Tehran rejects Trump's demands on missiles and allies - New Arab

Suspected US airstrikes hit Yemen overnight into Saturday, reportedly killing at least one person, as the American military confirmed an earlier strike on a major military site in central Sanaa controlled by Houthi rebels, the Associated Press reported.

According to Houthi-affiliated media, American warplanes carried out 14 airstrikes each on the Yemeni capital Sanaa and the northern city of Saada, as well as several strikes in al-Jawf province.

While full casualty figures remain unclear, the group’s said one person was killed and four injured in Saada, describing the fatality as a civilian. However, such figures may downplay military losses, given the Houthis’ pattern of operating in civilian attire.

The escalation follows Houthi threats and attacks on maritime traffic Since 2023, which the group said were acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Between November 2023 and January 2024, Houthi forces targeted over 100 commercial vessels. The US and its allies restarted strikes in Yemen in mid-March after a brief lull.

Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against five individuals and three companies accused of helping finance Hezbollah through oil smuggling operations tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force. The department described the network as a commercial front funneling millions of dollars into Hezbollah’s accounts under the oversight of senior financier Muhammad Qasir, who died in late 2024.

“These evasion networks strengthen Iran and its proxy Hezbollah and undermine the courageous efforts of the Lebanese people to build a Lebanon for all its citizens,” said Bradley T. Smith, Acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence in a statement.

The Treasury added that Washington's Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $10 million for information on Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure.

On the same day, Israeli warplanes struck a building in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, for the first time since a November ceasefire. Israeli officials said the site was used by the Iran-backed group to store drones.

In Washington, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce defended the strike.

"The Government of Lebanon is responsible for disarming Hezbollah," Bruce told reporters. "The reason that any attacks have happened is because terrorists launched rockets into Israel from Lebanon. That is a violation of the cessation of hostilities."

"Israel has to respond as the United States would have to respond," Bruce said. "We stand by Israel."

The US push on multiple fronts highlights a broader effort to limit the influence of Tehran’s allies and proxies in the region.

US President Donald Trump recently sent a letter to Tehran giving Iran a two-month deadline for reaching a new nuclear deal, Axios reported citing one US official and two sources briefed on the letter.

"You've got a lot of stuff going on with Iran, and we sent a letter to Iran," Trump said this week. "You're going to have to be speaking to us one way or the other pretty soon, because we can't let this happen."

Trump has demanded Tehran come to a deal or face a military intervention and warned any attack by Yemen's Houthis would be treated as emanating from Iran.

Iran says it has responded to the letter through Oman.

Hossein Khosh-Eghbal said on Saturday that outdoor protests or sit-ins must have official permission. “We thank the security and police forces for enforcing the law and maintaining public order,” he said, adding that gatherings without a permit would face a legal response.

His comments came after some Iranian domestic media reported that police dispersed the sit-in on Friday, which coincided with Quds Day. Protesters had been camped outside parliament for several weeks, calling for the enforcement of Iran’s new and more restrictive hijab law.

The law, which increases penalties for violations of the country’s dress code, was passed by parliament in September but has not been implemented. Authorities delayed its enforcement in December following domestic opposition and international pressure.

Drafted in May 2023, less than a year after the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September 2022, the law was introduced in response to widespread defiance of compulsory veiling by women and young girls.

Videos shared online appeared to show the protest site being cleared. In the footage, individuals identifying themselves as participants said they were removed by police, taken away and later abandoned near Behesht-e Zahra cemetery and the burial site of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, south of Tehran.

The crackdown has drawn mixed reactions. Some conservative figures criticized the move, while others aligned with the government welcomed the end of what they described as an illegal protest.

Khosh-Eghbal called on all political groups loyal to the Islamic Republic to avoid “divisive and unlawful behavior,” especially during sensitive times. He said demands should be expressed “wisely and within the legal framework,” and warned that unrest could be exploited by hostile groups.

“Right now, we are still exporting oil. There has been no disruption in our shipment routes,” Paknejad told Iranian state media.

Asked about Washington’s efforts to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero, Paknejad said such statements remain unproven. “All of this is being said for now. What is happening in practice is that we are exporting,” he said.

Asked if Iran is ready to deal with tougher sanctions enforcement by the US, Paknejad said, “Naturally, if any restrictions are imposed on Iran's oil sales, we have taken the necessary measures to respond.”

Paknejad also denied any decline in oil sales, saying Iran set a record for crude exports in the Iranian month of Dey (Dec21–Jan. 20).

Earlier this month, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Paknejad, breaking with its usual practice of sparing senior political officials. The move was part of a broader effort to tighten enforcement on Iranian oil exports, which Washington says help fund Tehran’s military and security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Paknejad’s comments on Saturday also follow a report earlier this week from Iraq’s Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani, who said that Iranian tankers intercepted by US forces in the Gulf were found to be using forged Iraqi documents.

"We received verbal inquiries about oil tankers detained by US naval forces. It turned out these tankers were Iranian and were using fake Iraqi manifests," Abdel-Ghani said on Iraqi state TV.

Iran denied the claim, saying its oil exports are conducted “within accepted trade frameworks,” and reaffirmed its position in a call between Paknejad and his Iraqi counterpart on Friday.

The dispute comes amid a broader US effort to crack down on alleged fuel smuggling and sanctions evasion by Iranian-linked networks. In December, Reuters reported that a smuggling network using forged documents was generating at least $1 billion annually for Iran and its allies in Iraq.

The State Department had suspended funding for numerous initiatives, including Iranian human rights groups, internet freedom programs, and civil society organizations, as part of a broader review of foreign assistance under the administration’s America First policy.

The freeze, announced on January 20, was initially set for 90 days but the review process appears to have concluded in time, with all but a few of projects focusing on Iran colored green in a list of State Department “active grants” obtained by Iran International.

The State Department did not comment on the specifics of Iran-related grants when contacted by Iran International but confirmed that funding for some programs is proceeding.

"While the US Government's review of all foreign assistance is ongoing, some approved programs are continuing to advance US national interests. This includes some programs in support of the Iranian people," a State Department spokesperson said.

Multiple grantees have also confirmed to Iran International that their funding has been reinstated and that their operations will restart.

Ahmad Ahmadian, an advocate of internet freedom in Iran who leads the efforts of the California-based NGO, Holistic Resilience, in research and development of censorship circumvention technologies.

Welcoming the decision to reinstate funds to organizations like his, Ahmadian suggested that pressuring the rulers of Iran and supporting its people at the same time is not only possible but necessary if the United States wants to effect real change in the country—and beyond.

“The Trump administration’s policy is focused on increasing efficiency and avoiding the start of a new war,,” he told Iran International. “Iranian civil society remains the most promising option to achieve this goal and to change the behavior of the Iranian government.”

Ahmadian agreed that some reform toward efficiency and effectiveness might be required with the State Department grants.

“I believe new projects should demonstrate a clear return on investment, operate with greater transparency, highlight the shared values between the Iranian and American people, and focus more on tangible results,” he added.

Prior to the pause in foreign aid, Washington funded several Virtual Private Network (VPN) services that helped Iranians bypass government censorship. U.S. funding also supported projects aimed at promoting media freedom, strengthening civil society, and documenting human rights in Iran. All of these initiatives were affected by the executive order.

The halt in funding—announced on Trump’s first day in office—was widely criticized by Iranian activists who argued that the decision benefited Tehran’s theocratic rulers above all. The resumption, those affected believe, would turn the table and more.

“The Islamic Republic tried to use the temporary suspension of funds as a propaganda tool, claiming that these projects lacked usability and impact. But the reality is that many have had tangible effects on Iranian society,” one State Department grantee told Iran International, asking to remain unnamed.

“The Trump administration showed that it values Iran-related projects. I anticipate even more funding flowing into this sector. These projects are aligned with the America First policy,” the grantee added.

The State Department has not publicly commented on the status of the review or the reasons for reinstating aid. Both the pause and resumption of funding happened at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.

President Trump has ramped up economic and diplomatic pressure on Tehran, issuing an ultimatum to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to agree to a deal that curtails Iran’s nuclear program or face severe consequences.

Khamenei has rejected direct talks while pressure persists and rises, asserting that Iran would not bow to American demands.

With both sides hardening their positions, concerns are growing over further escalation, particularly as the US bolsters its military presence in the Middle East and the Indian Ocean.

The most recent US intelligence assessment pointed to Tehran’s diminished influence in the region and the potential of growing discontent at home giving rise to mass protests like those seen in recent years.

The decision to reinstate grants may have had such assessments at heart.

The report said that after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office on Jan. 20 mandating enhanced scrutiny of foreign nationals Iranian-Canadians have faced heightened border security.

The report highlighted specific cases since that time, citing immigration lawyer Melissa Babel, who described two Iranian-Canadians who were recently denied entry.

According to Babel, both individuals, who had lived in Canada for decades, were questioned closely about their military service in Iran. US border agents asked them to provide proof that they had never served in the Iranian military, which is a major concern due to the US designation of the Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a terrorist organization​.

One of the men, who frequently traveled to the US for business, was denied entry and later found that his Nexus card—used for expedited US border processing—had been canceled. The other man, traveling with his Iranian-Canadian wife and Canadian-born daughter, was also refused entry​.

The report cited legal experts who have called on Ottawa to issue a travel advisory warning that Canadian citizens and residents from Iran risk being denied entry, having their visas or Nexus cards revoked, or even being detained or deported when traveling to the US.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported citing informed sources and an internal memo that the Trump administration is considering issuing sweeping travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban.

The memo lists a total of 41 countries divided into three separate groups. The first group of 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea among others, would be set for a full visa suspension​.