World
Iran says US attempting to use unrest to weaken country

Iran faced more international criticism on Monday over the death of a woman in police custody that triggered nationwide protests after Tehran accused the United States of using the unrest to try to destabilise the country, Reuters reported.
Iran has cracked down on the biggest demonstrations since 2019, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16 after she was detained by morality police enforcing the Islamic Republic’s strict restrictions on women’s dress. The case has drawn widespread condemnation.
But the measures have not stopped Iranians from calling for the fall of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the rest of the clerical establishment, read the report.
Canada will impose sanctions on those responsible for the death of Amini, including Iran’s morality police unit and its leadership, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday.
“We’ve seen Iran disregarding human rights time and time again, now we see it with the death of Mahsa Amini and the crackdown on protests,” Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa.
Activist Twitter account 1500tasvir posted videos it said showed street protests late on Monday in different parts of Tehran, and footage where residents could be heard shouting “Death to Khamenei” from their homes. Reuters could not verify the videos.
Women have played a prominent role in the protests, waving and burning their veils, Reuters reported.
Human rights group Hengaw posted a video which it said showed protesters cheering in Sanandaj, capital of Kurdistan province, as women took off their headscarves to protest forced hijab. In a later video, heavy shooting could be heard as streets appeared to be filled with tear gas.
Another video posted on social media purported to show security forces opening fire late on Monday during protests in Sardasht, a town with a large Kurdish population. Reuters could not verify the videos.
Iran said the United States was supporting rioters and seeking to destabilise the Islamic Republic.
“Washington is always trying to weaken Iran’s stability and security although it has been unsuccessful,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in a statement.
On his Instagram page, Kanaani accused the leaders of the United States and some European countries of abusing a tragic incident in support of “rioters” and ignoring “the presence of millions of people in the streets and squares of the country in support of the system”.
Also on Monday, Germany summoned the Iranian ambassador in Berlin to urge Tehran to stop its crackdown and allow peaceful protests. Asked about the possibility of further sanctions on Tehran in response to the violence, a German foreign ministry spokesperson had earlier said, “We will consider all options” with other European Union states.
According to Reuters last week, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran’s morality police over allegations of abuse of Iranian women, saying it held the unit responsible for the death of Amini.
Students from the Dentistry Faculty of the University of Tabriz, with the exception of the emergency department, took part in a strike on Monday and refused to participate in classes, said the activist Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
The strikes were conducted to protest against widespread arrests of students and forceful encounters with security forces in Iranian universities, it said.
On Sunday, Iran summoned the British and Norwegian ambassadors over what it called interference and hostile media coverage of the unrest, Reuters reported.
The anti-government protests are the largest to sweep Iran since demonstrations over fuel prices in 2019, when Reuters reported 1,500 people were killed in a crackdown on protesters – the bloodiest bout of internal unrest in the Islamic Republic’s history.
At least 41 people have been killed since Sept. 17, according to state TV.
President Ebrahim Raisi has said Iran ensures freedom of expression and that he has ordered an investigation into Amini’s death.
A leading Iranian teachers’ union, in a statement posted on social media on Sunday, called for teachers and students to stage the first national strike since the unrest began, on Monday and Wednesday, Reuters reported.
In a video circulating on social media, the sister of a man killed in the anti-government demonstrations, Javad Heydari, cut her hair on his grave in defiance of Iran’s Islamic dress code. Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the video.
The state has organised rallies to try to defuse the crisis.
Although the demonstrations over Amini’s death are a major challenge to the government, analysts see no immediate threat to Iran’s leaders because the elite security forces have stamped out protests in the past.
Iran has blamed armed Iranian Kurdish dissidents of involvement in the unrest, particularly in the northwest where most of Iran’s up to 10 million Kurds live.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched an artillery and drone attack on Iranian militant opposition bases in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, the second such attack in two days, state media said.
World
Trump says he is seeking ‘real end’ to Iran’s nuclear program
He said he is instead seeking “a real end,” which involves Iran “giving up entirely” on nukes.

US President Donald Trump said early Tuesday that he is seeking “a real end” to Iran’s nuclear program, adding that he will be monitoring developments in the Middle East from the White House later in the day.
Speaking to reporters on his return flight from a G7 leaders’ summit in Canada, Trump ruled out the possibility of calling for a ceasefire in the Iran-Israel conflict.
“I didn’t say I was looking for a ceasefire,” he said, CBS News reporter Jennifer Jacobs posted on X. Instead, he stressed the need for Iran to give up its nuclear activities completely.
He said he is instead seeking “a real end,” which involves Iran “giving up entirely” on nukes.
On Israel’s ongoing military strikes, Trump said: “The Israelis aren’t slowing up their barrage on Iran. You’re going to find out over the next two days. You’re going to find out. Nobody’s slowed up so far.”
On any potential threat to US interests, Trump said Iran knows not to touch US troops, warning that the US would “come down so hard if they do anything to our people.”
Asked about sending US emissaries such as Steven Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance to meet with Iranian officials, Trump remained noncommittal. “I may,” he said, adding that his decision “depends what happens when I get back.”
Asked about calls for Iran’s capital Tehran to evacuate, Trump said he wants “people to be safe.”
When asked whether the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman and the US defense secretary have provided him with military planning options should Iran attack US bases in the Middle East, Trump declined to comment, saying: “I can’t tell you that.”
Trump also commented on whether the Gang of Eight – a group of US congressional leaders with access to sensitive intelligence – has been briefed on the situation, he said they would, but “it’s not necessary” at this stage.
On the possibility of US involvement in the conflict leading to the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program, Trump expressed hope that Iran’s program “is wiped out long before that.”
Tensions in the region have intensified since Friday, following Israeli airstrikes targeting several locations across Iran, including military and nuclear sites, which triggered retaliatory attacks from Tehran.
Israeli officials reported that Iranian missile strikes have killed at least 24 people and injured hundreds.
Iran stated that the Israeli attacks have resulted in at least 224 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries.
World
Britain appoints first female head of MI6 spy agency
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is currently in Canada for the G7 summit, said Metreweli’s appointment comes when Britain is “facing threats on an unprecedented scale”.

Britain on Sunday named Blaise Metreweli, a career intelligence officer, as the first female head of the Secret Intelligence Service, the foreign spy service known as MI6, Reuters reported.
Metreweli, 47, who is currently MI6’s head of technology, known as “Q”, joined the Secret Intelligence Service in 1999, and has spent most of her career in operational roles in the Middle East and Europe, the government said in a statement.
Richard Moore, the current chief of MI6, will step down in the autumn after a five-year tenure.
“I am proud and honoured to be asked to lead my service,” said Metreweli, who takes on one of the most powerful jobs in Western intelligence and will be known by the code name “C”.
MI6, founded in 1909, joins the other main British spy agencies, the domestic spy service MI5, and the intelligence communications agency GCHQ, in having appointed a female head.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is currently in Canada for the G7 summit, said Metreweli’s appointment comes when Britain is “facing threats on an unprecedented scale”.
“I know Blaise will continue to provide the excellent leadership needed to defend our country,” he said.
Metreweli’s biggest challenges are likely to be dealing with Russia, China and Iran, read the report.
Britain’s spy agencies have accused Russia of waging a campaign of sabotage across Europe to scare other countries off from backing Ukraine in its fight against a Russian invasion.
Moore in 2021 said China was the single greatest priority for his spy agency, while MI5 said last year that Iran had been behind 20 plots to kill, kidnap or target dissidents or political opponents in Britain since 2022.
MI6, depicted by novelists as the employer of some of the most memorable fictional spies, from John le Carré’s George Smiley to Ian Fleming’s James Bond, operates overseas and is tasked with defending Britain and its interests.
Metreweli previously held a director-level role in MI5, and studied anthropology at the University of Cambridge, the government said.
MI5 has had two female bosses, starting with Stella Rimington in 1992. Eliza Manningham-Buller ran MI5 between 2002 and 2007, Reuters reported.
In 2023, Britain named its first female director of GCHQ.
Metreweli’s appointment comes three decades after the actress Judi Dench first played a female boss of MI6 in the James Bond film “GoldenEye”.
World
Trump hosts grand military parade in Washington DC amid nationwide backlash
With a price tag estimated between $25 million and $45 million, critics slammed the parade as wasteful and evocative of authoritarian imagery

US President Donald Trump presided over a large-scale military parade in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, commemorating both his 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
The event, held along Constitution Avenue and the National Mall, featured approximately 6,600 troops, a cavalcade of 150 military vehicles, and aerial demonstrations with over 50 helicopters and aircraft—including historical reenactments and modern systems like HIMARS rocket units.
Trump, arriving behind bullet‑proof glass at around 6 pm gave a patriotic address lauding the “legacy of unmatched courage” of American soldiers and swore in 250 new recruits.
As tanks rumbled and troops marched, a fireworks display capped the ceremony later that evening.
With a price tag estimated between $25 million and $45 million, critics slammed the parade as wasteful and evocative of authoritarian imagery—especially as it mirrored similar displays in France and Russia.
Supporters argued it was a fitting tribute to the armed forces, marking a rare public celebration of the Army’s 250th anniversary.
Simultaneously, millions marched across the country under the “No Kings” banner—decrying Trump’s policies and warning of democratic backsliding. Over 2,000 protests took place nationwide, from New York to Los Angeles.
While mostly peaceful, some demonstrations turned violent—officers deployed tear gas in cities like L.A. and Portland and, tragically, a politically motivated shooting in Minnesota left two lawmakers dead.
The event however underscored deep political divides: patriotic celebration for the president’s base vs. fears of authoritarian symbolism voiced by his opponents.
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