Iranian-American poet’s son arrested over Detroit terror plot

In a meeting with Saudi Ambassador Abdullah bin Saud al-Anzi this week, Iran’s Hajj chief Alireza Rashidian said that last year Iran’s allocation was approximately 85,000 pilgrims. 

He requested an increase in the quota for the next Hajj season in May 2026 to align more closely with Iran’s larger population of around 91 million. 

He also raised operational issues including use of Ta’if airport and increased flight capacity via Saudi airlines.

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  Iranian pilgrims chant ‘death to America’ and ‘death to Israel’ at hajj ceremony

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  Saudi Arabia draws the line: No political agendas at hajj

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  After 9-Year Hiatus, Iranian Muslim Pilgrims Return to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia allocates Hajj slots based on a formula set up in 1987, typically around one pilgrim per thousand Muslims in a country. For example, Indonesia has a quota of 221,000 pilgrims for 2025, Pakistan 180,000, India 175,000, and Iran now approximately 87,500. 

On Thursday, the Supreme Leader’s representative for Hajj affairs, Abdolfattah Navvab, told Tasnim News that Iran hopes its Hajj quota will increase in proportion to the country’s growing population. 

“Given the rise in Iran’s population, we hope the national quota will also increase so we can serve a larger number of pilgrims eager to visit Mecca,” he said.

Navvab added that last year’s quota was set at 85,000 pilgrims based on a population of 85 million, with an additional two percent allocated for staff and organizers.

He added that about 200,000 Iranians performed the Umrah pilgrimage last year -- a non-mandatory Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time of the year -- and that, while Iran faces no specific restrictions for Umrah, limited flight capacity remains the main challenge.

“Fortunately, Saudi airline Flynas resumed flights from Shiraz yesterday, and services from Khuzestan province will begin soon to allow more pilgrims to travel,” he said.

Many of those affected have voiced frustration over long delays and unclear procedures, with some students staging protests outside the German consulate in Tehran to demand action on their visa applications.

On Sunday, a group of young Iranians gathered in front of the consulate to protest the embassy’s refusal to process applications for bachelor’s, conditional master’s and college programs.

"This situation is completely unfair. The embassy should not treat us differently from those in higher programs when we have already paid tuition, insurance, and even rent," one protester told Iran International.

TLScontact, the external service provider that collects visa applications and biometric data on behalf of the German embassy, has also faced criticism from applicants who say their repeated calls and visits have gone unanswered.

“In the past two weeks, we have repeatedly contacted TLS, and in recent days we again protested both in front of the consulate and TLS, but no one is responding,” the protestor said.

On June 16, the German embassy announced that it had temporarily closed due to the circumstances created by the war between Israel and Iran and urged visitors to refrain from going to the embassy or its legal-consular section.

“Appointments already issued have been cancelled. The affected applicants will receive an email, and a new appointment will be automatically scheduled for a later date,” it said in a statement.

"The processing of pending visa procedures and the acceptance of new applications are taking place in accordance with current capacities," Germany's Federal Foreign told Iran International in response to an inquiry.

"The Federal Foreign Office aims to expand operations depending on further developments and the personnel resources available," it added.

Separation and forced return

An Iranian man living in Germany told Iran International that before the war began, he had completed the paperwork to obtain an interview appointment for his teenage son’s family-reunion visa.

But since the war broke out, the process has been suspended, and as of November 2025, he has not been able to register for an appointment.

He added that separation from family, uncertainty, and the unstable situation in Iran have negatively affected his son’s mental health.

The “Family Reunion” section of the German embassy’s website says the processing of visa applications for those who had already submitted their documents remains suspended.

It also says that from November 11, appointments for Iranian nationals already on the waiting list for family-reunion visas “will be scheduled depending on available capacity.”

According to the notice, it is not possible to register for new appointments or join the waiting list.

According to those who spoke to Iran International, the separation of families—spouses and children unsure when they will reunite—has imposed a heavy psychological burden.

An Iranian living in Germany said his friend, who migrated to Germany as a nurse on a work visa and has been apart from her husband and six-year-old child for more than a year, was in the final stages of securing their visas when the process was halted due to the war. Now, the future for this family of three remains uncertain.

An Iranian woman living in southern Germany also told Iran International that she witnessed her friend’s forced return to Iran.

She said the woman, a student at the University of Erlangen in northern Bavaria, southern Germany, was forced to abandon her studies and return to Iran after her husband was unable to obtain a visa.

She added that the embassy returned her husband’s passport without even stamping it as rejected.

More than 550 Iranian figures—including political activists, journalists, human rights defenders and those who suffered eye injuries during the nationwide 2022 protests—sent a letter to the German federal government, calling for the immediate resumption of visa processing for political, civil, and labor activists, journalists and other at-risk professions.

According to the 2025 Henley Passport Index on the world’s strongest and weakest passports, among 199 passports, only 13 countries rank below Iran.

In August, the state-run IRNA news agency reported that the closure of several embassies during the 12-day war left about 3,000 to 4,000 Iranian passports caught in visa processing. The report said many applicants, especially students and athletes, were unable to leave the country.

The probe focuses on billions of dollars in money movements between firms overseen by oil tycoon Hossein Shamkhani, the son of a top adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Bloomberg said.

According to the report, the probe has drawn on information from insiders within Shamkhani’s business network and from Wall Street banks that had relationships with entities linked to him.

The main target of the investigation is Shamkhani, rather than the banks, Bloomberg said.

JPMorgan Chase & Co., ABN Amro Bank NV, Marex Group Plc, Standard Chartered PLC, Emirates NBD PJSC and National Bank of Fujairah PJSC are among the institutions under review, the report said citing several people familiar with the probe.

Bloomberg said spokespeople for the Justice Department, JPMorgan, ABN Amro, Marex and Standard Chartered declined to comment. National Bank of Fujairah said it is “not under investigation by the US Department of Justice,” while Emirates NBD said it has not received any communication from US authorities.

Bloomberg said Shamkhani did not respond to a request for comment the news agency sent to his lawyers.

Bloomberg reported last November that the US Treasury Department was examining JPMorgan’s relationship with a hedge fund said to be overseen by Shamkhani.

According to Bloomberg's latest report, the Justice Department’s probe is broader in scope, aiming to map out the tycoon’s global financial network and pursue potential indictments or arrests of his associates, with cooperation expected from authorities in the United Arab Emirates, a key hub for his operations.

Shamkhani, who operates mainly from Dubai, was sanctioned by the United States in July along with dozens of individuals, companies and vessels linked to his network in what the US Treasury described as its largest Iran-related action in seven years. The UK and European Union also imposed sanctions in recent months.

US officials said Shamkhani used his father’s political influence to build a fleet of tankers and container ships that transported Iranian and Russian oil worldwide through shell companies. The Treasury said he used aliases including “H,” “Hector” and “Hugo Hayek” to conceal his dealings.

Following the sanctions, Dominica revoked Shamkhani’s passport issued under the Hayek pseudonym, and Panama de-flagged several vessels tied to his firms.

Bloomberg's report said some of Shamkhani's companies have since shifted operations to Oman.

Another Bloomberg investigation last year found that Shamkhani’s network had become a key channel for Iranian and Russian oil exports and had established a hedge fund with offices in London, Dubai and Geneva to manage proceeds from the trade.

The arrest took place in the suburb of Risskov in cooperation with Denmark’s intelligence service PET and East Jutland Police. The man was detained under a German arrest warrant, and German officers were present during the operation, police said.

German prosecutors said the man is suspected of acting as a contact in a network tied to an Iranian intelligence operation. He allegedly tried to help obtain a weapon for another man who was arrested in June and accused of gathering information on Jewish sites in Berlin.

That earlier suspect, identified by German media as 53-year-old Ali S., a dual Afghan-Danish national, had secretly traveled to Iran after collecting surveillance material on Jewish institutions, according to German newspaper Bild. The report said he met a Quds Force officer in Tehran and handed over photos, videos, and details about possible targets, including Jewish community offices and restaurants.

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  Danish-Afghan man secretly visited Iran after spying on Jewish targets - Bild

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  Germany summons Iranian ambassador over alleged espionage plot

Ali S. was arrested in Denmark in June and later extradited to Germany, where he faces charges of espionage and planning attacks for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

The newly arrested man, also of Afghan origin, is charged with attempted murder in Germany and will appear before a Danish court in Aarhus later on Wednesday for a custody hearing pending a decision on extradition, police said.

PET said the case reflects a broader pattern of Iranian intelligence activity in Europe, including efforts targeting Israeli and Jewish interests. PET chief Finn Borch Andersen said state-backed actors such as Iran pose an increasing threat. “We take this very seriously, especially given the use of intermediaries and criminal networks to plan violent acts,” he said.

Lawmakers said Iran must pursue official complaints before international courts over what they called crimes committed against the Iranian nation, according to state media.

They did not give details of the complaints, but Iran has previously accused Grossi of political bias and of failing to condemn US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June.

Earlier this year, hardline media called for Grossi’s arrest and execution, while a senior judiciary official said he could face trial in absentia for “deceptive actions.” Tehran has accused the International Atomic Energy Agency of sharing sensitive nuclear data with Israel and the United States.

The appeal came a day after parliament marked the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the US Embassy in Tehran, when lawmakers chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” During that session, Deputy Speaker Ali Nikzad said Iran would not yield to foreign pressure and accused Washington of decades of interference.

'No plan for US talks'

Tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high after a June conflict that saw US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that any possible future talks with the United States would only concern the nuclear issue, adding that Tehran currently has no plans to hold talks with Washington.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry last week confirmed that messages between Tehran and Washington continue through intermediaries but said they do not amount to negotiations.

Iran’s parliament, dominated by conservatives, has repeatedly pressed the government to hold Western leaders accountable for sanctions and military actions. Lawmakers said the justice minister should take the lead in pursuing such complaints through international tribunals.