Family receives body of protester missing 50 days with signs of violence

Two UK-registered cryptocurrency exchanges allegedly processed billions of dollars for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards using a fabricated chief executive built from stock footage, according to an investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

The report said the companies, Zedcex and Zedxion, listed a supposed director and person with significant control named “Elizabeth Newman,” but investigators found no passport records, migration history or other evidence that such a person exists.

Promotional materials for the exchanges used stock video footage labeled “Pretty black woman talking to camera” from Shutterstock to portray the fictitious executive, while other “team members” also appeared to be generic stock clips.

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The FBI said on Friday it is coordinating with federal and international partners to return Americans held in Iran and prosecute their captors, following the United States’ designation of Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention.

"Today, the U.S. has designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. The FBI remains committed to working with our federal and international partners to return Americans who are being held captive home and bring their captors to justice. The Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell (HRFC) coordinates efforts dedicated to recovering Americans held hostage abroad and supporting the hostages and their families during and after release," FBI official account posted on X.

The body of a protester who disappeared during the demonstrations in Tehran last month has been returned to his family nearly fifty days later, according to information collected by Iran International from relatives and witnesses.

The victim, Vahid Lazer Monouchehri, had gone missing since widespread protests on January 8,9.

His body was handed over to relatives on Thursday with marks of gunfire and blows from a butcher’s cleaver, the family said.

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Senator Jim Risch, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman on Friday welcomed Secretary Rubio's designation of Iran as the first State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention, highlighting its deserved status.

"Iran is the first ever country to be designated a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention — and no nation is more deserving of that grim title," Risch said. "Too many Americans have suffered at the hands of the regime, and I'm glad to see the Administration use the authorities given to them by my Countering Wrongful Detention Act."

President Trump speaking in Texas on Friday said the US faces a major decision on Iran amid ongoing nuclear talks, emphasizing the need for a "meaningful" deal rather than a weak one.

"We have a very big decision to make," Trump said. "We have a country that's in 47 years blowing people's legs off, arms off the face. They've been knocking out ships, killing people, lots of people, not only Americans, lots of people been terrible. 32,000 people killed over the last two, three months, protesters, 32,000."

"They want to make a deal, but make a deal that's meaningful. I spoke with Ted Cruz, John, all of them on the way here. I said, we got to make a deal that's meaningful," he added.

"We hit him real hard, as you know, with those beautiful B-2 bombers recently knocked out their nuclear capability, but I'd rather do it the peaceful way. But they're very difficult people. I want to tell you that they're very dangerous people, very difficult people," Trump said.