Iran Sentences ‘Sultan of Cars’ to Death

General view of a highway in Tehran, Iran. (Reuters)
General view of a highway in Tehran, Iran. (Reuters)
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Iran Sentences ‘Sultan of Cars’ to Death

General view of a highway in Tehran, Iran. (Reuters)
General view of a highway in Tehran, Iran. (Reuters)

Iran sentenced Vahid Behzadi, dubbed the “sultan of cars”, to death for a number of crimes, such as disruption of the country’s automobile market, currency smuggling and money laundering, announced Iran’s judiciary spokesman.

Spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said at a press conference that Behzadi, and his wife Najva Lasheidaee, are both involved in the cases and sentenced to death.

They are accused of purchasing and hoarding over 6,700 cars from the Saipa car factory, one of Iran’s two major car manufacturing companies.

Reuters reported that Esmaili spoke about the couple, in their early 40s, without giving any further details about them or their background.

“They have smuggled hard currency and laundered around $200 million,” he said. “Also, around 100 kg of gold and over 24,700 gold coins were found and seized in the couple’s home.”

The spokesman said the couple could appeal the verdict within 20 days.

In addition, two Iranian lawmakers, Fereydoun Ahmadi and Mohammad Azizi, were linked to a financial corruption case at Saipa and sentenced to 61 months in jail each on charges of “disrupting the country’s car market.

Neither lawmaker has commented publicly about the case.

Esmaili added that former CEO of the Saipa car factory, Mahdi Jamali, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement in distribution disruption mechanisms.

Iran’s judiciary has been waging a campaign against corruption at the state and private levels, especially with the deterioration of the economy due to US sanctions and the coronavirus outbreak.

Since August 2018, the Judiciary has been holding public trials of individuals involved in major financial corruption cases, including the brother of President Hassan Rouhani.

Hardline critics say state corruption has exacerbated since Rouhani was first elected in 2013, while the government dismisses the claims as politically motivated.



Trump Calls Being President a ‘Very Dangerous Profession’

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe (not pictured) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2025. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe (not pictured) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2025. (AFP)
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Trump Calls Being President a ‘Very Dangerous Profession’

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe (not pictured) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2025. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe (not pictured) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2025. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump on Friday reflected on threats to his life as he celebrated a court ruling that handed his administration sweeping power to pursue his policy agenda.

Asked by a reporter about such threats, the Republican suggested that he is occasionally reminded of when he was grazed in the ear by a bullet at a Pennsylvania campaign rally on July 13, 2024.

"I get that throbbing feeling every once in a while," Trump said. "But you know what? That's okay. This is a dangerous business."

He made the comments during a wide-ranging, impromptu White House press conference scheduled to celebrate the US Supreme Court decision that handed him a major victory by curbing federal judges' power to impose nationwide rulings that block his policies.

On Friday, the businessman-turned-politician described the presidency as riskier than some of the most perilous professions.

"You have race car drivers as an example, 1/10 of 1% die. Bull riders, 1/10 of 1%. That's not a lot, but it's - people die. When you're president, it's about 5%. If somebody would have told me that, maybe I wouldn't have run. Okay? This is, this is a very dangerous profession."

Four of the 45 US presidents have been assassinated. Several more presidents and candidates for the office have been shot.

There have been several threats on Trump's life. Law enforcement officials said Trump also survived a September 15, 2024, assassination attempt while he was golfing on his course in West Palm Beach, Florida. The suspect in that incident faces five federal charges and has pleaded not guilty.

The July shooting suspect was shot to death by Secret Service agents. One person at the Pennsylvania rally was killed; two others were wounded.

The United States has also separately said Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps at one point attempted to assassinate Trump. Iran, whose nuclear facilities were bombed by US forces last weekend, has denied the allegation.

Trump, serving his second term in office, has pushed an expansive vision of presidential power, sharply attacked his political foes and vowed retribution against them.

The United States is experiencing its most sustained period of political violence since the 1970s. Reuters has documented more than 300 cases of politically motivated violent acts since Trump supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.