The real question is not whether the United States can destroy Iran’s capabilities, but whether it can end the Islamic Republic—and control what follows.

The anxiety splashed across the front pages of Tehran outlets on Thursday did little to quiet the bluffs, threats and illusions that have defined a week of anticipation over possible Israeli or US strikes on Iran.

Davoud Sohrabi, a 30-year-old bodybuilding champion who was shot in the eye with live ammunition on January 8 during protests in Shahr-e Rey, south of Tehran, died on Monday after more than 50 days in a coma, according to information received by Iran International.

The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on more than 30 individuals, companies and vessels linked to Iran, escalating economic pressure a day before a third round of talks between Washington and Tehran in Geneva.

A stuffed rat hung by protesting students at Tehran’s Sharif University and removed by a Basij-affiliated student signaled that supporters of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have effectively acknowledged and amplified a mocking nickname that chips away at his authority.

As cartel violence grips Mexico following the death of a top drug lord, experts tell Iran International that Tehran-linked networks may be intertwined with the criminal infrastructure fueling instability across Latin America.

The Central Intelligence Agency on Tuesday published a direct message in Farsi on its official X account, urging Iranians to contact the agency securely amid ongoing domestic unrest and heightened Iran-US tensions.

Escalating talk of war and renewed negotiations with the United States may dominate Iran’s political discourse, but the country’s deepening economic crisis is more present in daily life—and no less likely to drive change.