Russia is working 'closely' with Iran as Qatar says US-Tehran talks are still on

Key Points:

• President Donald Trump accused Iran of killing Americans with roadside bombs and hanging protesters from cranes, citing the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike in 2020 and claiming Iran has killed at least 75,000 protesters in recent months.
• A new coalition of Iranian opposition groups, the People’s Fighters Front (JMM), has launched armed attacks in the southeastern provinces of Sistan and Baluchistan and Kerman, raising concerns about the stability of the region and the regime's control over the Sunni-majority province.
• Experts suggest that the Sunni unrest in southeastern Iran could stretch the regime's military and security resources, though it is unclear if the opposition groups receive foreign assistance from Gulf Arab states, Israel, or the U.S.
• French President Emmanuel Macron linked the ongoing riots and fuel price concerns in France to the conflict in the Persian Gulf, which he said impacts global energy markets, while facing criticism for downplaying domestic issues and organized lawlessness in the protests.
• Trump criticized Macron’s handling of France’s unrest, warning that closing borders is necessary to prevent further decline, while experts argue the French crisis is primarily domestic and not solely driven by international geopolitics such as the Iran war.