Russia says Iran may agree to limit nuclear program if sanctions lifted

Abol (Hamid) Korkor ended his life on Saturday after the Islamic Republic's security forces surrounded his hiding place and fired continuously, according to an account from activist and former political prisoner Foad Choobin on X.

Korkor, who had lived in hiding for over two years, streamed the raid live on Instagram as security forces stormed his home. He is the latest in a long line of protesters to take their own lives under pressure from Iran's security forces, exacerbated since the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising.

During the stream of gunfire, Korkor is repeatedly heard shouting, "We surrender," but the forces continued shooting.

In the end, Korkor said, "I have no choice. Goodbye, Iran," before taking his own life, the video shows.

Korkor's final words, "Goodbye, Iran," have been widely shared, with Iranians including opposition figures, activists, and artists mourning his death and condemning the government’s crackdown on dissent.

Iran's exiled Reza Pahlavi in a post on X called Korkor a "courageous martyr" and said his name should be "eternal and revered."

Women's rights activist Masih Alinejad wrote in a post on Instagram that Korkor "refused to surrender to the soldiers of the Islamic Republic’s terrorist Revolutionary Guards."

Iran-based rights activist Hossein Ronaghi described Izeh as a city with a long history of resistance, saying its people have "never bowed to tyranny."

"From the past to the present, the people of Izeh have stood courageously against injustice, proving that freedom is only achieved through resistance and struggle," he wrote in a post on X,

"With the cry of 'Goodbye, Iran,' he took his final breath," Ronaghi wrote, framing Korkor’s death as a symbol of defiance in the face of repression.

Iranian dissident rapper Hichkas also paid tribute, writing, "When you think of Iran until the moment of death," referencing Korkor’s final words, "Goodbye, Iran."

Similarly, rapper Shahin Najafi paid tribute sharing a photo of Korkor and writing on X, "Our code is to die standing," in reference to Korkor’s decision to take his own life rather than surrender to the Islamic Republic’s security forces.

Rapper Toomaj Salehi, who has faced imprisonment for his activism, expressed frustration over the isolation of Izeh, writing in a post on Telegram, "We left Izeh alone."

He also revealed that just a month ago, intelligence agents had blocked his attempt to travel toward Izeh, in what appeared to be a reference to the heavy security presence surrounding the city.

Former Iranian soccer star Ali Karimi echoed Korkor’s final words, writing on X, "'Goodbye, Iran' meant freedom for him."

On Sunday, Choobin further reported on X that Korkor's family are under pressure from intelligence and security agencies to not hold a ceremony for Koror, to avoid unrest in the city, and that the authorities have not yet given his body to the family.

"If the objective of negotiations is to address concerns vis-à-vis any potential militarization of Iran’s nuclear program, such discussions may be subject to consideration," Iran's UN mission said in a post on its official X account.

However, it added, "should the aim be the dismantlement of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program to claim that what Obama failed to achieve has now been accomplished, such negotiations will never take place."

A few hours later, Iran's foreign minister appeared to revise the statement by Tehran's UN mission.

"Iran's nuclear energy program has always been—and will always remain—entirely peaceful. There is fundamentally no such thing as its 'potential militarization'," Abbas Araghchi said.

"We will NOT negotiate under pressure and intimidation. We will NOT even consider it, no matter the subject," he added in a post on his X account.

On Saturday, Khamenei dismissed the prospect of talks with the United States in his first public speech after President Donald Trump said he sent a letter to him.

"The insistence of some bullying governments on negotiations is not aimed at resolving issues but rather at asserting dominance and imposing their demands," Khamenei said in a meeting with Iranian officials in Tehran.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will certainly not accept their demands," he added.

The White House, responding to Khamenei's comments, reiterated Trump's assertion that Tehran can be dealt with either militarily or by making a deal.

"We hope the Iran regime puts its people and best interests ahead of terror," White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement.

A State Department spokesperson also told Iran International the Trump administration will maintain its maximum pressure campaign on Iran if Tehran refuses to reach an agreement.

Trump warned on Friday that the situation with Iran had reached a critical stage, adding that he preferred to reach a deal over Tehran's nuclear program than turn to military force.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Sunday that an attack on Iran's nuclear sites would leave the Persian Gulf with "no water, no fish, nothing ... no life".

He specifically mentioned his country, Kuwait and the UAE, and said some of Iran's nuclear sites were closer to Doha than they were to Tehran. Iran's only operating nuclear power plant is on the Persian Gulf coast at Bushehr.

Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait are three desert states, facing Iran on the opposite side of the Persian Gulf, with minimal natural water reserves and more than 18 million people whose only supply of potable water being desalinated water drawn from the Persian Gulf.

Israel has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites but on Friday, US President Donald Trump said he had written to Iran warning it to open negotiations or face a military attack.

Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, Tavanir's CEO, told state media that the confiscated mining rigs consumed an estimated 800 megawatts of electricity.

He compared this to the 1,000-megawatt capacity of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, highlighting the significant strain the mining operations place on the national grid.

"Unfortunately, illegal use of the electricity network still occurs in the country," Mashhadi said, calling for increased cooperation with the Economic Security Police to identify and confiscate remaining illegal miners.

Under Iranian law, possession of unregistered cryptocurrency mining equipment can result in confiscation of the devices and fines of up to three times their value.

Tavanir's deputy for transmission and foreign trade estimated that approximately 700,000 illegal mining rigs are still operating in Iran, consuming around 2,000 megawatts of electricity.

The crackdown comes as Iran faces increasing pressure on its electricity grid, exacerbated by factors such as rising temperatures and increased industrial activity. It has led to mass closures of government offices, banks, and schools across most of Iran.

Earlier in the day, Iran's Power Plants Trade Association Chairman Ali Nikbakht predicted a 25,000-megawatt electricity deficit for next year, representing one-third of national consumption.

During an interview at the Iranian consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told AFP, “Iran's nuclear program cannot be destroyed through military operations" because the technology is ingrained, facilities are dispersed and protected, and Iran would retaliate proportionally.

He made the remarks as Israel has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites. Later on Friday, US President Donald Trump said he had written to Iran warning it to open negotiations or face a military attack.

Araghchi said that “if the Israelis or others were sure that they would achieve their goals through a military attack, they would have done so by now, but such a possibility is not feasible.”

Araghchi dismissed the threat of war against Iran as mere rhetoric, warning that any attempt to act on it would pose a grave danger and ignite a widespread conflict.

“The threat of war against Iran is a threat that is just talked about. Implementing this threat would be a very big danger and would turn into a widespread fire.”