Two years ago the editor of Iran's most hardline newspaper said management of the country's biggest online retailer would "fortunately" pass to those who serve the state. It is now chaired by a former spokesman for the supreme leader's business empire.
Iranian officials acknowledged mounting economic strain on Wednesday, and in the same breath restated their conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as Donald Trump said he was in no hurry to resume talks.
Regional diplomacy around Iran appears to be gathering pace, with Pakistan, Oman and potentially Qatar seeking to turn an emerging agreement over the Strait of Hormuz into a path back to negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
As Washington intensifies its economic campaign, Iranian politicians and analysts are offering sharply different prescriptions for dealing with the United States: from phased negotiations and new trade routes to greater resistance or simply waiting Donald Trump out.
Since Mojtaba Khamenei was named the Islamic Republic's third supreme leader, no one has seen him or heard his voice. That looks like weakness. It is worth asking whether it might instead be postponing the system's political death.
Recent visits to Tehran by regional mediators were part of a White House “deception operation,” the hardline Kayhan newspaper said on Wednesday, following separate visits by Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir and Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.
Iran's parliament approved an amended section of a bill aimed at countering foreign influence on Tuesday, setting out definitions for foreign governments, foreign agents and a broad range of contacts with foreign entities, state media reported.
Mohsen Rezaei’s threats to halt Iranian oil exports, target countries cooperating with the United States and comments suggesting a possible nuclear shift have triggered a debate in Tehran over his authority to outline such policies as tensions escalate.
Iran’s top security official has suggested Tehran could reconsider its longstanding rejection of nuclear weapons, arguing that US attacks on Iran have strengthened the case for acquiring an atomic bomb as a deterrent.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen or heard publicly, leaving his condition and circumstances unclear as officials govern in his name, interpret messages attributed to him and invoke his authority on questions ranging from negotiations with Washington to the conduct of the war.
IRGC commander-in-chief Ahmad Vahidi praised Iran’s state broadcaster for its performance during the war with the US, throwing his weight behind an institution that has clashed with President Masoud Pezeshkian and drawn criticism from Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
A warning by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf that Iran cannot endure if its people go hungry has exposed tensions in Tehran over acknowledging economic strain, with hardliners arguing that signs of weakness will encourage further US pressure.
Yemen’s Houthis have become a more effective ally for Iran than Hezbollah, using Iranian support and their strategic Red Sea position to pursue both Tehran’s interests and their own agenda, Yemen analyst Mohammad al-Basha told Iran International.
A gasoline policy survey by Iran’s energy optimization chief has reignited debate over how the Pezeshkian administration should tackle the country’s fuel deficit without triggering another politically dangerous price shock.
For years, diplomacy between Iran and the United States has largely been conducted through a familiar group of intermediaries.
Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has strongly backed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, warning that Iran could face serious problems if the opportunity created by it is lost.
With the 60-day period set by the June US-Iran memorandum now over and no final agreement in place, Washington faces a choice between intensifying pressure, renewing major strikes or settling into a prolonged and unstable holding pattern.
President Donald Trump has halted diplomatic engagement with Iran until further notice, the White House said on Tuesday, as Tehran hardens its position over the Strait of Hormuz and presses Washington to meet its demands.
Allegations by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry that two French diplomats briefly detained in Tehran last month were involved in espionage are “completely false,” a French diplomatic source told Iran International.
The 60-day period associated with the Iran-US interim peace deal ended Monday without a breakthrough, with Washington rejecting an extension and a senior Iranian official saying the US had a few weeks to meet the agreement’s terms before further talks.
