The Farda Briefing

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, I'm looking at a mysterious recruitment flyer that appeared near Russia's embassy in Tehran, offering Iranians cash to fight in Ukraine. Is it real, a scam, or something else entirely?

What You Need To Know

• A Shadow Job Ad: A strange recruitment flyer appeared near the Russian Embassy in central Tehran this week, promising Iranians tens of thousands of dollars to join Moscow's war in Ukraine. The offer sits in a gray zone between plausible and absurd, and that ambiguity is why's it worth watching.

• Lawyer Death Triggers Calls For UN Investigation: The December 5 death of Khosrow Alikordi, an attorney known for representing political prisoners, has prompted Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh to call for a UN fact-finding committee to investigate the case. She told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that "there are ample ground to doubt" the coroner's report, which listed his cause of death as a heart attack.

• US Seizes Iran-Linked Tanker Off Venezuela: The United States this week seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela that had been under Treasury Department sanctions since 2022 for allegedly helping smuggle Iranian oil as part of a network led by Ukrainian national Viktor Artemov. Analyst Dalga Khatinoglu said the seizure undermines Iran's "shadow fleet" and deals a financial blow to the IRGC, which exports about a third of Iran's oil.

The Big Issue

$20,000 And A Contract

The ad bears a black‑and‑white Russian coat of arms and claims to represent Russia's Defense Ministry. It targets Iranian men aged 18–45, and women only if they have medical training. The flyer promises a $20,000 signing bonus and around $2,000 in monthly pay, plus housing and language classes, while noting an unspecified commission will be deducted from the first salary.

The contact details are anything but official: a WhatsApp number registered in Armenia, a Gmail address, and a Telegram channel. The positions listed range from assault troops and drone operators to drivers and support roles.

On December 9, the Russian Embassy in Tehran publicly disowned the flyer, calling it the work of "opportunistic individuals" and stressing that no Russian state body is involved. The embassy went further, branding the document -- and any similar letters -- as fake and "criminal" in nature.

But that doesn't quite settle it. Russia has repeatedly relied on deniable, semiofficial, and outright clandestine channels to recruit fighters abroad, and the structure of the offer in Tehran broadly mirrors those seen elsewhere: quick cash, foreign adventure, and a vague promise of status and residency.

RFE/RL's Radio Farda contacted the person behind the Armenian WhatsApp number. They insisted the ad was "official" and claimed it had been coordinated with Iranian authorities, but offered no evidence. Tehran, for its part, has kept quiet; Iranian officials have yet to comment publicly.

Why It Matters: Whatever the status of the Tehran ad, it surfaces against the backdrop of an aggressive Russian push to bring in foreign fighters. Ukrainian officials say Moscow has recruited at least 18,000 foreign nationals from 128 countries, while more than 11,000 North Koreans are reportedly serving in Ukraine under a military cooperation agreement with Pyongyang.

Russia's shopping list for manpower now spans Cuba, Syria, Central Asia, Nepal, India, Kenya, Jordan, and beyond. The methods range from promises of fast money and passports to thinly veiled coercion, including pressure on migrant workers inside Russia who face the loss of residency or citizenship if they refuse to sign up.

This foreign recruitment drive allows the Kremlin to delay or dilute another mobilization at home. The September 2022 draft triggered a rush for the borders and deepened public unease. Since then, Moscow has clearly preferred checkbook incentives and expendable foreign labor over politically risky domestic conscription.

Western intelligence estimates suggest Russia has suffered more than 1 million casualties, including about 250,000 killed, since the full‑scale invasion began in February 2022.

What's Being Said: John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, told Radio Farda he cannot verify whether the Tehran flyer is genuine, but it fits within a broader pattern. Russia, he noted, has built up a track record of recruiting foreign nationals from poorer countries to fight in Ukraine, often targeting men with limited economic prospects.

At the same time, Hardie pointed out that the design and wording of the Tehran brochure do not fully match Russia's usual recruitment materials. That inconsistency is one reason some analysts suspect either a sloppy local operation, a scam piggybacking on Russia's war, or some form of low‑cost intelligence fishing.

Nicole Grajewski of the Washington, D.C.-based Carnegie Endowment voiced similar doubts, arguing that if Moscow truly wanted to tap Iran as a manpower pool, a more likely pathway would be coordination with the Iranian state.

If the advertisement is authentic, however, it would be the first known attempt to openly recruit Iranian citizens into the Russian military, following earlier efforts in Central Asian states and Cuba.

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, I look into Iran's worsening water crisis, which has now prompted the government to consider importing water to address the severe shortage.

What You Need To Know

• Thirsty Iran Looks To Neighbors: Iranian Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi announced this week that water importation -- both physical surplus from neighbors and "virtual water" via imported goods -- is now an active government strategy to combat severe shortages.

• Grammy Winner Hajipour In Hot Water: Shervin Hajipour, the Iranian Grammy winner whose song became the anthem of the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, has announced the release of his state-approved debut album -- a move that has divided his supporters. Critics accuse him of yielding to the authorities, while others have defended him. Documentary filmmaker Mojgan Ilanlou told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that the backlash is "unfair," arguing that just as doctors need a license to work, singers in Iran must also obtain official permission.

• Iraq Blacklists Hezbollah, Houthis By 'Mistake': Iraq on December 4 announced it was designating Iran's allies -- Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Huthi rebels -- as terrorist organizations and freezing their assets. The government quickly backtracked, saying the list was published in error and calling it a "mistake." Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said he had ordered an investigation into the incident. The move raised eyebrows, as Iran has long projected influence in neighboring Iraq through its support for Shi'ite parties and militias, some founded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The Big Issue

Spare Water, Anyone?

This year is being called one of the driest in Iran in over half a century. Rainfall has dropped dramatically, and major dams are running dangerously low. Underground water supplies have been drained for years, and cities like Tehran are already dealing with water rationing. It's not just a drought anymore; it's a full-blown crisis.

Now, instead of relying solely on building more dams or asking people to save water, the plan includes importing water from neighbors who have surplus, if they're willing to sell. There's also the idea of "virtual water," which means importing water-intensive products rather than producing them domestically, saving precious water inside Iran.

Why It Matters: This move is basically an admission that the old ways aren't working. It's a reality check for the government and the public. Sure, there are other water-saving measures in play -- like cloud seeding and recycling -- but the big picture calls for bigger changes, especially in farming and industry.

For many Iranians, hearing that the country might have to buy water feels like a shock. Iran has long been proud of its self-sufficiency. Now, the water crisis is forcing a rethink.

What's Being Said: Iran is located in a considerably water-stressed region, and the minister didn't say which countries Iran would turn to for assistance.

Climatologist Nasser Karami told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Iran is likely to strike some kind of trade or barter deal for water, probably with Afghanistan.

He explained, "Afghanistan has a lot of rivers flowing out of it, including three that go to Iran, and they need us for things that don't cost us much -- like access to international waters and the Persian Gulf."

Karami also challenged the Islamic republic's agricultural self-sufficiency strategy, which it has pursued since coming to power in 1979, and backed the move to import water-intensive crops.

"We're not a country that can produce food for around 100 million people," he warned. "With our fertile land and water, we can at most grow food for 40 to 50 million people and must import the rest. This is a very good and logical move."

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

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