Iran's foreign minister travels to Kabul for talks with the Taliban

In 2023, a joint investigative report by Iran International and Semafor combed through thousands of emails from Iranian diplomats, revealing an Islamic Republic network of academics and think tank analysts established by the Iranian foreign ministry to extend Tehran's soft power.

Khatibzadeh, then a Berlin-based diplomat, was the one who proposed in 2014 the formation of the network - called the Iran Experts Initiative - according to the emails.

As a key member of the IPIS, he suggested to his superiors that by forming a network of Iranian analysts in “American and European think tanks”, and offering them “political support”, the Islamic Republic could promote its standpoint in the world.

Iranian former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had close ties to the IEI, delivered speeches at their gatherings, and communicated directly with some of its members.

Zarif reemerged in Iranian politics last year and was appointed Vice President for Strategic Affairs, hoping to champion new negotiations with world powers regarding Iran’s nuclear deal. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Zarif said on Wednesday that Iran hoped U.S. President Donald Trump would choose 'rationality' in his dealings with the Islamic Republic.

Khatibzadeh previously served as Iran's foreign ministry spokesman and ambassador to Croatia. His appointment as the head of the IPIS could provide significant firepower to the Zarif's campaign.

"Khatibzadeh played a role in the crafting of the "Iran Experts Initiative," which was used as a malign influence operation by the regime during the JCPOA negotiations in 2013-15. His appointment signals a likely return of similar efforts during the Trump era," said Jason Brodsky, the policy director of the US-based advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).

The mastermind

Iranian foreign ministry emails showed that Khatibzadeh was the mastermind behind the formation of the IEI.

He wrote in an email on March 5, 2014 to Majid Takht-Ravanchi, one of the leading Iranian nuclear negotiators, and Mostafa Zahrani, the then head of the IPIS in Tehran: “This initiative which we call ‘Iran Experts Initiative (IEI)’ is consisted of a core group of 6-10 distinguished second-generation Iranians who have established affiliation with the leading international think-tanks and academic institutions, mainly in Europe and the US.”

On April 14, 2015, Khatibzadeh emailed Zahrani a list of articles and interviews that members of the IEI had published in support of Iran's stance in nuclear negotiations, including Ali Vaez, Ariane Tabatabai, Dina Esfandiary, Ellie Geranmayeh, Adnan Tabatabai, and Rouzbeh Parsi.

Khatibzadeh outlined his accomplishments in an email in 2016, emphasizing his endeavors to “build a network and … engage with think tanks, with a clear focus on the nuclear negotiations to advance Iran's foreign policy, at the highest level” and to “publish dozens of articles in line with” Iran’s foreign policy.

The Iran Experts Initiative (IEI) was “one of the fundamental initiatives of the IPIS”, according to Zahrani. Now, the entity will be run by Khatibzadeh, the mastermind of the Islamic Republic's efforts to influence US foreign policy.

Tabatabai's case

Iran International's 2023 revelations sparked widespread controversy in US political circles, particularly regarding Ariane Tabatabai, a former key aide to former US Special Envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, whose own ties to Tehran were later detailed in a February 2024 investigation by Iran International.

In 2023, Tabatabai was serving as the Pentagon Chief of Staff for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict and retained her role and security clearance despite the revelations.

The report prompted multiple congressional investigations, with Republicans raising concerns about her ability to obtain a top-secret security clearance. The Pentagon and State Department said there was nothing in Tabatabai’s background that would have disqualified her from accessing classified information.

In October 2024, she took on a new role in the defense department, which gave her reduced access to intelligence. The Iranian-American academic started overseeing force education and training within former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's office.

She left the role this month, according to her LinkedIn profile.

"Masoud Pezeshkian has said in the inner circles of power that he will serve only one term as president and does not intend to run in the next presidential election," pro-government Sazandegi newspaper reported, without giving further details.

The report was released shortly after Pezeshkian and one of his vice presidents posed for photos dressed as construction workers while laying bricks for the construction of a school in Khuzestan, southwestern Iran.

Sazandegi praised Pezeshkian’s brick-laying gesture as "beautiful", but many social media users, including both conservatives supporting the Islamic Republic and dissidents, criticized it as populism.

"The exchange rate for every US dollar has soared to 838,000 rials, and the president is busy shoveling dirt and cement," one user on X quipped.

Another anonymous user, a cleric, commented, "If the previous ultraconservative President (Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad had done the same, the media would have criticized him with all kinds of harsh words."

However, in its Saturday report, Sazandegi countered that the gesture could not be considered populist, as Pezeshkian has no intention of running for reelection.

Recent reports in Iranian media suggest that Zanjani, despite being officially incarcerated, may be laying the groundwork for ambitious economic projects, including ventures in cryptocurrency, aviation, and oil transport.

The conservative Khorasan daily recently questioned reports about Zanjani's involvement in launching a cryptocurrency bank named Bit Bank. Social media users have said that a sign bearing the bank's name has been spotted on a building in Tehran, fueling speculation about Zanjani's return to economic activities.

"Are the claims regarding Babak Zanjani's new activities true? If so, will he be released from prison, granted conditional freedom as previously mentioned by his lawyer, or will he launch a new round of economic activities from inside prison?" Khorasan asked in a recent editorial.

A video uploaded to a YouTube account in December attributed to Zanjani detailed plans for a blockchain-based economic initiative, describing Iran's economy as fertile ground for such innovations.

The timing of these activities raises eyebrows, given the Trump administration’s potential return to a maximum pressure policy against Iran. Cryptocurrency, particularly projects pegged to stable assets like the dollar, could serve as a tool for evading sanctions. However, no concrete evidence links Zanjani directly to these developments beyond the circulating social media claims.

Adding to the intrigue are notes attributed to Zanjani on social media suggesting the establishment of an airline, Dot One, which promises to transform Iran's aviation industry.

Another report said that Zanjani intends to launch a large-scale oil transport operation involving thousands of tanker trucks. While the authenticity of these statements remains uncertain, the ambitious tone mirrors the bold projects Zanjani was associated with during his heyday.

Conservative media outlets in Iran have called on judiciary officials to clarify Zanjani’s legal and operational status.

In response to speculation about Zanjani’s release from prison, judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir earlier said: "Babak Zanjani has neither been released nor is he on leave." The official said that no recent developments support claims of Zanjani’s release.

Nevertheless, Zanjani’s lawyer, Rasoul Kouhpayeizadeh, fueled speculation by posting a photo on Instagram showing Zanjani with an individual dressed as someone from a Persian Gulf Arab country, tagged at a location in Tehran. The post’s ambiguous nature has only added to the mystery surrounding Zanjani’s exact status and whereabouts.

A Legacy of Controversy

Zanjani’s rise and fall remain one of the most contentious episodes in Iran’s recent economic history. Once valued at $13.5 billion, Zanjani was seen as a key player in circumventing sanctions under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. His networks laundered billions through complex schemes spanning Turkey, Indonesia, and Central Asia. Arrested in Iran in 2013, Zanjani was convicted of embezzling $1.9 billion in oil revenues, earning him a death sentence later commuted to 20 years in prison. The government charged that he pocketed money from oil exports insted of returning it to the treasury.

While some officials have praised Zanjani for eventually returning the assets, many argue that his extensive operations were enabled by high-level complicity. The secrecy surrounding his dealings and cooperation with authorities have led many to view him as a figure too well-connected to face the full consequences of his actions.

Zanjani's resurgence coincides with Iran’s ongoing economic crisis. As sanctions persist, limiting oil exports and access to international banking, the government struggles with budget deficits and hyperinflation. Cryptocurrency projects and privatized oil transport ventures, if materialized, could offer alternative revenue streams for Iran’s beleaguered economy.

Yet, the ambiguity surrounding Zanjani’s activities and the lack of official acknowledgment leave more questions than answers.

Mohammad Hassan Qadiri Abyaneh, former ambassador to Australia and Mexico, described Donald Trump as exhibiting "foolishness and bullying" but said that some of the US president's remarks have "appealed to Muslims."

“Trump opposes homosexuality and drinking alcohol, and he has said, ‘Why should we remove the hijab from Muslim women, who have been dressing like this for centuries?’” Qadiri Abyaneh told ILNA News on Saturday.

While Trump has not made the specific statements the former official referred to, he did criticize American intervention in the Middle East during a 2016 speech. Highlighting a woman’s perspective on wearing traditional coverings, Trump said, “They said, ‘We want to wear them, we’ve worn them for a thousand years. Why would anybody tell us not?’ They want to! What the hell are we getting involved for?”

Regarding Trump’s stance on alcohol, it is well-known that he does not drink. In 2017, he explained the personal reasons behind this decision, citing his late brother, Fred Trump, who struggled with alcoholism and died in 1981 at the age of 43.

On the subject of homosexuality, Trump has enjoyed strong support from the US evangelical Christian community and others. He has consistently criticized political opponents for undermining traditional social norms and family values, a stance that aligns closely with conservative views.

Qadiri Abyaneh also said that Muslims in the United States "did not vote for the Democrats this time due to their support for Israel" and instead supported Trump, a Republican.

According to a survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), fewer than 50% of Muslim voters backed Kamala Harris in the last election, compared to around 65–70% who voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Qadiri Abyaneh's remarks come as Iranian officials have appealed for negotiations with Trump to address tensions with Washington and ease sanctions amid a deep economic crisis.

"In Iran, nobody would be detained due to his professional activities, like the media, like the civil society," Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy minister for international and legal affairs at the ministry of foreign affairs told the 48th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Friday.

He also dismissed UN Special Rapporteur’s reports on Iran, arguing that they fail to reflect the realities of human rights in the country and rely on incorrect information and unreliable sources with a biased approach and political motivations.

Gharibabadi did not clarify which sources or organizations Iran considers credible, adding only that Iran views the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur on the country as "an act based on continuous political mobilization against Iran", orchestrated by certain member states of the Human Rights Council.

Over the past year, many independent non-governmental organizations have expressed concern over its rights abuses including its ongoing crackdown on journalists.

Iran’s press freedom ranking remains among the worst globally, with Reporters Without Borders placing the country 176th out of 180 in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index.

Earlier this month, Defending Free Flow of Information (DeFFI), a non-profit which monitors and documents press freedom in Iran said in its annual report it documented 385 judicial and security actions targeting at least 256 journalists and media outlets in 2024.

Among these, 36 journalists and media activists were arrested, and 11 served prison sentences totaling 69 years and 10 months. Penalties included flogging with 110 lashes and fines.

The report outlined a deliberate pattern of repression, correlating significant waves of arrests and prosecutions with major political events, including the death of former president Ebrahim Raisi, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria and tensions between Iran and Israel.

DeFFI said Iran’s judicial and security bodies systematically used charges such as “dissemination of falsehoods aimed at disturbing public opinion” to stifle dissent and enforce self-censorship among journalists.

The repression disproportionately impacted female journalists, with 40 women facing judicial and security actions, including arrests, prison sentences, and professional bans. Three female journalists received five-year prison terms, among the harshest sentences issued in 2024.

While Gharibabadi denied the existence of ethnic minorities in Iran on Friday, DeFFI’s report said the Islamic Republic also intensified media suppression outside Tehran, particularly in provinces with significant ethnic minority populations, such as Khuzestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, and Kurdistan.

DeFFI reported that judicial action against journalists in these areas contributed to a growing “news desert” depriving citizens of reliable, independent information.