Sweden summons Iran envoy amid reports citizen faces death sentence

The arrests were reported in Abdanan, Oshnavieh, Bukan, Piranshahr and Miandoab. Security forces carried out several detentions without presenting judicial warrants, and detainees were taken to undisclosed locations, rights monitors said.

In Oshnavieh, three Kurdish citizens – Shaho Ebrahimi, Shafi Ahmadi and Siraj Elyasi, 16 – were detained within a 24-hour period and transferred to an unknown location, Kurdish rights outlet Kurdpa reported. Kurdpa said Ebrahimi is the brother of Shavaneh Ebrahimi, a political prisoner who was detained by security forces 11 days earlier and whose fate remains unknown.

Separately, at least three citizens were detained in Abdanan, Ilam province, by intelligence agents, human rights news agency HRANA reported. Kolbar News also reported the detention of several young residents of Abdanan and nearby villages, including minors, saying those held were transferred to undisclosed locations.

Additional arrests were reported in Bukan, Piranshahr and Miandoab in West Azarbaijan province, according to multiple human rights websites, bringing the total number of detainees to at least 17. With the exception of one detainee who was later released, no information has been made public about the charges, legal status or place of detention of those held.

Pressure after protest movement

The Islamic Republic has long relied on arrests and imprisonment of protesters and civil and political activists as a key tool of repression, rights groups say. The practice intensified after the Woman, Life, Freedom protests that began in 2022.

Iran International reported on Thursday that authorities had launched a new round of pressure on civil, media and political activists in several cities, citing informed sources who said the aim was to deter potential protests linked to possible government plans to raise fuel prices.

UN scrutiny

The arrests come as international scrutiny of Iran’s human rights record continues.

On Thursday, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning what it described as grave, widespread and systematic human rights violations in Iran, according to UN records.

The resolution, titled “Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” was adopted by a vote of 78 in favor, 27 against and 64 abstentions, marking the 72nd such resolution adopted by the General Assembly.

According to the text, it “condemned in the strongest terms” the sharp rise in executions in Iran and raised concerns about transnational repression by Iranian authorities.

The report, published by Yedioth Ahronoth on Friday, said Iranian scientists examined what it described as a “fourth-generation” nuclear weapon based on pure fusion, a technology that no country is known to have successfully produced.

“Such fusion does not require uranium or plutonium, and produces almost no radiation or fallout,” the report said.

Why pursue fusion research

The Israeli report said it was unclear why Iran pursued research into pure fusion given the extreme technical difficulty of the approach.

It outlined several possible explanations, including that the work was meant to obscure continued interest in conventional nuclear weapons, to explore ways around international non-proliferation frameworks, or to build scientific knowledge that could shorten development timelines if Tehran later chose another path.

Another explanation cited was that Iran sought experience with highly complex nuclear physics challenges, even if the fusion route itself was not practical.

Washington Post cites intelligence from 2023

The Israeli account broadly aligns with reporting this week by the Washington Post, which said US and Israeli intelligence agencies began gathering information in 2023 indicating that Iranian scientists were exploring several nuclear weapon paths, including fusion-based concepts.

The Post said US intelligence assessed that Iranian researchers were also studying a crude fission device that could be built more quickly if Iran’s leadership reversed a long-standing ban on nuclear weapons, while fusion research was viewed as more aspirational.

US and Israeli analysts agreed that a fusion weapon would be “beyond Iran’s reach,” the Post said.

Satellite images show site activity

Separately, a US-based think tank said satellite imagery shows new activity at Iran’s Natanz nuclear site, which was damaged during the June conflict.

The Institute for Science and International Security said images taken in December show Iran placing panels over a destroyed enrichment facility at Natanz.

“Satellite imagery from December shows Iran placed panels on top of the remaining structure, providing cover for the destroyed facility,” the think tank said.

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, while Western governments and Israel say Iran’s nuclear activities raise proliferation concerns.

Iranian media reported that prices for various types of nuts and dried fruit have risen between 40 percent and, in some cases such as pistachios and cashews, up to 100 percent compared with last year.

Yalda is an ancient Iranian celebration marking the longest night of the year, observed on the winter solstice, usually on December 20 or 21. Families and friends gather after sunset to stay awake through the night, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness and the gradual return of longer days.

Dideban Iran, citing official data, said the surge reflects higher production costs, currency volatility and rising packaging expenses, according to traders active in the sector.

Vendors told the outlet that demand has dropped markedly compared with last year, despite Yalda being one of Iran’s most important traditional celebrations, when families typically gather around tables filled with fruit, nuts and sweets.

The evening centres on shared food, especially pomegranates and watermelon, which are associated with health, renewal, and the memory of summer. A common ritual is fal-e Hafez, the practice of opening the poetry book of Hafez and reading verses believed to offer insight or guidance. Rooted in pre-Islamic traditions and linked to Zoroastrian ideas of light and renewal, Yalda remains a widely observed cultural event in Iran, bringing together generations around storytelling, poetry, and collective resilience against the cold and dark of winter.

Instalment sales

The prices for Yalda nuts were up 40 to 45 percent year on year, Mehdi Bakhtiari-Zadeh, acting head of Tehran’s municipal fruit and vegetable markets organization, said on Wednesday. The retail price of a kilogram of sweet nut mix this year, he said, stands at about 6,660,000 rials (around $5), compared with roughly 4,000,000 to 4,500,000 rials ($3 to 3.5) last year.

Average monthly income for workers in Iran in 2025 is generally less than $150.

With household purchasing power eroded, Dideban Iran reported that some shops have resorted to alternative sales methods, including instalment plans and even accepting checks, to attract customers unwilling or unable to pay upfront.

Sweets shrink as costs climb

Rising costs have also hit the confectionery sector. The ILNA news agency quoted Ali Bahremand, head of Tehran’s confectioners and pastry sellers union, as saying there is no shortage of raw materials, but high prices have pushed consumers toward buying smaller quantities, often half-kilogram boxes instead of larger ones.

According to Bahremand’s remarks, the prices of key inputs such as cooking oil and eggs have increased by about 167 percent and 200 percent respectively compared with the same period last year, contributing to a sharp fall in overall sweet purchases.

The price hikes come amid broader increases in basic goods approved by the government in recent months. Citizens have told Iran International that dairy prices, another key ingredient for Yalda treats, have risen sharply, with some families saying such products have already been removed from their diets, underscoring how traditional celebrations are increasingly shaped by economic strain.

“I hope there won’t be a war,” Huckabee said in an interview with Israeli media outlet Ynet. “I hope that Iran will come to its senses.”

He said recent US and Israeli actions were meant to send a clear message to Tehran and urged Iranian leaders to draw conclusions from past confrontations.

“There is no education in the second kick of a mule,” Huckabee said.

Huckabee’s comments come as Israeli and Western officials warn that any move by Iran to restore high-level uranium enrichment could prompt a response.

European diplomats told Al-Monitor earlier this month that Israel may strike Iran within the next year if it concludes Tehran is moving to resume enrichment. One Western diplomat said any new campaign would likely be short and intense, with Iran expected to retaliate with missile fire.

Analysts say enrichment remains the main trigger for escalation. Raz Zimmt of Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies said a return to enrichment, weapons-related work or efforts to recover uranium believed lost in June attacks would almost certainly draw an Israeli response.

“The more time passes without the United States and Iran reaching a nuclear agreement, the more likely a new round of conflict becomes,” Zimmt said.

Signs of activity at Natanz

Satellite images show new activity at Iran’s Natanz nuclear site damaged during the June conflict, a US-based think tank said on Thursday, while the UN nuclear watchdog remains unable to access several of Iran’s most sensitive facilities.

The Institute for Science and International Security said satellite images taken last weekend show Iran placing panels over a destroyed enrichment facility at Natanz, possibly to shield work aimed at accessing rubble that may contain highly enriched uranium.

“This indicates Iran wants to explore the rubble out of sight of prying eyes,” the group said, adding that the site likely held several kilograms of highly enriched uranium.

The UN nuclear watchdog has said it still lacks access to some of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear facilities, including Natanz and Fordow, limiting its ability to assess the status of nuclear material.

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, while Western governments and Israel say its enrichment activities could bring it closer to the ability to produce nuclear weapons.

The Shin Bet internal security service and the Defense Ministry’s security directorate detained the suspect, Vitaly Zvyagintsev, 30, in early December following an undercover investigation, according to a joint statement cited by Ynet.

Zvyagintsev, a foreign worker living in Israel, was in contact with an Iranian intelligence handler who presented himself as a Russian named Roman and directed him to carry out surveillance missions across the country from October, Ynet reported.

He allegedly sent photographs of sensitive infrastructure and vessels at several Israeli ports and received payment in cryptocurrency, the report said.

Israeli security officials said Zvyagintsev understood the requests were linked to efforts to harm Israel but continued for financial reasons.

“This is a serious case that reflects the continued efforts by Iranian intelligence bodies to recruit Israeli citizens and foreign nationals for espionage and terror-related missions,” the security agencies said in the statement cited by Ynet.

Prosecutors filed an indictment on Friday at the Central District Court, charging Zvyagintsev with serious national security offenses, Israeli officials said.

The arrest comes amid a series of recent cases in which Israeli authorities have accused individuals of passing information to Iran, often in exchange for digital payments, Israeli media said.

Israeli security agencies say Iran has stepped up recruitment efforts through social media, targeting both Israeli citizens and foreign residents, as tensions between the two longtime adversaries remain high.