EU Condemns Iran's Arbitrary Detention of Europeans

During his visit to Tehran on Tuesday, Sergei Shoigu said, "We are pursuing a comprehensive range of planned activities, notwithstanding opposition from the United States and its Western allies."

He went on to emphasize that the pressure of sanctions on both Russia and Iran has proven to be “ineffective”, while the interaction between Russia and Iran is progressing to a new stage.

For his part, Mohammad Baqeri, the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, declared that Tehran and Moscow have intentions to solidify their military and technical cooperation through a long-term treaty.

Baqeri characterized the relations between Tehran and Moscow as "advancing and evolving" and disclosed that, based on decisions made by the leaders of both nations, a document outlining their long-term cooperation will soon be finalized.

Baqeri also noted that a joint military exercise between Iran and Russia is slated for February, with the objective of bolstering military ties between the two nations.

Shoigu arrived in Tehran on Tuesday, leading a delegation of Russian military officials.

The news of increased military cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Russia comes at a time when Tehran's provision of military support to Moscow during the Russian war on Ukraine has led to yet more sanctions.

Although officials from the Islamic Republic have consistently denied any involvement or cooperation with Russia during the Ukraine war, the United States, the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand have imposed sanctions on Iran based on on-site evidence and intelligence, alleging its supply of drones to Russia.

During his visit to New York for the 78th United Nations General Assembly, he said the Islamic Republic is ready to boost such cooperation in areas like social services, healthcare, and culture.

Raisi made the remarks while meeting with a delegation of Shiite community members, stressing the importance of nurturing Shiite culture in the United States.

The move comes as some critics have alleged that the Iranian regime uses mosques and Islamic centers to promote its propaganda and hostility towards those who oppose the Iranian government.

Recently, a group of Republican members of Congress sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, alerting them to the influence of Iran's extremist ideology in several US-based mosques and centers.

The letter also raised concerns about the promotion of hatred by Iran's leadership within these mosques and cultural centers. It called on the US government to recognize and address the threat posed by state-sponsored terrorism, whether abroad or domestically.

Earlier this month, Omid Nouripour, leader of Germany's Green Party, called for the closure of the Islamic Center in Hamburg, which he referred to as a "spy nest." He accused regime officials of using this network for espionage activities targeting both the German population and Iranians seeking refuge in Germany.

Additionally, in August, the UK Charity Commission initiated an investigation into an Iran-linked British foundation called Al-Tawheed Charitable Trust. This foundation has hosted hardline Islamic clerics and paramilitary figures while promoting the propaganda of the Islamic Republic's regime among Shia Muslim youth in the UK.

While Ebrahim Raisi, the man known as the ‘Butcher Of Tehran’ for his history of gross human rights violations, was addressing the UN with an onslaught of regime propaganda including claiming the country is an “unparalleled” beacon of women’s rights, Israel’s ambassador to the UN was physically escorted off site for protesting Raisi’s presence. 

Ambassador Gilad Erdan held a poster calling for women’s rights in Iran, showing the face of Mahsa Amini, the face of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement after her death in morality police custody last year, and was forcefully removed from the United Nations by security. 

Erdan was the only member of the UN General Assembly to protest. In contrast, in March, more than 100 diplomats from 40 Western countries and allies including Japan walked out of a speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the top UN human rights forum in protest over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The boycott by envoys from the European Union, the United States, Britain and others left only a few diplomats in the room including envoys from Syria, China and Venezuela.

Soon after, in April, the United States, Britain, Albania and Malta walked out on Russia's envoy for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, who the International Criminal Court wants to arrest on war crimes charges, as she spoke by video to UN Security Council members. 

Emboldened, Raisi - who as a prosecutor, took part in the 1988 mass executions that killed some 5,000 political prisoners in Iran - told the UN on Tuesday that the United States should prove its "goodwill and determination" to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact as months of indirect talks between the long-time foes have led nowhere. This was after he publicly stated that the US should "stop interfering in the countries of the Persian Gulf and other regions in the world and mind their own business".

Raisi was speaking on the back of a prisoner swap which saw five US convicted Iranians exchanged for five wrongly held US-Iranian citizens, in addition to $6bn in frozen Iranian funds freed up from South Korea. 

In a show of appeasement to the barrage of criticism levied to the Biden administration for the deal, which critics say opens the door to yet more hostage diplomacy by Iran, putting further Americans at risk, the administration levied more sanctions on seven individuals and four entities in Iran, China, Russia, and Turkey for their roles in Iran's UAV and military aircraft development.

However, while Raisi was addressing the world’s leaders, Russia’s Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, who is in Tehran, announced that “relations between Russia and Iran in the field of defense are developing dynamically. The number of meetings at different levels has increased. The relationship is developing well,” suggesting the $6bn in released funds will be used to fund the regime’s military and nuclear development. 

Raisi is reveling in the PR potential of the visit as the world watches. Only Monday, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, he denied sending weapons to Russia, in spite of extensive evidence otherwise which has led to multiple nations including the US and UK, issuing sanctions against Iran. 

While the Russian defense minister speaks of burgeoning ties from Tehran, Raisi said from New York, “We are against the war in Ukraine”, while evidence has also shown the two nations building munitions factories together in Russia. 

Despite the global backlash for Raisi’s welcome in the UN, the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) has gone ahead with its invitation to meet with him in New York. Iranian actress and rights activist Nazanin Boniadi, a member of CFR, refused to attend the private meeting. 

“Some say that these meetings allow us to hold the feet of dictators to the fire, but the past 44 years have shown us that not only are these meetings futile, the Islamic Republic also uses them to legitimize themselves on the global stage,” she wrote on X. 

“Continuing the same practices and expecting tyrants to change their behavior seems completely irrational,” she added. “Democratic institutions hold the key to tipping the balance of power in favor of those risking everything for freedom. If you afford your members the opportunity to meet dictators behind closed doors, then at least offer them the chance to also hear from their opponents in the open.”

Salehi's official account reported on Tuesday that he has sustained injuries from torture during his time in detention, including severe swelling and bleeding in his eyes, a fractured tooth, and injured fingers.

The message further stated, "Now that his legal trial has concluded, he finds himself unjustly incarcerated, enduring days behind bars under intense pressure and control without basic prisoner rights. It is crucial to take swift action to secure his medical release and transfer to a hospital to address his urgent medical needs. Delays in addressing this critical matter must be avoided."

In July, Salehi dodged a death sentence and was instead sentenced to over six years in prison. He was convicted of offenses related to "corruption on earth," which includes violations of religious morality.

Following the tragic death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September, Salehi was among the young Iranians who took to the streets to protest.

The security forces' crackdown on the protest movement led to the loss of almost 600 lives and the unlawful detention of nearly 20,000 individuals, according to activists. After sham trials, the judiciary imposed harsh sentences on protesters, including the death penalty.

Salehi, 33, is primarily known for his protest songs addressing social issues and government injustices in Iran. He was arrested on October 30th as part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures in response to mass uprisings across the country.

The topics expected to be discussed include a potential Israel-Saudi normalization deal and Iran.

Biden had held off extending an invitation to Netanyahu out of concern about a judicial overhaul that curbs the power of judges as well as Israel's expansion of settlements.

Instead of meeting at the White House - Netanyahu's preferred venue - the two leaders ended up arranging their talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

US officials expect the judicial overhaul to come up in their conversations, as well as efforts to counter Iran's nuclear program and the possibility of what would be a major development - a normalization of Israel-Saudi relations.

The United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia have been discussing a potential deal in which the Israelis and the Saudis would normalize diplomatic relations and Washington and Riyadh would agree on a defense pact but talks still have far to go.

Observers believe the Saudi deal's enormous potential has left Biden & Netanyahu little choice but to meet despite differences.

The Biden administration is calculating that the US could reap big rewards from such a mega-deal if it can overcome steep obstacles.

"Many of the elements of a pathway to normalization are now on the table. We don't have a framework; we don't have the terms ready to be signed. There is still work to do," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Sept. 7.

US officials have not ruled out an eventual White House meeting between Biden and Netanyahu.

Reporting by Reuters