Iran’s ambassador to China said on Tuesday that mediation in talks between Tehran and Washington was the result of cooperation among Iran, Pakistan and China, Iran’s state media reported.
Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said China did not welcome what he called US tension-making in international waterways and had always emphasized secure shipping and regional stability.
He added that a crisis in West Asia directly affected China’s economic and strategic calculations.
Iran’s internet blackout entered its 81st day on Tuesday after passing 1,920 hours, internet monitor NetBlocks said.
“Meanwhile, the regime is attempting to extend its digital chokehold internationally, demanding control over other countries' cables in the Strait of Hormuz and big tech compliance with Islamic Republic laws,” it added in a post on X.
Dental treatment costs in Iran have surged in recent months, with industry officials warning that inflation and rising import costs are pushing basic care beyond the reach of many households.
Prices for some dental implants have nearly doubled over the past few months, according to Farid Hashemnejad, head of the Iranian Dental Technicians Association, who said clinics and laboratories are struggling to absorb mounting costs while maintaining service quality.
“Some implant procedures that previously cost around 300 million rials (around $165) are now almost twice as expensive,” Hashemnejad told Rouydad24 on Monday. “In some areas, raw material prices have risen by up to 100%.”
Dental care in Iran has long received limited support from the social security system, leaving most patients to cover major treatment costs themselves. The latest increases add pressure to households, already grappling with years of inflation and declining purchasing power.
Hashemnejad said imported materials used in dentistry and dental laboratories have become significantly more expensive in recent months, although severe shortages have not yet fully emerged because clinics are still relying on older inventories.
“So far, serious shortages are not being felt because existing stock is still being used,” he said. “But with some items becoming more difficult to obtain, more problems may appear in the coming months.”
Iran, he said, remains heavily dependent on imported dental materials sourced mainly from China, along with Turkey, Japan, South Korea and several European countries.
While domestic production has improved in recent years, Hashemnejad said Iranian-made materials still cannot fully replace imported products across specialized fields.
“We would also prefer to depend less on imports, but the reality is that most of the materials we need are still imported,” he said.
File photo from a dental clinic in Iran, where soaring prices and economic pressure have left many unable to afford routine dental treatment.
According to Hashemnejad, prices for some imported materials used in removable dental treatments and laminate procedures have risen between 80% and 90%, while resin and acrylic materials used in prosthetic work have also recorded sharp increases.
Patients shift toward lower-cost care
The rise in prices is also changing treatment choices, with many patients abandoning implant-based procedures or internationally recognized brands in favor of cheaper alternatives.
“Naturally, when costs increase, the number of patients also declines,” Hashemnejad said. “This directly affects clinics and dental laboratories.”
He warned that continued price increases could eventually push part of the population out of the dental care market entirely, creating further strain for healthcare providers already facing weaker demand and higher operating costs.
Tehran’s dam reserves remain worrying despite recent rainfall, and the capital will need public and government cooperation to get through the summer, a city council official said on Tuesday.
Mehdi Pirhadi, head of Tehran city council’s health, environment and urban services committee, said recent rainfall had not restored reservoirs supplying the capital to acceptable levels.
He said nearly 10 provinces, home to about 35 million people, still faced rainfall shortages compared with long-term averages.
Shahab Dalili, a US permanent resident jailed in Iran for nearly a decade after traveling there for his father’s funeral, has returned to Washington following his release from Tehran’s Evin prison, Hostage Aid Worldwide said on Monday.
“After a long journey from Evin to Yerevan to DC, we joyfully announce that Shahab Dalili is finally home safe with his family after a decade+ of wrongful detention in Iran,” the advocacy group wrote on X, adding that his relatives now hope he can “reintegrate smoothly into normal life.”
Dalili, a former captain with Iran’s state shipping company who later settled in the United States with his wife and two sons, traveled to Tehran in 2016 to attend his father’s funeral. He was arrested before reaching the airport for his return flight to Virginia.
Iranian authorities later sentenced him to 10 years in prison on charges including espionage and cooperation with what Iranian courts described as a hostile government, referring to the United States.
AI-enhanced photo of Shahab Dalili.
Dalili’s case drew attention during a 2023 prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States that secured the release of five detained Americans. His family publicly questioned why he had been excluded from the agreement despite years of appeals to successive US administrations.
His son Darian Dalili said at the time that the family received little information from Washington beyond assurances that officials were monitoring the case. The US government also never formally designated Dalili as “wrongfully detained,” a status that can increase diplomatic pressure for a prisoner’s release.
Hostage Aid Worldwide did not specify the terms of Dalili’s release or whether it was linked to negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Shahab Dalili, US resident held in Iran since 2016, returned home to his family after his release from Iranian detention, Hostage Aid Worldwide said on Tuesday.
“After a long journey from Evin to Yerevan to DC, we joyfully announce that Shahab Dalili is finally home safe with his family after a decade+ of wrongful detention in Iran,” the group said in a post on X.
