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Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held separate phone calls with counterparts in Egypt, Oman, and Qatar to discuss the latest regional developments and de-escalation efforts, as diplomacy around heightened tensions intensifies ahead of the next U.S.–Iran track in Muscat . Readouts from the region emphasized coordination, support for calming steps, and keeping diplomatic channels active.
U.S. President Donald Trump told NBC News that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “should be very worried,” adding, “as you know, they’re negotiating with us,” in remarks aired as uncertainty swirled around the next round of U.S.–Iran talks—reportedly set for Friday in Muscat, Oman —and as Washington continues to signal pressure on Tehran while debating whether talks should expand beyond the nuclear file.
Saeed Ghasseminejad, a senior adviser to Prince Reza Pahlavi , told The Jerusalem Post that there are reports Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has directed Iran’s cyber apparatus to mobilize around a specific narrative aimed at discrediting Pahlavi—claiming Pahlavi is responsible for protesters’ deaths —and he added that he has heard the same framing echoed by some Western journalists.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has begun a hunger strike (reported as starting Monday, 2 February 2026 / دوشنبه ۱۳ بهمن ۱۴۰۴ ) to protest her continued detention and what her supporters describe as a total ban on phone calls and family visits , after her violent arrest in Mashhad in December during a memorial for human-rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi . Her family and the Narges Foundation have warned that her health is fragile—citing a history of heart issues/chest pain, high blood pressure, and serious back/spinal problems —and CNN reported her husband saying authorities were pressuring her to make calls only if she claimed “all is well,” which she refused. The hunger strike comes as other detainees from the same memorial case, including Sepideh Gholian , remain in legal limbo in reported temporary detention.
Prince Reza Pahlavi said Iran’s “majestic national revolution”—which he described as the “Lion-and-Sun Revolution”—has become a symbol of nationwide unity, arguing that despite the Islamic Republic’s efforts to sow division, Iranians across provinces, languages, and beliefs are speaking with one voice. He praised protesters’ resilience amid a violent crackdown, said their courage has “shaken” the regime and “awakened the world,” and reiterated a transition vision built on Iran’s territorial integrity , individual freedoms and equal citizenship under the law , and a secular democracy based on separation of religion and state , while insisting accountability for those responsible for killings is inevitable.
Gary Lewis, who previously served as the UN Resident Coordinator in Iran, said he remains “shocked” by what Iran’s authorities do to their own people after resharing a circulating video that appears to show security forces using a vehicle against protesters. In his post on X, Lewis wrote that he knows “worse” incidents have happened recently in Iran, yet he keeps watching the footage—stunned by the state’s treatment of civilians—adding fresh international-profile criticism as scrutiny of Iran’s crackdown narratives intensifies.
Afghanistan International, citing informed sources, reported that Saif al-Adl (described as al-Qaeda’s leader) sent a letter to Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah to discuss the possibility of temporarily relocating al-Qaeda’s leadership to Afghanistan if Iran’s Islamic Republic were to fall. The report says the letter argues that, in such a scenario, al-Qaeda might ultimately be forced to shift leadership to places like Iraq or Syria , but is seeking temporary residence in Afghanistan until the situation becomes clearer. Sources said the Taliban leader has not yet decided and is waiting to see how events in Iran evolve. (These claims are not independently verified .)
Around 80 Iran-exiled republican political and civil activists said in a joint statement that the “only way to save Iran” is to end what they called the country’s “unrepublican and inhuman” ruling system. They voiced hope for forming a broad national front to hold a referendum and establish a constituent assembly , arguing this would allow Iranians of all political views to decide their country’s political future through a democratic and informed process. The signatories said they support aligned statements issued by 17 activists , Mir-Hossein Mousavi , and others. They also described Ali Khamenei and the governing structure as the main party responsible for the “horrific killings” in Dey , calling the mass bloodshed an “organized state crime against humanity.” The statement lists numerous signatories, including Sheila Entesari, Asef Bayat, Alan Tofiqi, Behrouz Khaliq, Soroush Dabbagh, Taghi Rahmani, Maryam Sotoudeh, Mansoureh Shojaei, Farzaneh Azimi, Kazem Alamdari, Ahmad Alavi, Reza Alijani, Mehdi Fattapour, Masoud Fathi, Mansour Farhang, Kazem Kordvani, Akbar Karmi, Behzad Karimi, Ali Keshtegar, Mahdieh Golrou, Hassan Nayeb-Hashem, and Mehdi Nourbakhsh .
Reports say photographer Yalda Moeiri has been summoned to the Moqaddas Ardebili Prosecutor’s Office in Tehran , after an alleged raid on her home by around 10 IRGC Intelligence agents on Wednesday, 13 Bahman . According to these reports, officers searched the house and seized her electronic devices , including her mobile phone, and took them away.
Veteran Iranian cinema and theatre actor Ali Nassirian marked his 91st birthday with a message saying he is “sharing the grief” of the Iranian people. The statement—posted on Parviz Parastouei’s Instagram page—said his “worn body and soul” in old age and illness cannot bear the “terrible blow” that has hit his compatriots, adding that he knows no other way to empathize but to weep in private: “I share your grief, my dear compatriots.” Parastouei wrote that Nassirian has no personal social-media page and asked him to publish the message on his behalf, offering wishes for Nassirian’s health and peace for bereaved families.
The human-rights group Hal Vash reported that Molavi Hafezollah Raisi , the Sunni Friday-prayer imam of Bakhshan, Saravan and a prominent Sunni cleric in Sistan and Baluchestan , has rejected claims that he signed the so-called “statement of 600 Sunni scholars” supporting Ali Khamenei . According to the report, Raisi published a note on his official channel denying any link to the statement dated 8 Bahman , saying he was unaware of such a text and that his name and signature were added without his knowledge or consent . Hal Vash also said Molavi Abdolrahman Malazehi (Chabahari) , the Sunni Friday-prayer imam of Chabahar , had previously denied signing the same statement, and that the official outlet of the Ein-ol-Oloum seminary in Gosht, Saravan likewise rejected the attribution of Molavi Seyyed Abdolkarim Hosseinpour to the signatories list.
Mohammad Sharifi-Moqaddam, secretary-general of Iran’s Nurses’ House, wrote on X addressing the health minister and the head of the Nursing Organization, urging them to publicly disclose the names of nurses who have been killed, injured, or detained in recent incidents, even if they do not intend to pursue the cases. Shargh newspaper reported on Monday (13 Bahman) that it has published the names of 25 detained doctors and nurses linked to the nationwide protests, adding that the status of most remains unclear and that the exact number of detained healthcare workers is still unknown . Iran International also reported that at least 32 healthcare workers have been arrested and that case details remain unavailable. Separately, Iran Human Rights said hospitals and medical centers were turned into part of the state’s repression apparatus during the Dey 1404 crackdown, with doctors and nurses who treated the wounded threatened, summoned, and in some cases detained .