian government remain engaged with Iran.

Fereshteh Ghazi of RFE/RL's Radio Farda contributed to this report.

Iranian filmmakers Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani needed a miracle just to get to the 97th Academy Awards, let alone a second to win an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. They got both.

A last minute visa allowed them to travel to Los Angeles for the awards on March 2, with the pair arriving just three hours before the start of the ceremonies. Not too long afterward, their animated film "In the Shadow Of The Cypress" won.

“It’s a miracle, and speaking in front of this expectant audience is very hard for us,” Molayemi said in his acceptance speech at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

“Yes, if we persevere and remain faithful, miracles will happen.”

Inspired by the aftermath of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, In the Shadow Of The Cypress is a 2D, dialogue-free animation that tells the story of a former ship captain suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who lives with his daughter in a far-flung house by the shores of the Persian Gulf in southern Iran.

Their lives take a turn when they discover a beached whale, setting them on a profound journey of healing.

The filmmakers initially wanted to portray challenging family relations, but then shifted their focus on the devastating conflict and its impact on the families of soldiers returning from war, Molayemi told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda days before the Academy Awards.

“We searched online for stories told by families of war veterans because we were sure the families wouldn’t talk to us, especially given all the bureaucracy and permits that we needed to obtain,” Sohani said.

Who Funded The Animation?

Molayemi said he and Sohani paid out of pocket to produce the film and later approached the state-run Center for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, a production company predating the Islamic republic, to recoup some of the costs.

The filmmakers agreed to give the company just over half of the rights to the film, but the company delayed payment by over a year, during which the value of the Iranian currency had significantly dropped against the dollar.

“The money was worth about half of what it was supposed to,” Molayemi complained.

The production company also demanded some scenes be dropped, including where the daughter shows her hair and the father smokes a cigarette, but the directors resisted.

"In The Shadow Of The Cypress" Makes History

In The Shadow Of The Cypress is the second Iranian film to be nominated in the Best Animated Short category, after Our Uniform by Yeganeh Moghaddam competed at last year’s Academy Awards. But Molayemi and Sohani’s film made history as the first Iranian animation to win.

Molayemi chalked it up to “coincidence” and said the back-to-back nominations “don’t mean animated movies get a lot of support” in Iran.

“These have all been personal efforts. Of course, animations that promote the government's ideology receive backing, but independent animations don’t get any special support."

There was little to no support from Iranian bodies to promote the film abroad as it competed in several high-profile competitions.

Sohani insisted that their movie met the criteria to be in contention for an Academy Award, “but at the Oscars, the quality of the film is not the only determining factor because promotion also pays an important part.”

She said while other movies in the category had the backing of large production companies, “in Iran, we simply didn’t have the financial resources to promote the movie at the level of the other nominees.”

Molayemi echoed his partner’s sentiment, calling In The Shadow Of The Cypress “the most abandoned movie” among the five nominees.

“I hope there is a miracle and they take notice of our movie,” he told Radio Farda, days before the movie made history at the Oscars.

Written by Kian Sharifi based on an interview by Babak Ghafooriazar of RFE/RL’s Radio Farda

Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif has stepped down on the "advice" of the country's judiciary chief, Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei.

In a post on X on March 3, Zarif said he had been "invited" by Mohseni-Ejei for a chat during which he was "advised to return to academia to prevent further pressure on the government."

A former foreign minister, Zarif's appointment in reformist President Masud Pezeshkian's government has been a source of tension for months, with his hard-line critics insisting that it violates a 2022 law on appointments in key positions.

His critics argue that Zarif's American-born sons are dual Iranian-U.S. nationals, rendering him unfit to hold such a position.

Zarif has long been a target for hard-line conservatives in Iran who claim he has too many foreign contacts and has faced suspicions because his sons -- now in their 40s -- acquired U.S. citizenship when they were born while he was a student in the United States.

Zarif had attempted to resign in August 2024 after less than two weeks in office, blaming differences with Pezeshkian over his choice of conservative cabinet members.

It later emerged that he had stepped down due to growing pressure from critics over the law.

"With Zarif's departure from the government, we can effectively consider the possibility of negotiations with America and the lifting of sanctions completely over," Ruhollah Rahimpour, a political analyst based in Turkey, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

Zarif's resignation followed the impeachment of Economy Minister Abdolnasser Hemmati, who was sacked by lawmakers in a 182-82 vote on March 2.

The political turmoil represented another setback for Pezeshkian, who shocked the country with his election victory last July, giving hopes to some observers of the potential for improved relations with the West.

The moves come at a time of increased tensions among the population over surging inflation and a tumbling currency in Iran –- which despite its energy riches is suffering through unplanned blackouts that have hit more than half of the country.

The AFP news agency reported that, on the domestic black market, Iran’s currency -- the rial -- was trading at more than 920,000 to the U.S. dollar, far worse than the rate of 600,000 to the dollar in mid-2024.

The falling value of the rial in recent years has exacerbated the cost of living in Iran. A recent report by the country's statistical authority said that around one-third of Iranians earn less than $2 a day and struggle to afford basic necessities.

During Hemmati's impeachment hearing, Pezeshkian told lawmakers that he initially wanted dialogue with the United States, but changed his mind after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei opposed talks with the Donald Trump administration last month.

Hemmati backed talks with the United States while Zarif was one of the key architects of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers -- which Trump withdrew from in 2018 during his first term in office.

Rahimpor said Pezeshkian implicitly blaming Khamenei for Tehran not engaging with Trump did not go down well with the supreme leader, who has the final say on all state matters.

"The political establishment, namely Khamenei, set out to punish" the president, Rahimpor suggested, which meant withdrawing his support for Zarif and Hemmati's continued presence in Pezeshkian's cabinet.

Much of the economic difficulties are tied to sanctions placed on the Iranian economy by the United States, which resumed its "maximum pressure" policy as Trump returned to the White House on January 20.

UN sanctions against Tehran were lifted under the terms of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal in return for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed by Iran with the United States, China, France, Russia, the U.K., Germany, and the European Union.

During his first term in office, however, Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed crippling U.S. sanctions that have roiled the economy

Zarif, a well-known and controversial figure in Iran, was Tehran's top diplomat under moderate former President Hassan Rohani and played a key role in concluding the nuclear deal.

Meanwhile, Zarif has faced international criticism for comments justifying human rights violations in Iran, the compulsory wearing of the hijab, and other nationalist remarks.

Hooman Askary of RFE/RL's Radio Farda contributed to this report

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 growing fears in Iran that failing to strike a deal with the United States will lead to Tehran becoming a bargaining chip in Washington’s dealings with Russia and European powers.

What You Need To Know

• Former Diplomat Urges Iran To Make A Deal With U.S.: Ali Majedi, a former ambassador to Germany, has warned Iran that if it fails to make a deal with the United States, it will likely find itself used as a bargaining chip in a potential deal between Washington, European powers, and Moscow. This comes as the growing likelihood of a U.S.-Russian rapprochement has fueled concerns in Tehran that Moscow might abandon Iran in favor of a good deal with the Donald Trump administration.

• Tehran Speeds Up Production Of Near Weapons-Grade Uranium: In its confidential quarterly report, which was seen by news agencies this week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Tehran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity had increased by 92.5 kilograms to 274.8 kilograms. The IAEA described the significant increase as a “serious concern.” Experts say Iran is a short, technical step away from enriching uranium to 90 percent, which is considered weapons-grade level.

• Iranian Exiles Sue Ex-Shah's "Chief Torturer": Three Iranian exiles have filed a $225 million lawsuit against Parviz Sabeti in a U.S. federal court, alleging years of torture by the former high-ranking security official under the shah. In the 1970s, Sabeti served as deputy head of SAVAK, the notorious security and intelligence agency of Iran’s last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The plaintiffs claim Sabeti played a key role in institutionalizing torture in Iran, setting the stage for the coercive interrogation methods later adopted by the Islamic republic.

The Big Issue

Negotiating With U.S. ‘Inevitable’

With the return of the Trump administration’s "maximum pressure" policy and Tehran's continued refusal to negotiate with Washington, Iran finds itself in a difficult spot.

Its economy is in poor shape, living costs are going up, and the United States is tightening the noose on Iran’s oil exports.

Majedi, a former Iranian diplomat, said in an op-ed on February 22 that the situation would only get worse for Tehran the longer it waited to directly engage the United States. Otherwise, Iran could be used as a bargaining chip in Washington’s dealings with not only Moscow but also European powers.

He warned that, if Iran fails to persuade Britain, France, and Germany (the E3) that reimposing UN sanctions on Tehran would be unproductive, the E3 might cooperate with Trump to reinstate UN sanctions on Iran in exchange for concessions on his stance regarding the Ukraine war.

“What is certain is that if we don’t negotiate, others will negotiate about us and will make deals over our interests,” he wrote. “Negotiating with America is ultimately inevitable.”

Why It Matters: UN sanctions against Iran were lifted under the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, which imposed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program.

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed U.S. sanctions against Iran. His administration also tried to trigger the deal’s “snapback mechanism” to return UN sanctions against Iran, but that attempt failed.

While the nuclear deal is, for all intents and purposes, no longer in effect, it will formally expire in October 2025. What that means is that world powers only have a few months to “snap back” UN sanctions.

The E3 opposed Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal and resisted his attempt to reimpose UN sanctions against Tehran. But they have in recent months expressed an openness to the possibility, particularly in light of Iran’s advancing nuclear program and its support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

What's Being Said: Mehrzad Boroujerdi, a professor of political science at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, echoed Majedi’s sentiment in an interview with RFE/RL’s Radio Farda.

“If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” he said.

But opponents of talks with Washington continue to insist there is nothing to be gained from negotiating with Trump.

Staunch critics of negotiations have pointed to Trump’s recent public rift with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as evidence that there is no point in talking to the U.S. president.

Specifically, they say the Ukraine mineral deal shows the extent of concessions that Trump expects.

The hardline Keyhan newspaper accused Zelenskyy of “handing over Ukraine’s minerals to Trump” while the conservative state-affiliated Mehr news agency claimed that “Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s fate is what [Iranian] liberals want for Iran.”

Expert Opinion: “This is a nudge to the Islamic republic’s leaders to seriously think about Iran’s situation on the international stage,” Boroujerdi said, referring to Majedi’s call for talks with Trump.

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.

Two years after reemerging from decades in hiding, Parviz Sabeti is facing a multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed by three former Iranian dissidents who accuse the ex-top security official under the shah of years of torture and abuse.

Sabeti in the 1970s served as the deputy head of SAVAK, the feared security and intelligence service of the last shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

RFE/RL’s Radio Farda has obtained a copy of the lawsuit, which was filed on February 10 in a federal court in the city of Orlando in Florida.

The plaintiffs accuse Sabeti of institutionalizing torture in Iran and laying the foundation for abusive interrogation tactics later used by the Islamic republic.

His daughter, Pardis Sabeti, did not respond to Radio Farda's request for comment.

'Institutionalization Of Torture'

The plaintiffs, whose identities remain undisclosed due to what they say is a fear of reprisal, allege in the $225 million lawsuit that they were detained by SAVAK and subjected to “extreme violence including beatings, whippings, stress positions, electrocution, hanging by the wrists, [and] hanging of weights from genitals.”

They say Sabeti “is widely recognized as an architect of the institutionalization of torture" in Iran, including the use of forced public recantations obtained through violent coercion, a practice established under his tenure and rapidly expanded and employed by the Islamic republic of Iran today.

They added that Iran’s clerical establishment, which came to power in 1979 after toppling the shah, “has continued SAVAK's policy of repression, censorship, torture, and executions.”

One notable allegation leveled against Sabeti in the lawsuit is his alleged ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), though the plaintiffs did not provide any evidence for the claim and cited “information and belief.”

Designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the IRGC is a branch of Iran's armed forces founded after the 1979 Islamic revolution. It is tasked with protecting the clerical establishment, exerting military and economic influence, and supporting proxy groups abroad. It has taken on many of the responsibilities of SAVAK.

The plaintiffs said the “collaboration” between Sabeti and individuals affiliated with the IRGC “provides a reasonable basis for fear by plaintiffs” who live outside Iran.

“Sabeti not only had knowledge of the pervasive use of torture applied on behalf of the shah's regime, but was a main advocate for its application,” the plaintiffs alleged.

Monarchists and supporters of Sabeti, including former senior SAVAK official Ahamad Farasati, reject the accusations.

Farasati told Radio Farda that Sabeti was so high-ranking he effectively served as a “deputy prime minister” and was mostly involved in political affairs rather than interrogations and torture.

“I assure you that Sabeti never provided guidance or directions on -- God forbid -- abusing suspects and he himself is staunchly opposed to it,” he claimed.

Farasati denied the use of torture techniques and devices described in the lawsuit but conceded that “maybe there was flogging of feet…but not to torture, rather to get a confession” so that the security apparatus could prevent future incidents.

'Enduring Suffering'

SAVAK was established in 1957 and rights groups have long accused it of torturing dissidents who opposed the rule of the shah.

The U.S. State Department notes that SAVAK as an organization was the first of its kind in Iran and “is generally considered to have taken over certain counterintelligence functions handled by the police, gendarmerie, and military intelligence.”

Raha Bahreini, a human rights lawyer and spokeswoman for Amnesty International, told Radio Farda that “the victims of SAVAK’s crimes have for years been deprived of getting justice.”

She said the lawsuit highlights “the long-term crisis of impunity” for perpetrators of human rights violations in Iran.

“At the heart of this case lies the enduring suffering of torture survivors, who continue to seek justice, truth, and accountability,” Bahreini said.

In a 1977 interview with The Washington Post, Sabeti claimed that Iranians who feared SAVAK were “influenced by foreign journalists’ accounts,” adding, “Some of the foreign journalists come here… They see SAVAK behind every tree.”

In a 2012 interview with Voice of America, Sabeti stated that he was “opposed” to torture.

“Because I studied law, I have always opposed anything that leads to torture,” he said.

Sabeti had for decades stayed out of the public eye, relocating to Florida after the 1979 Islamic revolution and becoming a real estate developer. He reemerged in February 2023, taking part in an anti-Islamic republic rally in California.

The plaintiffs say it was Sabeti’s public appearance that allowed them “the opportunity to even consider pursuing claims” against him.

Written based on an original report by RFE/RL’s Radio Farda and interviews by Mohammad Zarghami and Reza Jamali.

Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking China's resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.

I'm RFE/RL's China Global Affairs Correspondent Reid Standish and here's what I'm following right now.

Minding The Transatlantic Gap

China is looking to capitalize on a transatlantic rift between the United States and Europe that is widening as U.S. President Donald Trump looks to quickly end the war in Ukraine.

But how much of an opening is there actually for Beijing?

Finding Perspective: The threat of tariffs, a war of words at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month, U.S.-Russia talks that excluded Europe and Kyiv, and a standoff at the United Nations over how to commemorate the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine have all been recent fissures between Washington and European governments.

That brought new questions about relying on the United States to European capitals and left an opening for Beijing, which has been trying to woo back Europe over the past four years.

On the sidelines in Munich, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held bilateral meetings with several top European officials, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Spain's foreign minister seems to be at least more open to the idea of keeping China closer amid tensions with the United States.

Jose Manuel Albares told the Financial Times that the European Union should craft its own China policy and not follow the more confrontational line with Beijing advocated by those in the Trump administration.

"Europe must take its own decisions, on its own. And we have to decide when China can be a partner and when China is a competitor," Albares told the newspaper.

How We Got Here: During Trump's first term in office, Washington pushed European governments to take a harder line on China. That led to the bloc labeling China a "systemic rival" in 2019.

The Chinese government's untransparent handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, trade, human rights, and supply chain concerns, and Beijing's backing of Russia throughout the war in Ukraine all saw that harder line solidify in Europe under former U.S. President Joe Biden's tenure.

Now amid growing transatlantic tensions, some European governments see following Trump's tough stance on China as a way to win over Washington. Others, like the Spanish government, are arguing to preserve vital economic ties with Beijing, especially amid growing uncertainty about the United States.

This has even led to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, one of Brussels's more hawkish voices on China, calling in January for a new effort to improve relations between Brussels and Beijing.

A True Rift? Tensions on each side of the Atlantic are real.

Following his party's victory in elections on February 23, Friedrich Merz, Germany's chancellor-in-waiting for the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said the Trump administration "does not care much about the fate of Europe" and that the Continent needs to act accordingly.

"My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the U.S.A.," he said.

Talk of a seismic shift in the geopolitical order is also under way in Brussels.

One EU official recently back from discussions with U.S. officials told RFE/RL that the White House's focus is on ending the war in Ukraine and that there is a "take it or leave it" attitude from Washington.

The Trump administration wants to "remove the Ukraine issue from the table and move on to other issues. It is becoming clear that Trump's goal is to rule the world together with Russia and China" and work toward "strategically separating them from each other," said the official, who was granted anonymity in order to discuss sensitive matters.

Why It Matters: Europe may be grappling with a realignment, but that doesn't mean China is its only option to hedge.

As European leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visit Washington, von der Leyen is set to arrive in India on February 27.

James Crabtree, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told me that "it's hard to imagine a better time to re-energize Europe's and India's historically lackluster ties" and that a focus of the trip will be technology cooperation.

"A meeting of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council -- only the second since its foundation in 2023 -- offers opportunities to deepen collaboration in areas ranging from artificial intelligence to clean technologies," he said.

China may also be short on opportunities, with most EU members unable to look past its support for Russia amid the war in Ukraine. The bloc's most recent sanctions package passed on February 24 once again included Chinese companies and individuals.

What is likely to emerge is a more fragmented Europe when it comes to China. While some governments look to countries like India, South Korea, and Japan to balance out their foreign policy, others -- such as the current Spanish government and Hungary -- will keep courting Chinese investment and create new openings for Beijing.

Three More Stories From Eurasia

1. A Reverse Nixon?

China publicly backed the Trump administration's recent talks with the Kremlin, but analysts and former U.S. officials I spoke with mostly said the prospect of a U.S.-Russia reset is also making Beijing "nervous" about having less leverage over its partner.

The Details: "While a complete rapprochement might not be in the cards, they're nervous because if Trump lifts sanctions on Russia, then Moscow's dependency on China decreases," Dennis Wilder, who was a top White House China adviser to former U.S. President George W. Bush, told me.

One of the hallmarks of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's foreign policy has been a burgeoning strategic partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin that's grown closer since Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Beijing has propped up the Russian economy through enhanced trade and energy purchases while fueling the Kremlin's war effort with the supply of key goods as both Xi and Putin have found common ground in wanting to challenge the West and unseat the United States.

The fear of all that being derailed by a new type of U.S.-Russia relationship born out of a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine is real for Beijing.

Wilder says he's had conversations with "very senior Chinese officials" since Trump's election in November who have expressed concern about a potential U.S.-Russia reset.

He says they've used the phrase "Only Trump goes to Moscow," a play on the historical reference to former U.S. President Richard Nixon's landmark visit to Beijing in 1972, when he defied precedent and courted China to exploit its split with the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.

2. But Can It Work?

A grand bargain would be a major diplomatic feat, but it's something Trump administration officials have hinted at in public comments of late.

What You Need To Know: The Trump administration has made clear it sees managing a long-term rivalry with China as its top foreign policy objective and may look to deprioritize regions like Europe and the Middle East in order to raise pressure on Beijing in Asia.

Following the talks in Riyadh, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the possibility for future "geopolitical and economic cooperation" between Washington and Moscow was among the key points discussed.

And in an interview this month with The Wall Street Journal, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Washington was prepared to reset the relationship with the Kremlin following an agreement over Ukraine as a move to end Russia's isolation and its growing dependence on China since the war began.

"It's not in Putin's interest to be the little brother in a coalition with China," Vance said.

The thinking is that even new cracks between the two powers may loosen Moscow's alignment with Beijing and could have a deterrent effect on China, especially if it decides to use military force to take Taiwan.

Still, both Beijing and Moscow are aware of what the White House is trying to do, and Beijing has made a point to show it and Moscow are still a tandem, including a recent phone call between Putin and Xi on the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine.

Steve Tsang, director of SOAS University London's China Institute, told me he believes Washington's efforts to reset its Russia ties are also not all bad news for Beijing.

"Xi does not want Putin to fail in the war, and so Trump delivering a peace that mostly meets Russian conditions is a positive," he said. "Who knows who will be the next U.S. president and if there will be a reversal of U.S. posture post-Trump."

3. Taiwan Watches A New U.S. Line On Ukraine

Ukrainians living in Taiwan and local supporters protested outside the de-facto Russian Embassy in Taipei on the eve of the third anniversary of Moscow's invasion.

What It Means: The self-governing island has been a vocal supporter of Kyiv, which the Taiwanese government sees as a foil for its own tenuous geopolitical position where China has long threatened to invade and annex Taiwan if it refused to peacefully accept unification.

Those parallels have grown since Trump's election. The United States is Taiwan's largest military backer and its support is considered vital for its survival, but Trump's global shakeup, including launching negotiations with Russia without Ukraine and threatening to cut off future aid to Kyiv, has brought anxiety to Taiwan about a similar withdrawal of American assistance.

When I was in Taiwan in December, I spoke with several senior officials who said they were closely watching what happened to Kyiv on the battlefield and with the new U.S. administration.

So far, the White House has reaffirmed its support for Taiwan, but Washington has also threatened tariffs on the island's semiconductor industry, which is responsible for around 60 percent of world production for microchips and 90 percent of the most-advanced ones needed for the global AI boom.

Across The Supercontinent

Choking Off Iranian Oil: Earlier this month, the United States brought in a new tranche of sanctions on Iranian oil, my colleague Kian Sharifi and I reported. The move is seen as an opening shot against Tehran and Beijing -- Iran's top oil customer.

New Bridge Deal: The Transport Ministry of Tajikistan and the Tajik branch of the Chinese company Zhejiang Communications Construction Group (ZCCC) signed a cooperation agreement for the construction of what will be the longest road bridge in Central Asia.

New Tools For Tashkent: Uzbekistan showcased on February 25 newly purchased Chinese-made air-defense systems, including the FM-90 short-range surface-to-air missile system and the KS-1C medium-to-long-range air-defense system.

One Thing To Watch

A Chinese-crewed cargo ship is detained in Taiwan's southern port of Tainan after a key Taiwan-Penghu Internet cable was mysteriously severed.

Taiwanese prosecutors are investigating whether this was an accident or part of a broader pattern of disruptions to vital communication lines, but the country's Coast Guard released footage of them apprehending the vessel.

The move comes amid growing tensions from a rise of so-called gray zone tactics, the term often used by Taiwanese officials to refer to the hybrid tactics used to intimidate the island but which remain below the threshold for war.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have.

Until next time,

Reid Standish

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