Kamran Hekmati, an Iranian American Jewish jeweler from Long Island, was sentenced to four years in prison in Iran for traveling to Israel 13 years ago for his son's bar mitzvah, as reported on November 6th, 2025. Hekmati is currently being held in Evin Prison. The sentencing comes as Iran faces a severe water crisis, with dams in Tehran and Karaj at their lowest levels in 60 years and wells in Mashhad drying up, according to a separate report on November 6th. This critical water shortage has led to discussions of potential evacuations of the capital, Tehran, and the implementation of immediate water rationing. Previous reports from November 6th indicated that Iranian President Ebrahim Pezeshkian had warned of the potential evacuation of Tehran due to the escalating water crisis. The province had not received rainfall since September, and dam water reserves had fallen to just 5%, prompting rationing measures. These developments in Iran occurred amidst heightened regional tensions, including Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon and U.S. sanctions against individuals for facilitating financial transfers to Hezbollah.
