September 23
Nuclear: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran was ready to resume nuclear talks. “If the other parties are ready, we can restart the negotiations during this trip,” he wrote on X. He announced that he would remain in New York for several days after the U.N. General Assembly to meet with foreign counterparts.
September 24
International: In his debut address to the U.N. General Assembly, President Masoud Pezeshkian said that he wants Iran to play a “constructive role in the evolving global order.” He also signaled willingness to engage with Western powers on reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement. Pezeshkian accused Israel of committing “crimes against humanity” in Gaza.
Nuclear: Rafael Grossi, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, said that Iran had "expressed willingness to re-engage" with the International Atomic Energy Agency in a "more meaningful fashion." Iran has barred inspectors and failed to provide adequate explanations for uranium traces found at undeclared sites.
Military: Iran brokered talks between Russia and the Houthis to provide the Yemeni rebels with anti-ship Yakhont missiles, three anonymous sources told Reuters. Houthi and Russian representatives have met in Tehran at least twice in 2024 with an upcoming meeting expected, said two officials with knowledge of the situation. The Yakhont missiles had a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) and would allow the Houthis to strike commercial vessels with greater precision. Russia previously provided Yakhont missiles to Hezbollah.
International: Sweden accused Iran of hacking a text messaging service in summer 2023 after anti-Muslim protesters set multiple copies of the Quran on fire. Anzu, a hacking group working on behalf of the Revolutionary Guards, sent messages vowing "revenge against Quran-burners" to over 15,000 users, according to Swedish intelligence services. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said the goal of the attack was to "destabilize Sweden or increase polarisation." Iran’s embassy in Stockholm dismissed the allegations as “baseless.”
September 25
Domestic: Parliament blocked the appointment of Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh, a Sunni politician, as vice president for rural development and disadvantaged areas. One hundred seven lawmakers voted in favor of his appointment, 129 opposed it, and five abstained. Member of Parliament Mehrdad Lahouti claimed that the blocked appointment was due to Hosseinzadeh’s strong capabilities as a lawmaker and “completely unrelated” to his faith.
Human Rights: Authorities executed four prisoners, including Malek Hossein Torkashvand, a Kurdish prisoner from Malayer imprisoned on drug-related charges. Three other prisoners, Ali Afrooz, Saeed Alimardani, and Mohammad Ghasaban were executed in Lahijan and Qazvin prisons after convictions on murder and drug-related charges.