Saeed Azimi

I have decided not to renew my contract with @France24_en as their Tehran correspondent for the coming year. My decision is purely personal. I want to state clearly that I'm not currently working for any media outlets. I wish everyone in the newsroom the best of luck.

So far, Tehran, Karaj, Kermanshah, Qom, Isfahan, and Khorramabad have been targeted.

Cell service in parts of Tehran is down; some say it is completely off.

Per the First Vice Chairman of the Energy Committee of Iran's Parliament, the govt no longer has the budget to import petrol, as annual budget set aside for this ran out months ago. The MP adds, it seems that the govt plans to increase the petrol price to control its consumption

People forget how fragile the south already was. After the 12 day war, the overlap between strike zones and water infrastructure widened the cracks, and incidents like the Bandar Lengeh pipeline fire push that fragility into crisis. The question is what that pattern is telling us.

The water shortages across Iran, including possible evacuation warnings in Tehran, show how severe the domestic crisis has become. Since the 12-Day War, the state has struggled to respond to cascading problems. The same paralysis is visible around its nuclear program.

SCOOP: The United States gathered intelligence last year that Israel’s military lawyers warned there was evidence that could support war crimes charges against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza. reuters.com/world/us/us-in…

Some are asking, what’s the big deal? Kazakhstan has had relations with Israel for more than 30 years, as have several other Central Asian states. Sure. But since October 7th, few have publicly reaffirmed those ties, and some had begun to wonder about the strength and direction of those relationships. This move reaffirms them and does so in a remarkably bold way. It also marks a deeper geopolitical shift. Rather than reinforcing the old north–south linkages that have long bound Central Asia to Moscow and Beijing, this decision strengthens east–west connections — across the Caucasus and toward Europe and the Middle East. For Kazakhstan, a vast and landlocked country that shares a long border with Russia and faces China’s looming influence, these new routes are essential. Putin recently called Kazakhstan an “artificial state,” a reminder of how precarious sovereignty can be in Moscow’s neighborhood. Kazakhstan trades heavily with both Russia and China but seeks to avoid domination by either. By reaffirming ties with Israel Kazakhstan signals confidence in its multi-vector foreign policy — a deliberate balancing act that allows it to engage all sides while maintaining independence. It also throws down the gauntlet for other Central Asian states to follow suit, testing how far the region is willing to go in asserting autonomy from its northern and eastern neighbors. The move also has economic logic. Central Asia is surrounded by countries under heavy sanctions — Russia, Afghanistan, and Iran — leaving few viable routes for trade and investment. In this environment, diversification is survival. Since 2022, Gulf states especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have poured investment into Central Asia, shifting the region’s economic gravity westward. Kazakhstan’s outreach to Israel reinforces this trend and helps reset regional relationships, linking Central Asia more tightly to the Middle East’s emerging commercial and strategic networks. Finally, the repeal of the Jackson–Vanik Amendment, a Cold War law restricting U.S. trade with countries that limited Jewish emigration, will likely follow, opening the door to deeper integration with the West. This is not just about Israel or symbolism; it’s about Kazakhstan staking out a leadership role in the new in the region pursuing ties that run east to west, not north to south. And yes, it also sends a quiet but unmistakable message to Putin.

🇵🇸son of jailed Palestinian figure Marwan Barghouti @FRANCE24 on Donald Trump telling Time magazine he is considering pushing for his release: "we welcome the statement by President Trump, we really wish he can pressure the Israeli government." ▶️f24.my/BXjb.X

Iran's President said yesterday that if the drought continues until December in Tehran and if rationing water doesn't work, the government "must evacuate Tehran."

Meanwhile, in some provinces, Friday prayer Imams are announcing that they will hold "Rain Prayer", an Islamic ritual that was held in Saudi Arabia during drought when prophet Muhammad lived.

While Iran is experiencing severe drought, there are incidents that make this worse. The pipeline transferring sea water to the water sweetener facility in Bandage Lengeh in south Iran has been set on fire, and deliberately so, per the governor of Bandar Lengeh.

The MP adds that the increase in fuel price could lead to domestic unrest.

Member of the Economic Committee of Iran's Parliament says the three heads of branches (Qalibaf, Pezeshkian and Ejei) have approved a proposal to have three different rates for the petrol price (15,000IRR, 30,000IRR and 50,000IRR).

As I reported this summer, the biggest obstacle to Sharaa's de-listing has been China, which is concerned by the Syrian military’s integration of Uyghurs from the Turkistan Islamic Party. Several TIP militants were given senior roles within the new Syrian National Army, which established the 84th Division specifically to absorb Uyghur and other foreign fighters. More here: al-monitor.com/originals/2025…

Iran's Foreign Minister speaking in Hamedan province: Our armed forces have made every effort to become stronger, and I say this with the knowledge that our defense, missile, and armed forces capabilities have become stronger since before June 13.

During the call, Pezeshkian reassured Macron that differences can be overcome using "logic and honesty, not pressure and intimidation."

Iran's readout also says that Macron told Pezeshkian that he will strive to create a new framework of negotiations so that Iran and the European countries can reach a clear conclusion.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke with @EmmanuelMacron over the phone today. Per Iran's Presidency, Macron thanked Pezeshkian for taking practical steps to materialize the agreements reached (i.e. the release of Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris).

🇫🇷 🇮🇷 The release of two French nationals from an Iranian jail is due to "Islamic clemency", with an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman saying that Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris had been granted a "conditional release" on bail. Our correspondent @SaeedAzimi1772 has more ⤵️