Senator Chris Van Hollen called new government efficiency czar Elon Musk's bid to shut down the US international development organization USAID a gift to adversaries including Iran.
"Make no mistake this effort by Elon Musk and so-called DOGE to shut down the Agency of international development is an absolute gift to our adversaries, to Russia to China, to Iran and others because AID is an essential instrument of US foreign policy and US national security policy," Van Hollen said.
DOGE is the Department of Government Efficiency formed and led by world's richest man Musk under President Donald Trump. Musk on Monday said Trump wants to shut USAID down, and its offices were closed and employees told to work from home.
"This has nothing to do with making the US government more efficient and everything to do with aiding and abetting our adversaries around the world," the Maryland junior senator told a cheering crowd outside USAID's Washington DC headquarters.
Human rights activists have expressed concern about the impact of Trump's earlier 90-day pause in foreign aid on Iran-related programs, with some saying the order could help Tehran further restrict its people’s access to information.
The United States has supported civil society and human rights in Iran on everything from documenting abuses by Tehran, Washington's Mideast arch enemy, to backing efforts to transcend official internet censorship.
Musk in a discussion broadcast on the social media platform he owns X said USAID was "beyond repair". Trump told reporters on Sunday that USAID had "been run by a bunch of radical lunatics ... We're getting them out, and then we'll make a decision."
Bijan Kazemi's home was raided by security agents in the western town of Kuhdasht in Lorestan province on Jan. 21, the source added, and all electronic devices belonging to him and his family were confiscated.
Kazemi was allowed to make a quick phone call to relatives.
“Kazemi was transferred from Kuhdasht to Ward 209 of Tehran's Evin Prison after his arrest. Intelligence Ministry agents beat him and are trying to extract a forced confession claiming that the shooter who killed Razini and Moghiseh obtained his weapon from him,” added the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.
The two judges, Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini were shot dead in Tehran on January 18 at the Supreme Court in central Tehran, in a rare attack on veteran top players in the theocracy. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei led their funeral prayers.
According to Iranian media, the shooter, whose identity has not been revealed, took his own life as he was pursued by security forces.
Since the killings of Razini and Moghiseh, the Intelligence Ministry has arrested several former political prisoners allegedly in connection with the incident. No details have been released on those detainees.
Kazemi was previously imprisoned for two years after an arrest in 2020. He was allegedly affiliated with the formerly armed opposition group, Mojahedin-e Khalq, also known as MEK, according to the Iran Prison Atlas published by the California-based human rights organization United4Iran.
The two jurists, both clerics, had decades-long histories of handing down death sentences and lengthy prison terms to dissidents in numerous cases, and were nicknamed the “hanging judges” by critics.
Moghiseh and Razini were known for their roles in the 1988 mass executions of political prisoners.
During the targeted attack, one of the guards of the Supreme Court’s 39th Branch was also injured, but his identity has yet to be disclosed.
Islamic Republic officials have given conflicting reports over how the killings took place.
“A note left by the attacker indicates that the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) instructed him,” said Jafar Ghadiani, the Disciplinary Prosecutor for Judges in a statement on January 26.
A newspaper in Iran published a report on January 19 saying only 13 seconds passed from the moment the shooter entered the office to the time he left, during which he fired six rounds in rapid succession.
The deaths of Moghiseh and Razini struck a nerve in Iran particularly among former political prisoners, many of whom described harsh punishments they meted out.
"The current situation of high prices and livelihood problems that are putting pressure on the people is unacceptable," he said. "Some of it is in our hands, and some of it is not," he added without elaborating.
Pezeshkian made the remarks during a joint meeting with Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and other senior legislative and judicial officials.
Iran's current economic crisis stems from both US and European sanctions, as well as systemic mismanagement linked to the government's bureaucracy and its dominant role in the economy.
Official media often attributes economic responsibility to the presidential administration, but since foreign policy decisions rest with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, lifting sanctions is beyond the president's control.
Last month, the Statistical Center of Iran reported significant price increases on essential goods, with some food items seeing prices multiply up to five times compared to last year.
Ordinary workers currently earn less than $150 a month, while official estimates indicate that a family of three needs at least $450 a month to cover basic necessities.
Pezeshkian said it is time to engage the population, at least one third of whom have been pushed below the poverty line, warning that more protests lie ahead.
"When we are unable to fulfill our commitments to the people... if they come to the streets and protest, we must engage in dialogue with them ... but instead, we treat them badly.
"Solving the people's problems is our duty; if we cannot, we should at least explain it to them in a kind manner... not treat them violently."
He accused the country's adversaries of taking advantage of the dire economic conditions, warning: "Of course, the people should also be careful that the enemy does not exploit their protests to disrupt society.”
Acknowledging declining public support for the government, he asked, "In the recent elections, 50 percent of the people did not participate. Are they not one of us, and are we not their servants? Shouldn't we ask ourselves why they are dissatisfied with us?"
Only 24 million of 61 million eligible Iranians voted on June 28 in snap presidential elections called after the untimely death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.
The 39.9 percent turnout was the worst in the history of the Islamic Republic. Pezeshkian did not secure the 50 percent required to avoid a run-off. The turnout improved in the second round to 49.68%.