Hardline cleric reverses stance, now backs US negotiations

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the world’s largest counter-terrorism organization and remains fully prepared to confront any threat, the force’s spokesman said on Tuesday.

“The IRGC, in full unity and coordination with other branches of the armed forces, will deliver a timely, firm, and regret-inducing response to any aggression or plot by the enemies,” Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini said.

Naeini added that the IRGC’s appeal, effectiveness, and popularity are the main reasons behind the hostility it faces.

“These capabilities have made the IRGC a target of conspiracies, sanctions, and smear campaigns—because it has never stopped and continues to grow its strength day by day,” he said.

US President Donald Trump designated the IRGC a terrorist organization in 2019. Canada followed suit but the European Union and the UK have so far held off on such a designation for the IRGC as a whole though they have designated individuals in the organization. None of the EU member states list it as a terrorist organization.

A member of Iran's parliament said that the path to improving the country's economic situation lies in successful diplomatic engagement, particularly in the ongoing talks with the United States.

Mostafa Pourdehqan spoke to Rouydad24 about the positive impact of the recent talks on economic indicators such as inflation and the exchange rate of the national currency, rial.

He argued that continued progress in negotiations would be crucial for sustained economic growth in Iran.

Pourdehqan urged a pragmatic approach to the talks, suggesting that Iran should be willing to move beyond past grievances if the other side respects its core principles.

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Raji will summon Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, in the coming days following his comments on social media criticizing international disarmament efforts, Lebanese news agency Al-Markazia reported on Tuesday.

Last Friday, in a post on X, Amani called disarmament efforts a conspiracy against nations, accusing the United States of arming Israel while pressuring other countries to dismantle their arsenals.

“We in the Islamic Republic of Iran understand the danger of this conspiracy and its threat to the security of the region’s peoples. We warn others against falling into the enemy's trap,” Amani wrote. “Preserving deterrent capability is the first line of defense for sovereignty and independence and must not be compromised.”

“Good measures have been considered, and effective steps have been taken to fortify them," Mohammad Eslami said, speaking at an event marking the anniversary of the establishment of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Last month, US President Donald Trump warned of bombing Iran if Tehran failed to reach a deal over its nuclear program, vowing to quash Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons. Israel has also repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites.

Eslami said effort to fortify the facilities are ongoing. "Extensive efforts have been made in recent years, and many vulnerabilities have been addressed. The current safety conditions are not comparable to the past,” Eslami added.

According to Axios, in addition to extensive damage to air defense systems, the Israeli air attack on Iran last October destroyed an active top secret nuclear weapons research facility in Parchin.

Amid a national energy crisis, Tehran emphasizes on the importance of its nuclear program, with Eslami pointing to the Bushehr power plant as a key example of nuclear energy's value.

He said that Iran spent $1.87 billion on the Bushehr plant, which has led to $8 billion in fuel savings.

"Electricity produced from nuclear power plants can effectively reduce the total cost of electricity production and return energy subsidies directly or indirectly to people's tables," Eslami said.

However, he acknowledged that nuclear power currently makes up a small fraction of Iran’s energy mix, limiting its impact on average electricity prices. “We are still in the early stages of broad nuclear electricity use, and its share in the national energy basket is very low,” he added.

The NGO, which specializes in internet freedoms in Iran and the Middle East, released a report last week detailing new technologies and tools allegedly used by authorities in Isfahan, Iran's third most populous city, for hijab enforcement.

These include International Mobile Subscriber Identity-Catchers (IMSI-Catchers), data from contactless card readers, and urban surveillance cameras.

IMSI-Catchers—also known as fake cell towers—can intercept and track mobile phone communications by impersonating legitimate towers. A portable fake cell tower carried by a hijab enforcer, for instance, can connect to the cell phone of a woman not wearing the hijab on the street and identify her number.

“The combined use of IMSI-Catchers, contactless card readers, and surveillance cameras—along with access to government databases and the cooperation of telecom operators—has created a powerful, multilayered tool to systematically violate women’s rights through identification, tracking, and intimidation,” Filterwatch said in its report.

Stricter hijab enforcement in Isfahan

So far, this surveillance-driven enforcement strategy appears limited to Isfahan, a conservative bastion where hardliners have pushed for stricter hijab enforcement—even after the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) temporarily shelved a controversial new 'hijab and chastity law' in September to avoid sparking unrest if it was brought into effect.

The law has been slammed globally by rights groups and the UN which said it amounted to gender apartheid.

In December, Iranian media unveiled the details of the new law which had been kept secret. Stricter measures against women who unveil in public would include travel bans, social media bans, prison sentences, and lashes. It also criminalizes anyone promoting the encouragement of hijab defiance.

“The Isfahan case is a serious alarm bell about the escalation of digital authoritarianism and the use of technology as a weapon against the rights of citizens, especially women, in Iran,” Nima Akbarpour, a tech expert and filmmaker, warned in a post on X.

Warning text messages reveal extent of data access

In recent weeks, dozens of women reported on social media that they received threatening text messages after visiting public places in Isfahan during the Nowruz (Iranian New Year) holidays in late March as the crackdown escalates.

Screenshots shared online show messages from various state entities, including the provincial branch of the Office for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the Department of Justice, and the police.

The first two agencies warned recipients of potential legal prosecution should the violation of hijab rules be repeated. The third message, from the police, informed recipients that “evidence of the crime” had been submitted to the judiciary.

The messages included the women’s full names and specified the exact locations where the alleged violations occurred—indicating the authorities had access to their personal and location data.

In some cases, the same messages were reportedly sent to the recipient’s husband or father, demonstrating the extent of data collected.

While reports of such warnings first emerged in June 2023, local authorities only recently confirmed the practice after it appears to have become more widespread.

Last week, Amir-Hossein Bankipour, an ultra-hardline lawmaker from the province, said, "[Sending text messages] began some time ago, and its impact has already been observed, with approximately 80–90 percent of recipients complying after receiving the text message. This method has proven effective without causing social tension".

Public defiance continues

Public acts of defiance against the hijab have grown to new heights in the past year despite authorities' threats of severe legal crackdowns, occasional violence against women on the streets, and measures such as impounding vehicles if unveiled women are spotted in them.

A nationwide movement against compulsory hijab intensified following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police in September 2022. Her death sparked protests across Iran under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom," shifting public sentiment decisively against compulsory hijab.

Many women now refuse to wear the compulsory head covering, long tunics, and trousers as dictated by the country's Shariah law. They are also now often seen singing and dancing in public in defiance of the religious establishment.