EU recommends airlines to avoid Iran's airspace. Rome in the square sings 'Bella ciao

US President Donald Trump thanked Iran's leadership after declaring that Tehran had called off the executions of hundreds of protesters arrested during the recent wave of crackdown. "I greatly respect the fact that all of the scheduled hangings, which were to have taken place yesterday (over 800), have been cancelled by Iran's leadership. Thank you!" wrote Trump on his social network, Truth Social.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a new telephone conversation on Iran. The US website Axios writes this exclusively, citing two well-informed sources and stressing that it was the second phone call between the two leaders in two days to discuss the Iranian situation. The White House and the Israeli prime minister's office declined to comment on the matter, Axios points out.

Mobile phone torches in the air and the square chanting Bella Ciao. This was the end of the demonstration of solidarity with the protests in Iran organised in Rome by Amnesty International and the Women's Life Freedom Movement. At the end of the Resistance chant, the organisers thanked the participants. 'Free Iran' was the final chorus.

"I am Iranian, I am here as a student, but my whole family is in Iran. As you know for more than five days they have blocked the internet, we cannot hear anyone. And when this thing happens in Iran, as it's not the first time it has happened, it means that the Iranian government is going to kill people. And in the past few days they have killed more than twelve thousand people,' Andy, a fictitious name he wanted to use so as not to be recognised, told Adnkronos among the participants at the demonstration in the Capitol. "Iran's voice is not heard, so we who are outside, we who are in a free country, we have to speak. That's why we are in the square today, we want the voice of Iran to be heard all over the world," the young woman testified.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had a new conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this afternoon. 'We addressed,' said the deputy prime minister, 'all the hottest situations on the international stage, from Venezuela to Iran, from Gaza to Ukraine and Greenland. It was a long conversation that confirmed the closeness between Italy and the United States. Two countries that share a common vision. It was a very positive, frank and cordial conversation aimed at strengthening transatlantic relations: our goal is the unity of the West to build peace'. Tajani announced to Rubio his "participation in the summit convened on 4 February, dedicated to raw materials and rare earths".

Iran's police chief, Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Radan, assured that order in the country had been restored after days of protests. In a statement to Press TV and picked up by Haaretz, Ahmad-Reza Radan explained that the cooperation between the population and the security forces was crucial in quelling the unrest, saying that it 'breathed new life into the forces on the ground' and was 'the secret of this victory'". According to Press TV, no demonstrations were reported in the country on Thursday. "By the grace of God and with the conscious presence of the people, the last nail has been hammered in the coffin of terrorism," Radan said.

'I will return to Iran, I am the only one who can guarantee the transition'. This was said by Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah, at a press conference in Washington, adding that his name is being invoked by Iranian protesters. Reza Pahlavi said he was certain that the Ayatollahs' power in the Islamic Republic 'will fall'.

In Capitol Square, where the first demonstrators are beginning to gather in support of dissidents in Iran, a group of Iranians chanted for the son of the Shah of Persia, Reza Pahlavi. The initiative provoked dissent from other protesters: 'Shame on him, he is paid by Trump', the response from part of the square.

The Munich Security Conference (Msc) has decided to withdraw its invitation to representatives of the Iranian government due to the violent repression of protesters by Iranian security forces, German news agency Dpa reports. "Several weeks ago an invitation had been extended to individual representatives of the Iranian government. In light of current events, the Munich Security Conference will not be holding such invitations,' a spokesman told Dpa. The German federal government had also suggested withdrawing the invitation, considering it 'inappropriate'.

The Paris Public Prosecutor's Office has asked for a four-year prison sentence, three years of which are conditional, and a definitive ban from French territory for the Iranian Mahdieh Esfandiari, considered a "bargaining chip" in the dossier of the French hostages Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, detained in Iran until last November and currently on parole at the French embassy in Tehran, with a ban on leaving the country. Esfandiari was released from provisional detention last October after about eight months in prison, and placed under judicial supervision with an obligation to report regularly to the police, a ban on leaving France and a ban on using social media. In the trial for apologia for terrorism, the prosecutor also demanded sentences of up to three years imprisonment for the other four defendants. The most severe request concerns the extreme right-wing ideologue Alain Soral, who has already been sentenced several times in the past and was absent in court, and for whom the maximum sentence was requested.

'The direct involvement of the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel, ed.) in the recent events in Iran is evident'. This was stated by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as reported by the Iranian Tasnim news agency, quoted by Russian media such as the Russian state channel Vesti and Komsomolskaya Pravda. Pezeshkian had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty received a phone call from Steve Wittkoff, US Special Envoy for the Middle East, to take stock of the ongoing crises in Gaza and Iran. During the conversation, the Egyptian ministry reports, the parties reaffirmed "their joint commitment to strengthen cooperation in various political, security and economic spheres to serve their common interests and support efforts to establish security and stability in the region". On Iran, the 'need to work for de-escalation and de-escalation of tensions, to restore calm and prevent the region from descending into instability and chaos' was reaffirmed. For Gaza, the need to continue to implement the requirements of the second phase was highlighted, with 'the start of the work of the Palestinian technical committee, the deployment of an international stabilisation force to monitor the ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, and the start of the recovery and reconstruction phase'.

The European Union calls on Iran to stop the executions of protesters and condemns the use of the death penalty as a means of repressing protests. "We oppose the use of capital punishment at all times and in particular its use to repress dissent," European Commission spokesman Anouar El Anouni said at the daily press briefing, stressing that Brussels was following "very closely" reports of possible imminent executions of protesters. Brussels also called on Tehran to pursue "a consistent policy towards the abolition of the death penalty". El Anouni reiterated that 'regime change is not part of EU policy', but that on the ground there is 'a legitimate and genuine protest movement of the Iranian people, with legitimate aspirations for a better life, freedom and dignity'. "We stand by them as they fight for these values," he added.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian informed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "of the ongoing efforts by the Iranian leadership to normalise the situation in the country" and "Moscow and Tehran support a rapid de-escalation of tensions around Iran and a diplomatic resolution of the problems". This is what is stated in the communiqué released by the Kremlin after today's talks between the two leaders, during which "mutual commitment to further strengthening the Russian-Iranian strategic partnership" was confirmed.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "Russia is providing assistance not only to Iran, but also to the entire Middle East in favour of regional stability". Moscow, Peskov said, quoted by Tass, is contributing 'to the cause of regional stability and peace, including through the president's efforts to facilitate the reduction of tensions'.

The director of the Israeli spy agency Mossad, David Barnea, arrived in the US this morning to discuss the situation in Iran, Axios reported on Friday, citing sources close to the matter.

Barnea is expected to meet in Miami with White House envoy Steve Witkoff, who oversees the direct communication channel between the US and Iran, Axios reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also had a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhya, to discuss the situation in the country. This was made known by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who told reporters: 'We will also inform you about the results of our telephone conversation with the Iranian president', Putin 'continues his efforts to facilitate de-escalation'.

"The regime will fall, 100 per cent. This is what has happened to dictatorial governments throughout history. When it will fall, nobody knows. We want it to happen as soon as possible, in the next few minutes, but there are many factors that have to come together for that to happen'. This was stated in an interview with the Guardian by Jafar Panahi, the director of A Simple Accident, the Iranian film that won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival 2025. The filmmaker went on to warn Western governments, urging them not to deal with the clerical regime as one would with rational interlocutors. "In other dictatorships around the world, you will see that there will be at least some people who will act in the name of rationality and who will not allow it to come to this point," he said.

"Thinking back to my holiday time in Morocco, I think of all the people in Iran who are fighting a much needed revolution and are willing to die for what they believe in." This is how pop star Madonna launches a message of support for Iranian protesters on Instagram. Madonna says that the repression of freedoms in Iran is causing her to reflect on her life and freedoms, adding: 'It's time. Stand strong! I stand with Iran. Make their voices heard. Free Iran!"

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation today on the situation in Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, to whom he confirmed "the readiness of the Russian side to continue to undertake appropriate mediation efforts, helping to promote a constructive dialogue with the participation of all states concerned." The Kremlin reports that. "It was agreed to continue contacts at various levels," the Russian presidency press office adds.

Iranian security forces arrested 3,000 people 'who played a role' in the protests and unrest that shook the country, reports the Tasnim news agency.

New Zealand has temporarily closed its embassy in Tehran, evacuating diplomatic staff due to deteriorating security in Iran. This was announced by a Foreign Ministry spokesperson in Wellington, stating that staff were evacuated overnight by commercial flights and that embassy operations were transferred to Ankara.

Iran plans to maintain the nationwide Internet blackout at least until the Iranian New Year, at the end of March, IranWire writes, quoted by Iran International. IranWire states that government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said that access to international online services will not be restored before Nowruz, which falls around 20 March. Monitoring group NetBlocks said the current blackout in Iran has surpassed the previous one in 2019. "In 2019, after connectivity was restored, the extent of brutal repression was made known," the group said in a post on social media.

The Pentagon is preparing to send more US forces and resources to the Middle East. Nbc writes this after it was reported that the aircraft carrier Lincoln is moving from the China Sea to the Middle East area. According to Nbc's source, this would be a strike group of aircraft carriers, additional aircraft, and land-based air defence systems. The armed forces would also have to ensure that the military is ready in case Iran attacks US bases in the region or US allies in the region. The equipment and thousands of other forces will arrive in the coming days and weeks, the official added.

The internet has been blocked in Iran for 180 hours, more than during the 2019 'blackout', and there is currently no partial or regional restoration. This was reported by Netblock, an observatory that monitors internet connections, pointing out that "it was only after the connection was restored that the extent of the regime's brutal crackdown" against protesters became known in 2019.

Ankara's embassy in Tehran has warned its citizens planning trips to Iran or already in the country, urging them to be "vigilant" about their safety and to "take into consideration recent developments" in the context of the anti-government protests and internet blackout that have been in effect for the past week. "Turkish citizens who are currently in Iran should be vigilant about their safety and follow all announcements regarding these events on the official website, social media accounts of our ministry and our representatives in Iran," reads a statement from the Turkish embassy in Iran, which provides contact details of all Ankara's diplomatic missions in the country.

The US is hoping for a diplomatic rather than military solution in Iran, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff made clear, after President Donald Trump had until Wednesday hinted at a new intervention in support of protests against the regime. Witkoff confirmed contact with the Iranians on Wednesday and that 'one of the things that we were concerned about on the killings, the mass hangings, has been set aside'. In a speech at the Israel American Council in Florida, Witkoff listed the four issues that a diplomatic agreement with Iran must address: uranium enrichment, the missile programme, with Washington calling for a reduction in arsenals, nuclear material currently stockpiled, some 2,000 kilos enriched between 3.67 and 60 per cent, and the groups that Tehran finances in the Middle East. 'If they want to return to the international community, we can solve these four problems diplomatically, it would be a perfect solution. The alternative is not,' Witkoff stressed, praising as 'incredibly brave' the Iranians taking to the streets to protest against the regime. "We stand with you," he said.

China calls on the United States to respect the UN Charter and refrain from the use of force against Iran in order to avoid a catastrophe in the region. Thus Tass reports the words of Sun Lei, in charge of International Affairs at China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations. "Any military action will only push that region towards a precipice. We strongly urge the US to respect the goals and principles of the UN Charter and abandon its fixation on using force. We also call on all parties to show restraint,' the Chinese diplomat said during a UN Security Council meeting on Iran. She stressed the need for a team effort by all parties to maintain international peace and security.

The 'extermination of protesters' is underway in Iran, a repression carried out with 'heinous cruelty'. And "the first concern" of the regime has been "to block access to sources of information, the dissemination of news. Every repression, every manipulation of the principles of freedom passes, first of all, through repression against journalists'. This was said by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, meeting at the Quirinale with the participants at the Venice Seminar for the British press, clearly condemning the violent reaction of the ayatollahs to the protests in the streets of the country.

While repression continues in Iran, abroad the voices of those who have long since left the country try to make space for themselves on social networks and group chats. Young people in particular, such as Mahsa (not her own name, but chosen in memory of Masha Amini, killed in 2022 in Tehran by the religious police, ndr) are trying.

Masha has lived in Italy for several years, she came there to study and then stopped, because returning to Iran would be too dangerous. She tells us that in the past few days, the regime has opened the border with Iraq to let in groups of Iraqi popular mobilisation units on buses, terrorising the inhabitants with automatic weapons and machine guns. And it also tells us the very sad chapter of the restitution of the bodies of the killed protesters: the regime demands frighteningly high sums that most families cannot pay. In that case, a second option is proposed: to sign that the family member killed was part of the forces of order, the Guards of the Revolution, so as to count him among the government's dead, martyrs of the regime.

Washington makes it clear that it will 'monitor the situation' in Iran, threatening 'serious consequences if the killings continue', but the impression is that the feared attack is frozen for the time being. As the reopening of the airspace over the skies of the Islamic Republic also suggests. Although the Pentagon has announced that it will move the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln from the South China Sea to the Middle East, a journey that will take about a week. Donald Trump's caution, shared with Arab partners, is also based on the consideration that regime change is not an easy option. It is unclear whether the suspension of executions will be permanent, but Trump wanted to give credit to Tehran. 'This is good news, let's hope it continues,' the US president wrote on Truth.

Tehran 'has stopped 800 executions', the White House announced, confirming the regime's previous statements. In fact, the regime's declarations were more relaxed and, after promising "swift and public trials" for the "rioters", made it known that "there is no plan" for hangings. Sighs of relief especially for 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, the first protester to risk the gallows in this wave of protests.