Month: May 2026

The Independent – Defense Department not investigating reports of US bombing schools and hospitals in Iran, military chief says

The Department of Defense is not investigating U.S. bombings that reportedly destroyed 22 Iranian schools and 17 healthcare facilities, according to the commander leading U.S. forces in Iran.

U.S. Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper told members of Congress that there is “no way” and “no indication” that the military can corroborate reports in The New York Times that detailed the alleged destruction using satellite imagery and verified video and social media footage.

“There is no indication that we have that has been corroborated,” Cooper told Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand during Thursday’s Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing. “There is no way we can corroborate that. No indication of that whatsoever, senator.”

His admission comes two months after a preliminary internal investigation linked American forces to a lethal strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed 150 children, according to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations.

Military investigators believe American forces were likely responsible for a strike that analysts and human rights officials believe is the deadliest incident for civilian casualties since President Donald Trump’s administration and Israeli forces began attacking the country in February.

The total death toll from that strike, which has reportedly exceeded 175 people, has not been independently confirmed.

More than 1,700 civilians have been killed in Iran since U.S. strikes began, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

But Cooper says the military has identified only one potential incident in which Iranian civilians were killed among more than 13,600 U.S. airstrikes.

Last month, The New York Times analyzed strikes that reportedly hit 22 schools and 17 healthcare facilities.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society, a humanitarian relief organization, says nearly 800 schools and more than 300 healthcare facilities have been damaged or destroyed.

Cooper testified that civilian protections are a “particular passion” of his and the military has “gone above and beyond” to warn civilians of attacks. He said he “personally” warned Iranians.

He said there is “no indication” that public reports of the alleged scope of civilian death and destruction can be corroborated.

“Well, indication is what’s publicly available,” Gillibrand fired back. “There is indication. Have you investigated those claims?”

“We have not,” Cooper said.

“Why have you not?” Gillibrand asked. “If this is a ‘passion’ of yours, if you believe that civilian casualties are not consistent with the law of war, not consistent with human rights obligations that our military regularly follows with great pride and great diligence, why have you not investigated those allegations, when they’re publicly being made on the cover of The New York Times?”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the White House previously confirmed that the Pentagon is investigating the strike on the elementary school in Minab on February 28.

Evidence from data analysts reviewing satellite imagery, video and social media appears to show the school was hit by a precision strike and may have been hit more than once, The Independent previously reported.

Maps from the Department of Defense also appear to show two Iranian air defense targets surrounding the school’s location, which is within what the Pentagon describes as a “U.S./Israeli strikes” zone.

Outside military analysts also have suggested that the Pentagon’s AI-driven targeting — or human error that failed to check whether target maps were up to date — may have played a role in the strikes.

More than two months later, the future of that investigation remains unclear.

The Pentagon has also gutted the office tasked with mitigating civilian harm, according to Ret. Master Sgt. Wes J. Bryant, a former senior policy analyst and adviser on precision warfare at the Pentagon’s Civilian Protection Center of Excellence.

The Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response was formalized in 2022, encompassing 200 personnel, including roughly 30 at Bryant’s Civilian Protection Center of Excellence.

Only a handful of positions were restarted to backfill roles during operations in Iran.

Without that oversight explicitly designed to prevent civilian harm, Central Command essentially scrapped what could have been months of work to prevent a tragedy like the one in Minab, Bryant told ProPublica earlier this year.

During Thursday’s hearing, Senator Mark Kelly urged Cooper to restaff the Civilian Harm office.

“If you were to find out that there was an error in the targeting process, would you reinstate some of those people that were removed from that team?” Kelly asked.

Cooper called the question “hypothetical.”

“We’ll just see what the investigation says,” he said.

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AOL – Centcom office focused on reducing civilian deaths cut from 10 employees to 1

U.S. Central Command (Centcom) head Adm. Brad Cooper confirmed Thursday that the office focused on civilian-harm reduction for the military arm was cut from 10 employees to one, a revelation that follows a deadly bombing of an Iranian school at the start of America’s war against Tehran.

Cooper, the top U.S. military leader in the Middle East, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the nine people were “playing a key role in helping us move from compliance to culture” when it comes to the Biden-era Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response action plan.

He said the nine are still focused on reducing civilian casualties but are now “integrated into other capacities,” insisting that “dozens, if not hundreds of people” are involved in the issue writ large.

Preliminary findings from an ongoing military investigation found that a Feb. 28 Tomahawk strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school building — which killed at least 175 people, most of them children, according to Iranian officials — was due to a targeting error by the U.S. military.

Centcom officers created target coordinates for the strike using outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, people briefed on the investigation told The New York Times in March.

Asked by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) how many civilians have been killed or injured over the course of the Iran war, Cooper declined to give an estimate, noting that the investigation into the school strike is still ongoing.

“The investigation on the one incident that we’ve had after more than 13,000 strikes is still underway,” he said. “We’ll certainly be transparent with that one when we can. This is a matter that I’m passionate about. I’d like to use the occasion to invite you, other members of the committee and your staffs to Tampa to take a look at what our targeting process looks like.”

The Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that at least 1,700 Iranian civilians have been killed in the war.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) asked Cooper about a New York Times report that 22 schools and multiple hospitals have been hit during the war.

“There’s no way we can corroborate that,” Cooper replied. “No indication of that whatsoever.”

A group of Senate Democrats last month pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about cuts to offices that limit risk to civilian casualties and their impact during America’s air campaign against Iran, currently on pause under a ceasefire.

In a letter led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the lawmakers referenced four incidents where the U.S. military was or may have been responsible for civilian harm inside Iran, including the Tomahawk missile strike on the girls elementary school; a ballistic missile strike on an elementary school and sports hall in Lamerd where at least 21 people were killed; and an attack on a major highway bridge near Tehran where a minimum of eight people were killed.

“We are concerned that these were all preventable tragedies. The high human toll of this war reflects the administration’s broader disregard for the strategic, legal, and moral imperative to minimize civilian harm,” the senators wrote.

The Hill asked President Trump about the Shajareh Tayyebeh school bombing last week.

“That’s under study,” Trump said. “We’ll give you a report when we have it.”

 

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Newsmax – Admiral Vows to Investigate Civilian Deaths in Iran

Adm. Brad Cooper stressed that the United States does everything possible to avoid civilian deaths.

Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, said a strike on an Iranian school that killed 175 people may have resulted from a U.S. airstrike. But he asserted that the strike led to the only civilian casualties of the 10-week war.

The New York Times said it has verified damage to 22 schools and 17 healthcare centers, while the Iranian Red Crescent Society, the country’s primary humanitarian relief organization, asserted last month that at least 763 schools and 316 medical sites had been damaged or destroyed in the war.

At least 1,700 Iranian civilians have been killed in the war, the Human Rights Activists News Agency said.

“How do you explain the publicly available information that 22 schools have been hit and multiple hospitals?” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., asked at a recent hearing.

“There’s no way we can corroborate that,” Cooper replied. “No indication of that whatsoever.”

Cooper vowed the U.S. would release the result of the investigation into the strike at Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school.

Preliminary findings determined the strike was the result of a targeting mistake by the U.S. military; the intended target was an adjacent Iranian base, the Times reported.

Cooper acknowledged that his staff had not investigated any of the incidents published in the Times or by human rights groups, but stressed he was passionate about preventing civilian deaths.

The admiral noted the military had done what it could to warn Iranians about the potential for civilian deaths.

“Our staff specifically warned the Iranian people more than 100 times about the threat of them being used as human shields,” Cooper said. “I personally warned the Iranian people.”

Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, told the Times the Pentagon would investigate any suspected civilian casualties.

The team focused on civilian casualties at Central Command has been reduced from 10 officers to one, Cooper said.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., implored Cooper to reinstate officers to a civilian harm mitigation team.

“If you were to find out that there was an error in the targeting process, would you reinstate some of those people that were removed from that team?” Kelly asked.

“Sir, it’s a hypothetical,” Cooper replied. “We’ll just see what the investigation says.”

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Eurasia Review – Iran Has Carried Out Nearly 30 Political Executions Since Start Of US-Israel War

Iran executed two men on May 13 as the accelerated campaign of political hangings since the start of the war with the United States and Israel shows no signs of abating.

Ehsan Afrashteh, a cybersecurity and network specialist, was hanged on charges of espionage for Israel, Tehran’s archfoe, early in the day.

By late evening, Mohammad Abbasi, who took part in mass protests in January, was executed at Ghezel Hesar Prison on charges of killing a security officer in Malard, a town near Tehran.

Abbasi’s family was summoned to prison for what they were told would be a visit, only to be turned away at the gate, according to the US-based rights group HRANA. They later learned of his execution by phone.

The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency, which did not link Abbasi to the MEK, framed his hanging as “qisas,” an Islamic concept that refers to a retributive execution carried out at the request of the victim’s family.

The Islamic republic had published footage of his trial, in which he was accused of killing a member of the security forces during the peak of the mass protests on January 8-9.

Weeks of nationwide demonstrations against Iran’s clerical rulers erupted in late December. The authorities responded with an unprecedented crackdown, killing several thousand protesters.

In Afrashteh’s case, two sources who spoke to RFE/RL’s Radio Farda said he was approached by a foreign intelligence service while visiting Turkey. He informed Iran’s Intelligence Ministry before he returned home only to be arrested at Imam Khomeini International Airport the moment he landed and transferred to prison, the sources said.

HRANA had previously reported that Afrashteh’s confessions during detention were “fabricated,” he had rejected the charges, and his family’s assets had been seized and relatives placed under surveillance.

Rights groups and sources close to the family say Afrashteh’s case illustrates the Islamic republic’s use of forced confessions and wartime courts to eliminate perceived security threats.

‘Political Purge’
The executions are the latest in an intensifying campaign of hangings since March 18 — weeks after the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign of Iran.

There have been at least 29 confirmed political executions since then. They fall under three broad categories: protesters who took part in the mass demonstrations in January and charged with moharebeh, or “enmity against God”; members or alleged members of the exiled opposition group Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK) convicted of armed rebellion; and those convicted of spying for the CIA or Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency.

Rights organizations have condemned the trials of those executed. The Oslo-based Center for Human Rights in Iran in April said many of the trials were marked by “torture, forced confessions, and the complete absence of due process.”

Iran Human Rights Monitor, a foreign-based group that documents human rights abuses, characterized the pace of executions as “a political purge” exploiting wartime conditions.

“The regime’s priority is not external war, but internal suppression,” it said in an April statement, noting the number of political executions in the first six weeks of the war already exceeded the total for all of 2025.

Last month, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk called on Iran to “establish a moratorium on the use of capital punishment” and release prisoners “arbitrarily detained.”

“I am appalled that — on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict — the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities, in harsh and brutal ways,” he said.

Iran is one of the world’s biggest executioners, hanging hundreds of people per year, many for drug-related offenses and homicide.

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NewsNation – Iran regime executes father, imprisons daughter for protest participation

A father who participated in the January protests, which resulted in a massacre of Iranian citizens, was executed Wednesday, according to human rights groups’ reports.

Mohammad Abbasi, who was being held at the Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, was executed this week. He was arrested during the January protests, according to the U.S.-based human rights group the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Abbasi’s daughter, Fatemeh Abbasi, was sentenced to a 25-year prison sentence and is being held at Evin Prison in Tehran.

An Iranian refugee, who spoke to NewsNation under the condition of anonymity for fear of their safety, said, “On Wednesday they (the regime) executed the father of a girl who had gone to participate in the protests together with his daughter. The daughter was sentenced to 25 years in prison.”

The refugee said that the daughter will most likely be subjected to vicious torture and sexual assault while imprisoned.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran stated that Abbasi was “sentenced to death on charges of ‘enmity against God’ in connection with the alleged killing of a police officer by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.”

Another Iranian refugee, the founding leader of the Conservative Party of Iran, Rayan Amiri, expressed his despair over the latest execution of a protester.

“This is a totalitarian regime, a textbook totalitarian regime. They execute people randomly to intimidate, to inflict fear upon society, and through that fear they rule. It is a rule of fear and coercion,” Amiri said.

Refugee claims White House ‘lied’ about Iran executions
Amiri has been critical of President Donald Trump and his administration’s comments about regime change and putting an end to prisoner protests.

“This indicates that the U.S., the Trump White House, has lost the narrative, especially after the president told people to keep fighting, only for them to end up in this situation. Trump said executions decreased, they increased, he lied.”

Trump encouraged protesters on Jan. 13 to keep fighting against the regime.

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!”

Additionally, Trump continually states the U.S. has brought upon a regime change, saying the U.S. has “won the war” earlier this month.

Trump announced Iran stopped the execution of eight Iranians at his request. However, the HRANA still lists a protester, Bita Hemmati as a detained protester sentenced to death, who was among the women the president mentioned.

Iran regime focused on ‘smothering any threat’ including its own people: Retired commander
Retired Lt. Col. Mike Nelson, who has extensive experience with U.S. Central Command, told NewsNation that regime harliners remain in control, despite the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this year.

“This is further confirmation that the hardliners remain in control, the regime is primarily focused on its own survival and smothering any threat of popular uprising, and they do not seem cowed by American statements to stop this,” Nelson said.

NewsNation informed the White House of the father’s execution, and his daughter’s imprisonment as well as stated Iranian refugees that spoke with NewsNation said President Trump said executions were paused when in fact, they are increasing under the regime’s control presently.

The White House offered a similar statement to the one they provided last week when asked about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Iran.

“President Trump will never allow Iran – a nation that brutally kills its own people for merely speaking out against the regime’s oppression, chants ‘Death to America’, and is the world’s leading state sponsor of terror – to obtain a nuclear weapon,” said White House spokesperson Olivia Wales.

Protester executed after alleged forced confession to working with CIA
NewsNation reported earlier this week that an Iranian aerospace engineering master’s student has been executed by hanging by the IRGC, according to human rights groups, on charges of “espionage.”

Erfan Shakourzadeh, 29, was videotaped by the regime under distress and allegedly gave a forced confession to working with the CIA and Mossad agents. He was arrested two years ago and held in prison until his execution in Ghezel-Hesar Prison near Karaj.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported this month, “Executions of prisoners on political and security-related charges have increased alongside the outbreak of military conflict in Iran.”

The sources who spoke with NewsNation say the number of deaths during the January protests is closer to 30,000, but an exact number is difficult to reach.

NetBlocks reported that the internet shutdown controlled by the regime in Iran has reached its 77th day, alienating Iranians from the outside world.

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, Iran’s judiciary chief, who was appointed by former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2021, has asked for hastening the process of executions, NewsNation reported in April.

The Iranian refugee said that while the U.S. conflict with Iran continues, the regime’s total control of the Iranian people has remained the same.

“For years, they had been preparing society for Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father (former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), and now he has become the leader without any resistance or difficulty.” They continued, “There is nothing left for us anymore.”

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MSN – Iran executes aerospace engineer over CIA, Mossad spy charges

Iranian authorities executed 29-year-old aerospace engineer and satellite researcher Erfan Shakourzadeh at dawn on 11 May 2026 at Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj. The judiciary accused him of collaborating with the CIA and Mossad, alleging he passed classified satellite project information via online platforms in exchange for cryptocurrency. His execution followed a Supreme Court ruling upholding his death sentence, with no public disclosure of trial evidence.

A chilling signal in crackdown on academics
Shakourzadeh’s case mirrors those of other elite Iranian students prosecuted on national security charges, such as astronomy medalist Ali Younesi. Authorities have increasingly targeted individuals in aerospace, satellite, and advanced engineering sectors, citing fears of foreign infiltration amid cyber conflict and sanctions. Rights groups warn this sends a deterrent message to young scientists in sensitive strategic fields.

Rights groups condemn execution and alleged torture
Human rights organisations condemned the execution as a state crime, citing Shakourzadeh’s claims of eight to nine months of severe torture and solitary confinement to force a confession. He was reportedly denied a final family visit, and his transfer to Ghezel Hesar prison days earlier was seen as a precursor to execution. Activists argue the case lacked due process, independent legal representation, and credible evidence.

From arrest to execution: the case against Shakourzadeh
Shakourzadeh, a top graduate in aerospace engineering and satellite technology, was arrested by IRGC intelligence in February 2025. The judiciary alleged he sought CIA contact to secure a visa and study abroad, and that he shared sensitive workplace details. He denied all charges in a smuggled note, calling them fabricated and urging others not to let ‘another innocent life be taken in silence.’

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The Times of Israel – Iran executes man accused of spying on behalf of Mossad

Iran executed a man convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence service after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence, the judiciary’s Mizan news outlet reported on Wednesday.

According to the judiciary, Ehsan Afrashteh, 32, confessed to being recruited by Mossad and working on its behalf.

He received payments of 1,000 euros to carry out tasks such as “documenting target locations,” including Iran’s Intelligence Ministry, and “attending gatherings and taking pictures of various people,” the judiciary claimed.

He operated under the guise of a taxi driver, and was given training by Mossad in Nepal, Mizan said, adding that he was fluent in several languages, including English and Hebrew.

According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Afrashteh was arrested in 2024 after returning from a trip to Turkey, and sentenced to death in 2025.

The rights group claimed the death penalty was based on confessions that were fabricated or given under torture.

According to the opposition-affiliated Iran International, Afrashteh was a native of Isfahan and held a master’s degree in civil engineering.

He was held in solitary confinement for months while in detention, the outlet reported.

Iran is the world’s second-most prolific executioner, after China, according to rights groups.

The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights says the Islamic Republic executed at least 1,500 people last year, one of the highest numbers worldwide.

Israel and the US launched a war against the Iranian regime at the end of February, with a shaky ceasefire in place since April 8.

Since the start of the conflict, Iran has ramped up executions, particularly in cases involving alleged espionage or security-related charges.

Last week, Tehran executed three men convicted of involvement in anti-government protests that rocked the country in December and January.

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Devdiscourse – Iran Executes Convicted Spy Amid Controversy

Iran has executed Ehsan Afrashteh, who was convicted of espionage for Israel, following the Supreme Court’s support of his death penalty. The judiciary’s Mizan news outlet reported the execution on Wednesday.

Human rights organization HRANA has raised concerns over the case, noting that Afrashteh’s confessions, which led to his arrest in 2024 and subsequent death sentence in 2025, were allegedly fabricated.

The move has sparked outrage and highlights ongoing concerns regarding the transparency and fairness of judicial processes in the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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Yahoo – Iran executes IT expert over alleged espionage for Mossad

Iran’s judiciary has carried out another execution on espionage charges amid a wave of hangings, putting to death IT expert Ehsan Afrashteh on Wednesday, according to the judiciary-linked Mizan news agency.

Afrashteh was accused by authorities of collaborating with Israel’s foreign intelligence service, Mossad.

According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, Afrashteh was arrested in 2024 upon returning to Iran from Turkey. He was initially held in solitary confinement in Tehran’s Evin Prison.

The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights said Afrashteh, a trained civil engineer who worked in IT and cybersecurity, had realized while in Turkey that foreign intelligence services were exploiting him, citing the account of a fellow prisoner.

Despite this, activists said he chose to return to Iran after his father contacted Iranian security authorities to explain the situation. Afrashteh then surrendered to officials, but was later forced to give a false confession while in custody, according to rights groups.

Iran’s judiciary claimed Mossad had tasked him with documenting potential targets, surveilling the intelligence ministry’s surroundings, attending gatherings and photographing individuals.

Human rights organizations criticize Iran’s extensive use of the death penalty, accusing authorities of using executions as a tool of intimidation. According to Iran Human Rights, at least 1,639 people were executed in the country last year, the highest number in 35 years.

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NPR – United Arab Emirates denies Netanyahu secretly visited during the Iran war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran, his office said Wednesday. The UAE later denied any secret visit had occurred.

Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a gathering that “resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” according to the Israeli statement. The Gulf nation normalized relations with Israel in 2020.

The UAE’s official WAM news agency later posted an article denying “reports circulating” about a Netanyahu visit. According to WAM, the country’s relations with Israel “are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements.”

The Emirati report also denied any Israeli military delegation was received in the UAE.

Israel’s announcement came a day after U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee revealed that Israel had sent Iron Dome air-defense weapons and personnel to operate them to the UAE.

The UAE has faced Iranian missile and drone fire even after the ceasefire was reached last month. It has been trying to signal to nervous investors that it remains open for business and safe.

Last week, WAM reported that Netanyahu was among the leaders who called the Emirati president to condemn Iranian attacks and express their solidarity with the Gulf federation.

It was rare public acknowledgment of direct talks between the countries that normalized relations in the 2020 Abraham Accords and have strengthened their ties during the Iran war.

Iran has criticized that agreement and has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the Emirates.

Israeli leaders have made occasional visits to the UAE in recent years after normalizing relations.

Iran demands Kuwait release detainees
Iran’s foreign minister accused Kuwait of attempting to “sow discord” by detaining four Iranians that the Gulf Arab country accuses of being Revolutionary Guard operatives.

In a post Wednesday on X, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi demanded the Iranians’ immediate release and said Iran reserved the right to respond.

“This illegal act took place near an island used by the U.S. to attack Iran,” Araghchi wrote.

A day earlier, Kuwait said four men were detained and two escaped while trying to infiltrate Bubiyan Island in the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf on May 1.

Bubiyan Island is home to Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, which is under construction as part of a Chinese plan to build infrastructure across the world. It also came under Iranian attack during the war.

Iranian human rights lawyer released
Prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been released from prison more than a month after being detained, a rights group and her daughter said Wednesday.

Sotoudeh, who is known for defending activists, opposition politicians and women prosecuted for removing their headscarves, was detained by Iranian intelligence agents at her house in Tehran in April.

Her release comes as U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in China for a long-anticipated visit that is expected to touch on the war in Iran.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which closely tracks developments in Iran, said that Sotoudeh was released on bail from Tehran’s Evin Prison.

Her daughter, Mehraveh Khandan, posted on social media that Sotoudeh was released on temporary custody. Iran’s semiofficial ISNA news agency also reported Sotoudeh release.

Sotoudeh has been imprisoned multiple times. Her activist husband, Reza Khandan, has been imprisoned in the same prison as his wife.

Nobel Peace laureate needs long-term care
Doctors who examined Nobel Peace laureate and activist Narges Mohammadi more than a week after she collapsed at a prison in Iran said she needs months of treatment, according to her foundation.

Mohammadi, 53, was urgently transferred from prison to a hospital in northwestern Iran on May 1 after she fell unconscious. She was released on bail nearly 10 days later and transferred to a hospital in Tehran where her specialists examined her.

The doctors said her vascular disease has worsened since she was last checked in 2024 and recommended eight months of treatment.

She was awarded the Nobel in 2023 while in prison and has been jailed repeatedly throughout her career. Her latest imprisonment began in December when she was arrested in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.

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