Costco ban for diplomats, Iran attends SCO—and more
The Iranist for the week of September 5, 2025
THE هفت/SEVEN THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK:
۱/1 Iran attends SCO and military parade in China
On August 31, President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Tianjin to attend the annual two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO )summit, which drew more than two dozen China-friendly world leaders (Tehran Times). The Eurasian security bloc—of which Iran became its tenth full member in 2023 and which counts fourteen dialogue partners, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar—is widely viewed as a counterweight to Western-dominated institutions.
Pezeshkian was notably absent from the official group photo of world leaders. Iranian state media said he missed the photo opportunity because he arrived late, while his deputy for communications clarified that the summit “officially [began] on Monday, and the published photo was from an informal banquet held before the Iranian delegation’s arrival.” (Iran International)
In an interview with the Chinese state television, Pezeshkian accused Western powers of “double standards,” saying: “The same countries that violated the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)] are now claiming that Iran is not fulfilling its commitments.” (Iran International)
On September 2, Pezeshkian met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the two leaders pledged to expand ties under the 25-year cooperation agreement signed in 2021 (Iran International). Xi described Tehran as a “strategic partner” with a “forward-looking approach,” while his Iranian counterpart called Beijing a “strong and determined friend and ally.” (Tehran Times) Pezeshkian added, “China can count on Iran as a friendly and determined ally… Injustice, aggression, and unilateralism must be prevented. Iran seeks a world governed by law and equal relations among nations, not by force and coercion.” (Iran International)
While in China, Pezeshkian also held talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Russian President Vladimir Putin (reportedly for four hours), Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. A video of the Turkish leader clasping his Iranian counterpart’s arm and then hand generated a lot of buzz online (Al-Monitor).
On September 3, Pezeshkian attended the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, joining Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, and other leaders (The National/Reuters).
As Al-Monitor reports:
“Pezeshkian’s extended visit is an opportunity for Iran to solidify its support from partners like China and Russia at a critical time as Tehran faces the possibility of intensified international isolation over its nuclear program. China in particular has served as a key economic lifeline for Iran under US sanctions, with almost 90 percent of Iranian oil exports flowing to China.”
During the summit, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov co-signed a joint letter to the United Nation Security Council rejecting last week’s move by the E3—Britain, France, and Germany— to begin the process of snapback sanctions, calling it “legally and procedurally flawed.” (Al-Monitor/Reuters)
۲/2 A concert to end all concerts—or not
On September 1, singer Homayoun Shajarian, the son of the late legendary vocalist Mohammad Reza Shajarian, announced that he had received a permit to fulfill his dream “cherished for years” of holding a free concert in Tehran’s Azadi Square on September 5 (Tehran Times).
The next day, Shajarian posted an Instagram video of himself riding a motorcycle near the iconic square, expressing joy at the prospect of performing and discussing logistical preparations. He emphasized that the performance was “not an effort to cover up problems, but to provide a moment of good feelings to people who deserve joy.”
The news sparked backlash online, with many Iranians inside Iran and in the diaspora accusing him of whitewashing the anniversary of the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising on September 16. Critics also called him a government pawn, noting that other artists have been barred from performing. While the event garnered support from across Iran’s political spectrum, not all hardliners approved. Principalist MP Qasem Ravanbakhsh criticized the government, remarking: “Instead of solving the electricity crisis, the government is busy holding a concert in Azadi Street?” (Amwaj.media)
Among the sharpest critics was Iran-based singer Mehdi Yarrahi, who shared a scene from the film Titanic of musicians playing as the ship sank—comparing it to artists performing as the Islamic Republic collapses. In March, Yarrahi was sentenced to 74 lashes for releasing a song protesting mandatory hijab. Exiled soccer legend Ali Karimi, who fled during the 2022 uprising, posted a what appears to be an AI-generated image of Shajarian in an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) uniform holding a Kalashnikov in Azadi Square.
One Tehran resident said:
“When the government is in decline, it grants small civil liberties to deceive people. Reformists have always preserved this system through such tactics. Now, artists and citizens must not be fooled.” (IranWire)
(In recent weeks, the government has organized a series of concerts, including one in Isfahan that drew criticism for being held in the dried-up bed of the Zayandeh Rud River.)
Another resident defended the concert, arguing:
“Sometimes I think all opponents of the Islamic Republic want us, the people, to be dead, depressed, and grief-stricken. If we cheer for the national football team, they call it the government’s team. If we watch comedy, they say the actors are Islamic Republic collaborators. If we go to a concert, the singer is pro-Islamic Republic. By this logic, we should either be under bombardment or under the gunfire of the Islamic Republic's repressive forces, so our names and pictures can be spread on social media with romantic poems.” (IranWire)
Some online suggested that the concert could have served as an opportunity for a mass anti-regime protest, given Azadi Square’s symbolic role in the 1979 anti-Shah protests and the 2009 post-election protests known as the Green Movement.
On September 3, however, Sharjarian said the concert had been canceled because “equipment [hadn’t] been allowed to enter” and “no management to handle a crowd of millions.” (Instagram)
There is now speculation that the concert could be moved to Azadi Stadium—a more controlled venue, though one that has also witnessed anti-regime chants in the past.
۳/3 Rights orgs say authorities are ‘waging a terrifying crackdown’
۴/4 IAEA says Tehran increased near weapons-grade enriched uranium before war
And if you’re wondering about the status of talks, on September 2, Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, posted on X:
“The path for negotiations with the US is not closed; yet these are the Americans who only pay lip service to talks and do not come to the table; and they wrongfully blame Iran for it. WE INDEED PURSUE RATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS. By raising unrealizable issues such as missile restrictions, they set a path which negates any talks.”
Since the war began on June 13, the International Atomic Energy Agency has received no updates from Tehran regarding the status or location of its highly enriched uranium stockpile (Reuters).
۵/5 Activist Hossein Ronaghi on hunger strike again
۶/6 Parliament debates women’s right to ride motorcycles
۷/7 US considers banning Iranian diplomats from Costco
OTHER اخبار/NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES:
Human Rights
۰ UN human rights chief demands Iran cease all executions (CHRI)
۰ 58 citizens sentenced to prison for wearing Kurdish attire (IranWire)
۰ Lawyer held in solitary over social media posts in Rasht (IranWire)
۰ Omid Fathi on hunger strike in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad (HRANA)
۰ Three Dezful cafes sealed for customers’ hijab violations (IranWire)
۰ Former MP criticizes president on hijab: “Who stops someone exposing their navel?” (IranWire)
۰ ‘They see us as targets’: Iran’s brutal repression of journalistic freedom (CHRI)
۰ US must not leave him behind: Trump urged to bring Jamshid Sharmahd home (AP)
Domestic Issues
۰ Four months after the Bandar Rajaei explosion in Iran: Grief, broken promises, and silence (IranWire)
۰ ‘At least we have security’: Old mantra becomes bitter joke in postwar Iran (Iran International)
۰ ‘Far more dangerous than war’: Iranians brace for prospect of UN sanctions (The Guardian)
۰ ‘People will suffer anyway’: snapback sharpens fault lines in Iran (Iran International)
۰ Judiciary confirms Zanjani’s gold bullion held by customs (IranWire)
Foreign Policy + Security
۰ Republican senator seeks FBI, Pentagon probe into Iranian influence (Iran International)
۰ Man and dog taken down from King’s Cross clock tower after Iran protest (The Guardian)
۰ Iranian man arrested in Yorkshire in connection with money laundering at mini-markets (Yorkshire Post)
۰ ‘Win-win for our people’: Iranian opposition seeks Israeli expertise in visit for post-regime Iran (Jerusalem Post)
۰ Targeting Iran’s leaders, Israel found a weak link: Their bodyguards (New York Times)
۰ Iran says eight arrested for suspected links to Israel’s Mossad spy agency (NBC News)
۰ Israeli drones entered Iran from Azerbaijan during 12-day war, lawmaker alleges (Iran International)
۰ Iranian Embassy siege hero reveals his sledgehammer-wielding role in rescue of hostages 45 years on (Daily Mail)
۰ Australia’s ambassador exits Iran as Baghdad lowers diplomatic links over alleged attacks (AP)
۰ Iran-GCC clash over islands, nuclear talks underscores Tehran’s growing isolation (Al-Monitor)
۰ Iran says killing of Houthi leaders will trigger wider response (Iran International)
۰ Iranian hackers disrupted hostage deal negotiations in Cairo (Jerusalem Post)
Iran Deal + Sanctions
۰ Iran accuses Europe of surrendering nuclear deal to Trump’s veto (The Guardian)
۰ Iran and UK hold talks on nuclear deal amid snapback threat (IranWire)
۰ Turkey’s Erdogan tells Pezeshkian that continuing nuclear talks useful (Reuters)
۰ MP threatens NPT exit if UN sanctions return (IranWire)
۰ Can China and Russia rescue Iran from sanctions snapback? (IranWire)
۰ Iran’s currency hits new low as ‘snapback’ looms over nuclear program (Al Jazeera)
۰ Oil settles up 1% after US imposes sanctions targeting Iranian oil (Reuters)
۰ Treasury intensifies pressure on Iranian oil smuggling and sanctions evasion schemes in Iraq (Treasury.gov)
۰ Iraq rejects claims of smuggling Iranian oil following new US sanctions (Rudaw)