Khamenei says Trump's 'stupid' Gaza takeover plan headed nowhere

"October 7 was meant to stop normalization," Senator Lindsey Graham said, referring to a 2023 attack by Iran-backed Hamas militants on Israel which triggered a 15-month war.

"Iran's worst nightmare was Arabs and Israelis' reconciliation and solving the Palestinian problem in perpetuity."

The South Carolina Republican said that just before the attacks, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was enthusiastic about an imminent breakthrough in normalization efforts.

Graham added the United States would soon have to choose between military action and negotiations, with his preference being to "help Israel deliver a decisive blow against Iran nuclear infrastructure."

On Trump's mooted desire for a deal with Iran over its disputed nuclear program, Graham suggested a "Libyan model" involving setting clear goals and timelines, and if talks fail, providing Israel with the capabilities to strike Iran's nuclear program.

Libya agreed to shutter a weapons program criticized by Western powers but veteran leader Muammar Qadaffi was still overthrown and killed in a US and European-backed rebel uprising in 2011.

Iran should 'pay hell'

Senator Richard Blumenthal referred to Iran's regional setbacks, saying Israel had broken what he called Iran's axis through successes against Hezbollah and Hamas, along with the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Referring to the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, the Connecticut Democrat said, "Iran ought to be the one to pay hell because, ultimately, they are responsible … They are the head of the snake.”

Senator Joni Ernst warned, "Iran, listen very clearly. We will put maximum pressure on you and work with our Israeli partners to make sure you do not succeed economically, militarily or politically in this region.

"There is no daylight between Israel and the USA,” the Iowa Republican added.

The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post reported last week citing US intelligence assessments from last month that Israel saw an opening for an attack on Iranian nuclear sites as early as the first of this year.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump signed a directive restoring the so-called maximum pressure policy of his first term and warned of "catastrophic" consequences if Tehran does not make a deal on its nuclear program.

On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington's maximum pressure campaign and mooting of military force will not force Iran to negotiate about its nuclear program.

Now in its 17th year, the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy is a leading annual event organized by a coalition of 25 non-governmental organizations.

It convenes activists globally ahead of the UN Human Rights Council's main session to bolster international awareness of human rights issues.

In a keynote address titled The Struggle for Freedom in Iran, Iran's exiled prince Reza Pahlavi called for international support in confronting Iran’s leadership, describing its rule as having been built on repression.

“The Iranian people have endured more than four decades of suffering, yet their spirit remains unbroken,” he said. “They are fighting not just for themselves but for the values of freedom, justice, and human dignity.”

Pahlavi criticized what he called the international community’s failure to hold Iran’s government accountable.

“I stand here on behalf of my compatriots, who have, for far too long, been silenced, not only by the tyrannical government that occupies our country, but by the ideological bias that distorts the truth about Iran.”

He warned that Iran’s leadership extends its repression beyond its borders, using its "embassies and so-called cultural centers as bases for espionage and terrorism across Europe."

“To those who seek to silence us or stand in our way, I say: we are not waiting for your green light,” he added.

Another panel highlighted the Islamic Republic’s repression of protesters during the nationwide Woman Life Freedom protests sparked by the death in morality police custody of Mahsa Amini in 2022, featuring firsthand accounts from victims.

Moderated by Iranian-Canadian activist Nazanin Afshin-Jam, the discussion featured Mahan Mehrabi, whose brother Mahmoud Mehrabi is imprisoned in Iran; Maryam Diyor, whose 16-year-old son Abolfazl Amir-Ataei was killed while protesting and Saman Pouryaghma, who was shot in the eye and partially blinded during demonstrations.

"Let history note that this regime not only silences dissent by arresting peaceful protesters, but arrests the lawyers defending them, or representing them, and the journalists reporting them. It not only executes political prisoners, but arrests and harasses the family members that are trying to mourn them," Afshin-Jam said.

The panelists spoke about state violence, imprisonment and the struggle for justice as international calls grow for accountability over Iran’s crackdown on dissent.

Calling on the international community to act instead of expressing concern, Mehrabi said, "History will judge us by our actions, not our words."

“For the mothers who mourn, the prisoners who languish, and the countless Iranians who perish unheard, I implore you: See Iran's suffering. Don't be complicit in these crimes. Be a voice for freedom.”

“On the morning of September 21st, my son shared a story on Instagram in protest. Later that day, he went into the streets," she added. "That afternoon, forces of the Islamic Republic brutally shot my 16-year-old son in the head with tear gas at a close range,” Diyor said, breaking into tears.

“The people of Iran do not recognize the Islamic Republic as their legitimate government. This regime does not represent us," said Pouryaghma.

"To the international community I ask, cut your diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic, take immediate action to free our political prisoners, and put maximum pressure on the regime to stop the executions,” he added.

Videos and images on social media showed hundreds of Iranians gathered outside the building, waving flags and chanting slogans in support of Pahlavi and the summit's agenda.

Last year, Iran International was named the winner of the 2024 Geneva Summit Courage Award for what organizers described as fearlessly uncovering the daily abuses of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Esmail Baghaei called the allegations "false and baseless." He emphasized that "Iran has no military presence in Yemen, and the weapons in the country have no connection to the Islamic Republic."

A confidential report seen by Reuters in September said that Yemen’s Houthis had grown into a powerful military organization with external support from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hezbollah, and Iraqi specialists.

Last Thursday, CENTCOM said its forces intercepted the shipment on January 28 in the Arabian Sea.

The cargo included over 200 packages containing medium-range ballistic missile components, explosives, unmanned underwater and surface vehicle parts, military-grade communication equipment, and anti-tank guided missile launcher assemblies.

Since the Gaza war began, following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the Houthis have launched around 320 UAVs toward Israel, with over 100 intercepted by the Israeli Air Force.

The group, which controls roughly one-third of Yemen, has aligned itself with Hamas in an effort to pressure for a ceasefire in Gaza, imposing a blockade in the Red Sea region, significantly disrupting global shipping routes.

In January, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Yemen's Houthis are advancing Iran's regional agenda and will face continued military action for their attacks on Israel. “The Houthis are an extension of Iran, and they serve the terrorist goals of the Iranian axis in the Middle East."

Tehran police chief Abbasali Mohammadian said the arrests took place early on Tuesday, and that both the main suspect and his accomplice had confessed to their crimes.

Amir Mohammad Khaleghi, an undergraduate in business management at the University of Tehran, was fatally attacked by robbers with a cold weapon near the university dormitory last Thursday. The victim died from his wounds in hospital.

The prosecutor's office identified the main suspect as a 23-year-old man named only as Ahmad, who was riding as a passenger on a motorcycle, while the driver, named only as Amir, was also involved in the robbery.

Mohammadian said that disclosing the suspects' full identities requires judicial approval. Iranian media outlets published pixelated images and videos of the two suspects with their eyes covered, describing them as showing their "transfer to their interrogation session."

Mohammad Shahriari, head of the criminal prosecutor’s office, said the suspects confessed during initial investigations to robbing and killing Khaleghi.

He said investigations revealed that the suspects killed him with the intent of robbery. Tehran police chief Abbasali Mohammadian confirmed this, adding that further details would be released after a crime scene reconstruction.

Iranian media reported that both suspects "explicitly confessed" during interrogations, detailing how the robbery escalated into murder.

One of the suspects was quoted as saying: "We spotted the victim in a deserted area and attempted to rob him. After taking his phone and bag, I stabbed him two or three times and immediately got on the motorcycle and left."

He said he only realized two days later, on Saturday, that Khaleghi had died.

Khaleghi's death sparked student protests at The University of Tehran, accusing university officials of failing to ensure their safety, with students staging sit-ins and demanding accountability.

The demonstrations continued for four consecutive days, with tensions escalating after security forces and plainclothes officers surrounded the campus and briefly detained several students.

Dongying, a port in eastern Shandong province, has become a key entry point for sanctioned oil after state-run Shandong Port Group sold at least one terminal to a private company, the report said citing traders familiar with the matter.

The Si He, a tanker blacklisted by the US on January 10, discharged over 744,000 barrels of Russian ESPO crude at Dongying last week, the report added citing the traders and data from commodities-tracking firm Kpler.

Other recently privatized berths, including in Yangshan near Shanghai and Huizhou in Guangdong province, have also handled shipments of sanctioned oil. Last month, Huizhou’s Huaying Petrochemical terminal received nearly 1 million barrels of Iranian crude from Suezmax Nichola, which in turn took them from an Iran-owned tanker Salina, according to Bloomberg citing ship-tracking data.

The shift toward private operators follows Shandong Port Group’s recent move to block sanctioned tankers under US pressure. However, Bloomberg said the continued use of blacklisted vessels highlights both the financial pressures on China’s independent refiners and Beijing’s apparent willingness to allow the trade to continue.

China’s imports of Russian and Iranian crude accounted for a quarter of its total crude imports in 2024, Bloomberg calculated based on official customs data.

Findings by Iran International show that while Iran’s oil sales to China dropped sharply last month, the decline in export revenues began months earlier, coinciding with US sanctions on dozens of tankers carrying Iranian crude.