Alleged Romanian attackers of Iran International presenter extradited to UK

"Iran and Syria share historical and friendly relations which continue to grow based on mutual interest and international legal principles," Amir Saeid Iravani said during a United Nations Security Council session.

"Iran remains steadfast in its constructive role, working with United Nations regional partners and the Syrian people to achieve lasting peace and stability in Syria and the wider region."

The collapse this month of President Bashar al-Assad's government delivered a major blow to Iran's influence in the Middle East.

For years, Tehran poured resources into maintaining the Axis of Resistance—a regional alliance aimed at countering Western and Israeli influence. Syria under Assad served as a linchpin in this strategy, acting as a vital link for Iranian support to Hezbollah in Lebanon and a launchpad for Tehran's broader regional ambitions.

"The future of Syria must be decided solely by its people, free from external interference or imposition," Iravani added. "An inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process, facilitated by the UN ... is essential."

The rapid advance of rebel forces and their capture of Damascus on December 8, forced Assad into exile in Russia and upended Iran's regional role.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Quds Force operatives who had played a central role in bolstering Assad were forced to withdraw, stripping Tehran of its military and intelligence leverage.

Armed rebels stormed and looted the Iranian embassy, and a truck parked outside was photographed toting away a large golden chandelier.

Iravani described Iran's military intervention in the country as vital to defeating militants from Islamic State, referred to as Daesh in Arabic.

"For years, Iran has provided legitimate support to Syria in his fight against terrorism, acting upon the formal and lawful request of the then Syrian government," he said. "Without Iran and Hezbollah's decisive efforts and sacrifices, Syria would have fallen entirely under the control of Daesh and its affiliated terrorist groups."

The remarks stood in contrast to those of Iran's ultimate decider of domestic and foreign policy, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who said in a speech last week that the Syrian rebels would be pushed out.

“By God’s blessing, the territories occupied in Syria will be freed by the brave young people of Syria,” Khamenei said. “Have no doubt that this will happen.”

Iravani said on Tuesday that preserving Syria's institutions is key to preventing further chaos, warning of the consequences if governance structures collapse.

"Maintaining Syrian governmental institutions is vital for stability... Institutional collapse risks further fragmentation, humanitarian suffering, and exploitation by extremists," he said.

At home, Iran's regional setbacks have heightened scrutiny of Iran’s foreign policy priorities, with critics questioning the allocation of resources to wars abroad while economic conditions deteriorate domestically.

Khamenei in his speech attributed Assad’s downfall to a plot by the United States and Israel and also ascribed blame to Turkey without explicitly naming it.

As Tehran grapples with the fallout, its regional strategy may see significant changes, including a potential push to advance its nuclear program as a means of restoring deterrence. However, the loss of Syria as a strategic ally represents a major challenge for Iran, signaling a significant realignment in regional geopolitics.

Erdler Amoyal was contacted in October via social media by an agent identifying as Ariana, before being introduced to another handler, John, according to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).

“This investigation once again reveals the efforts of Iranian intelligence agencies in attempting to recruit Israeli citizens for the purpose of promoting espionage and terrorist activities,” a Shin Bet official said.

Despite knowing the operatives represented a hostile state, Amoyal agreed to carry out tasks, including surveillance and writing graffiti in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, featuring phrases such as We Make Peace and Sinwar.

The Shin Bet said that Amoyal sought bomb-making materials, watched tutorials on constructing explosives, and attempted to acquire a firearm with a silencer.

He also proposed attacks targeting Israeli infrastructure, including setting a police vehicle on fire and cutting electricity to the Jerusalem light rail.

Payments for these missions were made through cryptocurrency, authorities said.

The announcement follows several arrests in recent months tied to alleged Iranian plots.

Earlier this month, three northern Israel residents were detained on similar charges.

In October, seven Arabs from East Jerusalem were arrested by security forces on suspicion of plotting to assassinate scientists and senior Israeli officials on behalf of the Iranian government.

In September, Moti Maman, a 73-year-old Jewish businessman from the southern coastal city of Ashkelon, was arrested on allegations of meeting with Iranian intelligence operatives and aiding them in planning high-profile assassinations, including that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the Shin Bet, Maman even traveled to Iran twice this year, where he requested $1 million as an advance payment for a series of missions.

The longstanding enmity between Iran and Israel has deepened in recent months, marked by a series of escalating confrontations across multiple fronts.

Iran's support for proxy groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and militias in Syria has heightened tensions, as Israel continues to carry out targeted strikes against Iranian-linked assets in the region to curb Tehran's influence.

The two regional powerhouses have also exchanged direct blows in two rounds of tit-for-tat attacks that carry the risk of all-out war.

Iran has intensified its rhetoric and expanded its cyber and covert operations targeting Israeli interests.

Dual US-Iranian national Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, 42, a resident of Natick, Massachusetts, and Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, 38, of Tehran, were charged with violating US export control and sanctions laws.

Abedini is also accused of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization — the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — resulting in the deaths of three American soldiers in a January drone attack on a military base in Jordan.

The US defense department indicated at the time that an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, Kata'ib Hezbollah, was responsible for the strike. It was the deadliest attack on US troops since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel sparked a sprawling conflict pitting Israel - long armed and supported by Washington - against groups loyal to Tehran.

Sadeghi was arrested in Massachusetts, while Abedini was detained in Italy at the request of US authorities. Both face up to 20 years in prison, with Abedini also facing charges that could result in life imprisonment.

“The Justice Department will hold accountable those who enable the Iranian regime to target and kill Americans and undermine the national security of the United States,” said US Attorney General Merrick Garland.

According to court filings, Abedini founded San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA), an Iranian company that produces the Sepehr Navigation System, used in IRGC military drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles. Sadeghi, a former founder of a Massachusetts technology company, allegedly conspired to procure US-origin components through illicit channels for SDRA, violating export laws.

The investigation revealed that SDRA’s navigation systems were integral to the Shahed drones used in the January 28 attack on the Tower 22 base in Jordan, which killed three service members and injured more than 40 others.

The US government is now seeking Abedini’s extradition from Italy.

“Everyone, especially women, should be vigilant about the enemy’s soft tactics and not be deceived by slogans and temptations,” Khamenei said in a meeting with a group of women on Tuesday.

"They label it as defending women, advocating for women's rights, or supporting a group of women," he added, pointing to the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement. "Yet, under the pretext of defending a single woman, they incite unrest in the country."

The 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom movement began after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. The ensuing crackdown, which led to the deaths of at least 550 protesters, was described as a crime against humanity by a UN fact-finding mission.

In his first public statements following the uprising in 2022, Khamenei said the protests had been engineered by Iran's enemies and their allies.

As the hijab war continues, the government has now officially postponed the implementation of the latest and most controversial hijab law, which imposes severe penalties on women and girls who defy veiling requirements, following widespread backlash from the public and international community.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in a letter to parliament on Saturday, requested that the implementation of the Hijab and Chastity law be halted. A member of the parliament's presiding board stated that this delay is to allow the government to submit an amended version of the bill for parliamentary review.

Last week, Amnesty International condemned the new law, stating that it intensifies the oppression of women and girls while exposing activists opposing the rules to charges that carry the death penalty.

Amnesty noted that the law, drafted in May 2023, less than a year after the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, was introduced in response to widespread defiance of compulsory veiling by women and girls.

Iran-backed forces will endure - Khamenei

In his speech, Khamenei emphasized that Tehran's armed groups in the region, including Hamas and Hezbollah, remain strong despite significant challenges posed by external forces.

Addressing the situations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, Khamenei condemned the actions of the United States and Israel, calling their assumption that resistance would end a grave miscalculation.

"They thought resistance was over," Khamenei said. "They are gravely mistaken. The spirit of Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah is alive; the spirit of Sinwar is alive. Their martyrdom has not removed them from existence. Their path continues."

Khamenei dismissed Israel's military operations in Syria, warning that its efforts to encircle and eliminate Hezbollah forces would ultimately fail. "The one who will be uprooted is Israel," he said.

While Israel maintains that it has no interest in conflict with Syria and rarely comments on specific strikes, it has carried out a series of operations targeting weapons facilities and military infrastructure. Since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, Israel has intensified strikes against military installations across the country.

On Monday, multiple large explosions rocked Syria's coastal areas — home to Russian and pro-Assad military bases, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Israel also maintains troop presence inside the buffer zone and beyond, citing efforts to prevent a repeat of the October 7 attacks, in which Iran-backed Hamas infiltrated Israeli territory, killing over 1,100 people and taking more than 250 hostages.

“I prefer not to use the word ‘imminent'," he said. "This is on the agenda, and as soon as the necessary conditions are met—both in terms of security and politics—we will move forward with reopening the embassy."

Video footage shared on the day President Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow showed militants in the embassy, ransacking documents and vandalizing the facility, with shattered glass and broken furniture seen around the building. Iranian media reported that the staff had fled before it was taken over.

Addressing comments made on Monday by the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, that Iran and Russia should have no role in Syria's future, Baghaei said: “This is an interesting joke, and I think when she made this comment, she was probably reading history books. The era when foreign powers could dictate to other regions is over.”

Explaining Iran's role in Syria, Baghaei said: “Our presence in Syria was fundamental and principled, and our withdrawal was responsible. We were not seeking expansionism, dominance, or the revival of past empires. What mattered to us in Syria was helping ensure its security in the fight against terrorism.”

Syria, under Assad, was a key component of Iran’s so-called 'Axis of Resistance,' serving as a vital land corridor for supplying weapons and materiel to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Over the years, Israel sought to disrupt this supply line through hundreds of airstrikes.

During the briefing, he also addressed remarks made by several Iranian politicians that Assad government owes approximately $30 to $50 billion to Iran.

He said the number were exaggerated, saying that the debts will be transferred to Syria's new political system based on the principle of state succession. "These figures, such as the claim of a $50 billion debt owed to Iran by Syria, are truly very exaggerated."

As Iran looks to its future after a battered Syria, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will attend the D-8 summit in Egypt, the spokesman confirmed on Tuesday. The summit of the eight major Muslim developing countries, known as the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, will be held on Thursday.