Iran’s Meteorological Organization has issued an orange-level weather alert, warning of a dominant hot-summer atmospheric pattern expected from Tuesday, July 29, through Wednesday. The alert forecasts a sharp and abnormal rise in temperatures, exceeding 40°C, well above long-term averages across much of the country, including Tehran, Isfahan, Khuzestan, Kerman, and Gilan provinces. Potential impacts include increased energy consumption, risk of heatstroke and sunburn, wildfires in forests and grasslands, agricultural damage, and thermal stress in livestock and production facilities. Authorities recommend minimizing outdoor activity during peak heat hours, optimizing energy usage, avoiding open flames, and preparing emergency cooling systems in industrial and agricultural units.
Three Iranian Kurdish environmental activists, Hamid Moradi, Chiako Yousefinezhad, and Khabat Amini, have died while battling a wildfire on Mount Abidar in western Iran’s Kurdistan province. Amini succumbed on Monday after four days in intensive care. The deaths have ignited national mourning and sharp criticism of the Iranian government’s chronic failure to provide proper firefighting resources and protection. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi honored the men as “brave defenders of Kurdistan’s environment” and condemned the government for turning nature into “a battleground for power and exploitation.” Activists say at least 25 environmental defenders have died in wildfires across Iran over the past decade.
Sara Gohari, a sociology student at the University of Tehran, was arrested on July 15 at the Taybad border while conducting research on the forced deportation of Afghans from Iran. Since the beginning of the year, over one million Afghans have been forcibly deported from Iran. This campaign has accelerated in pace following the recent war with Israel. According to her lawyer, Reza Shafakhah, Gohari remains in detention at Torbat-e Jam prison, facing charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “photographing prohibited locations.” Her case is currently under review at the Taybad courthouse.
Mahdieh Shadmani, daughter of Ali Shadmani, the former commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, claimed her father was killed in a “direct chase” with Israel, contradicting earlier reports of his death in an airstrike. Her remarks sparked widespread reactions on social media. A week after his death, the headquarters stated that Shadmani died from severe injuries sustained in an Israeli bombing. The Israeli military later confirmed it had targeted Shadmani in a command post in central Tehran, using “valuable, real-time intelligence” and seizing a “sudden opportunity.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that Europe is pursuing a comprehensive agreement with Iran, one that would address not only its nuclear program but also its ballistic missile development and destabilizing regional actions. He stressed that France, Germany, and the UK, in close coordination with the United States, have clearly conveyed that Iran must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. Barrot warned that if a “new, strong, durable, and verifiable” deal is not reached by the end of the summer, the three countries will have no choice but to activate the “snapback” mechanism, reimposing the full range of international sanctions lifted a decade ago, including those targeting arms, nuclear equipment, and financial systems.
