Senators express mixed feelings on aid freeze which could affect Iran programs

"If we manage to reach a deal, that will help us secure the base and prevent a third party from entering the base," said Dhananjay Ramful, the foreign minister of the African island country in the Indian Ocean.

"That would be in the interest of the US, UK and Mauritius.”

Ramful made the comments after Mauritian President Dharam Gokhool said in a speech on Monday that the country was still pushing to restore sovereignty over the archipelago that includes Diego Garcia, which houses a key US nuclear airbase.

Under the proposed agreement, the UK would cede control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The remote strategic archipelago includes Diego Garcia, which Britain would then lease back for 100 years at a cost of £9 billion.

In an opinion piece for the right-leaning UK newspaper the Telegraph, Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy warned against what he called giving away the Chagos Islands, saying Mauritius was vulnerable to the influence of hostile powers.

“If Mauritius is growing its friendships with China and Iran, how can we expect it to keep our adversaries’ spies away from our base?” Kennedy wrote.

“It’s hard to believe that China and Iran aren’t trying to pull Mauritius into their axis and away from the West.”

While Mauritius's prime minister recently called for closer ties with Beijing, Ramful dismissed suggestions the deal would benefit China, noting, "We are the only African country that has refused to sign the Belt and Road initiative with China."

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also called the New Silk Road, is China's global infrastructure strategy launched in 2013 to invest in over 150 countries and organizations.

Ramful said inking a deal on the future of the base benefits Washington.

"It is in the interest of the US to secure this base. And how do we secure this base? It’s by coming to an agreement that contains all the terms and conditions for the base to be operated by the US without interference from anybody.”

The Telegraph reported earlier this week that top Republicans are urging US President Donald Trump to block UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Chagos Islands deal, fearing it could facilitate Iranian espionage on US military operations.

Mohammad-Hossein Aghasi said Wednesday he informed Valizadeh of the court's widely expected decision to uphold the 10-year prison sentence during a prison visit, but "perhaps a retrial could open the blindfolded eyes of justice."

The sentence relates to charges of so-called collaboration with a hostile government.

Valizadeh worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Persian Service, known as Radio Farda, for 10 years before leaving the organization in November 2022.

After 14 years abroad he returned to Iran to visit his family in March, according to a post he made on X. He was later arrested in September and received the 10-year jail term.

Radio Farda reported after his arrest that people close to Valizadeh believe he walked into a "security trap" despite the assurances of authorities he would face no punishment.

"Ten years in prison cannot be the punishment for working in the media, even if it is opposition media," Valizadeh's lawyer tweeted. "The charge of propaganda against the Islamic Republic carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison."

He was arrested, sources cited by Voice of America said, for refusing to cooperate with the IRGC Intelligence Protection and the Ministry of Intelligence as well as for declining to express remorse for his journalistic work.

Valizadeh remains in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, a section run by the Ministry of Intelligence where he lacks access to basic amenities and visitation rights, according to Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

International organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists, have criticized Valizadeh’s detention and demanded his release.

The US State Department called his arrest unjust and described it as a violation of international law in December.

However, Valizadeh has in recent weeks criticized the Biden administration's State Department for its "lack of effective action" regarding his situation.

In a phone message from Evin Prison shared with Iran International, he said that after the Biden State Department issued a statement saying his arrest and conviction by the Islamic Republic was unlawful, it took no effective measures to win his release.

Speaking to ILNA, Mohammadreza Ghavam Nasiri said on Wednesday, "Smoking can lead to irreversible changes in respiratory cells, while air pollution, exacerbated by low-quality fuel, significantly impacts cancer incidence".

International sanctions on Iran, particularly those targeting the oil and energy sectors, have played a significant role in the production of low-quality gasoline within the country, the pollutants from which can cause a range of illnesses from cancer to cardiovascular disease.

Sanctions have restricted Iran's access to advanced refining technologies, equipment, and chemical additives required for producing high-quality fuels that meet international standards.

Air pollution remains a critical issue in Iran’s major cities, including Tehran and Ahvaz, where vehicle emissions and traffic congestion contribute to smog events.

Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi in December reported over 40,000 deaths in a year linked to pollution, mainly from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as cancer.

In January, Abbas Shahsavani, the head of the Air Health and Climate Change Group of the Ministry of Health, said that air pollution in Iran claimed the lives of over 30,000 people and cost the country an estimated $12 billion in last Iranian year, a 17% increase compared to the previous year, when 26,307 deaths were recorded.

Speaking at a conference titled Prospects of Regional and Global Developments in the Trump Era in Tehran, Zarif said, "I do not view the United States as an opportunity for Iran's foreign policy; I see it as an obstacle."

The event, hosted by the Institute for Iran-Eurasia Studies (IRAS), brought together diplomats and analysts to examine the challenges posed by Trump-era policies.

Zarif argued that US President Donald Trump's focus on reviving hard power through economic pressure—such as tariffs and visa restrictions—was emblematic of his administration's approach to global dominance.

He added that Trump divided countries into "smaller nations that must show loyalty and peer nations that do not." This dynamic, he suggested, “weakened the notion of stable alliances, replacing them with temporary, issue-based coalitions."

For decades, Iran has labeled the US its enemy, citing a history of sanctions, intervention, and regime-change attempts. The two nations broke diplomatic ties in 1980.

Trump’s maximum pressure campaign marked a peak in hostility, with severe sanctions targeting Iran's economy. Yet Tehran claims to have withstood these efforts, portraying its survival as a defeat of Washington's regional ambitions.

Zarif also addressed perceptions of Iran’s weakened state, refuting that it posed a greater nuclear threat. "They argue that military action is the only way to stop Iran," he said, but added that Trump’s flexibility might leave room for negotiations.

He said that based on Trump's recent statements, the new US president's mind is subject to change.

"Trump does not have a solidified perspective in this area, and depending on the circumstances he finds himself in at any given moment, he is willing to adjust some of his paradigms," he added.

The imported potatoes will be sold at a target price of about 30 US cents per kilogram, less than half of the current market prices, Akbar Fat’hi said on Wednesday.

The average income of an Iranian wage earner is about $150.

He anticipates the influx of imported and domestically stored potatoes will lead to price reductions in the coming days.

Fathi attributed the current high prices to increased exports and the off-season for domestic potato production. He also noted that further potato imports may be necessary if the market does not stabilize as expected.

The move follows recent reports of significant price increases on essential food items, with some activists saying the real inflation rate for basic necessities is far higher than official figures suggest.

Labor activist Faramarz Tofighi, speaking to ILNA, highlighted the rising cost of vegetables, including potatoes, making it difficult for workers to afford basic necessities.

He argued that the real inflation rate for essential goods is likely above 50-60%, significantly higher than official figures announced to be about 40%.

He added that many families will soon be unable to afford even red meat monthly. He also cited rising prices for bread, meat, dairy, and an 80% increase in egg prices over the past two months.