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Iran Releases on Bail Senior Reformists Arrested After Protests

An Iranian man speaks on his mobile phone as he walks past a huge national flag hanging above shops, in Tehran on February 6, 2026. (AFP)
An Iranian man speaks on his mobile phone as he walks past a huge national flag hanging above shops, in Tehran on February 6, 2026. (AFP)
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Iran Releases on Bail Senior Reformists Arrested After Protests

An Iranian man speaks on his mobile phone as he walks past a huge national flag hanging above shops, in Tehran on February 6, 2026. (AFP)
An Iranian man speaks on his mobile phone as he walks past a huge national flag hanging above shops, in Tehran on February 6, 2026. (AFP)

Iranian authorities released the leader of the country's reformist coalition on bail Friday, days after she was arrested following anti-government protests, local media reported.

Azar Mansouri, head of the Reformist Front, "was released from prison a few minutes ago after posting bail," her lawyer Hojjat Kermani told the ISNA news agency.

Mansouri, 60, an adviser to reformist former president Mohammad Khatami, was arrested on Sunday alongside two other senior reformist figures, Javad Emam and Ebrahim Asgharzadeh.

Late Thursday, Kermani told ISNA that Emam and Asgharzadeh were also released after posting bail.

Asgharzadeh is a former member of parliament and Emam is the spokesman of the Reformist Front, the main coalition of the reformist camp.

They were accused of "undermining national unity" and "coordinating with enemy propaganda," the Fars news agency reported at the time of their arrests.

Reformists traditionally call for more social freedoms and the establishment of a civil society and backed current President Masoud Pezeshkian during his 2024 campaign.

The arrests come weeks after protests erupted across the country, in which thousands of people died and many more were arrested.

In 2009, Emam was one of the campaign managers for Mir Hossein Mousavi, a leading figure in the Iranian opposition and former prime minister, who has been under house arrest since 2011.

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World

EU Moves to Sanction Iran over Hormuz Blockade

Traffic through Hormuz, a vital global shipping conduit, has come under Iranian control since the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States on February 28. (Photo by AFP) /
Traffic through Hormuz, a vital global shipping conduit, has come under Iranian control since the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States on February 28. (Photo by AFP) /
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EU Moves to Sanction Iran over Hormuz Blockade

Traffic through Hormuz, a vital global shipping conduit, has come under Iranian control since the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States on February 28. (Photo by AFP) /
Traffic through Hormuz, a vital global shipping conduit, has come under Iranian control since the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States on February 28. (Photo by AFP) /

European Union nations moved Friday towards imposing sanctions on Iranian officials and others responsible for blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the EU said.

Tehran effectively closed the key shipping lane for global gas and oil in retaliation to US-Israeli strikes launched in February.

Deeming the blockade "contrary to international law", EU governments took a technical step to extend the scope of its existing Iran sanctions regime allowing for more individuals to be targeted under it.

"The EU will now be able to introduce further restrictive measures in response to Iran's actions undermining the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," the European Council representing EU nations said.

Brussels' punitive measures on Iran previously targeted the country's military support for Russia in its war against Ukraine and for armed groups across the Middle East.

The European Union has also imposed sanctions over human rights violations in the country.

The EU did not immediately name any individual or entities that would be targeted by the new sanctions, consisting of travel bans and asset freezes.

EU citizens and companies will also be banned from making funds, financial assets or other economic resources available to those listed.

The Iran war and the closure of Hormuz, which normally carries a fifth of global oil production, have sent ripples across the global economy, sending energy prices soaring.

World

Rubio Cites Some Progress on Iran Talks but "We're Not There Yet"

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a signing ceremony on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a signing ceremony on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS
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Rubio Cites Some Progress on Iran Talks but "We're Not There Yet"

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a signing ceremony on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a signing ceremony on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS

The United States has seen some progress in talks with Iran and is in constant communication with the Pakistani mediators, but there is more work to be done, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.

"There's been some progress. I wouldn't exaggerate it. I wouldn't diminish it," Rubio told reporters after a NATO ministers meeting in Sweden.

"There's more work to be done," he added. "We're not there yet. I hope we get there."

President Donald Trump would prefer to do a good deal, Rubio said. The core concern remains that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and the issue of future uranium enrichment needs to be discussed as well as reopening the Strait of Hormuz, he said.

"We're dealing with a very difficult group of people, and if it doesn't change, then the president's been clear he has other options," Rubio said.

"He prefers the negotiated option and having a good deal, but he himself has expressed concern that maybe that's not possible. But we're going to keep trying."

Rubio said the United States was in constant communication with the Pakistanis who are facilitating the talks with Iran.

There was no specific ask from the US on Friday for help from NATO on the Strait of Hormuz but there needs to be a Plan B if Iran refuses to reopen the supply route, Rubio said after the close of the NATO meeting.

World

Netherlands to Ban Imports from Israel's Jewish Settlements

The Neve Yaakov settlement north of East Jerusalem, with the Israeli wall visible separating the Palestinian neighborhood of al-Ram in the West Bank (AFP). 
The Neve Yaakov settlement north of East Jerusalem, with the Israeli wall visible separating the Palestinian neighborhood of al-Ram in the West Bank (AFP). 
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Netherlands to Ban Imports from Israel's Jewish Settlements

The Neve Yaakov settlement north of East Jerusalem, with the Israeli wall visible separating the Palestinian neighborhood of al-Ram in the West Bank (AFP). 
The Neve Yaakov settlement north of East Jerusalem, with the Israeli wall visible separating the Palestinian neighborhood of al-Ram in the West Bank (AFP). 

The Dutch government has agreed to impose a ban on imports of goods produced in Jewish settlements in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said on Friday.

The ban is meant to prevent "any contribution through economic activities by the Netherlands to the unlawful occupation", Jetten said.

The previous Dutch government last year said it was planning the ban, which is now expected to take effect in the second half of the year.

The Netherlands is a leading global buyer of Israeli goods, but the government has never disclosed what volume of goods are currently imported from Jewish settlements.

Most world powers deem Israel's settlements, on land it captured in a 1967 war, illegal. Numerous UN Security Council resolutions have called on Israel to halt all settlement activity.

Israel disputes this, saying it has historical and biblical ties to the land.