Iran ex-intelligence deputy says spy arrests exceeded China, Russia efforts

Iranian lawmaker Amirhossein Sabeti said authorities are keeping international internet access restricted during the war due to fears it could be used to organize unrest.

“If the internet is fully reopened, some mercenaries, who are also armed, may organize gatherings through these networks,” he said.

Sabeti also referred to the national uprising on Jan. 8 and 9, during which security forces killed thousands of protesters, saying similar events could happen again if restrictions are lifted.

He said the shutdown was ordered by the Supreme National Security Council and would remain in place as long as war conditions persist.

An Iranian proposal rejected so far by US President Donald Trump would reopen shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and delay nuclear talks, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.

The official said the plan would end the war and see Iran reopen the strait while the United States lifts its blockade, with negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program moved to a later stage.

“Under this framework, negotiations over the more complicated nuclear issue have been moved to the final stage to create a more conducive atmosphere,” the official said.

Trump said on Friday he was not satisfied with the proposal. “They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to,” he told reporters at the White House.

The proposal comes four weeks after the United States and Israel paused strikes on Iran, with no agreement yet to end a conflict that has disrupted global energy supplies.

Iran’s rial weakened to around 1.83 million per US dollar in the open market on Saturday, extending a downward trend in the currency.

The euro traded around 2.15 million rials and the pound rose above 2.49 million rials, while gold prices also surged, with the so-called Emami coin - an official Iranian gold coin minted by the central bank - reaching about 2.07 billion rials.

The currency’s decline comes amid continued strain from the war and uncertainty over talks with the United States.

A US naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman has disrupted Iran’s oil exports, cutting billions of dollars in revenue and adding to pressure on the rial, while inflation and currency volatility continue to erode purchasing power.

Iran’s leadership is hardening its stance on the Strait of Hormuz, framing the waterway as a strategic and non-negotiable asset amid rising tensions and US pressure.

Statements have intensified following a message for National Persian Gulf Day attributed to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

In the message, he described the strait as a “strategic asset” and outlined a vision for the region’s future as “a future without America,” emphasizing the importance of “Iranian management of the strait.”

Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signaled the shift most clearly, linking current policy to both strategic doctrine and historical precedent.

“Today as well, by exercising management over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will ensure that it and its neighbors enjoy the valuable prospect of a future free from the presence and interference of America,” he wrote on X.

Continue reading...

Yousef Pezeshkian, an advisor and son of Iran’s president, outlined possible scenarios for the war’s outcome, saying Iran has suffered damage but gained in global standing.

“Iran has been harmed economically due to infrastructure damage and in management capacity due to the loss of its best forces, but in terms of credibility and global position it has so far benefited,” he wrote in a post on his Telegram channel.

He said the war, which began with US and Israeli strikes on February 28, has produced mixed outcomes, while its final outcome remains uncertain.

Pezeshkian urged people to prepare for different scenarios. “We should prepare ourselves for the worst-case scenario… so we are not caught off guard,” he wrote, adding that people should also “live in the present” and not tie their well-being to uncertain future events.

He said planning for both negative and positive outcomes could help society better cope with the uncertainty of the conflict.