October 8 – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Iran’s government would file a lawsuit against South Korea if it continued to withhold more than $7 billion in funds for oil shipments, which were frozen following the imposition of US sanctions.
The row has heightened tensions between the two countries following claims by an Iranian lawmaker that South Korea took delivery of the oil but had yet to pay for it.
Trading penalties imposed on Iran have crippled the country’s economy. It has been estimated that trade between Iran and South Korea has halved since the sanctions began, while Iran’s economy has shrunk steadily since 2017, reducing by almost 5% in 2020.
Attorneys for an unjustly detained Iranian-American called on the Iranian government to lift a travel ban blocking his exit from the country to allow him to access life-saving medical treatment in the US.
Baquer Namazi was convicted of “collaboration with a hostile government” in 2016 and sentenced to 10 years in prison, but his case was closed last year by Iranian authorities who then imposed a travel ban on the 84-year-old.
Mr Namazi’s son, Siamak Namazi, who was also jailed on the same charge, remains in prison. The US government said the charges against the Namazis baseless, and called for their immediate release.
And the Iranian government has announced that it will allow women to enter Iran’s Azadi stadium on October 12 to watch Team Melli compete in the World Cup qualifier against South Korea.
Women are banned from attending football stadiums inside the ultra-conservative Islamic Republic, but global outcries on social media about the practice have led the regime to make occasional concessions.
The discriminatory practice gained worldwide attention in 2019 after Sahar Khodayari, an avid football fan, set herself on fire and died from her injuries. Sahar tried to enter a football stadium dressed as a man, but was later arrested by officials and summoned to court.
Sahar set herself on fire outside the court house following fears that she could be sent to prison. Sahar’s death went viral on social medial, where she was given the nickname “Blue girl,” in reference to the official color of her favorite football team.
