'Western trap': calls for restraint grow in Tehran after Ukraine attack

Key Points:

• Iran's state broadcaster IRIB refuses to stop censoring senior officials despite a ruling by its Supervisory Board, drawing criticism from reformist media but little public sympathy, as many Iranians mock the broadcaster's longstanding neglect of ordinary citizens.
• The IRIB Supervisory Board, which oversees the broadcaster but is ultimately controlled by the Supreme Leader, issued warnings and sought reforms, yet IRIB continues partisan censorship under chief Payman Jebelli, whose term expires soon amid questions about leadership changes.
• Political prisoners in Evin prison condemned the Iranian regime's surge in executions, linking them to attempts to suppress dissent amid military setbacks, while recent hangings of protesters in Isfahan sparked widespread grief and defiance both domestically and internationally.
• US experts and officials interpret President Trump's vow to "finish the job" in Iran as potentially involving intensified bombing, economic isolation, and possibly limited ground operations aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear and military capabilities, though regime change is viewed as a longer-term objective rather than current policy.
• A government-backed newspaper published essays promoting political moderation and cooperation amid national crises, but the initiative lacks support from powerful ultraconservative factions and the IRGC, highlighting ongoing factional divides and uncertainty about Iran's political future.