Iran-aligned armed groups stronger despite Gaza ceasefire, Iranian MP says

“The Secretary-General said the file of overthrowing the establishment was closed after the 12-day war,” Aref said, according to state media. He did not say when or where the meeting with António Guterres took place.

Aref’s comments appeared to refer to a meeting he held with Guterres in Turkmenistan in August.

When asked about Aref’s account on Thursday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said he could not confirm that the Secretary-General had ever made such remarks. “I’m not able to confirm that the Secretary-General would ever have said that,” Dujarric told reporters. He referred journalists to the official readout issued on 5 August as an accurate description of what was said during the meeting.

During the 12-day war in June, Guterres wrote on X that he was “gravely alarmed” by the use of force by the United States against Iran, calling it a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to international peace and security. The conflict began with Israeli strikes that killed Iranian nuclear scientists along with hundreds of military personnel and civilians, and ended with US bombings of three key nuclear sites.

Aref’s remarks came days after US President Donald Trump warned Washington would bomb Iran again if it restarted its nuclear program. Speaking on Sunday at a ceremony marking the 250th anniversary of the US Navy in Virginia, Trump praised the June 22 airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites as “perfectly executed” and said Tehran had been within a month of producing a nuclear weapon.

“You want to do that, it’s fine, but we’re going to take care of that and we’re not going to wait so long,” Trump said. The operation, codenamed Midnight Hammer, hit facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan after an Israeli air campaign that began on June 13.

Iran says it does not seek confrontation but will respond if attacked. Aref said the 12-day conflict showed US forces could not achieve their objectives. “If they attack, they will be forced to beg for a ceasefire,” he said.

The comments follow the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran under the snapback mechanism after Britain, France and Germany moved to reimpose measures lifted by the 2015 nuclear deal. Trump, whose administration is pressing Tehran to halt uranium enrichment and curb its missile program, warned Washington would strike again if Iran resumes nuclear activity. “You want to do that, it’s fine, but we’re going to take care of that and we’re not going to wait so long,” he said on Sunday.

The suspect, identified as Noureddin Morteza Imani, allegedly demanded US$300 from the victims on Sukhumvit Road on October 1 after claiming they had committed offenses, Daily News reported. CCTV footage later showed him exchanging the cash at a money exchange shop, police said.

The two victims, Gaganddepp Singh, 32, and Prabhdeep Singh, 20, filed a complaint on October 5 at Bang Lamung Police Station. Police traced the rented motorcycle used in the incident and arrested Imani at his residence, where they also found he had overstayed his visa by more than a month.

Imani denied direct involvement and blamed a friend, but police said video evidence linked him to the extortion. Authorities are still searching for the second suspect.

Police said Imani faces extortion charges carrying up to five years in prison and a fine of 100,000 baht, along with immigration charges for overstaying his visa.

The meeting followed Eslami’s trip to Moscow last week, where Iran and Russia signed agreements on small reactors and a $25 billion project for four large nuclear power units in Hormozgan province.

The talks also covered small modular reactors and 1,250 megawatt power units, the report said.

The two sides reviewed current projects and stressed the need to speed up joint work, Iranian officials said. They also agreed Rosatom Director Alexey Likhachev would visit Iran soon to inspect progress on units two and three of the Bushehr nuclear plant.

The discussions came as a new strategic partnership treaty between Iran and Russia entered into force after approval by Russia’s lower house of parliament. The agreement covers wide cooperation in areas including nuclear energy.

The nuclear meetings followed reports this week that Iran has a €6 billion agreement with Russia for 48 Su-35 fighter jets, with deliveries expected between 2026 and 2028. Iranian lawmakers have said Moscow has already sent MiG-29 aircraft and that more advanced systems such as Su-35s and S-400 air defenses will follow.

Iranian respondents to a bulletin requesting input on their experiences seeking medicine submitted audio, video and text messages detailing daily struggles.

Several messages said the prices of both basic and specialized medicines have multiplied in recent weeks, forcing many to visit multiple pharmacies to find affordable essential drugs.

Some reported that even common cold and allergy medications are in short supply, adding that there appeared to be a near-immediate change after the sanctions' return.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council had previously ordered domestic media to limit coverage of the UN sanctions and portray their consequences as minimal.

While Iranian officials have sought to downplay the impact, the complaints from the public suggest otherwise.

Prices triple, quality falls

Some said drug prices have tripled or quadrupled while quality has declined. One consumer said the price of a five-tablet pack of antihistamines rose from 250,000 rials (about $2.16) to 1.2 million rials (about $10.37) in a month.

Others described searching multiple pharmacies only to find a lone remaining box of medicine sold at inflated prices.

“Previously, the medications we needed were available, and with approval from the Hemophilia Center and the Food and Drug Organization, we could obtain them from pharmacies. But now these drugs have become scarce, and we have to pay 20 million rials ($173) for each one,” one audio message said.

Iran’s minimum wage for 2025 is 104 million rials per month, equivalent to about $94.

Some messages indicated that people have had to ration medicines, skip meals, or make other sacrifices to afford treatment.

“My medicines were already expensive before the war and before sanctions, but now they are rationed. I have to skip meals because after every meal I need a pill, and I can’t afford more," A diabetic respondent said.

Another respondent said he had reduced his family’s food intake to pay for his wife’s medication. A homemaker reported spending over 60 million rials (about $518) on gastrointestinal drugs despite not earning an income.

Blame and frustration

Many Iranians blamed government policies for the crisis.

“The medicines were already scarce and expensive, but after the UN sanctions they became worse. Officials are not suffering; it’s the middle class and workers,” one respondent said.

Officials in Iran routinely attribute shortages to foreign pressure, while critics and dissidents cite mismanagement and corruption.

Several citizens have been charged with offenses including “insulting the leader of the Islamic Republic” and “propaganda against the state” for liking posts shared by opposition figures or independent media outlets on Instagram, the group said.

Most cases have been filed in smaller towns, though some have also been reported in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

While no verdicts have been issued yet, prosecutors have in some instances set heavy bail amounts for the defendants, according to Dadban.

Iran continues to enforce tight control over digital communication despite easing some bans late in 2024. Major platforms such as Facebook, X, Telegram and YouTube remain blocked or heavily filtered. Access to Instagram and WhatsApp has been periodically restricted, especially during protests.

Tehran also deploys throttling, or selective blocking of app features, and strict regulation of VPNs used to bypass censorship.

In December 2024, Iranian authorities lifted a ban on WhatsApp and Google Play, a move seen as a limited concession to broader social media use.

Still, officials concurrently advanced legislation to regulate cyberspace more tightly and promote domestic replacements for foreign apps.

Critics warn that these constraints further limit free expression and undermine online commerce, especially for small businesses relying on social platforms.

Iran's President Pezeshkian submitted an urgent bill to parliament in July that would impose harsher penalties on social media users and content creators who publish what authorities describe as false or misleading information.

Later the same month, the government withdrew the internet bill amid mounting public pressure and accusations that it sought to criminalize dissent under the guise of combating false information.

Over 2,000 people were arrested during and after the 12-day war with Israel accused of spreading false information online.