Canada speaks loudly on Iran before cameras, stays silent at UN

The Central Bank of Iran has opened four accounts in rials, yuan, US dollars, and euros to receive toll payments collected by the Revolutionary Guard's Navy, a senior lawmaker said on Monday.

Parliament will move to make the toll system binding law at its first session by approving a bill titled “Hormuz Strait Security Plan,” providing “a sustainable source of revenue for the country,” Alaeddin Boroujerdi said.

"We hope that with the final approval of digital currency infrastructure and requiring countries to pay tolls in rials, we will see an unprecedented strengthening of the national currency in international transactions," he added.

Iranian Canadians are living in fear of regime intimidation on Canadian soil, Member of Parliament Costas Menegakis told Iran International.

He called for the Revolutionary Guard's operatives to be identified, exposed, and removed, and rejected diplomacy with Tehran, arguing that the people of Iran cannot face this regime alone.

Iran's proposal was reviewed during President Donald Trump's meeting with his national security team at the Situation Room, White House Press Secretary said.

"The President's red lines with respect to Iran have been made very, very clear, not just to the American public, but also to them as well," Karoline Leavitt added.

The meeting, chaired by Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, was convened following internal assessments and intelligence reports warning of potential unrest in the coming days, the sources said.

According to information presented at the meeting, officials believe mounting economic hardship—driven by rising prices, unemployment, and damage to key industries such as petrochemicals and steel—could become the main trigger for renewed protests.

Security agencies reportedly presented a highly critical picture of Iran’s economy, highlighting widespread job losses linked to the shutdown of industrial units in the oil, petrochemical, and steel sectors, as well as the impact of prolonged internet disruptions.

Estimates shared during the meeting suggested that Iran’s economy may not be able to withstand more than six to eight weeks of a naval blockade. The blockade began on April 13, and around two weeks have now passed.

Another major concern raised was the near-total shutdown of production centers in key sectors, including oil, petrochemicals, and steel. According to the assessments, rebuilding these industries could take years.

Security officials also said internet shutdowns have left around 20% of the workforce dependent on online activity unemployed. They warned that, based on economic forecasts, an additional two million people could lose their jobs in the private sector by the end of spring.

In the financial sector, the closure of markets—including banks, the stock exchange, gold markets, and currency exchanges—has effectively halted economic activity, leaving real prices for goods unclear.

During the meeting, representatives of security bodies expressed particular concern over a possible call for protests by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and the likelihood of his supporters taking to the streets.

Renewed protests inevitable

According to sources familiar with the meeting, security agencies concluded that public protests are inevitable, with the only uncertainty being the timing of their outbreak.

Calls for protests around International Workers’ Day have further heightened concerns among officials and were discussed during the council meeting.

Workers, retirees, teachers, and other wage-earning groups have repeatedly staged protests or issued statements over living conditions, delayed payments, job insecurity, and the suppression of independent labor organizations.

Ahead of International Workers’ Day, labor groups inside and outside Iran have again emphasized demands including wage increases, the release of detained labor activists, the repeal of repressive rulings, and the right to form independent unions.

Sources said members of the Supreme National Security Council believe that protests occurring during ongoing talks with the United States or following an extension of the ceasefire could pose a real risk to the survival of the Islamic Republic.

Iran has experienced several waves of protests, strikes, and civil disobedience in recent years, often driven by economic hardship, inflation, and widespread dissatisfaction with living conditions.

Authorities have responded with widespread internet disruptions, communication restrictions, deployment of security forces, and, in some cases, violent crackdowns.

The most brutal crackdown came on January 8 and 9, when at least 36,500 people were killed after millions of protesters held rallies across the country following a call by Pahlavi.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said internal divisions within Iran’s leadership and the dominance of hardline clerics remain major impediments to reaching an agreement with Tehran.

Speaking to Fox News, Rubio described Iran as a system “run by radical Shia clerics,” adding that deepening fractures within its political structure have made negotiations more difficult.

He dismissed the common distinction between moderates and hardliners in Iran, arguing that “they’re all hardliners,” but said there are competing factions with different priorities.

According to Rubio, one group within the system—comprising political figures such as the president, foreign minister, and parliament speaker—recognizes the need to manage the economy and ensure basic governance.

In contrast, he said, more ideologically driven figures, including elements within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the leadership surrounding the supreme leader, are motivated primarily by theology and less concerned with economic realities.

“The hardliners that are motivated by theology… have the ultimate power in that country,” Rubio said, describing what he called a longstanding tension between pragmatic governance and ideological rigidity.

He added that the internal divide appears more pronounced now, pointing to uncertainty surrounding Ali Khamenei, whose “credibility is still untested” and whose public absence has raised questions about access and authority.

Rubio said the fragmented nature of Iran’s leadership complicates diplomacy, as US negotiators must effectively contend with multiple centers of power.

“Our negotiators aren’t just negotiating with the Iranians,” he said. “Those Iranians then have to negotiate with other Iranians” to determine what positions they can ultimately agree to.