MEE correspondent

Iran cheers suspension of US funds for opposition
Media outlets aligned with the Iranian establishment have strongly endorsed the recent 90-day suspension of all US foreign aid, including funding for Iranian opposition media and organisations.
They have welcomed the suspension’s potential to weaken its opponents and disrupt the activities of opposition groups supported by the US.
An executive order issued in the early days of Donald Trump’s return to the White House enacted the suspension.
According to BBC Persian, more than 30 Iranian opposition organisations and media outlets affected by the decision convened to discuss the matter. However, no details have been released regarding the meeting’s outcomes or the specific topics discussed.
Establishment supporters have widely celebrated the announcement, hailing it as a “shock to the counter-revolution”.
Mashreq News reported: “Many counter-revolutionary groups abroad, which operate with US government funding, are now expressing concern over Trump’s decision to cut off foreign aid. Some of these groups may face closure due to the suspension.”
The outlet further praised the executive order, saying: “The withdrawal of US aid has significantly impacted their operations and sends a clear message that support for counter-revolutionary elements is not indefinite. This incident will serve as a lesson to all anti-Iranian factions.”
Fars News, an outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also welcomed the move, writing: “Trump, who was expected to undermine Iran, has instead disrupted the opposition by suspending funding for foreign entities, including media outlets and institutions linked to the Iranian opposition.”
Families of 1980s executed prisoners demand access to graves
The families of political prisoners executed in 1988 have issued an open letter to President Masoud Pezeshkian, demanding access to the unmarked graves where thousands of their loved ones are buried.

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According to the letter, the families have been barred from entering Khavaran Cemetery, the site of these graves. They emphasised that security forces have blocked access by constructing walls and gates around the burial site.
In 1988, more than 5,000 political prisoners opposing the Islamic Republic were executed, including individuals who were nearing the end of their prison terms and awaiting release. Their bodies were not returned to their families and were buried in unmarked graves at Khavaran.
“Four decades have passed since then. They have neither handed over the bodies to the families, nor announced the exact time of execution and burial place, nor allowed the survivors to mourn,” the letter reads.
The letter, signed by 93 family members of the executed prisoners, states that over the past 11 months, they have appealed to judicial authorities to grant them free access to the graves. However, they have received no response.
Iran-Taliban talks spark criticism
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s recent visit to Afghanistan for talks with Taliban officials has drawn criticism from some domestic media outlets.
Government-aligned media reported that last week’s visit focused on two key issues: the deportation of Afghan refugees from Iran and Iranian water rights regarding the Helmand river.
On Monday, the Jomhouri Eslami daily described the Taliban government as lacking both domestic and international legitimacy, questioning Aragchi’s engagement with the group.
“A violent and backward group with no domestic legitimacy, crushing all ethnic and religious minorities and denying women their most basic rights – does such a regime deserve a visit from a foreign minister?” the daily wrote.
The Khorasan daily, based in a province bordering Afghanistan, supported Iran’s firm stance on water disputes, saying: “Iran’s principled policies should hold its neighbour accountable for legal obligations. Otherwise, the government must not allow this to lead to broken promises and violations of people’s rights.”
Cleric resigns after criticising Azerbaijan’s Aliyev
The representative of Iran’s supreme leader in Qazvin province, Ayatollah Abdolkarim Abedini, resigned earlier this week following his strong criticism of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Although Abedini’s resignation letter did not specify his reasons for leaving, some local media have attributed it to his remarks against Aliyev and escalating tensions between Tehran and Baku.
Relations between the two countries have been increasingly strained in recent years, further exacerbated by Azerbaijan’s expanding ties with Israel. They have accused each other of espionage and meddling in internal affairs.
On 10 January, during Friday prayers in Qazvin, Abedini – who is also Qazvin’s Friday prayer imam – called Aliyev a “mercenary” of the United States and Israel, saying: “The president of Azerbaijan wanted to tell the Zionists, Americans and British that he is their servant and sought to prove his servitude.”
“The anger of the zealous people of Azerbaijan is leading to the fall of Aliyev,” he added.
The remarks sparked a strong reaction from Baku, with Azerbaijani officials condemning them and summoning Iran’s charge d’affaires to the foreign ministry.