Iran internet blackout enters 69th day, NetBlocks says

Iran’s embassy in Seoul denied on Thursday any involvement by Iranian armed forces in damage to a South Korean-operated vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

The embassy said in a statement that it “firmly rejects and categorically denies any allegations” regarding the incident.

It added, however, that “disregard for the declared requirements and operational realities in an environment influenced by military and security tensions may lead to unintended incidents.”

The statement was issued after a Panama-flagged ship operated by South Korea’s HMM suffered an explosion and caught fire on Monday.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot ruled out on Thursday lifting any international sanctions on Iran as long as the Strait of Hormuz remained blocked.

Barrot told France’s RTL radio that Iran, “or at least the Iranian regime,” was seeking sanctions relief from the United States in return for steps on its nuclear program.

“But it is out of the question that the slightest sanction could be lifted as long as a strait like Hormuz is blocked,” he said.

Only about 2,000 of more than 27,000 workers at Isfahan’s Mobarakeh Steel Company have returned to work after US and Israeli strikes on the site, Tehran-based news website Rouydad24 reported on Thursday.

Those who returned were mainly administrative and managerial staff and production at the major steel complex remained halted, according to the report.

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A law approved last October has accelerated death penalty proceedings in Iran by giving judges broad powers to interpret espionage and treason cases, an Iranian human rights lawyer was quoted as saying by the Financial Times on Thursday.

“Terms in the [new] law, such as ‘any operational acts’, give judges an almost unlimited scope for interpretation, allowing them to issue death sentences without restriction,” Amir Raesian said.

“As a result, verdicts have become much harsher and proceedings much faster, making executions swift and straightforward,” he added.

Former White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow questioned emerging US–Iran diplomatic efforts, arguing that long-term stability would require sustained pressure on Tehran and a shift toward regime change rather than relying on a negotiated agreement.

Speaking on Fox News, Kudlow cited recent reporting on preliminary US–Iran discussions and expressed skepticism that any deal could be trusted or effectively enforced, suggesting that a pressure-based approach would be more effective in addressing Iran-related security concerns.