Iran has moved political detainees and prisoners from the notorious Evin prison in the capital Tehran, after the complex was hit by deadly Israeli attacks on Monday.
Families of detainees and prisoners have been notified of the inmates' new locations, the semi-official Fars news agency reported, citing the Iran Prisons' Organisation.
Israel claimed it was striking "regime targets" in Monday's attack on the complex. Evin is known to hold political prisoners, dissidents and foreign detainees.
The UN's human rights office condemned the Israeli attack on the prison as a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
"Evin prison is not a military objective, and targeting it constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law," UN human rights spokesman Thameen Al Kheetan said in Geneva on Tuesday.
He said the UN had received reports of fires inside the complex and an unspecified number of injuries.
Amnesty International said it was "extremely distressed" by videos showing the damage caused to the jail where hundreds of inmates, including human rights defenders, were being held.
Tuesday's evacuation of Evin came hours after a US-announced ceasefire was supposed to come into effect – but Israel claimed Iran had already breached it. Iran had not officially agreed to the conditions and denied launching missiles towards Israel.
"In light of the severe violation of the ceasefire carried out by the Iranian regime," Israeli Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir said on Tuesday. "We will respond with force."
Two days after Israel began hostilities on Iran on June 13, prominent Iranian political prisoner Reza Khandan reportedly wrote a letter to the head of the judiciary of Iran, which was published by the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights organisation.
Khandan – accused by the regime of spreading propaganda and colluding to commit crimes against the state – said in the letter that prisoners like him were vulnerable to Israeli strikes.
"As you are well aware, prisons lack air-raid warning systems, shelters, and safe and appropriate evacuation routes to more suitable locations," he wrote.
"Additionally, prisons are not equipped with defence systems to counter potential attacks [especially Ward 8 of Evin, which is in an even worse condition and doesn’t even have a single fire extinguisher]."
Where Khandan is now being held is unknown.
The Israel-Iran conflict has so far killed hundreds of people in Iran and dozens in Israel.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
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