Iranian Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence For Iranian MMA Fighter
Iran's Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence issued against Benjamin Naghdi, a 26-year-old mixed martial arts fighter and kickboxer who was arrested during nationwide protests in January, his defense lawyer said.
According to a July 30 report by the US-based rights group HRANA, Naghdi's lawyer, Mustafa Nili, announced that the court had rejected the appeal and upheld the death sentence issued against Naghdi by the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz in June on the charge of “spreading corruption on earth.”
“The ruling was formally served on the defense lawyers yesterday, and we will soon file a request for a retrial,” he said.
According to Nili, Naghdi was arrested in Shiraz on January 3 for allegedly discharging a fire extinguisher and directing it toward law enforcement officers as massive demonstrations across Iran entered a sixth consecutive night.
Before his arrest, Naghdi was active in martial arts and had won championship titles, HRANA says.
Naghdi's case comes amid growing concern from human rights organizations over Iran's increasing use of the death penalty.
Iran is one of the world's leading executioners, according to human rights groups, who say Tehran is using using the current war with the United States to justify its increased use of capital punishment and spread fear among Iranians.
According to the Iran Human Rights group, at least 430 people have been put to death in Iran so far this year.
Pakistan Says US-Iran Negotiations Ongoing
- By Daud Khattak
As the United States and Iran resumed strikes against each other after a calm of roughly 48 hours, Pakistan says the two sides are negotiating to normalize the situation.
Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told journalists in Islamabad on July 30 that “negotiations between the parties are ongoing to normalize the situation, particularly the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Expressing his country’s concern over the resumption of strikes, Andrabi said “Pakistan is engaged and will continue to play its role” in bringing the two sides back to negotiations.
“Amid the prevailing tension and hostilities, Pakistan reiterates that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path forward,” he said while voicing his country’s support for “all efforts” that may lead to peace and stability in the region.
Andrabi said Pakistan is doing its “utmost to bring the parties back" to the Islamabad Memorandum f Understanding. He added that Pakistan has been encouraging the parties to exercise maximum restraint and fully adhere to their commitment to resume technical-level talks.
Pakistan hosted the US and Iranian delegations in April for their first publicly declared talks since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The two sides later signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in June as part of efforts to move toward a lasting peace in the Middle East.
That framework agreement has since unraveled.
Iranian Strike Kills 1 In Kuwait, Jordan Says It Downed 5 Missiles
An Iranian strike hit a building belonging to a Chinese company in northern Kuwait on July 30, killing one worker and causing extensive damage, Kuwaiti authorities said.
The victim's nationality was not immediately disclosed.
In a statement, the Kuwaiti Defense Ministry described the incident as "heinous Iranian aggression" and said it caused "severe material damage" to the building.
Elsewhere, Jordan's military said its air defenses intercepted and shot down five missiles "launched from Iran" earlier on July 30, with no casualties reported.
Kuwait, Jordan and other countries hosting US military facilities have faced repeated Iranian attacks since the outbreak of the war in the Persian Gulf in late February.
With reporting by AFP and dpa
Egypt Says Fire At Mediterranean Port Caused By Drone
The Egyptian cabinet said on July 30 that an initial investigation found a fire aboard two vessels at the key gas port of Damietta the previous day had been caused by a drone of unknown origin.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the suspected attack, and authorities said investigations were continuing to "determine the circumstances" and safeguard national security.
The fire, which broke out on a regasification ship and a storage vessel during cargo unloading operations, caused no injuries or fatalities.
The incident comes amid escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran.
With reporting by dpa
US Carries Out 'Heavy Wave' Of Strikes On Iran In Response To Attacks On Gulf State Sites
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces carried out a "heavy wave" of strikes against Iranian targets in what it described as a response to Tehran's attempted missile attacks on US forces in the Persian Gulf. (Video by RFE/RL's Radio Farda and Will Tizard)
US Military Completes 'Heavy Wave' Of Strikes Against Iran
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on July 30 that its forces had completed "a heavy wave" of strikes against Iranian targets in what it described as a response to Tehran's attempted missile attacks on US forces in the Gulf.
"CENTCOM assets struck dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense sites, and maritime capabilities," the US military said in a post on X.
A senior US official had earlier confirmed to RFE/RL that the military was carrying out strikes inside Iran.
Iranian state media reported hits on several cities in the southwestern Khuzestan Province, as well as on Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf.
According to CENTCOM, IRGC forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran on July 28 in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East, adding that all the Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted.
We are now closing the live blog until 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.
US Launches Strikes On Iran After Reported Attack On Base In Jordan
The US military launched strikes against Iran late on July 29, saying the operation was in response to what Washington described as Iranian attacks on US forces in the Middle East.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X that the strikes began at 8 p.m. ET (00:00 GMT).
"The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday's attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East," CENTCOM said.
A senior US official confirmed to RFE/RL that the US Army was carrying out strikes inside Iran.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations.
According to US officials, the action follows an attack on Tuesday, July 28, in which Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired five missiles at a US military base in Jordan. Hours later, the US and Saudi Arabia struck Iran-backed militias in Iraq, escalating tensions across the region.
US President Donald Trump earlier on Wednesday signaled that military action was imminent. In an interview with Fox News, he said the United States would respond forcefully to the alleged Iranian attack.
Later on July 29, speaking at the White House, Trump told reporters it was the US military's "turn" to strike Iran. "They know it's coming. They're asking us not to do it, but they tried shooting at us last night," Trump said.
The latest strikes follow a brief pause in US military operations against Iran after Trump delayed further action over the weekend to leave room for possible diplomatic engagement with Tehran.
The renewed military action raises fears of a broader regional conflict as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate.
Drone Reportedly Hits US-Owned Gas Vessel At Egyptian Port
A drone struck a US-owned floating gas storage vessel at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta on July 29, British maritime security firm Ambrey said, in an incident that could signal a further widening of conflict across the Middle East.
Egypt's Petroleum Ministry confirmed a fire involving a gasification vessel and a storage vessel at the port but did not identify the cause.
It said the blaze was quickly contained, with no injuries or fatalities, and Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi visited the site to oversee the response.
Three trading sources said the drone hit the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Energos Winter, causing a fire that spread to another tanker, Gaslog Salem.
Two security sources said the blast was assessed as likely caused by a drone strike, while maritime risk management firm Vanguard said the vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile.
Responsibility for the incident was not immediately clear.
It came hours after Iran launched missiles at US forces in Jordan, while Washington and Saudi Arabia struck Iran-backed groups in Iraq, raising concerns the conflict could spread further across the region.
Reuters verified videos showing the damaged vessels at Damietta port.
With reporting by Reuters
CENTCOM Says 1,000 Ships Passed Through Hormuz With US Support In Last 3 Months
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) has said that commercial shipping continued to transit the Strait of Hormuz with American military support, despite what it described as threats and attempted attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
In a post on X on July 26, CENTCOM said its forces had helped about 1,000 vessels carrying 500 million barrels of crude oil pass through the waterway since early May.
It also rejected the IRGC's claims that international shipping should use only routes approved that it had approved, saying the Strait of Hormuz "is an international waterway" and the IRGC "has no authority to dictate routes."