Iran denies US-Iran message exchange via Oman during FM's Tehran visit

Local rights group Haalvsh, citing a statement by Ansar al-Furqan, reported on Sunday that the group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack took place outside a police headquarters in Bandar Lengeh, a town on the Persian Gulf coast.

While Iranian state media say Captain Mojtaba Shahidi Takhti, the head of Bandar Lengeh police intelligence was the only victim of the attack, a statement by Ansar al-Furqan claims Sohrab Hassan Zadeh, a senior IRGC intelligence member in Hormozgan province, and Bakhtiar Soleimanpour, a delegate from Tehran's central police intelligence unit were also killed in the incident.

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Iran International cannot independently verify the militant group's claim.

Captain Javad Chatr-Sahar, the deputy head of Bandar Lengeh police intelligence, was injured in the attack, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News confirmed on Saturday citing the local governor.

The identity of the suicide bomber has not yet been precisely identified, the deputy security chief of Hormozgan province said on Sunday, but evidence suggests they were affiliated with what he called terrorist groups.

Authorities in Hormozgan province have arrested one individual in connection with the attack, Iran's judiciary's news agency Mizan reported Sunday citing the provincial judiciary chief.

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The bomber was positioned on the two police officers' exit route and triggered the explosion with a remote control, the report by Tasnim news agency said.

Security forces promptly arrived at the scene after the incident and confirmed the attacker was also killed, Tasnim added, citing the local governor Foad Moradzadeh.

The attack came days before the anniversary of twin suicide bombings in January this year claimed by Islamic State which killed nearly 100 people at a southeastern Iran memorial for late top IRGC general Qassem Soleimani.

"A vehicle belonging to the Intelligence Organization of Iran's Law Enforcement Command overturned for unknown reasons while on duty on the Ardestan to Na'ein road, near the Noor Complex," Iranian news agency Rokna reported.

"In this incident, General Jalal Sharafat was martyred due to the severity of his injuries and Major Seyyed Mohsen Mirghasemi was injured," the report added.

Sherafat previously served as the head of the Iranian Anti-Narcotics Police's Cyberspace Center at least until 2019, but it is not clear what his position was at the time of his death.

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The US State Department called for the immediate and unconditional release of Cecilia Sala, 29, and others detained without just cause.

"Unfortunately, the Iranian regime continues to unjustly detain citizens of many countries, often to use them as political leverage," a State Department spokesperson told La Repubblica.

Sala, a newspaper journalist and podcaster, was arrested on December 19 despite working there with government-issued press credentials.

"There is no justification, and they should be released immediately," the spokesperson said, adding that journalists perform critical work to inform the public and must be protected.

Sala’s detention in Tehran may be linked to the arrest of a Swiss-Iranian businessman at Malpensa Airport three days earlier on a US warrant for allegedly violating sanctions on electronic exports, La Repubblica further added citing his lawyer.

Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, 38, faces terror-related charges for a deadly drone strike on a US military base in Jordan linked to Iran which killed three US soldiers.

He is currently held at Milan’s Opera Prison and faces potential extradition to the US.

On Sunday, a sit-in in Turin urged the Italian government to "do the impossible" to secure Sala's release and return her to Italy. Around fifty people, including city councilors and representatives from political and activist organizations, participated in the rally.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Saturday that Sala is in good health and is being held alone in a cell in Evin Prison. Tajani called for media discretion over the case and confirmed that Sala has spoken to her parents twice by phone. Italian Ambassador to Tehran Paola Amadei has also visited her in prison.

"We know that the Italian government has asked us not to demonstrate, but we disobey, we demonstrate," said Italian politician Igor Boni, a member of the organization Europa Radicale, during the Turin rally on Sunday.

"For a week, a journalist from a democratic country has been arrested without charge in a dictatorial country like Iran. The last thing to do is remain silent."

The Italian government has pledged to work discreetly to secure Sala's release as international pressure grows on Iran over what some rights groups describe as a practice of detaining foreign nationals as political bargaining chips.

Rasoul Kouhpayehzadeh posted a photo of Zanjani on Instagram with the caption, "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate," but provided no further details.

The Instagram story, shared around midnight Saturday, has been covered by Iranian media outlets which sought in vain for details on how Zanjani won his release.

His lawyer had said in an earlier post that Zanjani had paid his debts and can legally be freed, without providing details.

"As the assets were returned to the country and the debt was fully settled, the Supreme Leader, upon the request of the Tehran Province Justice Department and the approval of the Chief Justice, granted clemency to my client, reducing their sentence to 20 years' imprisonment, his lawyer had said in April.

Zanjani was convicted in 2016 of misappropriating funds during sanctions-era oil sales, a case that symbolized corruption and mismanagement in Iran's oil sector.

Araghchi's visit to Dubai took place on his way back from China.

As part of his trip to China, Araghchi met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Saturday.

The two top diplomats reviewed progress in implementing the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and China and discussed the latest developments in the region, according to state-media.