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00:06

Iran Soccer Team Set To Travel To Turkey For World Cup Preparations

Iran's soccer team is scheduled to travel to Antalya, Turkey, on May 18 to begin its training camp, compete in friendlies, and to finalize formalities ahead of its planned journey to the US for the 2026 World Cup.

A squad of 30 players is traveling for the training camp, but the number will be reduced to a maximum of 26 for the World Cup.

Iran is looking to play two friendlies -- exhibition matches -- in Antalya. A match against Gambia is set for May 29.

A farewell ceremony was held in Tehran for Iran's national soccer team ahead of its 2026 World Cup departure.

Visa formalities will be one of the challenges faced by the Iranian squad. Tehran and Washington cut diplomatic relations in 1980.

"No visas have been issued yet," Mehdi Taj, the Iranian football federation head, told Iranian media on May 14.

The US-Israeli war with Iran has led to uncertainty around the team's participation in the World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said at the soccer governing body's annual congress in Vancouver last month that: "of course, Iran will play in the United States of America."

Iran's Taj was refused entry into Canada for the conference because of his links to the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

Iran had requested that its matches scheduled for US sites be moved to Mexico, which is co-hosting the event along with the US and Canada. The request was denied.

The squad is scheduled to begin its World Cup play against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 June, then face Belgium on June 21, also in Los Angeles, and then Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

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22:09

Iran Plans To Reopen Its Stock Market After Wartime Suspension

Iran plans to reopen its stock market on May 19 after being suspended during the active phase war with the US and Israel, Iran's IRNA news agency reported, cited a senior official.

"The suspension of stock market activities from the start of the war was aimed at protecting shareholders' assets, preventing panic-driven trading and allowing for more transparent pricing conditions," Hamid Yari of Iran's Securities and Exchange Organization said on May 16.

"Now, with the reopening of the stock market, we will see the full resumption of all capital market sectors," he added.

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21:40

Iranian Authorities Report 30 Executions Since Start of the War

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  RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Iranian authorities reported that 30 people have been executed on political grounds since the beginning of the country's conflict with the United States and Israel on February 28.

The report released on May 16 by Iran's judicial system said that those executed were found guilty of espionage and terrorism in cases related to large-scale anti-government protests that took place across the country earlier in the year.

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Iran Has Carried Out Nearly 30 Political Executions Since Start Of US-Israel War

According to the report, 36 more people were sentenced to long prison terms, property belonging to 400 journalists was confiscated, and the bank accounts of dozens of bloggers and activists were frozen.

On May 14, Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) said that hard-line rulers in Tehran have executed at least 14 participants in the protests in recent weeks, while six more were hanged after being charged with spying for Israel.

Last month, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turkcalled onIran to "establish a moratorium on the use of capital punishment" and release prisoners "arbitrarily detained."

"I am appalled that -- on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict -- the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities, in harsh and brutal ways," he said.

Iran is one of the world's biggest executioners, hanging hundreds of people per year, many for drug-related offenses and homicide.

Two of the latest executions came on May 13 when Ehsan Afrashteh, a cybersecurity and network specialist, was hanged on charges of espionage for Israel, followed hours later by the execution of Mohammad Abbasi, who took part in mass protests in January, on charges of killing a security officer.