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Lion and Sun Flag Flies at World Cup Stadium Despite FIFA Ban
Despite FIFA banning Iran’s Lion and Sun flags from entering SoFi Stadium, where the Iran vs New Zealand match was held, hundreds of Iranians waved the pre-revolutionary national Lion and Sun flag from the stands.
Welcome to the Kayhan Life Week in Review
The week’s news centered on an interim memorandum of understanding signed by the US, the Islamic Republic, and Pakistan to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and start 60 days of negotiations. President Donald Trump warned that bombs could return if the Islamic Republic failed to comply. Although the memorandum was met with scorching public criticism, including from some of his fellow Republicans, the G7 welcomed the deal while continuing to seek alternative routes around the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, ballistic missile program, and support for proxies are seen to remain unresolved. Inside Iran, the regime was mired in factional infighting while continuing executions. The diaspora remained determined to separate the Iranian people from the state that claims to represent them.
►The United States and the Islamic Republic, together with Pakistan, which had acted as a mediator, signed a 14-point memorandum that promised an end to military operations, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, oil waivers, access to frozen assets, the termination of sanctions, and a $300 billion reconstruction plan. But President Trump made clear that the pause was conditional.
US and Iran Presidents Sign Ceasefire Agreement, but Trump Says He Could Still Resume Attacks
The 14-Point U.S.-Iran Pact as Read by U.S. Official
►The deal opened a 60-day window for talks, while leaving Tehran’s nuclear program, ballistic missiles program, and its support for proxies, as well as enforcement mechanisms, unresolved.
What Challenges Could Stand in the Way of a Final US-Iran Deal?
Has Trump Achieved His Goals in the War With Iran?
Republicans blast Trump’s Iran agreement as details emerge
EXCLUSIVE-Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Set Up Covert Iraqi Cells to Attack [Persian] Gulf Neighbors, Sources Say
►G7 leaders welcomed the interim deal and demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon. The leaders said they were ready to help implement the accord, with a coalition led by Britain and France set to help secure shipping once the Strait of Hormuz reopens.
G7 Leaders Demand Ceasefire in Lebanon, Welcome Iran Deal
►Reports of a $300 billion investment fund and possible UAE-linked funds suggested that the interim deal was built as much on financial incentives as security guarantees. The fund will not be created or become operational until a final and satisfactory deal is concluded.
EXCLUSIVE: Iran Deal Includes $300 Billion Fund, More Than Half Already Committed, Source Says
EXCLUSIVE: UAE to Unlock Billions of Dollars for Iran, Sources Say
►Earlier, an Israeli strike on Lebanon following Hezbollah attacks against communities in northern Israel tested the fragile ceasefire diplomacy even before it was complete. Trump criticized the attack.
Trump Says Israeli Strike on Lebanon Should Not Have Happened, but Iran Deal Close
►From Tokyo to Detroit, the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz has left auto shops short of petroleum-derived products, forcing them to use improvised workarounds.
US-Iran Deal May Not Bring Quick Relief for Auto Shops
►In one of the week’s more ironic turns, Reuters reported that the U.S. military oversaw secretive ship-to-ship oil transfers near the Strait of Hormuz — a tactic long associated with the Islamic Republic’s sanctions evasion. War made the improvised economy respectable, at least temporarily.
EXCLUSIVE-The U.S. Is Using an Iranian Smuggling Tactic to Sneak Oil Out of the [Persian] Gulf
►A U.S. judge granted bail to an Iranian-born engineer ahead of trial on charges involving alleged illegal technology exports with potential drone applications. The court cited the war itself as a changed circumstance, making a return to Iran less plausible.
Iran-Born Engineer Wins Bail Ahead of U.S. Tech Export Trial
►Inside Iran, the people are impoverished, repressed and ordered to endure. While hardliners remain defiant and want rearmament, ordinary Iranians want relief.
With War Likely Over, Iranian Rulers Must Face Demands of Angry, Embittered Population
►In the meantime, factional rivalries within the Islamic Republic have intensified, with messages attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei warning of division and the loss of public trust.
Infighting Intensifies Among Islamic Republic’s Leadership As Conflict Continues
►Once again, the judiciary reported the execution of two men accused of leading unrest during the January 2026 protests.
Iran Executes Two Men Over Role in January 2026 Protests, Judiciary News Outlet Says
►A British-Iranian man was charged over an arson attack on a memorial wall in Golders Green honoring protesters reportedly killed by the Iranian state.
UK-Iranian National Charged With Arson at London Memorial Wall
►At Iran’s World Cup opener in Los Angeles, some fans cheered Team Melli; others waved the lion-and-sun flag and protested Tehran’s rule.
Some Iranian Americans Wave Protest Flags, Others Cheer as Iran Play World Cup Opener
►As always, Iranian culture outshone the state. Amid war and repression, Iranian creativity continued to move across borders: experimental, diasporic, and beyond the regime’s claim to define Iran. Iranian-born artist Arash Azadi’s composition for the 2027 Sharjah Biennial, “The End is Always Near,” merges AI-generated voice, text, and sound into a sonic meditation on the apocalypse Iranians experience under war, oppression, and cruelty.
Artist Arash Azadi to Participate in 2027 Sharjah Biennial |
