In New Report, US Accuses Iran Of Recruiting Child Soldiers
The US State Department has placed Iran in the lowest tier in its assessment of government efforts to combat human trafficking, addressing allegations that Tehran recruits children for military and security purposes, including in armed groups operating in the region.
This classification indicates that a government does not fully meet minimum standards for combating human trafficking and is not making significant efforts to meet them.
Previous State Department reports have documented that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Basij paramilitary force, and Iran-backed armed groups recruited or used members of other vulnerable groups, including Afghan migrants and refugees, for military purposes.
In March, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned an IRGC campaign inviting children as young as 12 to volunteer for activities described as defending the homeland. Advertised duties included cooking, providing medical assistance, distributing supplies, staffing checkpoints, conducting intelligence and operational patrols, and escorting vehicles.
HRW warned that involving children in military or security activities exposed them to serious risks. Although the advertised duties do not establish that every recruit participated in combat, operational and intelligence assignments raise concerns about potential involvement in hostilities.
Separately, reports and images circulating in Iranian media and on social media have also raised concerns about the presence of children among Basij and other security personnel during violent government crackdowns on nationwide protests earlier this year.
Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, conscripting or enlisting children under 15 into armed forces or armed groups, or using them to participate actively in hostilities, can constitute a war crime under applicable conditions. Recruitment or use of older minors may also violate international obligations, depending on the circumstances.
How Iranian Operatives Used AI To Publish Fake Stories In US Media
Ervin B. Hoskins, an American freelance journalist, has penned dozens of articles critical of the US war with Iran in recent months.
Published in smaller US media outlets, his provocative articles cast the United States as the aggressor in the ongoing seven-month war, portrayed Israel as an untrustworthy ally, and framed Iran as a defiant underdog.
But Hoskins, it turns out, is not an American reporter. In fact, he doesn't even exist.
Hoskins was among seven fake journalist personas, all purporting to be from the West, that Iranian operatives used to plant articles in media outlets across the world, including the United States.
That is according to OpenAI, which said in an October 8 report that it had shut down an influence operation from Iran that used ChatGPT to secretly push anti-American propaganda.
"We identified almost 100 articles published or syndicated under the operation's bylines across roughly a dozen online outlets around the world," OpenAI said.
To read the full report, click here.
Why A Starlink Test In Italy Has Iran’s Internet Censors Worried
A Starlink trial on an Italian hilltop connected an ordinary smartphone to the Internet without mobile coverage, a satellite dish, or an external antenna.
The demonstration quickly drew attention in Iran, where Internet access remains heavily filtered and authorities imposed a near-total blackout during the January protests.
As Hannah Kaviani from RFE/RL's Radio Farda program Negah-e-Farda (Iran Tomorrow) explains, for many Iranians the test raised a provocative possibility: getting online without relying on infrastructure the state can control or switch off.
Two Iranians Deny Spying Charges In London Court
Two Iranian men pleaded not guilty in a London court on October 8 to charges of conducting surveillance on the Israeli Embassy and Jewish community sites on behalf of Iranian intelligence services.
Nematollah Shahsavani, 41, a dual Iranian-British citizen, and Alireza Farasati, 22, an Iranian national, appeared at the Old Bailey, London's Central Criminal Court. They are charged under the UK National Security Act 2023 with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service.
The alleged activities took place between July 9 and August 15, 2025, and involved gathering information and conducting reconnaissance on potential targets. These reportedly included the Israeli Embassy and Consulate, Bevis Marks Synagogue -- Britain's oldest synagogue -- and other locations associated with the Jewish community.
The court also heard that an unidentified individual considered of intelligence interest to Iran was among the alleged targets.
Both defendants remain in custody pending a further hearing scheduled for February 12, 2027. Their trial is due to begin on April 26, 2027.
British authorities have repeatedly warned about suspected Iranian intelligence activity in the United Kingdom, including alleged targeting of government critics and Jewish and Israeli-linked individuals and institutions.
Iran has denied involvement in hostile activities abroad. The allegations against both men remain unproven, and they are entitled to a fair trial.
US Sanctions 17 Vessels Linked To Iran's Shadow Fleet
The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions on October 8 targeting 17 vessels and companies accused of helping Iran transport crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemicals in violation of US sanctions.
The action is part of Operation Economic Outcast, a campaign launched in August to restrict Iran's access to foreign revenue and disrupt networks used to evade sanctions.
According to the Treasury Department, the targeted vessels have transported millions of barrels of Iranian oil and petroleum products to markets in South and East Asia. The ships operate under flags registered in multiple jurisdictions, while ownership and management are often linked to companies based in other countries.
The designated vessels include the Comoros-flagged tanker Paritosh, the Panama-flagged Bitu and Starway, and the Bahamas-flagged Gas Lucky. The Treasury Department also sanctioned companies associated with the vessels for operating in Iran's petroleum and petrochemical sectors.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States would continue targeting networks that enable Iran’s oil sales and sanctions evasion.
"Treasury is starving the tyrannical regime in Tehran of the money it uses to wage war in the region, and we will continue exposing those who enable the regime's oil sales," Bessent said in a Treasury Department statement. "No enabler of Iranian sanctions evasion is safe from the full force of Treasury’s authorities."
The measures block relevant property under US jurisdiction and generally prohibit US persons from conducting transactions with designated entities. Certain foreign financial institutions and other non-US actors may also face sanctions exposure for specified dealings with sanctioned parties.
The Treasury Department said it would continue monitoring Iran's shipping networks and taking action against efforts to circumvent sanctions.
Trump Says US Won't Attack Iran Before Midterm Elections
US President Donald Trump said Washington is having "productive" discussions with Iran and won't attack it before the midterm congressional elections in the United States in November.
Trump also claimed that Iran was "in very bad condition," saying it was struggling economically and militarily as US forces continued their naval blockade of traffic to and from Iranian ports.
The blockade "will remain in full force and effect, with Oil flowing in Record Numbers of Barrels through the Hormuz Strait," he wrote in an October 8 post on the Truth Social platform.
Trump said cargoes totaling 22 million barrels of oil had transited the Strait of Hormuz "last night alone," despite continuing security threats in the region. The UKMTO maritime security agency has reported several attacks on vessels in the strait in recent days.
Oil shipments through the crucial waterway have recovered substantially from the disruption caused by the war, although a new surge in tanker attacks has led to a renewed decline in traffic.
In recent weeks, Tehran and Washington have exchanged proposals aimed at ending the war and restoring security in the strait, but the two sides remain divided over the scope of negotiations and Iran's nuclear program.
With reporting by Reuters
Saudi Arabia Reports Missile Damage In Riyadh As Houthis Target Airport
Saudi Arabia said debris from an intercepted missile damaged a kindergarten and a medical complex in the country's capital, Riyadh, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said they had targeted the city's airport.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on October 8 that the group had launched a ballistic missile at Riyadh's King Khalid Airport and warned that all oil facilities in Saudi Arabia were targets for similar attacks.
According to sources familiar with the matter, who spoke with Reuters and dpa, missile debris fell on a terminal building at King Khalid Airport, and pillars of smoke were seen rising from a stationary aircraft there.
Following the incident, the Lufthansa Group and Air India said they were temporarily suspending flights to Riyadh "due to current developments in the Middle East."
The October 8 attack is the latest in a series of strikes that have come as fighting has intensified in Yemen, where government forces backed by Saudi-led coalition air strikes have launched a counteroffensive against the Houthis.
The operation aims to recapture territory seized by the rebels along Yemen's Red Sea coast last month, including areas around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Earlier on October 8, Saudi officials reported that three people had been killed and 36 others injured in earlier attacks on two of the country's international airports.
With reporting by Reuters and dpa
Chinese Refiners Turn To Iraqi, Qatari Crude As Iranian Supplies Fall
China's independent refiners have increased purchases of crude oil from Iraq and Qatar for delivery in October and November as supplies of Iranian oil have declined.
According to Reuters, traders said Chinese refiners had purchased at least 12 million barrels of Iraqi and Qatari crude, while one source estimated total purchases at between 15 million and 20 million barrels.
The bulk of the cargoes are Iraqi Basra Medium and Basra Heavy crude, which are among the cheapest grades available in the Middle East. Chinese refiners have also purchased 3 million barrels of Qatari Al-Shaheen crude for arrival in early November.
China's imports of Iranian oil nearly halved year-on-year in September to about 590,000 barrels per day, the lowest level since January 2023, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.
Kpler also said the volume of Iranian crude stored on tankers outside the US blockade zone had fallen to about 45 million barrels from 100 million barrels in late July.
The company's data showed that Iran loaded no crude for export in September, the first time this had occurred since Kpler began tracking Iranian oil flows in 2013.
Reuters said China's independent refiners have relied heavily on discounted crude from sanctioned producers, particularly Iran, in recent years.
Attacks On Saudi International Airports Leave 3 Dead, 36 Injured
Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said on October 7 that attacks on two international airports had killed three people and injured 36, without assigning responsibility for the attacks.
On October 6 and 7, Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport were struck by "attacks targeting their facilities," the authority said in a statement.
According to the authority, two female residents, a Moroccan and an Algerian, were killed at Abha airport while a Sudanese resident was killed at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
A total of 36 people were injured in the two attacks, including 28 at Abha and eight at King Khalid.
The Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen earlier on October 7 claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi targets, including an attack on the Riyadh airport. The group's military spokesman said the Houthis had used missiles and drones against the airport and targeted Abha Airport with ballistic missiles and drones. The claims were not independently verified.
The attacks came as fighting between Houthi forces and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces intensified along Yemen's Red Sea coast. The Houthis seized the strategic port city of Mokha and other areas near the Bab al-Mandeb strait in September.
The UN International Organization for Migration said on October 7 that more than 200,000 people had been displaced within Yemen since fighting intensified, with nearly all of those displaced since September 1.
France Summons Iranian Ambassador Over 'Disinformation Campaign' About Protests
France summoned Iran's ambassador to Paris on October 7 over what it called a "disinformation campaign" by Iranian authorities concerning student protests that have swept the country.
The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the ambassador had been summoned at the request of Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and told that "false content" disseminated online by official Iranian Foreign Ministry accounts was "absolutely unacceptable."
The ministry also said Iran's decision to summon the French ambassador in Tehran on October 6 was "unfounded."
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on X on October 6 that France had in January called on Iran to respect "peaceful assembly without fear of reprisals" and to show restraint toward protesters.
He contrasted that with France's response to the current protests, saying demonstrations by French students were being described as "urban violence" and that the interior minister was calling for the "swift and decisive intervention" of security forces and the use of force to restore order.
Baghaei also said the French government was attributing the unrest to "political manipulation" and the involvement of far-left groups. He accused France of applying double standards to the right to protest and human rights.
Iran has criticized France's handling of the protests, while Iranian security forces used lethal force during a crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests in January.
Amnesty International has said Iranian security forces used firearms and other prohibited weapons against protesters and that thousands of protesters and bystanders were killed, primarily on January 8 and 9. The organization said verified videos and eyewitness accounts showed security forces repeatedly firing at protesters.
Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned French Ambassador Pierre Cochard in Tehran on October 6, accusing France of a violent response to student protests and widespread human rights violations.
Iranian state media quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying it had reminded France of its human rights commitments and called for respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of its citizens.
France subsequently described the Iranian summons of its ambassador as "unfounded."