Trump advisor Waltz says Israel sapped Iran, cut its regional tentacles

The judiciary announced on Thursday that the concert, streamed live on YouTube from a historic arched caravanserai, "lacked any legal authorization and did not comply with the country’s legal and cultural standards."

Officials added that a case has been filed against Parastoo Ahmadi and her production team.

The Caravanserai Concert, held on Wednesday night, quickly became one of the most discussed topics on Iranian social media.

Despite YouTube being restricted in Iran, the performance attracted over 150,000 views within 18 hours, with clips widely shared online.

Ahmadi, in her introduction, described the concert as hypothetical, saying, “I am Parastoo; a girl who wants to sing for the people she loves... this is a right I could not forsake.”

Ahmadi was born in 1997 in Nowshahr in northern Iran. She is a graduate in directing from Sooreh University and spent years playing the piano and doing song covers which she shared on her Instagram page.

Iranian law prohibits women from singing solo or appearing in public without a hijab. Ahmadi’s performance, in which she bared her shoulders, challenged these long-standing restrictions.

Her earlier acts of defiance, including a rendition of Az Khoon-e Javanan-e Vatan (“From the Blood of the Youth of the Nation”) during 2022 nationwide anti-veil protests, had already brought her into conflict with authorities. Following that performance, she was summoned by security officials and her home was searched.

Artistic defiance has become a hallmark of Iran’s protest movements, with musicians such as Shervin Hajipour, Saman Yasin, and Toomaj Salehi facing arrest for their roles in mobilizing dissent. Ahmadi’s concert continues this tradition, positioning her as both an artist and an activist in a country where such roles carry significant risks.

The judiciary’s swift action shows the government’s determination to curb what it sees as cultural transgressions, even as social media amplifies these acts of resistance to global audiences.

The statement, issued Wednesday, emphasized the importance of controlling narratives during what it described as “sensitive internal and regional conditions.”

“Media and online activists in the country should refrain from addressing topics that disrupt the psychological security of society and frighten the public about the situation,” it added.

This announcement follows remarks by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who characterized public discussions about Iran’s weakening position after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria as criminal acts.

“Some do this abroad through Persian-language media, and they must be dealt with differently, but no one inside the country should do this. If someone, in their analysis or statements, speaks in a way that discourages the people, it is a crime and must be addressed,” Khamenei said during his first speech after Assad’s collapse on Wednesday.

This speech by Khamenei, unlike the usual practice of recent years, was not broadcast live on state TV per his office's decision.

Criticism of Iran’s costly support for Assad has surged in recent days, with former officials and commentators questioning the billions spent and thousands of lives lost during Tehran’s involvement in Syria.

The collapse of Assad’s government has undermined Iran’s influence in the region, dealing a blow to what it terms the Resistance Axis, which relies heavily on strategic connections to Hezbollah.

Khamenei, while addressing the Syrian situation, sought to portray resilience and determination. He said that areas in Syria lost to opposition forces would be reclaimed and expressed confidence in the eventual removal of US influence from the region.

However, he also acknowledged potential lapses in Iran’s intelligence communication with Syrian officials.

“Our intelligence apparatus had conveyed warning reports... I do not know if these reports reached high-ranking officials or were lost somewhere in the process,” he said.

The Attorney General’s call to action highlights a renewed focus on controlling internal discourse amid mounting criticism.

In recent years, some critics of Iran’s foreign interventions have faced prison sentences, and the latest directive suggests that Tehran is intensifying efforts to silence dissenting voices.

Western observers, including European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, have framed Assad's downfall as evidence of declining influence for his allies, including Iran.

This crackdown underscores the challenges faced by Iran’s leadership in maintaining its regional aspirations while managing domestic criticism, leaving journalists and activists facing increasing risks for their reporting.

"There is not any truth to that. There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and there’s no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States," Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Wednesday.

In an interview with Fox News earlier in the day, New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew cited "very high, qualified, and responsible sources" saying "Iran launched a mothership probably about a month ago that contained these drones."

“These drones should be shot down,” said Van Drew, who sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He was referring to large drones that have been seen gliding through New Jersey's night skies for weeks, puzzling residents with their mysterious flashing light displays.

Singh added there was no evidence that the reported drone flights were "the work of an adversary”.

Government officials announced that the closures affecting both public and private institutions will continue through Thursday in several major cities including Tehran, Isfahan and Ahvaz.

The capital Tehran has seen its air quality deteriorate to the point where clean air days accounted for just 15% of the annual total over the past eight years. Nationwide, air pollution contributes to 25,000 deaths each year, according to official statistics.

The economic toll is also heavy, with air pollution costing the country an estimated $12 billion annually.

The crisis is not only disrupting education but also straining the healthcare system. In central Markazi Province, hospital official Behrooz Irannejad reported that 900 patients with respiratory and cardiac issues sought medical care in one city, Arak, between October 22 and December 10 due to pollution.

Davood Mirshekar, an air quality official in southwestern Khuzestan, announced similar closures across the province. In the central city of Isfahan, elementary and middle schools have switched to remote learning due to stagnant air conditions which have left pollution stubbornly in place.

Ahvaz in the south remains the most polluted city in Iran, with 55% of its days classified as polluted.

Sedigheh Torabi, deputy director of the Department of Environment, attributed this to a mix of natural pollutants such as dust storms and human-generated emissions from power plants, industries and waste burning.

A 2017 Clean Air Law designed to tackle air pollution has been largely ignored. Of the 174 obligations assigned to 23 government agencies, less than half have been implemented over seven years.

Critics argue that the government has prioritized social regulations like the controversial hijab law over addressing environmental concerns.

Outdated vehicles and automaker responsibility

Transportation accounts for 60% of Iran’s air pollution, according to Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raeisi.

Eleven million of 12 million motorcycles and 2.5 million of 14 million vehicles are outdated, exacerbating the crisis. The automakers Iran Khodro and Saipa have come under fire for not tightening emissions standards.

A law requiring the replacement of aging vehicles was abandoned during Hassan Rouhani's presidency, aggravating the issue.

While outdated vehicles play a significant role, air pollution persists even during periods of reduced traffic, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests that industrial emissions and low-quality fuels also significantly contribute to the crisis.

Sanctions and government efforts to keep fuel prices low have led to the use of an oil product called naphtha, a cheap but highly polluting alternative.

In May 2024 the government invested $3 billion to produce naphtha.

Reformist newspapers have highlighted the issue, but official data on the extent of its use remains unavailable.

Iran’s use of mazut, a low-quality heavy fuel oil, for energy production has also become a significant environmental and public health concern. Faced with a shortage of natural gas during colder months, Iran has increasingly relied on mazut in its power plants and industries, exacerbating already severe air pollution levels in major cities.

Iran’s air pollution crisis underscores the need for comprehensive reforms. From enforcing environmental laws to modernizing transportation and regulating industrial emissions, the country has yet to address its environmental challenges to protect public health and reduce economic losses.

Totaling $10 billion, the funds are Iraqi payments for electricity provided by neighboring Iran.

The move was made two days after the November presidential election, the state department confirmed last week, riling Biden's critics.

“The House voted to eliminate these waiver authorities - twice. But the Biden administration is still waiving the sanctions, putting more money in the Iranian regime’s pockets to fund its terrorist proxies and nuclear weapons program," Republican Michael McCaul said on X.

"The US should not be subsidizing Iran’s malign activities.”

On November 8, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced: "it is in the national security interest of the United States" to waive mandatory economic sanctions that bar Iraq from transferring upward of $10 billion to Iran in electricity import payments.”

Republicans have objected to the move, warning that the money will not be used for the benefit of Iran’s cash-strapped population - one third of which now live below the poverty line - but will instead be funneled toward Tehran’s militant allies in the region.

The administration previously signed off on renewing the waiver one month after Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, the Washington Free Beacon reported on Tuesday. Iran has armed, funded and trained the Palestinian militant group.

Last year, the US unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds to bank accounts in Qatar in exchange for the release of five US-Iranian prisoners held by Tehran. That move was lambasted by Republican critics as indulging Iranian hostage diplomacy.

Amid bipartisan pressure following the Oct. 7 attack by Iran-backed Hamas against Israel, the Biden administration told lawmakers it would effectively refreeze those funds for the foreseeable future.

The most recent waiver lifted sanctions for 120 days and will overlap with the incoming administration of Donald Trump, whose punishing sanctions gutted Iranian finances.

Given the pledge by incoming Trump administration officials to renew that “maximum pressure” stance on Iran, the waiver could be scrapped.

During the previous Trump administration the waiver was in force but access to the funds was stricter, according to the Beacon, which regularly lampoons Democrats and supports Republicans.

“The Biden State Department tweaked the waiver last year to allow Tehran to convert the funds from Iraqi dinars to euros, then hold those euros in bank accounts based in Oman,” the Beacon reported.

“Access to a widely traded currency like the euro enables Iran to more easily spend the cash in international markets. Under the first Trump administration, Iran had to keep the cash in an escrow account in Baghdad, making it more difficult to access.”

State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters in a briefing on Nov. 7 that the administration still considered Iran an adversary but wanted to facilitate the provision of Iranian electricity to Iraq.

"We remain committed to reducing Iran's malign influence in the region,” he said. The United States last year designated Iran the world’s top state sponsor of terrorism.

"Our viewpoint is that a stable, sovereign, and secure Iraq is critical to these efforts.”

The funds are mandated for use on humanitarian needs such as medicines, according to the Biden State Department instructions.

However, its Republican detractors maintain that the money is fungible, allowing Tehran to divert its dwindling cash reserves to regional allies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

"Joe Biden and his team are taking credit for bringing down Assad just a few weeks after renewing a sanctions waiver to give Iran access to billions of dollars," Richard Goldberg, a former White House National Security Council member who worked on the Iran portfolio, told the Beacon.

"Give me a break. This policy of appeasement needs to end on January 20, and locking down these accounts so Iran can't get access should be priority one.”

Western countries stepped up sanctions on Iran this year over its human rights record and support of Russia in its war on Ukraine.

Iran has managed to circumvent many of the sanctions and boost revenue from oil exports during Biden's term, leading critics including some Democrats to urge a more muscular approach.