West to push IAEA to declare Iran in breach of nuclear obligations - Reuters

Arrests have been made across Iran, including in the north, south, and west, according to a report on Friday by US-based rights group Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

The Union of Truck Drivers and Transport Workers called for the immediate release of those detained and vowed to continue the strike until their demands are met.

Drivers are demanding better working conditions, higher freight rates, and relief from high insurance costs and fuel restrictions.

Earlier, the Union of Truck Drivers and Transport Workers had announced that 11 drivers were arrested in Kermanshah and some others in Sanandaj, both Kurdish-populated cities in western Iran.

The union accused security forces of using pepper spray and violence against protesters at the Sanandaj terminal.

Iranian authorities in several provinces confirmed further arrests.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) in Gilan province, in northern Iran, said a citizen was detained in Rasht for allegedly supporting opposition groups.

Its branch in Khuzestan province, in the southwest, reported two arrests in Bandar Imam.

The police chief of Bandar Lengeh, a southern port city in Hormozgan province, said one person was detained for posting a video encouraging participation in the strike, which was shared with foreign-based media.

In Shiraz, located in the south-central province of Fars, the local prosecutor announced the arrest of several drivers on charges of “disrupting transportation,” without specifying how many were detained.

The strike has spread to more than 141 cities despite the crackdown, signaling one of the largest coordinated labor actions in Iran in recent months.

Growing support for strikes

The nationwide strike has drawn support from activists and political prisoners.

On Friday, 13 political prisoners at Evin Prison in Tehran issued a message backing the strike, saying: “We, the political prisoners, stand alongside the truck drivers and all those on strike at this critical moment in history.”

The strike has spread to more than 141 cities despite the crackdown, signaling one of the largest coordinated labor actions in Iran in recent months.

Iran’s exiled prince Reza Pahlavi on Friday called on labor unions around the world to support striking truck drivers and workers in Iran, who he said are risking their lives by demanding their rights amid arrests and intimidation.

“Only in a free Iran will all workers have the right to freely and openly organize,” Pahlavi wrote on X. “I invite you, labor unions and leaders, to stand with your fellow workers in Iran and show your solidarity.”

For the first time, Supo officially named Iran as one of the states actively spying on Finland, alongside Russia and China. The agency did not specify what kind of information Iran seeks but cited a broader rise in espionage threats.

Supo noted that Iran's tactics could include recruiting organized crime groups to carry out operations in Finland—an approach it described as part of Tehran’s use of proxy actors to obscure its involvement. The agency did not provide details on what kinds of acts might be involved but said similar Iranian-linked plots have been uncovered elsewhere in Europe.

Iranian surveillance targets exiles abroad

The agency also warned of surveillance targeting members of exiled opposition groups and other individuals viewed by Tehran as threats, often using personal data collection and pressure on family members abroad.

Supo said Iran’s actions reflect deteriorating relations with Western countries and highlighted that the threat is growing in other Nordic countries as well.

Sweden previously flagged similar threats from Tehran

The warning from Supo comes amid similar concerns raised by Sweden earlier this year. In its March annual threat assessment, the Swedish Security Police (SAPO) said Iran had escalated its intelligence activities and was increasingly using criminal networks within Sweden to suppress opposition and target perceived threats — including Israeli-linked groups. SAPO also reported efforts by Tehran to acquire sensitive dual-use technologies to bypass international sanctions and support weapons programs.

At the time, SAPO accused Iran of using a Shiite mosque in Stockholm for surveillance operations and warned that the security situation could deteriorate in unpredictable ways. That assessment followed a major diplomatic crisis last year, which ended in a prisoner swap between Stockholm and Tehran.

Prince Khalid bin Salman delivered the message from King Salman during a closed-door meeting in Tehran on April 17, according to two sources close to regional governments and two Iranian officials. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, armed forces chief Mohammad Bagheri, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were present at the talks, the sources said.

The prince, who previously served as Saudi ambassador to Washington, conveyed that Trump’s team had limited patience for prolonged negotiations and that a failure to reach an agreement could raise the risk of an Israeli strike, according to the sources.

The same sources said Prince Khalid indicated it would be preferable to reach a deal with the United States rather than face the consequences of escalating tensions.

Iran says it's open to deal but not at any cost

Iranian officials responded that Tehran was interested in a deal to ease economic pressure, but raised concerns about the Trump administration’s “unpredictable” negotiating style.

One Iranian source said Pezeshkian conveyed that while Tehran was eager to reach a deal, it was not prepared to give up its enrichment program solely to satisfy US demands.

The message from Riyadh came as talks between Washington and Tehran, mediated by Oman, enter a critical phase. No date has been announced for a sixth round, though Trump said this week that “we are very close to a solution,” adding that Iran appears willing to engage seriously. “If we can make a deal, I’d save a lot of lives,” he said.

Enrichment, inspections, and Iranian goals under scrutiny

According to CNN, negotiators are exploring a framework that may include a multinational consortium to produce nuclear fuel for Iran’s civilian program and possible US investment. Iran has denied a separate report that it was considering a temporary pause in enrichment in return for sanctions relief and recognition of its right to civilian enrichment.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday, “The continuation of enrichment in Iran is a non-negotiable principle.”

Iran says its program is peaceful, while US and Israeli officials continue to express concern that Tehran is approaching nuclear weapons capability. A recent report by Austria’s intelligence agency described Iran’s weapons program as “far advanced,” in contrast with the US public assessment that Iran has not yet decided to build a bomb.

Tehran has also indicated it may consider allowing US nuclear inspectors under a future deal, a shift from its current restrictions, while IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said any agreement would require “very robust inspection.”

The softened tone of Tehran’s statements on nuclear negotiations with the United States, along with unprecedented remarks from media commentators, suggests Iran may be open to a "suspension for suspension" agreement with Washington.

Except for state television, the hardline daily Kayhan, and a few low-profile newspapers, most Iranian media outlets this week have discussed “positive signals from Washington” or even “an imminent final deal.”

Outlets frequently cite what is seen in Tehran as optimism in US coverage.

President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he advised Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch a strike on Iran, saying a deal with Tehran was “very close.”

Tehran-based Rouydad24 noted that even traditionally skeptical figures—such as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Chief Rafael Grossi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov—have acknowledged the possibility of a US-Iran agreement within weeks.

Early signs of a shift

The clearest signal yet of Iran’s openness came on Wednesday, when prominent lawmaker and National Security Committee member Abolfazl Zohrehvand told the conservative Nameh News that Tehran could suspend uranium enrichment in exchange for partial sanctions relief.

“Omani officials are telling us: Let’s try this,” Zohrevand said, recalling Iran’s acceptance of a similar deal under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the early 2000s.

President Masoud Pezeshkian also praised Oman’s mediation role during his visit to Muscat on Tuesday, calling the country the only active intermediary that Iran trusts—another nod to potential flexibility.

This comes along with hints that Tehran “may reconsider its longstanding ban on US nuclear inspectors,” as part of an agreement with Washington, according to Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami.

Interim deal to avoid war

The pro-reform daily Arman Melli highlighted the apparent shift in tone, suggesting that a “halt for halt” arrangement might be in the works—one often called an “interim agreement” by officials, perhaps to make it more palatable for hardliners.

But nothing is done until it is done, the paper warned.

“Making a deal is as likely as is a sudden change that might stop all negotiations without much explanation,” it wrote, asserting that technical-level discussions are ongoing alongside secret bilateral talks.

Prominent reformist figure Mohammad Sadeq Javadi Hesar told Etemad newspaper that the government’s flexibility aligns with Iran’s national interests.

Likewise, reformist commentator Hamid Reza Jalaipour told Khabar Online that Iran cannot strengthen ties with Russia and China without first mending its fraught relationship with the US.

He predicted that a deal could marginalize the hardline minority who push anti-American rhetoric, call for Israel’s destruction, and stricter control at home..

Tehran, he noted, appears to have shifted its motto from “no negotiations, no war” to “negotiations to avoid war.”

With the aim of infiltrating phones and computers to gather sensitive intelligence for the assassinations, phishing attempts targeted senior Israeli security officials, politicians, journalists and academics.

The attacks were carried out via fake Google Meet links, individually tailored to each target, the Shin Bet said.

There has been a marked rise in attacks in recent months, according to a statement from Shin Bet which said had aimed to gather information such as home addresses, personal relationships and routine locations.

The information would then be handed to operatives on the ground in Israel, as growing numbers of civilians are being recruited by Tehran in plots targeting the country's top political and military echelons, in addition to highly sensitive sites.

Oded Ailam, a former head of counter-terrorism at Mossad, wrote in Israel Hayom: "Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has discarded the slow, resource-heavy traditions of classical espionage: no more lengthy vetting, grueling training, or elaborate cover stories.”

"Instead, they’ve embraced a model that’s raw, direct, and disturbingly effective. Through aggressive mass campaigns on social media, thousands of Israelis are being approached."

He said that via messages like “Want to earn some easy cash?”, vulnerable communities are now being targeted by Iran to carry out work which until now, had been unheard of in the Jewish state.

But in the wake of the Gaza war, there have been dozens recruited, as Tehran infiltrates the digital landscape.

"This is Iran’s version of digital marketing applied to espionage: blanket targeting, no filters. And like any marketing effort, only a tiny fraction need to respond for the campaign to succeed.”

"To Tehran, even a one percent success rate from a thousand messages is worth it. It’s a chillingly rational approach: volume will eventually produce the quality they seek. And sadly, it works," Ailam said.

Israel Hayom quoted a Shin Bet official who said: "We are witnessing continued, relentless efforts by hostile actors as part of the campaign Iran is waging against Israel.

"The public must remain vigilant and cautious, these cyberattacks can be prevented through awareness, skepticism and proper online conduct, particularly by avoiding clicks on unidentified links."

Earlier this month, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said a spy plot against him had been thwarted in what Israel says is the 20th Iran-backed operation thwarted in the country since the Gaza war began.

Two Israeli suspects, Roy Mizrahi and Almog Atias, both 25 and childhood friends, were arrested at the end of April accused of intelligence-gathering missions and placing explosives in the community where Katz lives.

The case is the latest in a string of plots foiled since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, with dozens of Israelis allegedly hired by Iranian operatives to carry out operations targeting the country’s top political and military echelons.

Other targets have included the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency, Ronen Bar.