Iran intensified its repression of internal dissent on Monday, arresting reformist figures and activists weeks after a wave of nationwide protests. At the same time, Tehran left the door open to new nuclear negotiations with the United States, highlighting a dual strategy of internal control and cautious diplomacy.

First modification: 02/10/2026 - 07:12

Iran toughened its offensive this Monday after the recent protests, with new arrests, while keeping open the possibility of future nuclear negotiations with Washington.

The arrests — including that of Javad Emam, spokesman for the main reformist coalition — came after Iranian and American officials held talks in Oman that both sides described as positive.

On Saturday, Iran added more years in prison to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and, on Monday, arrested Hossein Karoubi, son of prominent dissident Mehdi Karoubi.

Weeks after suppressing a wave of protests — one of the biggest challenges to the government since the 1979 Islamic Revolution — Tehran has adopted a two-track approach.

On the one hand, it is detaining and imprisoning perceived critics; On the other hand, it explores a possible diplomatic opening with the administration of US President Donald Trump.

A spokesman for the Reformist Front coalition told local media on Monday that the Revolutionary Guard arrested its spokesman, Emam.

Emam was one of at least five leaders of the Reformist Front detained, along with several activists and filmmakers who co-signed a protest statement.

The Iranian government has called the protests “riots” encouraged by its archenemies Israel and the United States.

'Thwart the enemy'

This Monday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on the nation to show “determination” in the face of foreign pressure.

“National power has less to do with missiles and planes and more to do with the will and determination of the people,” Khamenei said, adding: “Prove it again and frustrate the enemy.”

Along with its defiant statements, Iran has indicated that it could reach some type of agreement to reduce its nuclear program and avoid further conflict with Washington.

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The official IRNA news agency reported that the head of Iran's atomic agency, Mohammad Eslami, said Tehran could dilute its highly enriched uranium in exchange for sanctions relief.

“In response to a question about the possibility of diluting 60% enriched uranium,” IRNA reported, Eslami “said this depends on whether all sanctions would be lifted in return.”

The report did not specify whether such an agreement would include only nuclear sanctions imposed by the United States or all international economic measures against the Islamic Republic.

Diluting – or “downgrading” – uranium involves mixing it with other substances to reduce the level of enrichment, so that the final product does not exceed a certain threshold, which lengthens the time needed to produce enough material for a nuclear bomb.

Tehran firmly insists that it has never planned to build a nuclear weapon and that enrichment for civilian research and energy purposes is its sovereign right, but the United States, Israel and most Western capitals do not believe this.

At talks last week in Oman, the United States and Iran agreed to discuss Iran's nuclear program, although Washington and Israel also want to put ballistic missiles and Tehran's support for regional militant groups on the agenda.

In separate calls with his counterparts from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi “described the talks as a good start, while underlining the need to dispel mistrust about the intentions and objectives of the American side,” state television reported.

The repression continues

Although Trump had initially threatened to intervene over last month's crackdown on protests, since the latest talks began, the United States has given no sign that the crackdown on Tehran's domestic critics is a priority concern.

Read alsoIran: the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Narges Mohammadi, sentenced to seven and a half years in prison

On Saturday, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of attacking national security. He also received an additional sentence of one and a half years for “propaganda” against Iran's Islamic system, his foundation said in a statement.

Already imprisoned for much of the last decade for her campaign against the death penalty and a mandatory dress code for women, she now faces up to 17 more years in prison and 154 lashes.

The arrest of the Reformist Front spokesman, Emam, followed that of three other leaders on Sunday, including Azar Mansouri, who has led the coalition since 2023. Another reformist legislator was arrested this Monday.

The reformist bloc largely backed incumbent president Masoud Pezeshkian in the 2024 presidential election.

Separately, Hossein Karoubi was also detained. His father, Mehdi Karoubi, was a key figure in the 2009 Green Movement protests and has been under house arrest virtually ever since.

Iranian authorities have acknowledged that 3,117 people died during the protests, publishing a list of 2,986 names, most of whom they say were members of the security forces and innocent bystanders.

International organizations place the figure much higher.

The US agency Human Rights Activists News Agency claims to have verified 6,964 deaths, mostly protesters, and to have another 11,730 cases under investigation. It has also recorded more than 51,000 arrests.

This article is an adaptation of its original in English

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