Snapback and survival: sanctions gauntlet further imperils Tehran

Political awakening

First of all, I would like to add that this is my first book, and my second book - in which I wrote about the reason why I left Iran and the fate of Iran today - I wrote in another book titled Until We Are Free.

But about Mr. Bani-Sadr, in the book (Iran Awakening) whom you asked about, I must say that it was not Bani-Sadr the president. It was the brother of the president - the first president, who at that time ran the justiciary. He headed the judiciary.

When he told me this, he said, put on your headscarf even if it's not in your belief, as a sign of respect, as someone who has come as a guest to our home - by which he meant Khomeini's.

I told him, why are you encouraging me to be hypocritical or pretend? I realized very quickly that all the things Khomeini was saying were lies and meant for deception, and for that reason from the very first months I separated my path.

In the articles that I wrote at the very beginning of the revolution, given that during the first year of the revolution there was more freedom, I was able to write articles and they were published.

But, that very moment was the reason that, after I left the judiciary and wanted to obtain my law license, they did not give me a license for seven years and kept me waiting because of the articles I had written.

Women as 'slaves'

In any case, unfortunately the Islamic Revolution sought to use women as slaves, although women resisted too, and because of their resistance the Islamic Republic was not able to shape the kind of woman it desired according to its own ideology.

Still, as much as it could, it tried to impose its culture on the women of Iran through unjust laws.

My first encounter with Khomeini being a liar, and the revolution not being what I wanted, was on March 8, 1979. I remember listening to the radio news. There was an interview with Mr. Eshraghi, the son-in-law of the Imam, and he quoted Khomeini as saying that women working in government offices and state-owned companies must wear hijab, and without hijab no one would be allowed in.

That was when I realized that Khomeini did not stand by the things he had said. He had lied. After that, one discriminatory law after another was passed against women, and the situation of women became much worse than before. It meant that we even lost the rights we had won.

Disillusionment

I am a defender of human rights and naturally sought peaceful change in Iran. That's why, when Khatami was elected, I felt that perhaps his words could be trusted and that maybe reforms could improve conditions without bloodshed or heavy costs. But

I grew more hopeless day by day, and my despair came after the events of July 9, [1999] — the day when the Tehran University student dormitory was attacked and a young man named Ezzat Ebrahimnejad was killed. I was Ezzat Ebrahimnejad's lawyer, and I saw and had information in this regard about what a tragedy had occurred.

We expected Khatami and the reformist government to take the students' side. But unfortunately, we saw that many students were arrested without any justice being carried out as to why that tragedy had been brought upon the students.

And that was when I thought nothing could be done any longer. Many more events afterwards only strengthened this belief. I hope you will read Until We Are Free to understand what events took place.

For this to happen, first of all the constitution must be changed. As a lawyer, I only look at the laws. And based on the constitution, there are principles that the constitution itself has stipulated are unchangeable forever.

All our problems stem entirely from these principles. One of these principles is that all laws must be based on Islamic criteria. Another principle is that the ones who determine this are the six jurists of the Guardian Council, who are directly appointed by the [Supreme] Leader, the Vali-e Faqih. The Vali-e Faqih's powers are among the principles that are unchangeable.

Overthrow 'must take place'

In my view, the current ruling body must be deposed. This means that in reality an overthrow must take place. I hope this overthrow will happen without a heavy price and in a short time.

To achieve that, there is no other way except for the people inside Iran to take to the streets and with one voice say, they do not want this government, stop working, and then this [ruling] system will become paralyzed and through people's resistance it collapses.

Then, the people who brought down this government can easily establish their desired [ruling] system through a referendum.

In such a situation — that is, when a government falls and is left without one, the United Nations can intervene, sending representatives to oversee the transitional period and help hold a fair and proper referendum.

Of course, US policies-and those of Western governments in general-will have an impact, but the final and ultimate impact lies with the people of Iran. That means, it is the people of Iran who in the end must change the destiny of their country in the way they wish.

From grumbling to action

You see, as long as people submit to oppression despite their dissatisfaction, and in other words remain in a so-called gray state...which now the gray stratum is gradually breaking away toward those who believe in overthrowing this regime. And only under these circumstances will something good happen.

I repeat: people are dissatisfied, and they have gradually realized that they must move beyond staying at home, grumbling, and complaining, and instead display their protest in the streets to the government and to the world. And now we are now seeing protests breaking out in the streets over electricity and water shortages.

Our streets must be occupied by the people again. I know this may come at a price, but living under the rule of this government is even more costly for the people.

Even ordinary life — water, electricity, and gas - has been withheld from the people. While we are sitting on a sea of oil, we are facing shortages — or as the government calls it, facing an imbalance — of electricity and gas. What kind of government is this? It has ruled for forty-six years and has destroyed Iran.

Human rights in international talks

I have always said, Western governments that claim they respect human rights must also talk about human rights violations in all dealings and meetings they have with the leaders of the Islamic Republic.

But over these forty-six years we have seen the opposite. That is, The Iranian government imprisons innocent people—indeed, takes them hostage-to extort the West. And how easily Western governments pay ransom.

You saw how Obama sent a plane of cash. You saw how Britain, in exchange for the release of several innocent people who had British nationality, gave ransom so that they would be freed. You saw how the Iranian terrorist diplomat who had been sentenced to twenty years in prison was released. You saw how Hamid Nouri was freed.

These are ransoms given to a terrorist and terror-filled government. This behavior has been wrong, we have always objected.

I hope that one day Western governments realize that they must respect the human rights situation in Iran, it must matter to them, and if they deal or negotiate with a criminal government like Iran, they must also talk about human rights issues, and it must be at the top of the matters they ask the government to improve.

Western governments must be put under pressure. How? Through their own people. That is why the main duty of human rights activists, especially those outside Iran, is to inform, to speak out, and to raise awareness in Western civil society. We know that, for example, France or Britain - after all, they have democracies and are elected by the people's vote.

So the voters must be made aware to elect those who care about humanity. In my view, the most important way [to do this] is raising awareness, and in this regard both human rights defenders and the media have a duty. The media must echo the voice of the defenseless people of Iran to the world and show what Iranians are enduring.

Iranian unity

I was not at the Munich conference. I only sent a message. And in that message I repeated what I have always said: I am not a monarchist, nor am I a republican. I am for Iran. My wish is to live in a homeland that is democratic and secular-that is, exactly what the people of Iran want. And this will not be possible unless Iranians unite.

The disputes that for many years they pointlessly had with each other over minor issues must be set aside, and they must form a coalition with each other and help so that an overthrow can happen.

Then, at the ballot box, during the referendum, it will be determined what Iran's political system will be in the future. My message to the people has always been unity, because I know that unity is the key to our victory.

I was invited [to Munich]. I did not go because I was somewhere else and did not have the possibility to attend. They asked me to send a message, and I did. And any other group that invites me and is willing to broadcast my message, I will gladly give them the same message.

Now is the time for us to unite and form a coalition. For forty-six years we have been fighting among ourselves. You see, in these forty-six years it has been proven that neither the monarchists alone, nor the republicans alone, nor the left alone, nor the right alone - no group on its own can succeed in overthrowing the government of Iran and freeing us from tyranny. We must all unite, hand in hand, and work together.

And my goal is not that we should all think the same. The unity I speak of is different from the "unity of word" that Khomeini talked about. What I mean by unity is that we become willing to work together while also maintaining our own political preferences and beliefs.

At the referendum it will then be determined what the future of Iran will be. But right now we all have one demand — overthrow.

Arrests and executions

So we must join hands to achieve it. I completely agree with you. Look, right now at least three people are executed every single day. The number of arrests is extremely high. For the smallest comment or even a short social media post, someone can be imprisoned.

When a cherished national treasure is sentenced to prison just for posting a dot - then you can imagine what the situation of freedom of expression in this country is. That's why I say this government must be overthrown-because there is no other solution.
The longer this government remains, the more crimes it commits.

These crimes bring us to this firm conviction that an end point must be put to these crimes. This end point is the downfall of the regime. For this reason, unfortunately, no path remains except overthrow.

It may come at a cost, but the people have been left with no alternative. No path of reconciliation remains.

Resource-rich, yet poor

Look, this is not just one sign - there are many signs. Iran has abundant oil, yet people live with at least three hours of power outages each day. The lakes have dried up. There is no water. This is not due to drought.

We look at our neighbors - Qatar, the Emirates, Kuwait - those who are in worse conditions than us. Yet none of them are suffering like we are, where people are forced to buy water.

The economy is on the brink of collapse. All of Iran's banks are bankrupt, surviving only by document fabrication and false accounting. The national currency loses value every single day. By the government's own statistics, about one-third of Iranians have fallen into poverty, though the real figure is higher.

Housing and rent prices are so high that it is beyond the means of many. Our top university graduates all dream of leaving the country not because they do not love Iran, but because there is no work in Iran.

When you get into a Snapp car or a taxi, you find that the drivers are engineers or doctors—because there is no work, they are forced to work [as drivers].
In such conditions, the government relies only on violence, repression, executions, and prisons to try to silence everyone.

'Demon of tyranny'

Well, no way forward remains. No hope remains. All the signs show clearly that this government cannot continue.

It thrashes about to delay its fall, but it can't hold on for much longer. Day by day, we are moving closer to the end of the Islamic Republic.

My message to the people of Iran, to all political groups, and to anyone dissatisfied with the current situation is this: if we unite, hand in hand, we can achieve victory over the demon of tyranny that has coiled itself around Iran.

What has allowed this regime to survive is the divisions among Iranians themselves. But those divisions are starting to fade. I now see that inside Iran, different groups are beginning to work together. Outside the country, there are signs of solidarity as well, even if small.

These must grow stronger. If we can become united, cohesive, and speak with one voice, then we can easily topple the Islamic Republic and bring to power the government of our choosing- under which we will finally be able to live a normal life. Because right now in Iran, nothing is normal.

"An overthrow must take place. I hope this overthrow will happen without a heavy price and in a short time," Ebadi said.

"To achieve that, there is no other way except for the people inside Iran to take to the streets ... It thrashes about to delay its fall, but it can't hold on for much longer. Day by day, we are moving closer to the end of the Islamic Republic."

Ebadi, 78, is an activist and lawyer who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her human rights work, has been a longtime critic of the theocracy in power in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. She has lived in exile in London since 2009.

"The disputes that for many years they pointlessly had with each other over minor issues must be set aside, and they must form a coalition with each other and help so that an overthrow can happen," Ebadi said, referring to rifts in Iran's opposition.

"Then, at the ballot box, during the referendum, it will be determined what Iran's political system will be in the future. My message to the people has always been unity, because I know that unity is the key to our victory."

Centering human rights in talks

Iran's media and elections are tightly controlled by the conservative religious establishment, which has repeatedly deployed deadly force to quash street protests in recent decades.

Iran's adversaries are mostly concerned by Tehran's perceived military threat and disputed nuclear program.

Years of on-off negotiations ultimately failed to resolve those qualms and Israel launched a shock 12-day war on Iran in June which was capped off by US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

Still, Western powers have pressed Iran to return to negotiations aimed at definitively resolving the nuclear standoff - demands resisted by Tehran so far.

Ebadi argued that Western governments have consistently sidelined human rights in their negotiations with Iran — a failure she believes has emboldened Tehran’s crackdown on women, minorities and activists.

“Western governments, which claim to respect human rights, should raise the issue of rights violations in every negotiation and deal with the Islamic Republic’s leaders. Yet in these 46 years, we have seen the opposite,” Ebadi told Eye for Iran.

"If they deal or negotiate with a criminal government like Iran, they must also talk about human rights issues, and it must be at the top of the matters they ask the government to improve," she added.

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  Iran warns Europe against triggering 'snapback' in Geneva meeting

Repression

The cost of this approach, Ebadi argues, is borne by ordinary Iranians.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that Iran executed at least 160 people in the past month alone, averaging one every five hours.

So far this year, at least 818 people — including 21 women — have been executed, part of what Amnesty International has called a sharp acceleration since June’s 12-day war with Israel. Citizens risk prison for even a short social media post.

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  Iran executed at least 160 people in past month, rights group says

Iran also faces a deepening economic and environmental collapse.

Banks are effectively bankrupt, the rial continues to lose value, and water and electricity shortages have pushed millions further into poverty.

Tehran’s main reservoir, Karaj Dam, is down to just a few percent of its capacity, forcing authorities to declare public holidays in several provinces to conserve supplies.

In recent weeks, protests erupted in cities such as Sabzevar, Shahr-e Kord, and across Khuzestan province, reflecting anger in both Iran’s northeastern and southwestern regions. Demonstrators chanted, “Water, electricity, life — our basic right.”

Ebadi said the ruling system is not just ailing, but terminal.

"No way forward remains. No hope remains. All the signs show clearly that this government cannot continue," Ebadi asserted. "If we unite, hand in hand, we can achieve victory over the demon of tyranny that has coiled itself around Iran."

'No justice'

Ebadi’s own loss of faith in reform helps explain her sharp criticism of Western governments for treating nuclear talks as a substitute for real change.

Her first defining moment came in the revolution’s opening months, when Hassan Bani-Sadr — whose brother Abolhassan would become the Islamic Republic’s first president — told her to wear the veil “even if you don’t believe in it.” She shot back: “Why are you encouraging me to be a hypocrite? To lie?”

It was then, she says, that she realized what she had fought for was already turning against her.

For years she still hoped gradual reform might bring improvements. At times, negotiations with the West have opened space for private investment and modest changes in daily life — especially after a 2015 nuclear deal, when sanctions relief allowed foreign companies back into Iran and consumer goods reappeared in shops.

It was the 1999 Tehran University dormitory raid — when her legal client Ezzat Ebrahim-Nejad was killed — that convinced her reform was no longer possible.

“We expected Khatami and the reformist government to take the students’ side," said Ebadi. "But sadly, instead, many students were arrested, and no justice was served. That was when I thought, ‘There is no longer anything we can do.’”

After decades of setbacks, her message to Iranians remains one of unity. “I am not a monarchist, nor am I a republican. I am for Iran. My wish is to live in a homeland that is democratic and secular. Right now we all have one common demand: overthrow. So we must join hands to achieve it.”

You can watch the full episode of Eye for Iran on YouTube or listen on any major podcast platform like Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music and Castbox.

The prosecutor of Mashhad Hassan Hemmati Far said the story first appeared in a social media post by a truck driver in the city of Fasa and quickly spread. He said security, police and intelligence services investigated the report and found it to be baseless.

Iranian state broadcaster IRIB had earlier reported that Toosi was shot by unidentified gunmen in Mashhad and was hospitalized in critical condition. It gave no further details.

IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News also dismissed the reports as unconfirmed rumors, but said a competent authority should clarify the matter.

This came after Khorasan Daily reported that Toosi had been wounded and hospitalized. Earlier, his brother told the outlet there had been a physical attack.

Toosi gained national recognition after winning two international Qur’an recitation competitions and performing at events attended by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

However, in 2016, at least ten men came forward accusing him of sexual abuse during their teenage years, often while traveling with him for religious training or competitions. The allegations were first aired on Voice of America Persian, after judicial proceedings in the country stalled.

Despite an initial indictment, the case was later dismissed, prompting outrage from activists and victims who accused the judiciary of protecting a figure close to the establishment. Toosi denied all allegations, calling them “bogus and total lies.”

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, were arrested during a motorcycle world tour and later charged with espionage—allegations they deny. Their son, Joe Bennett, said the couple were assigned a “state-appointed lawyer they only just met.”

“We cannot see how [this] could be considered to be a fair trial,” Bennett said, expressing alarm over the opaque process and lack of transparency.

Concerns grow over health and consular access

Craig Foreman, held at Evin Prison for the past 25 days, has no access to funds or hygiene supplies, according to his son.

The British ambassador had been scheduled to visit Craig, but the family says the meeting didn’t happen—possibly because he had already been taken to court. Meanwhile, Lindsay Foreman was seen by the ambassador and given essential items.

“The lack of transparency only deepens our concern,” said Bennett. “Craig has already lost weight, and now, with no access to food beyond the bare minimum, I can only guess at how he must be.”

Detained and tortured, source tells Iran International

In July, Iran International reported that the couple had been held in solitary confinement for months and subjected to torture by agents of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence. A source familiar with the case said they were beaten, deprived of sleep, and threatened with execution during interrogations meant to extract confessions.

Despite these conditions, both have maintained their innocence.

Arrested in January while touring the country

The couple, both in their 50s, entered Iran from Armenia during a world motorcycle trip. They were arrested on January 4 near the city of Kerman and charged with spying. The UK government has denied the charges and repeatedly called for their release.

“We are deeply concerned by reports that two British nationals have been charged with espionage in Iran,” the Foreign Office has said. “We are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members.”

Detainees as bargaining chips

Iran has a long history of detaining foreign nationals—often dual citizens—in what rights groups and Western governments view as politically motivated actions aimed at securing diplomatic leverage or concessions.

Tehran has denied that its detentions are political in nature.

Confidential order restricts tone and content

The directive, sent to newsroom chiefs and editors, outlines six points aimed at controlling how the issue is reported. It calls on newsrooms to avoid “emotional,” “crisis-oriented,” or “provocative” headlines and urges editors to present the snapback as a manageable development. The stated goal is to preserve “psychological calm” in society.

Media are specifically told to refrain from publishing content that highlights economic risks, such as inflation, currency devaluation, or the potential impact on gold and foreign exchange markets. Such coverage, the ministry warns, could increase inflationary expectations or contribute to public anxiety.

Instructions call for emphasis on Iran’s resilience

Instead, the directive advises the use of regional experts and commentary that frames the snapback as a sign of European weakness or dependence on the United States. Media are encouraged to highlight Iran’s ability to withstand sanctions and emphasize the country’s “strength in facing pressure.”

The publication of reports that suggest a negative or uncertain outlook for the future is discouraged. Outlets are instructed to “avoid portraying a bleak future” and to focus instead on narratives of continuity and resistance.

Coverage of Western policy encouraged, not domestic impact

According to the directive, media should shift their focus toward criticizing Western governments and highlighting what it describes as contradictions and internal crises in Europe and the US.

The guidance advises against reporting that could fuel debate over the domestic implications of renewed UN sanctions or revive concerns over Iran’s access to oil revenues and currency reserves. No timeline was provided for how long these restrictions should remain in place.

Recent economic reporting limited after new warnings

The directive follows recent domestic reports warning that snapback sanctions could worsen inflation and further weaken the rial. Earlier this week, the Tehran Chamber of Commerce projected that the dollar could reach 1.65 million rials under pessimistic scenarios. That report was later downplayed under apparent pressure from security agencies.

As Iran International exclusively reported, members of the chamber’s international affairs team were questioned this week by the IRGC’s intelligence unit over the economic forecast, and senior officials were instructed not to speak publicly about it.

The Ministry of Culture has not officially commented on the new guidelines. Iranian state media and major news agencies have so far reported the snapback process using neutral language and limited economic analysis.

Part of broader restrictions on public discourse

The new instructions come amid heightened sensitivity within Iranian institutions over public reaction to international developments. The approach reflects a broader pattern of preemptive media control during major diplomatic or economic events.

Iranian media outlets operate under oversight from multiple government agencies, including the Ministry of Culture, the Supreme National Security Council, and intelligence bodies. Directives such as this one are typically circulated in private and not publicly acknowledged.