Former president Hassan Rouhani could face the death penalty if charges against him are proven in court, an Iranian lawmaker said on Wednesday, reviving threats against an architect of a 2015 nuclear deal loathed by hardliners.
“Some of the accusations are at the level of spreading corruption on earth, and if the court proves them, his punishment will be execution,” Kamran Ghazanfari said in an interview with Iran24, referring to a formal charge in the theocracy's law.
“He has already inflicted enough damage and loss on the country. One example is the nuclear deal, which was entirely a loss. He took pride in it.”
The remarks suggest increasing tension within Iran's ruling establishment as geopolitical uncertainty festers following a 12-day war with Israel in June, new international sanctions loom and economic hardship bites.
Ghazanfari said the previous parliament filed eight complaints against Rouhani which were all forwarded to the judiciary. He accused judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei of failing to act, despite a legal obligation to give such cases priority.
“Was Rouhani tried? Was he punished or not? If so, explain. If not, explain why he has not been tried and punished.”
Ghazanfari also referred to another case sent to the judiciary by late President Ebrahim Raisi’s government, accusing Rouhani of involvement in the disappearance of 48 valuable carpets from the Saadabad Palace.
Rouhani’s office at the time rejected the allegation as a political distraction.
Criticism of nuclear deal
Ghazanfari again attacked the nuclear agreement, calling it “entirely a loss.”
“Rouhani should remain silent, rest at home, and not enter such matters,” he said, arguing that when no legal action is taken “He dares to talk big.”
His comments come as Britain, France, and Germany have triggered the nuclear deal’s snapback mechanism against Iran. Western governments have set conditions, including granting the International Atomic Energy Agency access to enriched uranium stockpiles, with a deadline at the end of September.
Under Resolution 2231, sanctions will automatically return after 30 days unless the Security Council votes otherwise.
Rouhani defends dialogue
Rouhani has re-emerged in recent weeks to call for reducing confrontation with the West, including the United States.
“Relations with Europe, our neighbors, and the East and the West, even tension with the US, if we can reduce it, if it is in our national interest, what is wrong with that? Not only is it not wrong, but it is also our duty and obligation,” he told advisers in late August.
Rouhani argued that Iran should pursue talks if they advance national interests and security. In comments on August 14, he described negotiations with the United States as necessary and obligatory.
His remarks was in apparent conflict with the supreme leader's position who on the same day warned against advocating talks with Washington. “Agents of America and Zionism sought to create division inside Iran,” Khamenei said.
In a letter to the Academy this week, the Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) said the Farabi Cinema Foundation, which oversees Oscar submissions from Iran, enforces censorship and sidelines independent voices at home and abroad.
The group proposed an international committee that could select Iranian films free of government influence, citing the cultural impact of the Woman, Life, Freedom protest movement.
The appeal came a day after Iran announced Ali Zarnegar’s Cause of Death: Unknown as its entry for the 98th Academy Awards.
The selection drew mixed reactions inside Iran, with the hardline daily Javan urging officials to choose a film that reflected “Islamic-Iranian values,” while veteran filmmaker Homayoun Asadian accused state authorities of trying to dictate the choice.
IIFMA argued that acclaimed works such as Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or-winning It Was Just an Accident -- which France has submitted this year -- demonstrate the global recognition of Iranian filmmakers when free of state oversight.
Panahi has long been barred from representing Iran, and supporters say his case highlights how government involvement excludes major artists.
Iran has a history of success at the Oscars, with Asghar Farhadi winning best international feature for A Separation (2012) and The Salesman (2017).
“The claim was that Afghan nationals were consuming so much bread that they were pushing prices higher. Yet even after more than 1.5 million have left, the price of Sangak [a popular traditional Iranian bread] has risen fourfold,” the paper said.
“Why should bread prices climb 300 percent compared to 2024 when no major shortage is expected?” the paper asked.
A loaf of subsidized Sangak bread cost 5,000 rials (about $0.05) in September 2024 but now sells for 200,000 rials (about $0.20), marking a 300-percent increase in one year.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA says that in Tehran Sangak priced at 100,000–150,000 rials has effectively disappeared; most customers now pay 200,000–500,000 rials per loaf, with sesame-topped bread commonly around 300,000 (about $0.30).
Official rates diverge from street prices, which vary by neighborhood and bakery. A government task force set a 600-gram sangak at 76,000 rials (about $0.07), but shoppers say loaves at that price are smaller and poorer quality.
Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni argued in August that expulsions reduced bread transactions by six percent, calling this a government achievement. Lower demand would help stabilize supply, he said.
Deportations tied to security rhetoric
The Islamic Republic intensified deportations in recent months, especially after the 12-day war with Israel, when authorities accused some foreigners, notably Afghans, of working with Mossad. Such allegations have been used to justify expulsions while deflecting blame for economic hardship.
Decades of economic mismanagement, sanctions, and currency collapse have eroded household purchasing power, leaving low-income families most exposed.
“If inflation remains unchecked … Iran could witness a bread riot,” economist Hossein Raghfar told the moderate outlet Rouydad24 earlier this month, warning that inaction could have consequences far beyond the economy.