23 May 2007 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says in a new report, issued to coincide with the expiration of a Security Council deadline for Tehran, that Iran continues to defy UN Security Council demands to halt uranium enrichment and has in fact expanded such work. The IAEA adds that the UN nuclear agency's ability to monitor nuclear activities in Iran has declined due to lack of access to sites. IAEA Director-General Muhammad el-Baradei urges constructive efforts on both sides and estimates that Iran could build a nuclear weapon within "three to eight years" -- if it chose that path.

17 May 2007 -- U.S. President George W. Bush says alongside outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair that the United States and Britain will seek new UN sanctions against Iran if it continues to resist calls for it to halt sensitive areas of its nuclear program. Bush is speaking the same day that a senior Iranian official says Tehran has expanded work on its nuclear facility at Natanz.

2 May 2007 -- A foreign affairs adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tells a conservative daily that Iran is capable of the "mass production" of centrifuges used for enriching uranium.

28 April 2007 -- EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana calls on the United States to open a direct "channel of communication" with Iran on all topics, adding that it remains unclear "how far the U.S. is willing to engage" with Iran.

25-26 April 2007 -- EU foreign policy official Solana and Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani restart talks aimed at finding a nuclear compromise.

April 19, 2007 -- An IAEA official says in a leaked letter that Iran has assembled roughly 1,300 centrifuges into eight cascades and begun making nuclear fuel in its underground uranium-enrichment plant at Natanz. The Iranian ambassador to the IAEA says that "our enrichment is continuing under the safeguards of the IAEA, the inspectors and cameras are controlling all activities, and the report of how many centrifuge machines and the latest status of the activities in Natanz will be reported by the director-general."

11 April 2007 -- A spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) predicts that Iran will have the capacity to build its own nuclear bomb in four to six years, leaving time for diplomatic efforts to counter any potential danger.

10 April 2007 -- Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki says Iran will not accept any suspension of its uranium-enrichment activities and urges world powers to accept the "new reality" of the Islamic republic's nuclear program.

9 April 2007 -- Iran says the country's uranium-enrichment program is ready to operate on an "industrial level."

24 March 2007 -- The Security Council unanimously approves a resolution broadening UN sanctions against Iran for its continuing failure to halt uranium enrichment. Iranian officials call the new measures "unnecessary and unjustified." Officials confirm that Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad canceled a New York visit in which he vowed to address the Security Council ahead of the sanctions vote; Tehran blames U.S. delays over visas for Ahmadinejad's entourage.

20 March 2007 -- Russia and Iran reject a report in "The New York Times" of March 19 suggesting that Moscow told Tehran it would withhold fuel for the Bushehr nuclear plant unless Iran complied with UN demands to suspend uranium enrichment.

15 March 2007 -- Diplomats say the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany have agreed on a draft resolution imposing new sanctions on Iran for defying demands to suspend uranium enrichment.

12 March 2007 -- The Russian company building Iran's first nuclear power station at Bushehr, Atomstroiexport, announces that the facility's launch will be postponed due to a two-month payment delay preventing the delivery of uranium fuel.

11 February 2007 -- The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, says the Russian supplier for its planned Bushehr nuclear plant has signaled a delay over delinquent payments. He suggests the real problem lies on the Russian side and that he hopes the plant is not being "politicized."

8 March 2007 -- The United Nations' nuclear guardian, the IAEA, votes unanimously to cut almost half its aid programs to Iran as part of the UN sanctions targeting Tehran's nuclear program. The Iranian ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, counters that the move will not affect his country's enrichment work.

5 March 2007 -- IAEA Director-General Muhammad el-Baradei says Tehran has not convinced the UN nuclear watchdog of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program and an investigation into that program remains at a "stalemate" until Iran provides full cooperation.

26 February 2007 -- The United States says it is seeking "incremental" steps to pressure Iran to suspend uranium enrichment.

25 February 2007 -- President Ahmadinejad says Iran's nuclear program is unstoppable and, in a show of its growing technical prowess the same day, Iran reportedly fires a rocket into space for the first time.

23 February 2007 -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney says Washington will "do everything" it can to deprive Iran of nuclear weapons and has not taken "any options off the table," spurring further speculation that U.S. officials would consider military intervention.

22 February 2007 -- The IAEA issues a report confirming that Iran has failed to halt uranium-enrichment activities, as demanded by the UN Security Council. The report also notes that Iran has expanded the program, installing two cascades with many dozens of centrifuges at Natanz and nearing completion on two more cascades.

21 February 2007 - The UN Security Council's 60-day deadline ends for Iran to halt uranium enrichment. Iranian parliamentary speaker Gholam Ali Hadad Adel warns that a delay by Russia in completing the Bushehr nuclear plant would harm bilateral ties. His comments came after Russian nuclear officials' claim that lagging payments from Tehran could delay start-up of the facility.

17 February 2007 -- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says "nuclear energy is the future and destiny" of Iran, and notes that its oil and gas reserves "would not last forever."

11 February 2007 -- President Mahmud Ahmadinejad says Iran wants talks to resolve its nuclear dispute and will cooperate with the IAEA, but Tehran will not suspend uranium enrichment. Iranian officials also say they will allow IAEA cameras at its underground nuclear facility at Natanz. French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy calls Ahmadinejad's offer of talks while continuing enrichment "totally unacceptable."

8 February 2007 -- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that while he does not expect anything as "irrational" as an attack on Iran, his country would strike back at U.S. interests around the world if it were attacked. A spokesman for the White House National Security Council dismisses Khamenei's comment as "unprovoked" and says President George W. Bush "has made it clear we have no intention of going to war with Iran." Bush's chief spokesman says flatly, "We are not invading Iran."

1 February 2007 -- The French president's office essentially retracts a recent suggestion by Jacques Chirac that a nuclear-armed Iran would not be "very dangerous," calling such an eventuality unacceptable and describing Iran's nuclear program as "opaque and therefore dangerous for the region."

31 January 2007 -- Iran's embassy in Moscow denies a British newspaper report that North Korea is giving it technical help to prepare an underground nuclear test similar to the one carried out by Pyongyang in October.

28 January 2007 -- After talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki, visiting Russian security chief Igor Ivanov says "Russia is determined" to finish Bushehr nuclear power plant, in southern Iran, on time.

26 January 2007 -- IAEA chief Muhammad el-Baradei warns that a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities could have "catastrophic consequences" and would only encourage Iran to develop an atomic bomb. "Are you going to bomb the knowledge?" he asks.

22 January 2007 -- Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki confirms reports that 38 UN nuclear inspectors have been prohibited from entering the country in a list that was reportedly delivered to the IAEA; the next day, Tehran stresses that cooperation with the IAEA continues, despite the ban. The European Union urges all countries to enforce the recently passed UN sanctions against Iran.

12 January 2007 -- Outgoing U.S. intelligence chief John Negroponte tells the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that Iran is capable of weathering shocks to its economy, noting record oil revenues and manageable debt.

10 January 2007 -- The United States urges China to reconsider a $16 billion energy deal with Iran on the development of oil and gas fields whose outlines were affirmed in a memorandum of understanding in December 2006.

27 December 2006 -- Iran's parliament passes a bill that obliges the government to "revise its cooperation level" with the UN's nuclear watchdog and, at the same time, continue to pursue the country's civilian nuclear program.

25 December 2006 -- President Ahmadinejad responds to UN Security Council Resolution 1737 by saying the sanctions will have "no impact" on Iran's nuclear program.

23 December 2006 -- The 15-member UN Security Council unanimously adopts a binding resolution that calls on Iran to suspend its uranium-enrichment activities and to comply with its IAEA obligations. Resolution 1737 directs all states to prevent the supply or sale to Iran of any materials that could assist its nuclear or ballistic-missile programs. It also imposes an asset freeze on key companies and individuals named by the UN as contributors to Iran's nuclear and missile programs. Iran rejects the move as an "invalid" and "extralegal act" outside the bounds of the UN's charter.

6 December 2006 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov says that imposing overly tough sanctions on Iran could draw out the nuclear dispute.

5 December 2006 -- Ahead of a major-powers meeting on the Iranian nuclear issue, Iranian President Ahmadinejad warns the international community that "if you continue making efforts to halt the progress of Iran's nuclear program [or] if you take any step against Iran's rights -- either in propaganda or international bodies -- the Iranian nation will consider this a hostile act."

24 November 2006 -- IAEA Director-General Muhammad el-Baradei says Iran has pledged to give international inspectors new access to records and equipment from two nuclear sites, as well as environmental samples, from Lavizan and Natanz.

23 November 2006 -- UN diplomats are quoted as saying the IAEA's board of governors shelved Iran's bid for technical aid for a heavy-water reactor project at Arak over fears it could yield weapons-grade plutonium.

20 November 2006 -- President Mahmud Ahmadinejad reportedly says Tehran wants 60,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium to meet its nuclear-fuel needs within a year. He also is quoted as saying that Israel is currently incapable of launching an effective military attack against Iran's nuclear sites.

17 November 2006 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the IAEA should lead efforts to resolve the standoff over Iran's nuclear program, rather than UN Security Council. He suggests that "it was agreed from the beginning that we would seek through the Security Council the swift resumption of negotiations with Iran, and not the punishment of Iran."

15 November 2006 -- U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton says no progress was made in talks on the Iranian nuclear issue involving himself and envoys from Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany.

14 November 2006 -- Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad predicts that Iran will celebrate its "full nuclearization" by the end of the year that concludes in March, and suggests his country's right to pursue nuclear technology will soon be acknowledged internationally. Reports also emerge suggesting the IAEA will soon report that Iran continues to enrich uranium, spurn cooperation over its nuclear program, and that UN inspectors are pursuing their discovery of unexplained traces of plutonium and highly enriched uranium at a waste facility in Iran with officials in Tehran.

13 November 2006 -- U.S. President George W. Bush says after talks with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that "there has to be a consequence" if Iran proceeds with its uranium-enrichment program in defiance of international pressure.

12 November 2006 -- An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says Tehran is pressing ahead with plans to expand its program to enrich uranium and remains determined to install 3,000 centrifuges by March 2007.

11 November 2006 -- Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia wants to restart nuclear talks between Iran and the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany.

10-11 November 2006 -- Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani emerges from talks in Moscow divulging no details but saying Iran is ready for dialogue to resolve any disputes over its nuclear program; he reportedly meets with President Vladimir Putin on the second day of his visit.

8 November 2006 -- Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States, and Germany are reportedly still deadlocked after a meeting at the UN to discuss a European draft resolution to curtail Iran's nuclear program and amendments offered by Moscow and Washington. Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin says there is still a "considerable gap" separating the parties.

5 November 2006 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini says Tehran is ready to consider negotiating with the United States on regional issues, including Iraq, if Washington requests it.

4 November 2006 -- Russia stresses that any punitive measures the UN Security Council agrees to impose on Iran "should have a precise limitation on the period for their being in effect."

3 November 2006 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says after a meeting in Brussels that a European draft UN resolution on Iran sanctions "goes far beyond [our] agreements."

1 November 2006 -- Foreign Minister Lavrov says a draft UN resolution authored by France, Germany, and Britain to impose sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear ambitions would isolate Iran and Moscow "cannot support measures that are aimed at isolating Iran from the outside world."

31 October 2006 -- Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov says his country has no information "that would suggest that Iran is carrying out a nonpeaceful [nuclear] program," adding that "the possibilities for continuing political discussion...have not been exhausted."

30 October 2006 -- Iran's president, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, says Tehran would make an "appropriate and firm" response to UN sanctions, adding that "the Iranian nation is standing strong and it will not retreat even one bit from its nuclear rights."

28 October 2006 -- Mohammad Ghannad, the deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, says that Tehran has stepped up its uranium-enrichment work.

26 October 2006 -- Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov criticizes a draft UN resolution providing for a form of sanctions against Iran.

24 October 2006 -- Anonymous diplomatic sources at the UN say major world powers remain split over the details of a draft Security Council resolution to respond to Iran's continuing nuclear work.

21 October 2006 -- Foreign Minister Lavrov says Moscow opposes any attempt to use the Security Council to punish Iran over its nuclear program.

18 October 2006 -- EU foreign ministers express backing for gradual sanctions against Iran's nuclear program.

16 October 2006 -- In his country's first reaction to sanctions targeting North Korea for its apparent nuclear-weapons test on October 9, President Ahmadinejad dismisses the UN Security Council as a tool for "hegemony" and "intimidation."

4 October 2006 -- EU foreign policy chief Solana says four months of intensive talks have brought no agreement on suspension of Iran's sensitive nuclear activities, and he adds that the dialogue cannot continue indefinitely.

3 October 2006 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice suggests the international community will have no choice but to impose sanctions on Iran if it refuses to suspend its uranium-enrichment efforts.

26 September 2006 -- Russia and Iran agree on a September 2007 launch of Iran's nuclear power plant at Bushehr, with electricity production to begin two months later.

25 September 2006 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki says nuclear talks with European negotiators are "on track" and a diplomatic solution is possible.

22 September 2006 -- Iranian Vice President Parviz Davudi warns that Iran's armed forces will strike back "like lightning" against any attack on the country and destroy "the enemy."

21 September 2006 -- Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad says nuclear talks with the EU are "on the right path." He adds that he is "at a loss" as to what more Tehran can do to provide guarantees that it is no trying to develop nuclear weapons.

20 September 2006 -- U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns says six major world powers have agreed to back further EU talks with Iran, but he hints that Washington will push for sanctions if Tehran continues sensitive nuclear work. Burns says an unspecified deadline has been set for the current EU-Iranian talks to achieve results.

19 September 2006 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today urged other permanent members of the UN Security Council not to allow their "credibility to decline" by failing to act against Iran.

17 September 2006 -- German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier proposes the creation of shared, U.N.-monitored uranium-enrichment facilities as an alternative to individual countries acquiring their own enrichment technology.

14 September 2006 -- To "set the record straight," the IAEA protests in a letter to U.S. officials that a recent U.S. report describing Iran's nuclear program as a strategic threat contains "erroneous, misleading, and unsubstantiated information." The IAEA dismisses as untrue a claim that Iran is enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels; Iran is enriching to 3.6 percent, not the 90 percent needed for nuclear weapons.

13 September 2006 -- A spokeswoman for EU foreign-policy chief Javier Solana says a second round of EU-Iranian nuclear talks slated for the following day have been postponed. The same day, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan suggested that Tehran's position on the nuclear issue might have softened.

11 September 2006 -- Muhammad el-Baradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), says he is "encouraged that there is ongoing dialogue" over Iran's nuclear activities.

9-10 September 2006 -- Two days of "productive" EU-Iranian talks end inconclusively, with a vow to meet again the following week.

September 8, 2006 -- U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns says the UN Security Council should begin drafting a resolution in the next week on sanctions over Iran's nuclear program. He notes that there is still no consensus on what type of sanctions might be imposed.

5 September 2006 -- The Iranian parliament's Commission for National Security and Foreign Policy approves the outlines of a bill to suspend entry to Iran of UN inspectors in the event of punitive measures by the UN Security Council.

3 September 2006 -- Visiting UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says President Ahmadinejad reaffirms that Tehran wants to find a negotiated solution to its nuclear standoff with the world but also rejects any suspension of its uranium-enrichment program prior to talks.

1 September 2006 -- Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami arrives in the United States ahead of a UN conference and several public appearances that make him the most senior Iranian official to visit the United States outside the strict framework of a UN event in more than two decades.

31 August 2006 -- The IAEA reports to the Security Council that Iran has continued to enrich uranium despite UN calls for it to stop its nuclear activities by August 31, adding that its own investigations have been frustrated by a lack of cooperation from Iran.

29 August 2006 -- President Mahmud Ahmadinejad says he thinks the UN Security Council will not punish Iran, but says his country "will not bow to threats and ultimatums." He says Tehran's response to the recent international deadline presents a "very exceptional opportunity" to resolve the nuclear dispute. Ahmadinejad also proposes a live, televised debate with U.S. President George W. Bush.

27 August 2006 -- President Mahmud Ahmadinejad launches a new phase in Iran's nuclear development with the formal opening of a heavy-water-production plant at Arak. Critics fear the plant will eventually be able to produce weapons-grade plutonium, and the IAEA will later shelve an Iranian request for international technical assistance with the plant. Chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani says Iran is determined to produce its own nuclear fuel.

22 August 2006 -- Iran responds to a self-imposed deadline by saying an international proposal to curb its disputed nuclear program has "fundamental and serious ambiguities" but adds that Tehran is ready for "serious talks." Iranian officials essentially ignore the demand by the UN Security Council's permanent members plus Germany that Iran halt uranium enrichment.

16 August 2006 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki says Iran is willing to discuss its uranium-enrichment program, although he says international calls for its suspension are "illogical."

4 August 2006 -- The United States slaps sanctions on seven international arms dealers, including two major Russian companies, for allegedly providing banned technology to Iran.

31 July 2006 --The UN Security Council adopts Resolution 1696, calling for Iran to suspend uranium-enrichment activites by August 31 or face the possibility of economic sanctions.

18 July 2006 -- The unfolding crisis between Israel and Hizballah in Lebanon delays UN consideration of Iran's nuclear program.

16 July 2006 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi says the international incentives package is "an acceptable basis" for further negotiations.

12 July 2006 -- A meeting of foreign ministers of the permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany in Paris decides to refer Iran's nuclear program back to the Security Council for possible sanctions.

11 July 2006 -- The EU announces that it is disappointed with progress in Brussels talks with Iran over the international incentives package.

30 June 2006 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki says Iran will not respond to the international incentives package before August, despite U.S. and EU pressure for Tehran to answer by July 5.

16 June 2006 -- Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad calls a package of international incentives aimed at persuading Tehran to abandon sensitive nuclear activities "a step forward" and says he has "asked my colleagues to carefully consider it."

15 June 2006-- Russian President Putin says after a meeting with President Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit that the talks left him with a "very positive impression." Putin says Ahmadinejad says Iran is "positively" assessing the package of nuclear incentives. Putin also says any country has the right to use nuclear technology so long as it "does not arouse concerns of the international community on the [nuclear] nonproliferation issue."

12 June 2006 -- Supreme National Security Council chief and top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani says of the incentives offer that "this proposal contains some positive points, such as the nuclear reactor for Iran." Larijani's comments come as the IAEA board is launching a meeting at which it will discuss the Iranian nuclear standoff.

9 June 2006 -- Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, who holds the European Union's rotating presidency, says Iran has until the July summit of the Group of Eight leading industrialized countries to respond to an offer of incentives aimed at resolving the crisis over its nuclear program.

8 June 2006 -- A new report by the UN nuclear agency says Iran is continuing to enrich uranium and indicates that nuclear inspectors have made little progress on shedding light on worrying aspects of Tehran's nuclear activities in the past.

6 June 2006 -- EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana meets in Tehran with senior Iranian government officials and presents them with fresh proposals aimed at persuading Iran to abandon its uranium-enrichment program. The proposals have been agreed on by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States -- plus Germany.

15 May 2006 -- The EU says it is ready to offer Iran sophisticated civilian nuclear technology as part of an "exceptional" new package of trade and technical incentives designed to halt Tehran's suspected military nuclear program. EU High Representative for the Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana says it is "fundamental" that Iran cease its enrichment activities.

17 May 2006 -- President Mahmud Ahmadinejad says in a televised speech that Tehran will reject a European offer of incentives to give up uranium enrichment, saying acceptance of the proposal would be tantamount to swapping nuts and chocolate for gold.

28 April 2006 -- The IAEA sends its report to the UN Security Council faulting Iran for failing to meet demands to suspend uranium enrichment and improve cooperation with nuclear inspectors. The report marks the end of the Security Council's 30-day deadline for demonstrating that its nuclear activities are only for civilian purposes. U.S. President Bush expresses a desire to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

27 April 2006 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says on the sidelines of a NATO meeting that the UN Security Council "has to act" in order to remain credible if Iran ignores the deadline for halting uranium enrichment. Iranian President Ahmadinejad says Iran will not comply.

25 April 2006 -- Top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani says Iran will cut ties with the IAEA if the UN Security Council imposes sanctions over Iran's nuclear program.

24 April 2006 -- Iranian President Ahmadinejad says Iran's nuclear activities are transparent and he does not think pursuing uranium enrichment will lead to international sanctions.

23 April 2006 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi says Iran's uranium-enrichment and nuclear-research activities are "irreversible."

19 April 2006 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rice says Washington is prepared to use political, economic, and other measures to dissuade Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, adding that it has "diplomatic tools" at its disposal.

12 April 2006 -- IAEA head Muhammad el-Baradei visits Iran to discuss the country's nuclear program with senior Iranian officials but few details emerge. El-Baradei says he cannot confirm Iranian claims that its scientists have enriched uranium to fuel power stations.

11 April 2006 -- Iranian President Ahmadinejad announces, using Islamic rhetoric in a special ceremony seemingly designed to attract popular support, that Iran has completed the nuclear-fuel cycle. The achievement places Iran among the "nuclear countries of the world."

2 April 2006 -- Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh, Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, claims that the more the Security Council is involved, the worse the situation will become.

30 March 2006 -- The five permanent UN Security Council members -- the United States, Britain, France, China, and Russia -- and Germany warn Iran that it must heed the UN statement insisting that it stop its nuclear work or face isolation. Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki dismisses the warning; other officials will also reject the Security Council warning. IAEA Director-General Muhammad el-Baradei urges Iran to be more forthcoming but also says he thinks sanctions at this time would be unwise.

29 March 2006 -- UN Security Council unanimously adopts statement calling on Tehran to halt its nuclear work.

28 March 2006 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov demands that Tehran say "unambiguously" whether it will accept or reject Russia's offer to enrich uranium to supply an Iranian nuclear program. Reports emerge that the Iranian Embassy in Moscow has proposed the establishment -- with the involvement of other countries -- of a nuclear-fuel production center in Iran.

25 March 2006 -- Syrian First Vice President Faruq al-Shara and Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki decry Israel's nuclear program as a threat to regional peace.

21 March 2006 -- Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says "there is no problem with" direct talks rumored to have been planned between Iran and the United States over the situation in Iraq, as long as those discussions lead Washington to understand Tehran's position. Iranian sources have been quoted as insisting the talks must be limited to the topic of Iraq.

20 March 2006 -- U.S. President Bush says he hopes "to solve this [nuclear] issue diplomatically" with a "united message" from the five permanent Security Council members but adds that Iranian officials' threats against "our strong ally, Israel," are "a threat to world peace." Bush adds that "we will use military might to protect our ally, Israel."

16 March 2006 -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair insists the international community "cannot walk away" from the Iranian nuclear issue and says there was no point turning to the UN "unless something is going to follow as a result of that."

14 March 2006 -- U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton says informal discussions on Iran's nuclear program now include all 15 members of the Security Council and adds that the draft of a possible resolution has been distributed. The same day, U.S. President Bush announces to Congress that he has extended bilateral economic sanctions against Iran by another year. Bush says Iranian government policies and actions pose a continuing threat to the U.S. economy, foreign-policy goals, and national security.

12 March 2006 -- Tehran says a Russian proposal to move Iran's enrichment program to Russia is "off" the agenda and that Iran will not consider any proposal that does not guarantee the country's "right to nuclear research."

8 March 2006 -- IAEA head Muhammad el-Baradei says at the end of a three-day meeting that the agency will forward his report -- which accuses Iran of withholding information, possessing plans linked to nuclear weapons and refusing to freeze uranium enrichment -- to the UN Security Council. El-Baradei urges Iran to "be transparent" and "take confidence-building measures." Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad vows in a televised speech that "Iran will not give in to any political pressure, [will] make no compromise, and will go to the end of the line."

7 March 2006 -- Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns says Tehran has "crossed the international red line" with its activities to enrich uranium, adding that unless Iran suspends all nuclear activities, the Security Council must get involved.

3 March 2006 -- European talks with Iranian officialsfailto provide a nuclear compromise ahead of the IAEA's March 6-8 meeting.

2 March 2006 -- Reports say Russian-Iranian talks in Moscow fail to produce a "decisive breakthrough" on the basis of a Russian proposal to enrich uranium for Iran. Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani pledges that his country will not stop its enrichment activities.

26 February 2006 -- The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Gholam-Reza Aqazadeh, says Iran and Russia have reached basic agreement on a Russian proposal to host Iran's uranium-enrichment program.

14 February 2006 -- Ten days after the IAEA voted to report it to the UN Security Council over its nuclear activities, Iran confirms that it has resumed work on uranium enrichment.

5 February 2006 -- Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki announces the end of Iran's voluntary cooperation with the IAEA.

4 February 2006 -- IAEA governing board votes overwhelmingly to report Iran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear activities.

30 January 2006 -- Foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), plus Germany, concur that Iran should be reported to the council for its nuclear activities, but action should be delayed until after the March meeting of the IAEA governing board. Tehran counters with a threat to end all cooperation with the IAEA and adherence to international accords, as called for by an earlier parliamentary decision.

24 January 2006 -- Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani visits Moscow to discuss a December proposal that nuclear fuel enriched in Russia will be shipped to Iran for use, then returned to Russia for storage. Larijani indicated a lack of enthusiasm on 27 January, telling reporters at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport that Moscow's idea does not conform fully with Tehran's needs. He said the proposal should be revised in future discussions. The next round of Iran-Russia talks is scheduled for 16 February.

11 January 2006 -- Leaders from the United States, Russia, and EU countries roundly condemn Iran for its resumption of nuclear-fuel activities. The leaders renew calls for referring the dispute to the UN Security Council.

10 January 2006 -- Iran resumes nuclear research, triggering Western condemnation. Mohammad Saidi, a deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, says that Iran agreed with the IAEA on 9 January for IAEA inspectors in Iran to "reopen those places on which we agreed." Resumed activities, he said, are merely in "research, and nothing more. We distinguish between fuel-related research and the production of fuel." On the same day, IAEA Director-General Muhammad el-Baradei informs the IAEA governing board that Iran intends to begin "small-scale" uranium enrichment at its Natanz facility.

3 January 2006 -- Iranian Atomic Energy Organization deputy head Mohammad Saidi told state television that Tehran will resume its nuclear-fuel research. The Iranian government confirmed the report on 9 January.

25 December 2005 -- Tehran formally rejects an offer from Moscow to enrich uranium for its nuclear program in Russia. Iranian officials insist upon Iran's right to enrich uranium on its own soil.

24 November 2005 -- A meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors postpones any action on Iran's nuclear program. The move is aimed at reopening negotiations on a Russian proposal for a compromise that would allow Iran to enrich uranium, but only in Russia and under strict controls.

15 October 2005 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice holds talks in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The two officials disagree over Iran's nuclear program, with Lavrov maintaining the Iran has the right to develop nuclear energy in accordance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

12 October 2005 -- The EU issues a statement calling on Iran to continue negotiations with the EU-3 and to improve its human-rights record.

7 October 2005 -- IAEA head Muhammad el-Baradei and the International Atomic Energy Agency are jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, in part for their work in mediating the conflict over Iran's nuclear program.

28 September 2005 -- Iran's parliament votes to expedite a bill that would end voluntary IAEA inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities.

25 September 2005 -- Tehran rejects the IAEA report and Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki says his country remains committed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

24 September 2005 -- The IAEA governing board adopts a resolution that says the nuclear watchdog, "after two and a half years of intensive inspections," remains unclear on "some important outstanding issues." "Iran's full transparency is indispensable and overdue," it continues, adding that the agency questions Iran's motives for not declaring certain factors and "pursuing a policy of containment." The resolution does not refer Iran to the UN Security Council, but it does hint at this possibility by noting that some of the outstanding questions are "within the competence of the Security Council. The resolution was approved by a vote of 22 in favor, 1 against (Venezuela), and 12 abstentions. (See also, "Iranian Government Reacts To IAEA Nuclear Resolution.")

17 September 2005 -- President Mahmud Ahmadinejad announces the Iranian position on the nuclear issue at the UN General Assembly. "Peaceful use of nuclear energy without possession of nuclear fuel cycle is an empty proposition," he said. He expressed concern about the creation of a nuclear "apartheid," and he calls for a nuclear-weapons-free Middle East. "In accordance with our religious principles, pursuit of nuclear weapons is prohibited," Ahmadinejad said. As a confidence-building measure, Ahmadinejad said, Iran is willing to partner with public and private groups in its uranium-enrichment program. He added that Iran will continue to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, he dismissed promises that other countries will be the source of fuel for the Iranian nuclear program.

2 September 2005 -- Members of the IAEA Board of Governors receive a report on Iran's nuclear activities. It notes that Tehran has been less than forthcoming about some of its activities and has been reluctant to provide access to some sites. "In view of the fact that the agency is not in a position to clarify some important outstanding issues after two and a half years of intensive inspection and investigation, Iran's full transparency is indispensable and overdue," the report states. "Given Iran's past concealment efforts over many years...transparency measures should extend beyond the formal requirements...and should include access to individuals, documentation on procurement, and dual-use equipment."

August 2005 -- Iran rejects the EU proposal, which includes commercial and political cooperation in exchange for Iran's forsaking efforts to develop nuclear fuel. (See also, "IAEA Draft Resolution Expresses 'Serious Concern' Over Iran's Nuclear Activities.") The European proposal included an offer to help build a light-water reactor and then provide fuel for it. (Fuel for a light-water reactor is cannot be used for weapons.)

July 2005 -- President Khatami says on 19 July that Iran will not forsake the right to produce nuclear fuel and the enrichment suspension will not be permanent. He says on 27 July that activities at the Isfahan UCF could resume in days, depending on the concessions proposed at an Iran-EU meeting. "The system has already made its decision to resume Isfahan's activities," he said.

May 2005 -- Iranian officials repeat that activities at Isfahan UCF will resume "soon," but then Tehran agrees to wait for two months after Iranian and EU officials meet in Geneva.

April 2005 -- Supreme National Security Council Secretary Hojatoleslam Hassan Rohani said on 30 April -- after the previous day's negotiations in London with British, French, and German representatives failed to yield substantive results -- Tehran is considering resumption of activities at the Isfahan uranium conversion facility (UCF).

February 2005 -- Iran and Russia sign an agreement on the return of spent nuclear fuel to Russia for reprocessing and storage. This measure is intended to eliminate the possibility that the materials will be used for making nuclear weapons. Fuel delivery will take place six months before the facility's completion, which should occur at the end of 2006.

January 2005 -- IAEA inspectors visit the Parchin military site, which is southwest of Tehran, to investigate allegations that the military tested conventional explosives that can be used to detonate nuclear weapons there.

December 2004 -- Talks between Iran and the EU-3 over political and economic concessions, in exchange for Iran making its enrichment suspension permanent, are scheduled to begin on 13 December (see "How Close Is Iran To The Bomb?").

November 2004 -- Iran holds talks in Paris with the EU-3. On 14 November, Iran signs an agreement to suspend uranium enrichment. The Europeans offer a series of political and economic concessions in exchange. But at an IAEA board of governors meeting from 25-29 November -- which was set to pass a resolution endorsing the deal and agreeing to monitor it -- Iran insists on an exemption for 20 centrifuges for research purposes. Iran eventually backs down, but demands -- and wins -- key changes softening the resolution in exchange. Most importantly, the resolution describes the enrichment freeze as a voluntary, rather than the legally binding commitment as both the United States and the EU sought. (See also, "The Iranian Nuclear Imbroglio.")

October 2004 -- The EU-3 again calls for Iran to suspend all uranium-enrichment activities to avoid its case being brought before the Security Council. The Europeans offer economic and political incentives in exchange. The Iranian parliament passes a bill approving the resumption of enrichment activities.

September 2004 -- An IAEA report calls Iran's claims about its nuclear program "plausible," but voices concern over Iran's decision to resume large-scale production of the feed material for enriching uranium. Claiming enrichment is a "sovereign right," Iran refuses to accept an unlimited suspension and says it will not stop manufacturing centrifuges. The IAEA gives Iran a 25 November deadline to reveal all its nuclear activities. Tehran later announces that it has resumed large-scale conversion of uranium yellowcake ore, a step toward uranium enrichment.

July 2004 -- Iran says it has resumed production of parts for centrifuges that are used for enriching uranium, but insists that it has not resumed its enrichment activities. The announcement appears to put the enrichment-freeze deal worked out between Iran, the EU-3, and the IAEA in jeopardy.

June 2004 -- IAEA says that inspectors found new traces of enriched uranium that exceeded the levels necessary for civilian energy production.

May 2004 -- Iran submits to the IAEA a 1,000-page report on its nuclear activities.

February 2004 -- Abdul Qadeer Khan, the founder of Pakistan's nuclear program, says that he had provided atomic secrets to Iran, Libya, and North Korea since the late 1980s. IAEA inspectors notice similarities in designs and components for the advanced P-2 centrifuge, adding to suspicions that Khan supplied both North Korea and Iran with same nuclear know-how.

November 2003 -- An IAEA report states that at the moment there is no conclusive proof that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. The United States, seeking to have the matter sent to the UN Security Council, dismisses the conclusion. The IAEA's 35-member board of governors passes a resolution sternly rebuking Iran for covering up 18 years of atomic experiments, but does not send the matter to the Security Council.

October 2003 -- The foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Great Britain travel to Tehran and persuade Iran to agree to stop enriching uranium and to sign the Additional Protocol to the NPT. The EU-3 also dangle economic concessions if Tehran cooperates fully with the IAEA. Iran turns over a declaration to the IAEA admitting to 18 years of covert atomic experiments, including the unreported uranium enrichment, although it continues to deny this was for a weapons program.

September 2003 -- The United States says Iran is in noncompliance with the NPT and calls for a referral to the UN Security Council, which could impose sanctions. But Washington agrees to support a proposal from Great Britain, France, and Germany (who were negotiating on behalf of the European Union and became known as the "EU-3") to give the Tehran until the end of October to fully disclose nuclear activities and allow for a stricter inspection regime.

July 2003 -- IAEA begins a fresh round of inspections in Iran.

June 2003 -- In a report, el-Baradei says inspections have demonstrated that "Iran failed to report certain nuclear materials and activities" and urges Tehran to cooperate with the agency. The report does not declare Iran in breach of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). The IAEA requests that Iran sign the Additional Protocol to the NPT and allow unannounced inspections of its nuclear sites.

February 2003 -- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Muhammad el-Baradei visits Iran to verify Tehran's claims that its nuclear program is peaceful. IAEA inspectors later find traces of highly enriched uranium at Natanz and other sites.

August 2002 -- An Iranian exile opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, accuses Tehran of hiding a uranium-enrichment facility at Natanz and a heavy-water plant at Arak.

(compiled by RFE/RL)

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition I'm looking at how hard-liners are urging Iran’s decision-makers to green-light the development of nuclear weapons in the new Iranian year.

What You Need To Know

• Hard-liners Push For Nukes In New Year: Iranian hard-liners have renewed a push for the development of nuclear weapons in the new Iranian year, which started on March 20. As prospects of direct talks with the United States fade, they argue that only going nuclear can serve as a reliable deterrent to war.

• US Strikes To Degrade Houthis And Weaken Iran: Meanwhile, the United States has been launching wave after wave of air strikes against the Iran-backed, US-designated Yemeni terrorist group Ansarullah, better known as the Houthis. Analysts argue that the attacks are not only meant to restore freedom of navigation, but also serve as a warning to Iran.

• Authorities Step Up Crackdown On Female Singers: Iran has intensified its efforts to suppress female singers, detaining or summoning several women in recent weeks as part of a broader crackdown. Authorities have also targeted their online presence, shutting down Instagram accounts to further silence their voices. RFE/RL’s Radio Farda has the story.

The Big Issue

Have No Fear, Go Nuclear?

Sentiment to develop nuclear weapons has been growing in Iran in recent years, particularly among hard-liners who staunchly oppose engagement with the West.

The renewed calls come as Iran is weighing how to respond to a letter from US President Donald Trump on direct negotiations to reach a new deal over Iran’s nuclear program.

In a Nowruz appearance on state television, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on March 20 that the Islamic republic’s policy was to not have direct talks with the United States. He added that Iran is in “no rush” to respond to the letter, but will reply “in a few days.”

The letter, which Axios says includes a two-month deadline to reach a deal, is “mostly threats but also claims to have opportunities,” Araqchi said.

Why It Matters: Iran and Western powers are in a race against time. The 2015 nuclear deal, which has been effectively defunct since Trump withdrew the United States from it during his first term in office in 2018, expires this October.

In other words, the United States and its European allies only have until then to trigger the deal’s “snapback mechanism” to reimpose UN sanctions against Tehran. Without a new nuclear deal, the sanctions will, in all likelihood, return before October.

That could prompt Iran to weaponize its nuclear program, risking Israeli -- and possibly US -- air strikes on its nuclear facilities.

Last month, The New York Times reported that Iran was exploring the possibility of building a crude nuclear weapon to ward off an attack, but experts argue Western intelligence would still be able to detect it in time to launch an attack.

Curiously, there are those in Iran who prefer a limited attack on nuclear facilities to giving into US demands. They argue that, if the Islamic republic survives an attack on its nuclear sites, it would be worth the trade-off.

What's Being Said: Going for shock and awe, the hardline Vatan-e Emrooz newspaper’s yearend front page displayed a large picture of a mushroom cloud with a headline simply reading, “Nuclear Year.”

The paper alleged that, because the United States “cannot be trusted,” the world at large is moving toward nuclear weapons.

Nezamoddin Mousavi, a hard-line commentator, argued that, despite being militarily well-equipped, Japan during World War II lacked nuclear weapons.

“Japan had everything except for an atomic bomb, which America did have!” he wrote on X.

Nour News, which is affiliated with former national-security adviser Ali Shamkhani, hinted that Iran might withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if Washington and its allies “make good on their threats.”

Expert Opinion: “The chances for an Israeli-American attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities this summer just went up pretty significantly,” Nadav Pollak, a lecturer at the Tel Aviv-based Reichman University, wrote on March 19.

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

Two men identified by prosecutors as members of the Russian mob have been convicted in New York City for plotting to kill Iranian-American journalist and activist Masih Alinejad in a murder-for-hire scheme financed by Iran's government.

The verdict was returned on March 20, ending a two-week trial that included testimony about how Iran targeted Alinejad, 48, for her online campaigns encouraging Iranian women to defy Iran’s law requiring women to cover their hair in public.

Prosecutors said Iranian intelligence officials first plotted in 2020 and 2021 to kidnap Alinejad and move her to Iran to silence her criticism of the government. When that failed, Iran offered $500,000 for her to be killed, prosecutors said.

Assistant US Attorney Michael Lockard told the jury on March 19 that the “Iranian government” had set the award to “fund the plan to silence” Alinejad.

Alinejad called the verdict “a powerful gift from the American government” to the people of Iran because it shows that justice is beginning to be served.

“I am relieved that after nearly three years, the men who plotted to kill me have been found guilty. But make no mistake, the real masterminds of this crime are still in power in Iran,” she told The Associated Press. “Right now, I am bombarded with emotions. I have cried. I have laughed. I have even danced.”

Leslie R. Backschies, who heads the FBI's New York office, said the verdicts show that the “Iranian government's shameless conduct and attempt to violate our laws and assassinate a critic of their human rights atrocities will not be tolerated.”

Prosecutors said the convicted men, Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, were members of the Russian mob. Defense lawyers argued at trial that their clients were innocent and evidence was flawed.

“We respect the jury's verdict, but plan on filing an appeal on Mr. Omarov's behalf,” Elena Fast, an attorney for Omarov, was quoted by the AP as saying in an e-mail. A lawyer for Amirov did not immediately respond to the AP’s request for comment on the verdict.

In court on March 19 his lawyer, Michael Martin, said there was no doubt "Iran targeted Alinejad, but his client was not part of any plot."

Alinejad testified last week that she came to the United States in 2009 after she was banned from covering Iran's disputed presidential election and after the newspaper where she worked was shut down.

After establishing herself in New York City, she built an online audience of millions and launched a campaign that told Iranian women to send photos and videos of themselves exposing their hair when the morality police were not around.

She ultimately inspired women to take to the streets in Iran on Wednesdays to peacefully protest, leading the government to arrest hundreds of women. The crackdown only caused her following to grow.

Prosecutors said that by 2022, the Iranian government enlisted organized crime figures to kill Alinejad.

Khalid Mehdiyev, a former member of the Russian mob, testified that he was hired as the hitman.

Mehdiyev, who cooperated with prosecutors after pleading guilty to multiple crimes, said he bought an AK-47 to kill Alinejad in July 2022, but the plan was foiled when his car was stopped by police and the gun was found. Mehdiyev, like Amirov and Omarov, are citizens of Azerbaijan.

American officials have accused Iran of backing several assassination plots in the United States, including one against President Donald Trump during his presidential campaign last year.

In a separate case, US prosecutors in 2022 charged a man in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) with plotting to kill former US national-security adviser John Bolton. Tehran has denied being behind any such plots.

The plots came after Iranian officials vowed to exact revenge against Trump and others over the 2020 drone strike that killed prominent IRGC General Qassem Soleimani.

With reporting by AP

Millions of Afghans in Iran face an uncertain future as Tehran prepares to implement sweeping restrictions that will cut off access to health care, education, housing, and other essential services for undocumented immigrants.

The new policy, set to take effect on March 21, has left many Afghans grappling with impossible choices between a hostile host country and an unstable homeland.

For Rasheed, an Afghan immigrant living in Iran, the consequences of these policies have already hit home.

Rasheed recently returned to Afghanistan after doctors in Iran refused to treat his elderly mother for her heart disease.

“I was told to return to Afghanistan because Afghans were not supposed to get any treatment here,” Rasheed recalled of his conversation with an official at a government hospital in Tehran.

“My mother’s condition was rapidly deteriorating, which prompted me to return to my country,” he told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi. Rasheed requested that his real name be withheld to protect his identity.

In Karaj, a city near Tehran, Ehsan Zia, another Afghan immigrant, is devastated that his two teenage daughters can no longer attend school.

“Our hopes have been dashed,” he told Radio Azadi. “Even here, my daughters are being deprived of education.”

Zia moved to Iran three years ago after the Taliban banned teenage girls from attending school following their return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. Despite having a legal visa to stay in Iran, Zia says he has been unable to enroll his daughters in school due to bureaucratic obstacles and shifting policies.

Who Will Be Affected By The New Policy?

Earlier this month, the Center for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants’ Affairs (CAFIA) at Iran’s Interior Ministry announced six categories of Afghans who will remain eligible for key services under the new rules.

These include Afghans registered as refugees, those with valid visas or work permits, former employees of the Western-backed Afghan government that was toppled by the Taliban, and families with school-going children who apply for visas.

Tehran has already deported more than 2 million Afghans over the past two years as part of a campaign targeting undocumented immigrants.

Nader Yarahmadi, head of CAFIA, defended the government’s move, telling the semiofficial ISNA news agency that “there is no obstacle to returning [to Afghanistan] due to the relative stability and declared policies of the current Afghan government.”

The United Nations' refugee agency, UNHCR, estimates that that some 4 million Afghans live in Iran, including more than 2 million undocumented migrants. Figures cited by Iranian officials and media vary widely, with some claiming that 8 million Afghans reside in Iran.

Risking Tensions With The Taliban

The crackdown on undocumented Afghans has coincided with rising anti-Afghan sentiment in Iran. Impoverished Afghan migrants are often scapegoated for crimes, insecurity, and unemployment. Such views have fueled mob violence against Afghans as well as mass arrests and brutal treatment by Iranian police and border security forces.

“Cutting off basic services to migrants will disrupt the labor market and drive more people into the underground economy,” said Graeme Smith, senior Afghanistan analyst at the Brussels-based International Crisis Group.

Afghan migrants make up a significant portion of Iran’s labor force in agriculture and construction -- sectors that could suffer if undocumented workers are expelled en masse.

Smith also warned that Tehran’s policies could worsen tensions between Iran and Afghanistan. The Taliban government has already clashed with neighboring Pakistan over its treatment of Afghan refugees.

“The Taliban may feel provoked to respond, for example, with restrictions on water sharing,” Smith said, referring to a long-standing dispute over water rights.

Experts argue that Tehran’s approach could backfire, both economically and geopolitically. An isolated and heavily sanctioned Iran needs stable relations with Afghanistan’s Taliban government to expand trade ties, maintain border security, and build a more integrated regional economy.

“Not only will this cause suffering for the Afghans affected,” Smith noted, “but it’s a self-defeating policy for Tehran.”

Amid an attempt by US President Donald Trump’s administration to halt congressionally allocated funding from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), the broadcaster’s audiences in the countries it covers are voicing support and admiration for its journalism.

From Iran to Belarus, Afghanistan to Russia, Pakistan to Ukraine: Readers and listeners praised RFE/RL journalists for their brave, impartial, and honest reporting on the front lines of war and in some of the world’s most repressive political and media landscapes -- and expressed concern that it could vanish.

“I live in a small village. We don’t have satellite or reliable Internet. Your radio [is] giving me hope,” one listener in Iran wrote in a Telegram message to Radio Farda, RFE/RL’s Persian-language service.

Another listener from Iran posted on social media that Radio Farda “is my main source of information because of its unbiased and professional reporting."

“Losing it would be very difficult. I hope that day never comes,” the listener wrote.

Trump on March 14 signed an executive order aiming to reduce seven federal agencies – including the US Agency for Global Media, which oversees RFE/RL and other US taxpayer-funded broadcasters like Voice of America (VOA).

After the executive order was published, Kari Lake, senior adviser to the agency's acting CEO, sent a letter saying the Congress-approved grant that funds RFE/RL had been terminated.

RFE/RL is nonetheless continuing its work and on March 18 filed a federal lawsuit to block USAGM’s attempt to terminate the broadcaster's federal grant that provides funds necessary to operate.

Unlike VOA, which is a federal agency, RFE/RL is a private, nonprofit corporation, with corporate headquarters in Delaware and editorial headquarters in Prague.

Breaking Through 'The Darkness Of Lies'

In Ukraine, where RFE/RL has covered Russia’s full-scale invasion from the front lines since it was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022, reader Oleh Prozorov thanked RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service for its “protection of political freedoms.”

“Sometimes you were like a ray of light that broke through the darkness of lies,” Prozorov wrote on Facebook.

In a message to RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, reader Lesya Bondaruk expressed fear of losing “a bastion of real freedom of speech and thought."

“An attack on Radio Liberty is an attack on humanity’s freedom of speech. This cannot be allowed,” she wrote.

Readers and viewers of RFE/RL’s Russian-language services expressed gratitude for their coverage of the country amid a steady decline in press freedoms during Putin’s 25 years in power that intensified following the Ukraine invasion.

“I am in Russia, engulfed in the zombifying, villainous propaganda of the Kremlin. Current Time is the only Russian-language TV channel that can be trusted, with objective information and many documentary programs,” wrote one viewer of RFE/RL’s 24/7 Russian-language television channel.

“I am endlessly amazed by your reporters who risk working in front-line areas, the professionalism of your anchors, and the high level of journalism,” another Current Time viewer wrote in a message to the network.

'Ray Of Hope' In Afghanistan

Hundreds of messages and calls have poured in from RFE/RL listeners in Afghanistan and Pakistan expressing deep concern about the fate of the broadcaster’s Afghan Service, known locally as Radio Azadi, which broadcasts in the Dari and Pashto languages, and Radio Mashaal, a Pashto-language service in Pakistan.

“Radio Azadi is very important for us. It keeps me informed about the world. I listen to it day and night, both on the radio and my phone,” Radio Azadi listener Haji Khodaiberdi wrote in a WhatsApp message.

“Radio Azadi is a ray of hope for countries that are often forgotten. Its programs connect people from small villages to the world. Living in a remote village with only one radio, I find its voice truly comforting. I hope your programs always remain strong and vibrant,” listener Safa Mehr wrote.

Another listener, Nabiullah Zabuli from Afghanistan’s southern Zabul Province, urged Trump and “everyone who can influence this decision to reconsider” cutting funding for Radio Azadi.

“Please do not betray your millions of loyal listeners. Keep this beacon of information alive,” he wrote.

Heela Darkhast Ahmadzai, a Radio Azadi and Mashaal listener, said in a Pashto-language Facebook post that both channels are “sources of enlightening our minds and thinking.”

“We Pashtun women learned a lot from those two radio stations,” she wrote. “And we came to know about our rights, education, and about the world from those two platforms.”

Another Radio Mashaal listener, Ebadullah Khan from the Shangla district in northwestern Pakistan, said on Facebook that the broadcaster’s journalists “did their job with courage” and that their “journalistic efforts in spreading awareness among the people are great.”

'This Story Must Go On'

In Belarus, where the government of Belarusian autocrat Aleksandr Lukashenko has all but wiped out independent media, RFE/RL’s Belarusian-language service is one of just a handful of news organizations continuing to report critically on authorities.

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one reader, Zmitrok Siemieniuk, said that he immediately rushed to find out what was going on and came across Radio Svaboda’s YouTube channel.

“There were millions of views, which helped me grasp what was really going on, and I still use Radio Svaboda’s channels,” he wrote on Instagram. “You provide news free of propaganda and hatred. I can learn about the most important events happening in the world. And, of course, here I can read the news in my native language.”

Another reader, Tatsiana, said that Radio Svaboda “is the only place in the world where I could truly feel like a citizen of a free, European Belarus.”

“In 2020, millions of Belarusians who took part in the peaceful revolution against Lukashenko’s brutal authoritarianism embraced Radio Svaboda’s values, while it live-streamed these historic events in real time,” she wrote in a private message.

“Its mission remains unfinished today -- this story must go on.”

Based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Afghan Service, RFE/RL’s Belarus Service, Current Time, RFE/RL's Radio Farda, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, and RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service

European Union politicians said they are continuing their push into possible support for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty after the US government moved to cut the Prague-based broadcaster's funding amid concerns its closure would be a blow to pro-democracy media.

Czech European Affairs Minister Martin Dvorak told reporters in Brussels on March 18 that several nations have supported the initiative so far but the bloc must act quickly as "it would be a big mistake to let this institution die."

"We must initiate some interest and meet with commissioners and some states. At this point, that initiative has been supported by seven other nations, and after we make the initiative public at the General Affairs Council, more countries will join us," Dvorak said, adding the issue needs to be resolved in a matter of "several weeks."

At the initiative of the Czech Republic, a meeting of foreign ministers from the bloc's 27 members on March 17 addressed the issue with the future of RFE/RL unclear due to the cutting of its Congress-approved funding by the administration of President Donald Trump over the weekend.

EU Countries Voice Their Support Of RFE/RL

While Dvorak said he did not want to reveal the names of the countries that have voiced their support for the move, diplomatic sources told RFE/RL that Germany, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, and the three Baltic nations are among those who support the initiative.

"The financial challenges faced by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty put independent journalism at serious risk in regions where the free press is silenced, from Russia and Belarus to Iran and Afghanistan," Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said in a post on X.

" If RFE/RL disappears, disinformation and propaganda will fill the void. That would a direct win for those who seek to undermine democracy.... Europe cannot let that happen. Protecting a free press means protecting democracy. Access to fact-based reporting is not just a principle, it is a necessity for security and fundamental freedoms," he added.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said after the March 17 foreign ministers meeting that he sensed "a certain interest" from other EU members in his country's initiative, and that "it is our responsibility to seriously deal with this issue."

Radio Free Europe's Cold War History

Lipavsky's Polish counterpart, Radek Sikorski, also voiced support for RFE/RL, recalling how his father listened to the station as well as the Voice of America broadcaster during the Cold War.

"It's how we learned the basic facts about our own countries because communist propaganda was so tightly controlled," he told reporters. "And these institutions continue to do similar work for autocracies today."

Trump signed an executive order late on March 14 that aims to reduce seven federal agencies -- including the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other federal broadcasters.

The order, which also targets agencies that deal with homelessness, labor disputes, and community development, gave the heads of each governmental entity named seven days to submit a report confirming full compliance.

Hours after the executive order was published, a letter from USAGM said the Congress-approved grant that funds RFE/RL, headquartered in the Czech capital, Prague, had been terminated.

RFE/RL President and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Capus said canceling the grant agreement would be "a massive gift to America's enemies," a point that was echoed by many media rights watchdogs, democracy advocates, and politicians.

Added US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: "The Trump administration's latest effort to dismantle entities established and funded by Congress that provide accurate, unbiased information to hundreds of millions of people in countries where press freedom is under attack undermines the US commitment to democracy."

'Critical Lifeline'

“If President Trump gets his way, those who depend on US-supported independent media as alternatives to Chinese and Kremlin run media outlets and those living under authoritarian regimes will lose a critical lifeline."

The USAGM is an independent US government agency that oversees the broadcasting of news and information in almost 50 languages to some 361 million people each week.

The total budget request for the USAGM for fiscal year 2025 was $950 million to fund all of its operations and capital investments.

This includes media outlets such as RFE/RL, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio Marti), Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), and the Open Technology Fund.

"Sweden has cosigned a Czech initiative to look for ways in which the EU and its member states can support Radio Free Europe and its role as a voice of freedom, where it is needed the most," Swedish EU Affairs Minister Jessica Rosencrantz said.

Trump, who has taken several moves to slash government spending since taking office for a second term in January, clashed with the USAGM over editorial independence and the direction of programming during his first term.

He has reiterated those concerns again since retaking office. Supporters of the broadcasters say they are an important arm of US diplomacy.

RFE/RL operates in 23 countries and 27 languages across Central and Eastern Europe, the Near East, and Central Asia.

More than 300 people were reported killed after Israel launched deadly air strikes in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and southern Syria in what it said were targeted attacks against extremists planning terror assaults, reigniting tensions that threatened to engulf the region in a new, bloody conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he instructed the military to take "strong action" against Iran-backed Hamas -- deemed a terrorist organization by the United States and EU -- in response to the Islamist group's refusal to release all remaining hostages and its rejection of new cease-fire proposals.

"Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

The strikes represent the biggest escalation in the conflict since the cease-fire was reached in mid-January.

Citing medical officials under the control of Hamas, several media outlets reported that the death toll across the Gaza Strip had reached at least 326 people from the attacks.

The information could not independently be confirmed.

The United Nations' Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory called the strikes "unconscionable" and demanded an immediate reinstatement of the ceasefire.

"People in Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering. An end to hostilities, sustained humanitarian assistance, release of the hostages and the restoration of basic services and people’s livelihoods, are the only way forward," Muhannad Hadi said in his statement.

Israel's military said the Gaza strikes targeted mid-level Hamas commanders and leaders and the group's infrastructure.

Along with the strikes against Hamas in Gaza, the Israeli military said it conducted air strikes in southern Lebanon and southern Syria as well.

It said it was prepared to continue attacks against Hamas for as long as necessary and would expand the campaign beyond air strikes. Israeli tanks and soldiers operated extensively in Gaza during the previous retaliatory action.

The White House was consulted by Israel in its latest strikes on Gaza, a White House spokeswoman told Fox News.

"As President [Donald] Trump has made it clear -- Hamas, the Houthis [in Yemen], Iran, all those who seek to terrorize not just Israel, but also the United States of America, will see a price to pay. All hell will break loose," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox.

Trump on March 5 warned Hamas that there would be “hell to pay” if it does not immediately release all hostages after the White House confirmed that it had conducted secret talks with the extremist group.

Reuters quoted a senior Hamas official as saying that Israel is "unilaterally ending" the Gaza cease-fire agreement and that the action put the fate of the remaining Israeli hostages in jeopardy.

The violence comes amid disputes between Israel and Hamas over ways to maintain the three-phase cease-fire that began on January 19, including the exchange of remaining hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Two weeks ago, Israel cut off all food, medicine, fuel, electricity and other supplies to the territory’s around 2 million people to pressure Hamas to accept a new proposal to extend the cease-fire.

Much of Hamas's leadership was killed during Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza following the extremist group’s bloody cross-border attack in Israel on October 7, 2023.

The Hamas-led militants' attack on settlements in southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, with 251 hostages being taken to Gaza. Some two dozen remain in Hamas control.

Israel struck back by launching a devastating war in the Palestinian enclave that has killed tens of thousands of people, according to local authorities, and displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.

Following the cease-fire agreement – which led to the release of numbers of hostages and prisoners -- the Israeli military has often conducted attacks against Hamas as well as strikes against Hezbollah locations in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has also been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU has deemed its armed wing but not its political section as a terror group. Much of its leadership was also killed during Israel's 14-month war against the group prior to a US-brokered cease-fire in November.

In the renewed attacks, Israel said it struck two Hezbollah leaders in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor. It said the men were “observation operatives.”

The military said other, unspecified strikes were carried out against Hezbollah sites in Lebanon.

In Syria, Israel has seized a buffer zone in the south after the collapse the brutal autocratic regime of Bashar al-Assad in December. It described the move as a preemptive measure against the former Islamist insurgents who overthrew Assad and now control Syria.

On March 17, Syrian authorities said Israeli strikes hit a residential area in the southern city of Daraa, killing three people. The report could not be verified.

Israeli said it was targeting military command centers and weapons sites in southern Syria belonging to remnants of Assad’s forces and that they posed a threat to Israel.

Assad fled Syria and in December and was reported to be in Russia, which along with Iran, was a major backer of his regime. Assad assumed power in 2000 upon the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

The United States has launched extensive air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, aiming to curb their threat to shipping while also signaling a warning to Iran.

In a statement announcing his directive on March 15, US President Donald Trump also warned Iran to “immediately” end its support for the Houthis and vowed to hold Tehran “fully accountable” if it threatened Americans or shipping lanes.

On March 17, Trump turned up the heat, posting on his Truth Social platform that “the hundreds of attacks made by the Houthi, who are hated by the Yemeni people, emanate from, and are created by, Iran.”

"Any further attack or retaliation by the 'Houthis' will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that the force will stop there,” he wrote.

The strikes come as Iran is weighing its response to a letter by Trump on direct talks over Tehran’s nuclear program, and possibly its regional activities and missile development.

Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at the Bahrain-based Le Beck International consultancy, said he believes the attack on Houthi targets may well have something to do with Iran’s opposition to direct talks with the Trump administration.

“There is a message being sent in the type of weapons used, including sea-launched missiles,” he told RFE/RL. “Nuclear negotiations haven’t started, and Trump is threatening to use force if diplomacy doesn’t work. This is a way to show that he is serious.”

How Are The Attacks Different From Past Strikes?

Designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the Houthis, who are formally known as the Ansarallah movement, seized power in Yemen in 2014 by toppling the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government.

Soon after the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Houthis began launching attacks on Israel and targeting ships in the Red Sea believed to be sailing to or from Israel. The group said this was in solidarity with the Palestinians.

The attacks stopped after a fragile cease-fire went into force in January, but the Houthis have threatened to resume their attacks if aid does not flow into Gaza.

Last year, US and British militaries carried out multiple air strikes against the Houthis, but the new wave of attacks seems to be different.

Horowitz said the administrations of former US President Joe Biden was focused on defensive and pre-emptive strikes, targeting weapon depots and weapons just before they were launched.

“Trump appears to have widened the scope of those strikes to include Houthi officials and offices. I would not discount that we’ll even see a campaign of targeted assassinations,” he added.

The Houthis have vowed to retaliate and claimed to have launched 18 drones and missiles against USS Harry S. Truman on March 16. The United States has not commented on the claim, but reports citing unnamed US officials say the drones were intercepted and the missiles did not reach the warship.

The Yemeni group claims US strikes have killed dozens of people, including children. But White House national-security adviser Mike Waltz said on March 16 that the United States “took out” multiple Houthi leaders.

How Has Iran Responded To The US Air Strikes?

The X account of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 16 posted a quote from the top Iranian decision-maker dating back to 2020, in which he insisted that the “nation of Yemen is definitely victorious.”

“The only path is that of resistance. That which has caused the US and its allies to panic today is the fact that the Muslim nations are standing firmly and that this resistance will prove to be effective,” the post read.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi criticized the Trump administration for demanding that Tehran cut ties with the Houthis, saying that US government “has no authorities or business dictating Iranian foreign policy.”

Meanwhile, Hossein Salami, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), rejected assertions that Iran influences the Houthis, insisting that Tehran “has no role” in the Houthis’ decision-making process.

The Houthi movement is a key member of the Iran-led "axis of resistance," a network of non-state actors that has suffered major setbacks over the past year. The movement has particularly risen in stature as a defender of the Palestinian cause since it started hitting Israel and alleged Israeli-linked vessels.

Horowitz said the Houthis’ rising profile within the axis of resistance gives them some level of autonomy, but they are ultimately an Iranian proxy.

“They are still extremely dependent on Iran for weapons they use regularly so they will follow Iran's lead in my opinion,” he added.

Iran has escalated its crackdown on female singers in an effort to silence them. In past weeks, several women have been detained or summoned by authorities, while their Instagram pages have been shut down.

Since the 1979 revolution, women in Iran have been banned from singing solo in public. But despite the restrictions, many female artists have turned to social media to share their voices—often defying both the singing ban and the country’s strict hijab laws.

Among them is Golsa Rahimzamani, whose Instagram account was banned following an order by Iran’s Cyber Police. Reyhanoo, another singer, also had her page removed, while Bita Hajisadeghian, a singer and music teacher, was summoned by authorities in Isfahan and accused of “harming public decency and publishing indecent work.”

In February, singer Hiwa Seyfzadeh was arrested mid-performance in Tehran when plainclothes agents stormed the venue and took her away. She was later released, but her social media accounts were also shut down.

Last August, singer Zara Esmaili was detained after videos of her performing in public— including singing Amy Winehouse’s hit Back to Black—went viral. Her current whereabouts remain unknown.

In December, singer Parastoo Ahmadi created a stir after recording a performance with her hair uncovered, wearing a dress, and accompanied by male musicians. The video, uploaded to YouTube, quickly went viral—earning her praise for challenging both the ban on female singers and Iran’s compulsory hijab laws. Authorities briefly detained her and launched legal proceedings against her and her bandmates for what they called an "illegal concert."

The crackdown has drawn criticism from many, including religious figures.

Pro-reform cleric Mohammad Taghi Fazeli Meybodi, from the holy city of Qom, dismissed the ban as baseless, stating that there is no religious justification for prohibiting women from singing.

Iran’s music icon Googoosh, who was banned from performing at the peak of her career, has also voiced her support.

"This is a historic moment that future generations will talk about," she told Radio Farda in December. "More women will take the stage—there is no turning back."

U.S. officials vowed to continue hitting Huthi targets in Yemen after launching air strikes aimed at curbing the group’s attacks on maritime shipping and naval vessels in the Gulf region.

Speaking on CBS News on March 16, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also signaled that there were no imminent plans to send US troops to directly engage the Huthis, which Washington has designated a terrorist group.

"I don't think there's a necessity for it right now,” he said.

"This was [also] a message to Iran — don't keep supporting [the Huthis] because you will also be responsible for what they are doing in attacking Navy ships and attacking global shipping," he said.

The March 15 overnight attack – which included fighter jets launched from a US aircraft carrier in the Red Sea and missile barrages— killed at least 12 civilians, Huthi authorities said, though the toll could not be independently confirmed.

"Huthi attacks on American ships & aircraft (and our troops!) will not be tolerated; and Iran, their benefactor, is on notice,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X:

The barrage followed warnings from President Donald Trump that "hell will rain down upon" the Huthis if they continue firing missiles on ships in the Gulf region, and at Israel.

"They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones," he wrote.

The strikes in Yemen appeared to be the largest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office on January 20. Media outlets quoted US officials as saying the strike “is not a one-day event -- this is the first of many days if not weeks of strikes."

Huthi rebels have launched dozens of attacks on shipping over the past 18 months, claiming they are intended to support Palestinians over Israel's war in Gaza.

Many shipping firms have been forced to change their courses to longer and more expensive routes to avoid the Gulf region.

Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, denied Tehran's involvement in Huthi operations.

"Iran will never start a war... but if anyone threatens us," he was quoted as telling state media. Iran "will give appropriate, decisive and final responses."

"I warn all enemies that we will respond to any threat, if it takes on a practical aspect, with a stubborn, decisive, and destructive response," he said.

The US president has ratcheted up pressure on Tehran since taking office in January, seeking to bring it back to negotiations aimed at curtailing its nuclear ambitions.

The White House last week sent Tehran a new proposal regarding its nuclear program but Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has so far rejected the proposal.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda and Reuters

The US military has launched a large-scale attack against Iran-linked Huthi fighters in Yemen and warned Tehran that it must immediately cease support for US-designated terrorist group.

The March 15 attack -- conducted by warplanes from a US aircraft carrier in the Red Sea -- came after President Donald Trump warned the Huthis that "hell will rain down upon you" if they do not stop their extremist actions, including attacks on shipping in the Gulf region and missile launches against Israel.

Trump also warned Iran that "America will hold you fully accountable and, we won't be nice about it!" as it ratchets up pressure to force Tehran back to the negotiating table over its nuclear program.

Trump posted on his social media platform that he had "ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Huthi terrorists in Yemen."

"They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, shops, aricraft, and drones."

The US president referred to the Huthi as "thugs" who are "funded by Iran."

US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and informed him of the military operation.

The strikes in Yemen appear to be the largest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office on January 20. Media outlets quoted US officials as saying the strike “is not a one-day event -- this is the first of many days if not weeks of strikes."

Huthi officials said at least 12 civilians were killed and another nine injured in the US attacks, but the claims could not be independently confirmed. The officials vowed revenge, without being specific.

Reuters quoted a resident, who gave his name as Abdullah Yahia, as saying that "the explosions were violent and shook the neighborhood like an earthquake."

Huthi rebels have launched dozens of attacks on shipping over the past 18 months, claiming they are in support of Palestinians over Israel's war in Gaza with Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union.

The Huthis have also struck shipping vessels, claiming they are only targeting Israeli ships but hitting a number of others registered elsewhere. Many shipping firms have been forced to change their courses to longer and more expensive routes to avoid the violence.

The US Central Command said the action was the beginning of large-scale "operation consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Huthi targets across Yemen in order to restore freedom of navigation."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X: "Huthi attacks on American ships & aircraft (and our troops!) will not be tolerated; and Iran, their benefactor, is on notice."

"Freedom of Navigation will be restored," he added.

Meanwhile, Trump wrote on social media that "we will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective."

The Huthis on March 11 warned they would resume attacks on Israeli ships in the region, ending a period of relative calm that followed the January cease-fire agreement reached by Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The action also comes as Washington steps up pressure on Iran to reenter talks over its nuclear program.

The White House on March 9 warned Tehran that it can be dealt with either through military means or by negotiating a deal regarding its nuclear program, remarks that came hours after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected a US proposal for negotiations between the two bitter rivals.

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. Trump said the terms of that deal were not strong enough to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign that was the cornerstone of his Iran policy in his first term, with the aim of slashing Tehran's oil exports to "zero." Experts say the United States is unlikely to be able to stop Iran's oil sales entirely but will be able to substantially reduce it.

Huthi rebels in 2014 seized much of Yemen's northwest and its capital, Sanaa, leading to a war that has killed tens of thousands of people and created a humanitarian nightmare in the Arab world's poorest country.

Many observers described the hostilities as a "proxy war" between Saudi- and Iranian-led groups. Saudi Arabia supports the nationally recognized government that the Huthi rebels seek to overthrow.

With reporting by Reuters

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, I'm looking at why Iran continues to reject direct talks with the Donald Trump administration while weighing its response to the US president's nuclear outreach.

What You Need To Know

• Trump’s Letter To Khamenei Arrives In Tehran: US President Donald Trump’s letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing talks over a nuclear deal was delivered this week by an Emirati delegation. Hours before the delegation arrived, Khamenei reiterated his stance that there was no point in negotiating with Washington.

• IRGC Veteran Claims Killing Of Iranian Dissidents In Europe: Mohsen Rafiqdoost, one of the founders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed this week that he had orchestrated the killings of several high-profile Iranian dissidents in Europe between 1979 and 1992. His office later attributed the comments to “extensive complications” from a brain operation, while the IRGC dismissed Rafiqdoost’s comments as “his personal opinion.” One dissident whose assassination Rafiqdoost claimed is Fereydoun Farrokhzad. RFE/RL’s Radio Farda has produced a documentary on his grisly killing.

• Spotlight On Iran And Russia After Violence In Syria: While the eruption of violence in western Syria has raised questions about the transitional government’s ability to control its affiliated factions, it has also brought Russian and Iranian involvement in Syrian affairs into sharp focus. Through interviews and analysis of open-source data, RFE/RL can give a clearer picture of what's happening inside Syria.

The Big Issue

Will Talks Lift Pressure On Iran? Khamenei Doesn’t Think So

Khamenei on March 12 again dismissed the prospect of talks with the Trump administration, telling an audience in Tehran that “negotiating with this US administration won’t result in the sanctions being removed.”

As Khamenei was delivering his speech, Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, was on his way to Tehran to deliver Trump’s letter to the Iranian supreme leader.

The contents of the letter have not been disclosed, but Trump said last week when he revealed he had written to Khamenei that Washington “cannot let [Iran] have a nuclear weapon”, insisting that he preferred a peaceful resolution to tension over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Why It Matters: Iran’s economy has been reeling from years of sanctions, particularly after Trump, in his first term, pulled the US out of a landmark nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions.

But more sanctions could come if Tehran and Washington don’t reach an agreement. With the 2015 nuclear deal formally expiring in October 2025, world powers only have a few months before they lose the power to “snap back” UN sanctions on Iran.

Washington’s European allies have gradually begun threatening Tehran that they will trigger a return of the sanctions. Iran has threatened to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if UN sanctions are reimposed.

While the Islamic republic has not formally responded to Trump’s letter, the White House has warned that military action is very much on the table should Iran reject the US president’s outreach.

What's Being Said: Khamenei claimed in his speech that negotiating with Trump “will cause the knot of sanctions to become tighter and pressure to increase,” though he didn’t elaborate further.

Shahin Modarres, an Iranian security expert based in Rome, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that the weakening of Iran’s offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as the unraveling of its network of regional proxies, have left Tehran with “no leverage” at the negotiating table.

“The lack of leverage at the table leads to a kind of surrender,” he said.

In an interview published on March 13, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran won’t negotiate with Washington as long as Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign is in force.

“If we enter negotiations while the other side is imposing maximum pressure, we will be negotiating from a weak position and will achieve nothing,” he said, adding that talks can only take place when both nations are on “equal footing.”

Expert Opinion: “Negotiating with this US administration could result in some sanctions being removed. That's what negotiations address: Often they fail, occasionally they succeed. Dismissing negotiations, especially out of hand, guarantees that the knot of sanctions becomes tighter,” writes Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at International Crisis Group.

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

China, Russia, and Iran demanded an end to Washington's "illegal, unilateral sanctions" on Tehran, after three-party talks on the Iranian nuclear issue in Beijing on March 14.

But a leading sanctions expert involved in past nuclear talks with Iran says lifting sanctions as a precursor to negotiations is neither likely nor advisable.

The meeting included Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.

"We conducted in-depth exchanges of views on the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions. We emphasized the necessity of ending all illegal unilateral sanctions," Ma said after the talks concluded.

"The relevant parties should work to eliminate the root causes of the current situation and abandon sanctions, pressure, and threats of the use of force," he added.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who welcomed the Iranian and Russian diplomats ahead of the meeting, was set to have his own meeting with them later during the day.

The Iranian position has been that it will not negotiate with the Trump as long as his "maximum pressure" campaign is in force and sanctions in place.

"I don't think there's any likelihood the Trump administration is going to drop sanctions against Iran just to talk. I wouldn't advise him to," said Richard Nephew, the lead sanctions expert for the US negotiating team that clinched a landmark nuclear deal with Iran in 2015.

"At the end of the day, that's a concession for a talk, as opposed to a concession for actual action," he added.

Tehran and Moscow have strengthened relations in recent years as Iran's disputes with the United States have mounted. Both nations have had close ties to China.

Moscow, which is engaged in efforts to normalize relations with Washington, has offered to mediate talks between the United States and the Islamic republic.

Both China and Russia have benefited from Iran's stand-off with the United States. China has been buying Iranian oil at a sharp discount while Russia has been using Iranian drones against Ukraine. But if tension with the United States spirals, it may have consequences that both Moscow and Beijing would want to avoid.

"I'm not sure that the Russians or the Chinese each have an interest in a deal. I think they have an interest in not having a bigger crisis," Nephew said.

This week, the three countries conducted naval drills in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz in a show of force in the tense Middle East, with participating ships stopping at Iran's Chabahar Port.

Attention on Iran's nuclear issues has intensified in recent days after US President Donald Trump said he had sent a letter to Tehran urging a resumption of nuclear talks and warning of possible military action if Iran refused.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry on March 13 said it would conduct a "thorough assessment" before responding to Trump's letter.

"The letter was received last night and is currently being reviewed," spokesman Esmail Baqaei was quoted by the official IRNA news agency, adding: "A decision on how to respond will be made after a thorough assessment."

Trump, during his first term, quit the nuclear deal, which had imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. Trump said the accord was not strong enough to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and he accused Tehran of fomenting extremist violence in the region -- a charge denied by Iran.

China, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany had also signed the nuclear deal with Iran in 2015.

Following the US withdrawal in 2018, Tehran eventually started expanding its nuclear program, while efforts to reach a new accord through indirect talks have failed. Tehran claims its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes.

Iran has floated the possibility of resuming indirect talks, but Nephew dismissed its viability.

"To be clear, I think indirect talks have been a disaster. It has been both a strategic mistake...as well as something that actually limits the possibility of negotiations being successful," he said, adding that Trump's letter was unlikely to change the Iranian position.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations -- the United States, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan -- labeled Iran the "principal source of regional instability" in a joint statement on March 14.

They said Tehran "must never be allowed" to develop and acquire nuclear weapons, adding, "Iran must now change course, de-escalate and choose diplomacy."

The United States said on March 13 that it was sanctioning Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad and a number of Hong Kong-flagged ships that are part of a shadow fleet "on which Iran depends to deliver its oil" to China. Tehran blasted the move, calling it "'hypocrisy."

With reporting by AFP and Reuters

Iran said a delegation led by a senior Emirati figure has delivered a letter from US President Donald Trump to the Islamic republic's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei told the semiofficial ISNA news agency on March 12 that Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, had delivered the letter.

Trump said last week that he had written to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing talks to reach a deal over Tehran’s expanding nuclear program.

"We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon," he said, adding that "something is going to happen very soon."

"Hopefully we will have a peace deal," he said, apparently meaning a peaceful resolution of tension over Tehran's nuclear program. "I’m just saying I’d rather see a peace deal than the other. But the other will solve the problem.”

Khamenei has opposed talks direct talks with the Trump administration and said after the president’s announcement last week that Tehran would not negotiate with “bullying governments.”

"Such negotiations aren’t aimed at solving issues. Their aim is to exert their dominance and impose what they want," Khamenei said during a Ramadan speech on March 8.

Without explicitly naming the US, he said “bullying governments” are not only focused on Iran’s nuclear program but also “make new demands” targeting the Islamic republic's defensive capabilities and regional activities.

“Negotiations are a means to impose new demands. Iran will definitely not fulfill these new demands,” Khamenei said.

The Iranian leader has accused Trump of being untrustworthy after US president withdrew the US from a landmark nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms.

After abrogating the accord in 2018, Trump welcomed an offer by Japan's then-prime minister, Shinzo Abe, to mediate and in 2019 asked the Japanese premier to deliver a letter to Khamenei. The Iranian leader rejected the letter, saying it was "not worthy" of a response.

Russia, which is one of the signatories to the original nuclear deal, has expressed an interest in mediating talks between Tehran and Washington, though many have questioned whether Moscow can be an impartial broker.

Referencing Moscow’s talks with Washington, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on March 12 said the Iranian nuclear program has been discussed and that Trump has made Tehran ending its support for its proxies a “precondition for a new nuclear deal.”

Meanwhile, China has announced that it will host a trilateral meeting with Iran and Russia on March 14 to “exchange views on the Iranian nuclear issue,” among other topics.

While the eruption of violence in western Syria has raised questions about the transitional government’s ability to control its affiliated factions, it has also brought Russian and Iranian involvement in Syrian affairs into sharp focus.

Various human rights groups monitoring the situation in Syria have documented over 800 casualties, including civilians, since clashes erupted on March 6 between government forces and gunmen loyal to the deposed president, Bashar al-Assad.

Rebel groups led by Ahmad al-Sharaa toppled the government in a lightning offensive in December 2024, bringing an end to half a century of Assad family rule over Syria.

Assad’s government was backed by Russia and Iran. While Russia has maintained ties with the new government, Iran has been completely excluded.

Through interviews and analysis of open-source data, RFE/RL can give a clearer picture of what's happening inside Syria.

Men Executed By Gunshots

Rights groups say among the dead are hundreds of civilian casualties, most of whom were Alawite, a minority community which Assad belongs to. The UN on March 11 said entire families, including women and children, were killed during the violence.

Social-media footage analyzed by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, suggests that some of the worst violence against Alawite civilians took place in the port city of Latakia, where Russia’s Hmeimim air base is located.

Some videos showed unarmed men being executed by gunshot from behind and others depicted victims being physically abused and humiliated, such as being forced to bark like a dog and crawl over dead bodies.

Nobil, a Syrian from Latakia who currently lives in Greece, told Schemes that factions affiliated with the transitional government entered his home village of Muzayraa on the night of March 6 and indiscriminately shot at houses with large-caliber machine guns mounted on trucks.

He said he lost six family members in the attack, including two aunts and two nephews, but his brother managed to escape.

Schemes found the Facebook profile of one of the alleged attackers known as Abu Bakr Mork, also called Talha, whose page is filled with posts about the attacks in western Syria.

In one post, he called for men to come to the area because the women in the area “are widowed and there are no men left.” In another, he wrote about the “campaign to clear the remnants of the defunct regime,” referring to Assad’s government.

Seeking Refuge In A Russian Air Base

Satellite images provided by Planet Labs and analyzed by Schemes show that, as early as March 7, people started to gather near the Russian-operated Hmeimim air base, seemingly seeking refuge from the clashes.

“This very well may be the only safe place for people to stay, given that neither side wants to spoil relations with Russia at the moment,” Ihor Semyvolos, director of the Kyiv-based Center for Middle East Studies, told Schemes.

Russia was a major backer of Assad, providing his forces and Iranian-backed proxies air support as they fought not only against Islamic State (IS) militants but also rebels opposed to Assad’s rule.

Those same rebels are now in charge, but Moscow has managed to position itself as a critical partner to Syria’s new rulers, who rely on Russia to print its local currency.

The Russians have maintained a significant presence at their two military bases, especially at Hmeimim.

Systema, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit, has confirmed at least 37 flights by large Antonov An-124 cargo planes between December 2024 and March, identifying 22 arrivals and 15 departures from the air base. Each plane can carry up to 150 tons of equipment, indicating substantial movement of personnel or equipment.

Analyzing images on social media from the last few days, Systema has found that Major General Sergei Gashkov, head of Russia's Center for Reconciliation and Refugee Movement Control in Syria, is currently at the air base.

It is unsurprising that Russia seeks to maintain strong ties with Damascus under its new leadership, as retaining control over the Hmeimim air base and the naval base in Tartus provides strategic access to the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea.

What Is Iran’s Role?

There is no solid evidence suggesting that Russia is involved in fomenting unrest along Syria’s western coast, but some have accused Iran of playing a part.

In Assad, Iran lost a key ally who had allowed Tehran to use Syria as a land corridor to connect its regional proxies in Iraq and Lebanon.

When Syrian rebels deposed Assad, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed that Syrians would rise and resist the rebel government.

Iran currently has no way of getting funds or arms into Syria, but several key figures leading the pro-Assad resistance to the new government are close to Tehran and trained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

Assad’s surviving loyalists are led by four figures: Major General Suhail al-Hassan, whose hometown of Aita was among the first to witness clashes; Muqdad Fatiha, founder of the Coast Shield armed group; Ibrahim Hawija, former head of Syrian Intelligence; and Ghias Dalla, aformer officer in Syria's elite 4th Armored Division with links to the IRGC and the US-designated Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.

Phillip Smyth, an expert on Iranian proxies and Shi'ite militias, told RFE/RL that Iran “desired an overreaction” from the transitional government, and it got what it wanted.

Tehran "is happy this was set off," especially since it establishes that Iran "can cause massive disruption" in Syria, Smyth said.

With reporting by Olya Ivleva, Kyrylo Ovsyaniy, Anna Myroniuk of Schemes; Daniil Belovodyev, Dmitry Sukharev, Svetlana Osipova, Yelizaveta Surnacheva of Systema; and Iliya Jazaeri of RFE/RL’s Radio Farda

Iran said it will not enter negotiations with the United States over its disputed nuclear program under what it said is “pressure and intimidation” from Washington.

The stance comes as US President Donald Trump increases pressure on Tehran by ending a sanctions waiver that had allowed Iraq to buy electricity from its neighbor.

"We will NOT negotiate under pressure and intimidation. We will NOT even consider it, no matter what the subject may be," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X on March 10.

Araqchi’s comments came a day after Iran's mission to the United Nations struck a more conciliatory tone, saying Tehran could be open to talks aimed at addressing concerns about the potential militarization of its nuclear program.

"If the objective of negotiations is to address concerns vis-a-vis any potential militarization of Iran's nuclear program, such discussions may be subject to consideration," said a March 9 statement from the mission.

But Araqchi appeared to close the door on such talks, saying Tehran's nuclear program is peaceful and there was "no such thing as its 'potential militarization.'"

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. Trump said the terms of that deal were not strong enough to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign that was the cornerstone of his Iran policy in his first term, with the aim of slashing Tehran's oil exports to "zero." Experts say the United States is unlikely to be able to stop Iran's oil sales entirely, but will be able to substantially reduce it.

The US State Department said on March 9 that the decision not to renew Iraq's sanctions waiver was made to "ensure we do not allow Iran any degree of economic or financial relief."

Iran supplies one-third of Iraq's gas and electricity, providing Tehran with significant revenue.

The White House on March 9 warned Tehran that it will deal with its nuclear program either through military means or by reaching a deal, remarks that came hours after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected a US proposal for negotiations between the two bitter rivals.

"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 on March 9.

In an interview with Fox Business recorded on March 6, Trump said, "There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal" to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Khamenei, speaking on March 8 to a group of Iranian officials, said the US offer of talks “are not aimed at solving problems” but to "impose" their demands on Tehran.

Warships from China, Russia, and Iran will hold exercises in a key Middle Eastern waterway as the three partners highlight their deepening cooperation and showcase their growing capabilities, according to reports in state-run media.

The joint naval drills will start on March 10, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, while the Chinese Defense Ministry said the Security Belt 2025 exercise would be held near the Iranian port of Chabahar on the coast of the Gulf of Oman with the aim of deepening "military trust and pragmatic cooperation."

The drills are part of an annual exercise between the three countries and comes as both China and Iran are navigating tensions with the United States.

All three countries are also increasing their cooperation. The Chinese and Russian navies have been hosting more frequent drills together in recent years, including in the Pacific and further away location like off the coast of South Africa.

Russia and Iran also signed an agreement in January to boost cooperation in areas such as trade and defense issues.

This year's naval exercises will include simulated attacks on maritime targets, joint search, rescue drills, spot checks, and arrests.

China also said it will send its Type 052D guided-missile destroyer, a new type of advanced warship that is at the center of Beijing's push to build up its navy.

Russia and Iran have not yet confirmed which of their fleets will be involved, but they gathered in March 2024 along with other countries for live-fire exercises focused on anti-piracy.

During those exercises, China's 45th naval escort task participated, along with Russia's Pacific fleet and more than 10 Iranian vessels. Representatives from Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Oman, India and South Africa acted as observers.

The drills come after a series of moves in recent months where China has been looking to showcase its power at sea.

China now possesses the world's largest maritime fighting force, operating 234 warships to the U.S. Navy's 219, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The United States maintains a technological advantage in its fleet, but Beijing is investing heavily to catch up.

In February, China conducted live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea near Australia. Australian and New Zealand ships and aircraft monitored three Chinese military vessels for several days and the Australian government complained that the Chinese drills forced airlines to adjust flight routes due to safety concerns.

In December 2024, Taiwan also said China had conducted one of its largest military exercises ever around the self-governing island, as Chinese ships encircled the island and jets entered Taiwanese air space.

Tensions over Taiwan, which Beijing regards as its own and has long threatened to invade and annex if the island refuses to peacefully accept unification, is at the heart of ongoing tensions between China and the United States.

The United States is Taiwan's largest military backer and its support is considered vital for its survival.

Beijing has been intensifying its rhetoric around the island, with China's military saying on March 9 that it would tighten a "noose" around Taiwan if Taipei pursues a path of formal independence, which Beijing views as separatism.

The White House again warned Tehran that it can be dealt with either through military means or by reaching a deal over its nuclear program, remarks that came hours after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected a US proposal for negotiations between the two bitter rivals.

"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 on March 9 while reiterating remarks by President Donald Trump that "if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing."

In an interview with Fox Business recorded on March 6, Trump said, "There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal" to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

"I've written them a letter saying, 'I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing,'" Trump said.

"I would rather negotiate a deal. I'm not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily," Trump added.

"But the time is happening now. The time is coming up. Something's going to happen one way or the other."

Snippets of the interview were aired on March 7, but the full sit-down will be broadcast on March 9, Fox said.

In separate comments to reporters, Trump said: "We have a situation with Iran that, something's going to happen very soon. Very, very soon."

Ali Khamenei, speaking on March 8 to a group of Iranian officials -- without specifically mentioning Trump or the United States -- said, "Their talks are not aimed at solving problems."

"It is for...'Let’s talk to impose what we want on the other party that is sitting on the opposite side of the table.'"

"The insistence of some bullying governments on negotiations is not to resolve issues.... Talks for them is a pathway to have new demands; it is not only about Iran's nuclear issue.... Iran will definitely not accept their expectations," Khamenei was quoted by state media as saying.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on March 8 said Tehran had not yet received a letter from Trump.

"We have heard of it [Trump’s letter], but we haven't received anything," Araghchi said on state TV.

The United States and Israel have long stated they will never allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons, even as Iran continues to enrich uranium at near weapons-grade levels.

Tehran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes.

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from a landmark 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms.

Trump said the terms of that deal were not strong enough to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and he also accused Tehran of fomenting extremist violence in the region -- which Iran has denied despite widespread evidence of such activity.

Khamenei last month said he opposed direct talks with Trump, charging that he cannot be trusted since he left the nuclear deal.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign that was the cornerstone of his Iran policy in his first term, with the aim of slashing Iran's oil exports to "zero." Experts say the United States is unlikely to be able to entirely stop Iran's oil sales but will be able to substantially reduce it.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

The United Nations and the United States have called on Syrian authorities to take immediate action after it was reported that Syrian government forces have killed hundreds of civilians belonging to the Alawite minority group in recent days.

The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on March 8 that it had identified 745 civilians belonging to the Alawite minority who were killed in two days of clashes between security forces and fighters loyal to the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad in Latakia Province. The numbers have not yet been independently verified.

"The killing of civilians in coastal areas in northwest Syria must cease, immediately," UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement on March 9.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Syria's interim authorities to hold accountable the "radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis" who have committed "massacres against Syria’s minority communities" in recent days.

"The United States stands with Syria's religious and ethnic minorities," Rubio said in a statement on March 9.

Reuters quoted diplomats as saying the United States and Russia have asked the Security Council to meet behind closed doors on March 10 over the escalating violence. Russian state media quoted Moscow's UN mission as saying the meeting would begin at 10 a.m.

According to SOHR, the total death toll from the violence rose to more than 1,000, including at least 125 security personnel and 148 Assad loyalists.

The monitoring group, which has a network of sources across Syria, said most of the civilian victims were shot at close range by "security forces and allied groups."

The clashes that erupted on March 6 mark the country's worst outbreak of violence since the regime of Assad, an ally of Iran and Russia, was overthrown in December.

Reuters and Al-Jazeera reported that dozens of people, mostly women, children, and elders, have sought refuge at the Russian Khmeimim military base in the Latakia countryside. There has been no immediate comment from the Russian authorities.

The monitoring group also reported that electricity and drinking water were cut off in large areas around the city of Latakia, the heartland of the Alawite minority to which Assad belonged.

Sharaa's Struggle To Maintain Control

Ahmed Sharaa, Syria's interim president, called for peace on March 9, saying the nation has to "preserve national unity and domestic peace."

"We will be able to live together in this country," Sharaa said speaking at a mosque in Damascus.

Sharaa had earlier blamed what he called "remnants" of Assad's government for the violence, but he did not address allegations that his forces had killed civilians.

Reuters cited a Syrian source as saying on March 9 that clashes continued overnight in several towns where armed groups fired on security forces and ambushed cars on highways leading to main towns in the coastal area.

A curfew has been enforced in Homs, Latakia, and Tartus due to ongoing fighting.

Analysts say the fighting exposes Sharaa's struggle to maintain control in a post-Assad Syria -- to the delight of Iran, Israel, and even Islamic State (IS) extremists.

Colin Clarke, director of policy and research at the New York-based Soufan Group intelligence consultancy, said what is transpiring in Latakia is "simply an inevitable outcome" in any postconflict setting.

Did Iran Start The Unrest?

The fighting started about a week after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whose country is a major backer of Sharaa's rule, warned Iran against moving to challenge the new Syrian government by empowering groups opposed to it.

He warned that it "would not be the right" approach and said doing so may result in "another country doing the same thing to you in return."

Sharaa, who saw Ankara-backed groups join the offensive launched by his US-designated terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) against Assad, has received scores of foreign delegations since seizing power in Damascus but has frozen Iran out in favor of its rivals Turkey and Saudi Arabia, as well as Western nations.

Phillip Smyth, an expert on Iranian proxies and Shi'ite militias, said there is "a lot of evidence" pointing to Tehran's involvement in the new outbreak of violence.

Iranian figures, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said after Assad's fall that Syrians would revolt against Sharaa's rule.

Smyth said Tehran "is happy this was set off," especially since it establishes that Iran "can cause massive disruption" despite losing a key ally in Assad.

"Better for Tehran is the fact that HTS militants demonstrated they would engage in human rights abuses. Iran desired an overreaction," he added.

Some observers have also suggested Tehran could look to back the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to challenge not only Sharaa, but also Turkey's growing influence.

The SDF commander Mazloum Abdi told Reuters on March 9 that factions “supported by Turkey and Islamic extremists” were chiefly responsible for the latest violence in Latakia.

Syria, under Assad's rule, played a pivotal role in Iran's strategic land corridor to the Levant. This corridor was crucial for Iran's regional influence, serving as the logistical backbone for its network of state and nonstate actors.

Who Else Stands to Gain From The Unrest?

Since rebels seized power, the new government has faced numerous security challenges.

Elements loyal to Assad, who belongs to the Alawite community, have sporadically attacked the new government's security forces, while IS remains active in various pockets throughout the country.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have expanded territorial control in southern Syria, with reports saying they are positioned about 20 kilometers from the capital. Israel has been targeting military assets and demanding the demilitarization of southern Syria.

"IS is extremely opportunistic and will be biding its time and waiting to strike. Israel will also take advantage of the situation by launching more strikes in the south of Syria," Clarke said.

"Sharaa is indeed struggling with control, but much of this is to be expected," he added.

US President Donald Trump has said he sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing talks to reach a deal over Tehran's nuclear program.

In an interview with Fox News recorded on March 6, Trump said he had sent the letter "yesterday."

"I've written them a letter saying, 'I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing,'" Trump said.

Snippets of the interview were aired on March 7, but the full sit-down will be broadcast on March 9, Fox News said.

"I would rather negotiate a deal. I'm not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily," Trump added. "But the time is happening now. The time is coming up. Something's going to happen one way or the other."

In comments at the White House later on March 7, Trump again voiced hope for a deal in the near future.

"We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon," he said, adding that "something is going to happen very soon."

"Hopefully we will have a peace deal," he said, apparently meaning a peaceful resolution of tension over Tehran's nuclear program. "I’m just saying I’d rather see a peace deal then the other. But the other will solve the problem.”

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from a landmark 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms.

Khamenei last month said he opposed direct talks with Trump, charging that he cannot be trusted since he left the nuclear deal.

After abrogating the accord in 2018, Trump welcomed an offer by Japan's then-prime minister, Shinzo Abe, to mediate and in 2019 asked the Japanese premier to deliver a letter to Khamenei. The Iranian leader rejected the letter, saying it was "not worthy" of a response.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign that was the cornerstone of his Iran policy in his first term, with the aim of slashing Iran's oil exports to "zero." Experts say the United States is unlikely to be able to entirely stop Iran's oil sales but will be able to substantially reduce it.

In comments to AFP, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi insisted Iran's nuclear program "cannot be destroyed" through military action and dismissed the prospect of talks with Trump as long as the "maximum pressure" campaign was in force.

Iran significantly accelerated its nuclear program after the United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and is now enriching uranium to 60 percent purity. Experts say Iran is a short technical step from enriching uranium to 90 percent, which is considered weapons-grade level.

Tehran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and has no plans to weaponize it. But the International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed "serious concern" over the speed with which Iran is accumulating highly enriched uranium.

On March 6, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign aims to shut down Iran's oil industry and "collapse its already buckling economy."

He added that "making Iran broke again" will mark the beginning of the government's sanctions policy toward the Islamic republic.

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition I'm looking at how Russia's offer to mediate between Iran and the United States was received in Tehran.

What You Need To Know

• Russia Offers To Mediate Iran-US Talks: Various reports this week said Russia has offered to mediate between the United States and Iran, with the Kremlin insisting both nations should resolve issues through dialogue. The reports say US President Donald Trump has asked Moscow to help communicate with Iran on not only its nuclear program but also regional activities. Iranian media, however, are watching with narrowed eyes. They argue that Moscow is only looking to secure its own interests.

• US Wants To Make 'Iran Broke Again': US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week said the Trump administration's sanctions aim to shut down Iran's oil industry and "collapse its already buckling economy." He added that "making Iran broke again" will mark the beginning of the government's sanctions policy toward the Islamic republic. Tehran has not commented on Bessent's remarks.

• Singer Flogged For Song Slamming Mandatory Hijab: Iranian pop singer Mehdi Yarrahi received 74 lashes this week for a song that criticized Iran's mandatory hijab law. Released in August 2023 ahead of the first anniversary of the Women, Life, Freedom movement, the song led to his arrest later that month. The flogging sparked widespread outrage on social media, with figures like Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi condemning it as an act of revenge against his support for Iranian women.

• Iranian Animation Makes History At Oscars: Iranian animated short film In The Shadow Of The Cypress made history this week by winning the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards. Directed by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani, the 20-minute, dialogue-free film portrays a father's struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and his relationship with his daughter as they attempt to save a beached whale.

The Big Issue

An Ally Or Sacrificial Lamb?

Just a couple of weeks after reports emerged that Saudi Arabia is looking to broker talks between Iran and the United States, Russia has also thrown its hat in the ring.

Whereas potential Saudi mediation was generally welcomed by Iranian media and pundits, the Russian offer has been met with skepticism.

While both Tehran and Moscow refer to each other as allies, critics say Russia ultimately looks out for its own interests and has no qualms about sacrificing Iran.

Why It Matters: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came out against direct talks with the Trump administration, saying his government cannot be trusted because he pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Russia was among the five world powers that signed the landmark nuclear accord, but Mohammad Javad Zarif, a former Iranian foreign minister who negotiated the deal, has previously charged that Moscow actively sought to erode the deal.

Relations between Iran and Russia have grown in recent years, but the deep mistrust of Moscow remains.

This particularly came to the fore after senior US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia last month to discuss normalizing relations and ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This led to concerns in Iran that Russia will ultimately abandon its ally for the sake of a good deal with the Trump administration.

What's Being Said: Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Russia lost its authority as one of the signatories to the Iran nuclear deal after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

He argued that with its offer to mediate, Moscow was looking to "regain its place" and even "influence Iran's decision-making."

Nematollah Izadi, a former ambassador to Oman, charged that Russia "cannot be an impartial and honest mediator." He argued Saudi Arabia would be a better mediator because relations between Tehran and Washington would have little impact on Iran's dealings with Saudi Arabia. The same, he insisted, could not be said for Tehran's relations with Moscow.

The consensus among prominent media outlets in Iran is that Russia is only looking out for itself.

The reformist Sazandegi newspaper asserted Moscow "has shown in the past that it prioritizes its interests over everything else" and argued Iran would stand to lose if the United States and Russia reached any kind of agreement.

Even the Keyhan newspaper, whose editor in chief is appointed by Khamenei, insisted Tehran "does not need a mediator."

Some analysts, including Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group and Eurasia Group's Gregory Brew, argued that European signatories to the 2015 deal -- Britain, France, and Germany -- would be apprehensive about Russian mediation, concerned they would be frozen out.

Expert Opinion: "It's entirely possible that in the coming months we find ourselves in a scenario where the US joins Russia in opposing UN sanctions snapback on Iran," says Eric Brewer, deputy vice president for the Nuclear Threat Initiative's Nuclear Materials Security Program.

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

Pop singer Mehdi Yarrahi has been given 74 lashes for a song criticizing Iran's mandatory dress code for women, ending a criminal case against him that also included a prison term.

His lawyer, Zahra Minuei, wrote on X on March 5 that Yarrahi's flogging sentence had been carried out.

Yarrahi became a household name in August 2023 after releasing a song titled Roosarito -- which translates as Your Head Scarf in Persian -- ahead of the first anniversary of the deadly nationwide protests that gave rise to the Women, Life, Freedom movement.

In January 2024, Yarrahi was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison and 74 lashes over the song. He was sentenced by the court on multiple charges and the sentences ran concurrently, meaning the singer would serve one year in prison.

In a video message days ahead of the flogging, Yarrahi said his prison sentence had been changed to house arrest with an ankle monitor due to his health problems, but insisted he had not requested the flogging sentence be dropped.

Messages of support have poured in for Yarrahi on social media.

Imprisoned Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi in a statement said the flogging was "retaliation" for his support for Iranian women.

"Mehdi Yarrahi stood against the suppression of women's voices -- let us be his voice," she wrote.

Political activist and former prisoner Arash Sadeqi hailed Yarrahi for "becoming the voice of the people and amplifying their grievances."

He praised the singer for "not bowing to force" and added, "People will never forget who stood by them in their toughest days."

Your Head Scarf urges women to remove their mandatory head scarves. It was released as officials clamped down on dissent ahead of the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2023.

Amini died in police custody for an alleged hijab violation. Her death sparked the Women, Life, Freedom movement and nationwide unrest over the government's restrictions on women and their daily lives.

Senior Russian missile and air-defense specialists traveled to Iran last year as the Islamic republic expanded its military cooperation with Moscow.

Reuters, which first reported the story, said seven Russian experts visited Iran on April 24 and September 17, 2024.

The visits came at a critical time for Iran, as it was embroiled in a conflict with archfoe Israel, with the two sides launching military attacks against one another in April and October.

Neither Iranian nor Russian officials have commented on the report and there is no formal explanation for the trips. Analysts say that while the visits are noteworthy, they are not surprising.

"There has been a two-way learning process in the Iran-Israel tit-for-tat, which also provided the Russians with data about air defenses," Nicole Grajewski, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Nuclear Policy Program, told RFE/RL.

In addition to domestically developed air-defense systems, Iran also uses Russian S-300 missile-defense systems whose delivery was completed in 2016.

In April 2024, satellite imagery showed that an S-300 radar had been damaged by a limited but precise Israeli strike, which came in retaliation for Iran launching a massive drone and missile attack weeks earlier.

The failure of Russian-supplied air defenses to intercept the Israeli air strikes is another reason the Russian experts may have visited Iran, according to Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow with the Washington Institute.

"One of the main purposes of the visits was to provide Iran with technical assistance to understand what exactly happened and how to defend against Israeli attacks," Nadimi told RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

"They were meant to study the data and improve the performance of air defenses against future attacks, which, as we saw, didn't work out," he added.

Israel last October retaliated against Iran's second and biggest-ever direct attack, targeting key military sites and degrading Tehran's air-defense and missile-production capabilities.

Would A US-Russia Deal Hurt Tehran-Moscow Ties?

The trips to Iran by Russian military experts represent the kind of perk that Tehran is loath to lose if Moscow and Washington reach an agreement requiring Russia to scale back its defense cooperation with the Islamic republic.

Since senior US and Russian officials met in Riyadh last month to normalize relations and end the war in Ukraine, there has been speculation that the Kremlin might give up Iran to get a better deal.

Grajewski argued that Iran and Russia do not have a strong economic relationship, so financially Tehran would not suffer much. But the impact could be felt elsewhere.

"If Russia does completely abandon Iran, Iran would primarily suffer the most in terms of improvements to its conventional military capabilities," she said. "The Russians have been crucial here both for the domestic production of Russian weapons and for the transfer of weaponry."

Iran has provided Russia with cheap but effective drones that have been used against Ukraine over the course of the war, and Western governments have accused Tehran of providing Moscow with ballistic missiles to aid in its 2022 full-scale invasion.

The Washington Institute's Nadimi noted Russia's reliance on Iranian hardware was not due to a lack of technology but rather time, because Iranian drones are cost-effective and quick to produce.

Still, analysts said it was unlikely that any sort of agreement between the Kremlin and US President Donald Trump would result in a long-term change in Russia and Iran's defense cooperation.

"The key thing to remember is that the Russia-Iran relationship has many layers that may persist even with a US-Russia deal," Grajewski said.

She added that "military-to-military channels are so deeply embedded" that technology and knowledge transfer could continue even if only parts of the Russian government remain engaged with Iran.

Fereshteh Ghazi of RFE/RL's Radio Farda contributed to this report.

Iranian filmmakers Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani needed a miracle just to get to the 97th Academy Awards, let alone a second to win an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. They got both.

A last minute visa allowed them to travel to Los Angeles for the awards on March 2, with the pair arriving just three hours before the start of the ceremonies. Not too long afterward, their animated film "In the Shadow Of The Cypress" won.

“It’s a miracle, and speaking in front of this expectant audience is very hard for us,” Molayemi said in his acceptance speech at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

“Yes, if we persevere and remain faithful, miracles will happen.”

Inspired by the aftermath of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, In the Shadow Of The Cypress is a 2D, dialogue-free animation that tells the story of a former ship captain suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who lives with his daughter in a far-flung house by the shores of the Persian Gulf in southern Iran.

Their lives take a turn when they discover a beached whale, setting them on a profound journey of healing.

The filmmakers initially wanted to portray challenging family relations, but then shifted their focus on the devastating conflict and its impact on the families of soldiers returning from war, Molayemi told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda days before the Academy Awards.

“We searched online for stories told by families of war veterans because we were sure the families wouldn’t talk to us, especially given all the bureaucracy and permits that we needed to obtain,” Sohani said.

Who Funded The Animation?

Molayemi said he and Sohani paid out of pocket to produce the film and later approached the state-run Center for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, a production company predating the Islamic republic, to recoup some of the costs.

The filmmakers agreed to give the company just over half of the rights to the film, but the company delayed payment by over a year, during which the value of the Iranian currency had significantly dropped against the dollar.

“The money was worth about half of what it was supposed to,” Molayemi complained.

The production company also demanded some scenes be dropped, including where the daughter shows her hair and the father smokes a cigarette, but the directors resisted.

"In The Shadow Of The Cypress" Makes History

In The Shadow Of The Cypress is the second Iranian film to be nominated in the Best Animated Short category, after Our Uniform by Yeganeh Moghaddam competed at last year’s Academy Awards. But Molayemi and Sohani’s film made history as the first Iranian animation to win.

Molayemi chalked it up to “coincidence” and said the back-to-back nominations “don’t mean animated movies get a lot of support” in Iran.

“These have all been personal efforts. Of course, animations that promote the government's ideology receive backing, but independent animations don’t get any special support."

There was little to no support from Iranian bodies to promote the film abroad as it competed in several high-profile competitions.

Sohani insisted that their movie met the criteria to be in contention for an Academy Award, “but at the Oscars, the quality of the film is not the only determining factor because promotion also pays an important part.”

She said while other movies in the category had the backing of large production companies, “in Iran, we simply didn’t have the financial resources to promote the movie at the level of the other nominees.”

Molayemi echoed his partner’s sentiment, calling In The Shadow Of The Cypress “the most abandoned movie” among the five nominees.

“I hope there is a miracle and they take notice of our movie,” he told Radio Farda, days before the movie made history at the Oscars.

Written by Kian Sharifi based on an interview by Babak Ghafooriazar of RFE/RL’s Radio Farda