Iran Says Swiss National Who Died in Prison Had Photographed Military Sites 

An Iranian woman walks past a mural of Iran's national flag in Tehran, Iran, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
An Iranian woman walks past a mural of Iran's national flag in Tehran, Iran, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
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Iran Says Swiss National Who Died in Prison Had Photographed Military Sites 

An Iranian woman walks past a mural of Iran's national flag in Tehran, Iran, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
An Iranian woman walks past a mural of Iran's national flag in Tehran, Iran, 15 January 2025. (EPA)

A Swiss national who Iranian authorities said took his own life while in an Iranian jail after being arrested on suspicion of espionage had taken pictures of military sites, Iran's judiciary spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Switzerland had demanded detailed information on the reasons for the arrest of the 64-year-old man, who had been travelling in Iran as a tourist, and a full investigation into the circumstances of his death earlier this month.

"The person had entered the country from Dogharoun (bordering Afghanistan) in October as a tourist in a car fitted with various technical equipment meant for different purposes," the judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said.

The spokesperson said the detainee had hanged himself with a piece of cloth after turning off his cell's light and placing himself out of the view of security cameras.

"After passing through several provinces, he entered Semnan province and was arrested while being in a military-restricted zone," Jahangir said. "He was arrested on charges of taking pictures of the military zone and collaborating with hostile states."

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have in recent years arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mostly on charges related to espionage and security.

Rights groups accuse Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran denies this.



Trump Believes Nuclear Deal Possible with ‘Scared’ and ‘Weakened’ Iran

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during the 46th anniversary of the 1979 revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 10, 2025. (Reuters)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during the 46th anniversary of the 1979 revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 10, 2025. (Reuters)
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Trump Believes Nuclear Deal Possible with ‘Scared’ and ‘Weakened’ Iran

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during the 46th anniversary of the 1979 revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 10, 2025. (Reuters)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during the 46th anniversary of the 1979 revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 10, 2025. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump predicted on Monday that Washington would make a deal with Iran to prevent it from developing its nuclear program, but added that Tehran is very frightened because its defenses have been allegedly destroyed in an Israeli strike last year.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said Iran's military vulnerabilities appeared to have left it in a weakened position, making negotiations more appealing than confrontation.

He said he prefers diplomacy over military escalation. “I'd much rather see a deal with Iran where we can do a deal, supervise, check it, inspect it,” he stated, adding that Israel will not attack Iran if an agreement is reached between Washington and Tehran.

“Iran is very concerned. Iran is very frightened, to be honest with you, because their defense is pretty much gone,” Trump said.

“Everybody thinks Israel - with our help or our approval - will go in and bomb the hell out of them,” Trump said, stressing that Israel would need US support for such a strike.

In Tehran, President Masoud Pezeshkian continued to sharply criticize the US, while hardline newspapers applauded his speech marking the anniversary of the 1979 revolution on Monday.

In reference to the order that Trump signed last week to design new sanctions on Iran, Pezeshkian said, “Those who engage in bullying, massacres, and provision of weapons of mass destruction to those who kill innocent people are the ones initiating war and bloodshed.”

“Only in peace and harmony can we truly host and welcome each other,” he said.

“Iran is doing outreach in the region and also globally, seeking more peaceful relations,” he remarked. “If the US were sincere about negotiations, why did they sanction us?”

He said Tehran “does not seek war...but will not yield to foreign pressure.”

On Friday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said talks with the US were “not smart, wise, or honorable,” but he stopped short of renewing a ban on direct talks with Washington decreed during the first Trump administration in 2018.

Echoing Khamenei’s statement, the parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee said on Monday: “Negotiation with the US is not prohibited but has proven irrational and damaging.”

The Ham-Mihan newspaper said: “Pezeshkian’s speech supports the Supreme Leader’s position on Trump.” In its editorial, the Arman Amroz newspaper described Trump as a “crazy delusional.”