Switzerland demands answers from Iran on alleged suicide of imprisoned citizen

In an unprecedented report on Thursday, Tehran’s Reformist daily Etemad questioned Pezeshkian and his team's effectiveness, telling him, "Iranian and foreign politicians have not taken you seriously."

As hardliners in the Iranian parliament push to impeach four ministers, Tehran’s press has also highlighted that some opposition to Pezeshkian also stems from within his own government and support base.

Iran's economic conditions have significantly worsened in the five months since the new president took office, driven largely by major regional setbacks that triggered a 33% decline in the national currency's value.

Despite ongoing criticism of the government’s efficiency, the President and his aides participated in a “national reconciliation” conference on Thursday morning. However all 44 photos published by the state-owned news agency ISNA exclusively feature Reformist participants, with no representation from other factions within the Islamic Republic’s political spectrum.

President Pezeshkian has promoted the concept of Vefaq-e Melli (national reconciliation) as an olive branch to hardliners who dominate the parliament and many state-backed organizations. Yet, these same hardliners have recently intensified their campaign against him, even though he has already appointed several of them to key positions.

According to multiple media reports, including those from the moderate Khabar Online website, critics across the Iranian media spectrum argue that "The concept of national reconciliation has achieved little beyond awarding most key government positions to the President's political rivals, without securing their commitment to follow his policies or refrain from advancing ultraconservative agendas."

In another report on the same website, columnist Nilufar Molaei highlighted the growing criticism from various circles, noting, "Those who previously supported former President Ebrahim Raisi have now joined the ranks of Pezeshkian's critics." Molaei was referring to members of the ultraconservative Paydari Party, which formed the backbone of the Raisi administration.

She explained that hardliners are frustrated with the president's efforts to improve Iranians' access to social media, his decision to halt the enforcement of legislation targeting women who defy the compulsory hijab, and the possibility of negotiations between Iran and the United States.

Highlighting the opposition from hardliner Friday Prayer leaders in cities such as Mashhad, Karaj, Qazvin, Isfahan and others, Molaei also noted that some criticism of the Pezeshkian administration originates from within his own government.

This observation was echoed by ultraconservative lawmaker and a member of the Paydari Party, who remarked that even some individuals pushing for the impeachment of four of Pezeshkian's ministers are staunch supporters of the president and affiliated with reformist parties.

Meanwhile, the reformist daily Etemad, in a commentary directed at the President, urged, "Being a good President is not enough; you must also stand firm on your positions." The publication warned that "both Iranian and foreign politicians do not take you seriously."

Etemad further observed, "Whether Pezeshkian realizes it or not, he now occupies a pivotal position in history, and his performance could play a decisive role in shaping the future of the Iranian people."

The commentary also pointed out that "The country's current situation calls for someone who can do something more than simply running meetings, visiting other countries and meeting with their politicians, and making ad hoc decisions. Iran is facing complicated threats and major challenges."

Etemad wrote that Pezeshkian has repeatedly acknowledged he never expected to become Iran's president or to face such significant challenges. The publication emphasized that the entire nation is watching him, expecting decisive and bold action to address the crises. It urged Pezeshkian to rise to the occasion, overcome obstacles, and pave the way for progress as the nation waits in anticipation.

Etemad warned Pezeshkian that relying solely on optimistic declarations is not enough, writing, “Give the people the feeling that someone is in charge and capable of stopping the violation of their rights and plundering of their wealth. It is a difficult job, but you need to stand firm and shake up the country's [system] and instill hope among the nation.”

Providing no details about what he meant by the term, Hossein Salami stressed that Iran faces no shortages of missiles, drones or naval vessels, calling them key elements of the country’s deterrence strategy.

He also announced that the country will unveil new underground missile and drone cities, highlighting them as symbols of military strength and self-reliance, independent of foreign territories like Syria.

Iranian military commanders have been announcing the procurement of new offensive weapons since their proxies and allies in the region suffered consecutive defeats last year.

Tehran was pushed out of Syria in December after the ouster of its ally Bashar al-Assad from power at the hands of opposition insurgents.

Salami added that Iran does not rely on Syria for its deterrent power, stating, "Syria fell, but we did not rely on military advantages from Syria to an extent that would impact our deterrence."

"Our deterrence is not based on operations from any other land. It is fully rooted in Iranian soil, will, decisions, and actions," he added.

However, since establishing its military presence in Syria in 2011, Tehran has frequently emphasized Syria’s importance to its Axis of Resistance, referring to it as its strategic depth.

Earlier in the week, other IRGC generals announced the procurement of new drones. Iran has also been conducting multiple military exercises in the past few weeks, including air defense drills near nuclear sites like Natanz and a 110,000-strong Basij mobilization in Tehran.

This comes as two senior IRGC commanders said this week that financial constraints and the loss of Syria, a key regional ally, have left the Islamic Republic unable to retaliate against Israel's October airstrikes.

The loss marks one of the most significant setbacks for Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance in 15 months of conflict with Israel. Tehran, which frames the Axis as legitimate resistance against Israel, has been cautious to avoid full-scale conflict with its better-armed foe.

The Baha’i International Community has urged Iranian authorities to release Sabet unconditionally, warning of the serious risks to her life if she is sent back to prison.

Activists worldwide have rallied around her case, organizing a social media campaign under the hashtag #FreeMahvash.

Despite having recently had open heart surgery and worsening health condition, Iranian authorities have granted her only one month of medical leave and expect her to return to prison—a decision that has provoked global campaign.

PEN International voiced grave concern on Thursday over Sabet's return to prison, urging Iranian authorities to release her unconditionally.

Sabet, who suffers from severe heart and lung conditions, as well as osteoporosis and a lung tumor, has spent over 13 years of her life behind bars.

She was most recently arrested on July 31, 2022, and sentenced to 10 years in prison by a preliminary court on charges of leading an “illegal group with the intention of disrupting national security.”

This follows a previous decade-long sentence she served from 2008 to 2017 for her involvement in the governing body of the Baha’i community in Iran.

Sabet’s daughter, Negar who is based in Australia, shared a personal story on her X account, recounting her three-year-old child’s question: "Mommy, is prison even farther away than Iran?"

She reflected on the painful reality of her mother being separated from the family, particularly her granddaughter, who has never met her.

In 2017, Sabet was named an International Writer of Courage by PEN International, recognizing her literary contributions and courage in the face of persecution. She has also received a prestigious literary award in Norway and is an honorary member of PEN branches in Austria, Denmark and the UK.

At around 300,000 people, Baha'is constitute Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority. Rights groups say that Bahai's have faced systematic persecution and discrimination since the 1979 revolution.

The Islamic Repubic's current constitution only recognizes four religions: Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism.

"Jimmy Carter did not lose Iran, the Shah did," Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s chief domestic policy adviser, told luminaries gathered at Washington DC's national cathedral.

"The hostage crisis was a major factor in denying him a second term, despite his support for the Shah, because he placed the safe return of the hostages above his own political fortunes."

President Joe Biden, President-elect Donald Trump and all other living former US presidents were in attendance.

Carter and Shah met twice during Carter's presidency, in Washington DC and Tehran, in November and December of 1977. In Tehran, Carter famously toasted the Shah, praising Iran as "an island of stability" in a turbulent region.

Two years later the Shah was forced to leave Iran as revolutionaries led by Ruhollah Khomeini gained control, storming the US embassy in Tehran and holding more than 50 Americans hostage.

The 444-day hostage crisis was an excruciating political liability for Carter, who was painted as weak by his Republican successor Ronald Reagan. A US military raid to free the captives failed, deepening Carter's humiliation.

It crystallized US domestic debates on how forceful US policy abroad should be and put Iran and Washington on track for nearly half century of mutual enmity.

"(Carter) took full responsibility for the failure of the hostage rescue mission and worked tirelessly even after his bitter re-election defeat to Ronald Reagan, securing their release on the last day of his presidency," Eizenstat added.

The US role in the 1979 events remains hotly contested by Iranian critics of the country's Islamic rulers, some of whom say Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was let down by Washington and long for a renewed monarchy under his US-based son, Reza.

Other Iranian dissidents say the late Shah's authoritarianism and mismanagement of the country deprived key ally Washington of an effective partner.

The campaign on the back of municipal buses features Khamenei alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin under the slogan "Don’t forget to sort your waste".

Far-right Mayor Robert Ménard of the southern French city of Béziers had spearheaded the initiative but announced the removal of the adverts on Thursday.

Describing the move as a precautionary measure, Ménard told AFP: "We take this very seriously. I don't want there to be the slightest problem, for example, for our bus drivers."

"We've run lots of campaigns, but they never achieve anything. Nobody even notices them. This one, at least, everyone noticed," he added.

Majid Nili, an aide to Iran’s Foreign Minister, announced Thursday that the Iranian Embassy in Paris has lodged an official complaint against the campaign, which he described as an insult to the Islamic Republic, hate speech and disrespect for Iran's cultural values.

Nili further said that the embassy had demanded what he called an appropriate response from the French government, calling for measures to prevent provocations in the future.

The campaign was launched on January 4, 2025, as part of an initiative to encourage residents to participate in waste sorting.

Since then, images of the municipal buses have been shared widely on social media platforms, including the city’s official Facebook page with the caption: "To start the year off right, think about sorting your rubbish."

French media earlier quoted Ménard saying, "These are scoundrels, non-recyclable waste. One wages an unjust war on his neighbors and sends his army to die, another imprisons his population and the last treats women worse than doormats while eliminating his opponents."

In his New Year’s statement, he also expressed solidarity with the women of Iran, saying: "I am also thinking of those women who, in Iran and elsewhere, refuse to be confined behind a veil, a prison of fabric."