Iran International
The United States is undermining its diplomatic overtures to Iran by making threats, a senior Iranian cleric said on Friday, a week after US President Donald Trump's demanded Iran strike a nuclear deal or face military attack.
The remarks represent another strong official rejection by the theocracy of Trump's bid for a renewed nuclear deal.
"Today, you can clearly and explicitly see threats coming from US leaders. In practice, they issue threats, while in words and writing, they call for negotiations, two completely contradictory behaviors," Tehran's Friday Prayer Imam Mohammad-Hassan Abutorabi-Fard told worshippers during his weekly sermon.
The senior cleric is appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his speeches reflect official thinking. Khamenei again rejected Trump's diplomatic outreach in a speech on Wednesday.
Citing Iran's perceived resilience despite punishing military blows on Iran and its allies, Abutorabi-Fard said armed affiliates of Iran in the region remained strong.
"Today, Iraq, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, and the Hezbollah-led resistance axis stand as symbols of dignity in the face of infidels. This great achievement is the result of the Islamic Revolution, which has brought major victories for the Muslim community."
His criticism came after US President Donald Trump revealed that he had sent a letter to Khamenei which was relayed via the United Arab Emirates earlier this week.
Khamenei has not publicly responded to the letter but has repeatedly voiced skepticism over US intentions, arguing that past experience shows Washington cannot be trusted. In his speech this week, he said Washington's calls for negotiations are a tactic to deceive global public opinion.
"The US President saying 'we are ready to negotiate with Iran' and calling for negotiations is meant to deceive global public opinion," Khamenei said. He also questioned the value of engaging with the US, recalling Trump's 2018 withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.
"We sat down and negotiated for several years, and this very person took the completed, finalized, and signed agreement off the table and tore it up," Khamenei added.
Despite rejecting threats, Iran has left the door open for indirect diplomacy. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday hinted at the possibility of engaging through Oman, though officials have maintained that Tehran will not negotiate under pressure.
"We reject talks under threats. Iran's dignity does not allow for submission," Araghchi said in an earlier statement.
US-Iran tensions have been steadily escalating. Trump signaled last week that the standoff has reached a crescendo, saying, "There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily or through a deal. I would prefer to make a deal."
Khamenei said Iran would retaliate if attacked. "The United States is threatening militarization. This threat is irrational because war is not a one-sided blow; Iran is capable of retaliating and will certainly do so," he said.
As the standoff mounts, the UN's nuclear watchdog recently reported a sharp increase in Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, though Tehran denies any intention of developing nuclear weapons. "If the Islamic Republic intended to build nuclear weapons, the United States would not be able to stop it," Khamenei added.
The UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran revealed that Tehran has significantly expanded its efforts to control and restrict the rights of women and girls.
The report highlights how the government is leveraging technology to enforce strict hijab laws and criminalize activism, portraying these efforts as part of a broader strategy to stifle human rights advocacy.
“These repressive measures reflect the State’s ongoing persecutory conduct aimed at suppressing women and girls’ human rights and their right to equality,” the report published on Friday said.
Despite pre-election promises by President Masoud Pezeshkian to ease the enforcement of strict hijab laws, the government has increased its policing since last year. The Noor Plan has intensified surveillance and criminal prosecution of women who defy mandatory hijab rules, according to the report.
In April 2024, Iranian authorities deployed aerial drones in Tehran and southern Iran to monitor women's hijab compliance in public spaces. Additionally, facial recognition software was installed at the entrance of Amirkabir University in Tehran to track female students' adherence to hijab regulations.
A key element of the crackdown is the Nazer mobile application. Vetted individuals and police officers can use this app to report women suspected of hijab non-compliance in private vehicles, taxis, ambulances, and public transport. The app allows users to log the location, date, and time of incidents and submit vehicle license plate information. This triggers an automated message warning the vehicle's owner about the alleged violation and threatening impoundment for repeated offenses.
Sara Hossain, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission, said, “For two years, Iran has refused to adequately acknowledge the demands for equality and justice that fueled the protests in 2022. The criminalization, surveillance, and continued repression of protesters, families of victims, and survivors, in particular women and girls, is deeply worrying.”
Women human rights defenders and activists continue to face severe penalties, including fines, long prison sentences, and even the death penalty for peaceful activism. The report noted that at least 11 men and three women remain at risk of execution, amid concerns about torture, forced confessions, and unfair trials.
“The Government’s policies have denied victims in Iran the right to truth, justice, and reparations,” said Viviana Krsticevic, an expert member of the Mission. “Given the gravity of the violations in the country and the serious risk of recurring violence against those who express dissent or challenge the State and its policies, it is crucial for the Human Rights Council to continue supporting the victims in their search for redress and non-repetition.”
The report also noted how the Iranian government has expanded surveillance beyond its borders. Iranian activists and journalists abroad have been targeted through online harassment and threats.
Victims of torture and families of those killed in the protests have been intimidated to remain silent. Those who speak out, including human rights defenders, lawyers, and journalists, face threats and persecution. Many have been forced to flee the country.
Shaheen Sardar Ali, another expert member of the Mission, said, “It is imperative that comprehensive accountability measures also continue to be pursued outside the country.”
The Mission collected over 38,000 evidence items and interviewed 285 victims and witnesses. The report reaffirmed earlier findings of gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity, including rape, torture, and deaths falsely labeled as suicides.
Security forces showed "little or no distinction" between adult and child protesters, subjecting children to the same brutal treatment, including torture and unfair trials.
Ethnic and religious minorities, including Kurds, Baluchis, and LGBTQ+ individuals, were particularly targeted during the protests. The Mission also investigated the roles of Iran’s key state entities, including the Revolutionary Guard, police, morality police, and judiciary, finding these bodies responsible for widespread human rights violations.
The Mission compiled a confidential list of alleged perpetrators, which it will submit to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
This report follows another released on Thursday by UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato, which condemned Iran for executing over 900 people in 2024, the highest number since 2015. Sato said, "Iran remains the highest per capita user of the death penalty globally."
Sato also criticized Iran’s new hijab law, which imposes harsh penalties, including up to 15 years in prison for women deemed non-compliant. "This law marks an unprecedented expansion of state control over women’s bodies and personal choices," she said.
The Fact-Finding Mission will present its full report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, March 18. The Mission urged the Council to appoint a new independent body to continue investigating human rights violations in Iran.
