Speaking at the POLITICO Security Summit in Washington DC, Pahlavi said Western governments had spent years pursuing a failed strategy of appeasement that ultimately emboldened Tehran.

Bettan gave a dynamic, confident performance of the catchy song, surrounded by five female dancers, and it was selected as one of the 10 songs out of 15 that will advance to the final. 

The Saudi attacks, not previously reported, mark the first time that the kingdom is known to have directly carried out military action on Iranian soil and show it is becoming much bolder.

Businesses across Iran have begun laying off workers as the country’s economy struggles under the combined pressure of war-related disruptions, sanctions, and infrastructure damage.