September 16
Military: President Pezeshkian refuted allegations that the missile the Houthis launched at central Israel on September 15 was supplied by Tehran. "It takes a person a week to travel to Yemen (from Iran), how could this missile have gotten there? We don't have such missiles to provide to Yemen," he said in a televised address.
Human Rights: On the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody, which sparked a wave of anti-regime protests focused on women’s rights, the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand issued a joint statement affirming their support for Iranian women and human rights activists. "We stand with women and girls in Iran, and Iranian human rights defenders, across all segments of society in their ongoing daily fight for human rights and fundamental freedoms," said the statement. Additionally, they emphasized their commitment to holding human rights offenders accountable through sanctions and visa restrictions.
Domestic: More than 30 valuable paintings on loan from the Imam Ali Religious Arts Museum have gone missing, an official revealed during a Tehran City Council session on municipal assets. The paintings were reportedly given to an entity outside of Tehran for an artistic exhibition that never took place. One painting had an estimated value of $500,000. “We’ve tried to follow up on this, but not only have we not received a report, but no one has provided a clear answer about where the valuable artworks are,” said councilmember Nasser Amani.
September 17
International: Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu met with Iranian leaders in Tehran after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang. President Masoud Pezeshkian pledged to upgrade bilateral ties with Moscow. “Relations between Tehran and Moscow will develop in a permanent, continuous and lasting way. Deepening and strengthening relations and cooperation between Iran and Russia will reduce the impact of sanctions,” he said. Shoigu also met with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
Human Rights: Christian Weber, an Austrian citizen imprisoned in Iran since 2022, was released to the Austrian ambassador in Tehran. Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said that Weber was “abducted and detained” in August 2022 shortly after entering Iran and imprisoned in the West Azerbaijan province on espionage charges, which were later dropped. Iran’s judiciary news agency described the release an act of “Islamic mercy.”
Human Rights: At least 1,425 people have been executed in Iran since Mahsa Amini’s death in policy custody sparked nationwide protests in September 2022, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights Organization reported. The tally was nearly double the figure in the two years prior to the the protests. The sharp increase, however, was mainly due to executions for drug-related crimes. “The death penalty is the Islamic Republic’s most crucial tool for instilling fear in society, aiming to stifle dissent and preventing future protests," said Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.