Threatening rhetoric on Iranian state television has intensified fears of renewed repression, as presenters and officials warn critics at home and abroad they could face confiscation of property, prison or even death.

Checkpoints in Tehran came under attack Wednesday evening, according to Iranian state media, which said Israeli drones killed several security personnel and Basij members in the capital.

Nearly every Senate Democrat urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to open a swift investigation into a deadly strike on a girls’ school in Iran that killed scores of children, as new reporting raised questions about whether outdated US targeting data contributed to the attack.

UNESCO has warned that intensifying hostilities are already damaging cultural landmarks in Iran and the broader region, saying it has communicated with all parties to the conflict to coordinate protections for heritage sites.

Iran will not participate in the 2026 World Cup after co-host the United States launched airstrikes alongside Israel that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggered a wider regional conflict, the country’s sports minister said on Wednesday.

Members of Iran’s national women’s football team were closely monitored by security officials linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during their stay in Australia, but several managed a dramatic escape from their hotel to seek asylum.

Two days after he was announced as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei remains absent from public view, raising questions his swift selection was meant to pre-empt.

Britain banned London’s al-Quds march on Sunday, saying the annual event organized by a pro-Islamic Republic group could trigger serious disorder as tensions over Iran and planned counter-protests intensify.