Iran says post-war security framework should exclude US, Israel

Iranians have sent messages to Iran International describing worsening economic hardship, job losses, stalled trade and shortages of some essential medicines.

One message from Tehran said Jadenu tablets and Novartis-made Desferal injections, key medicines for thalassemia patients, had become unavailable.

The sender said domestic alternatives were low-quality, ineffective and carried serious side effects, warning that without proper medicine, 23,000 thalassemia patients could face heart and liver failure and painful death.

Another person, who said they work in Eshtehard Industrial Town, Alborz province, said many companies had laid off workers, while some had cut wages by half and removed lunch and transport services.

A message from the southern port city of Genaveh said the local market had stalled because traders could no longer bring goods from the UAE.

The sender said stocks of mobile phone accessories, clothes, shoes and other goods usually imported from the UAE were running out.

The head of Iran’s parliament National Security Committee said Tehran does not intend to transfer its enriched uranium stockpile to a third country, rejecting one of the issues raised in discussions around a possible agreement with Washington.

Ebrahim Azizi told Russia’s Sputnik that the United States had not been trustworthy in negotiations and that no agreement would be reached if Washington did not change its conduct.

Azizi also said the Islamic Republic was pursuing permanent management of the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as a long-term policy rather than a temporary measure.

His remarks came as Iranian officials continue to frame Hormuz as a central source of leverage in talks with the United States, while Washington has said any agreement must ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

A senior Iranian foreign policy official said China could act as guarantor of any possible understanding between Tehran and Washington, while describing the Strait of Hormuz as a new strategic source of leverage for Iran.

Jalal Dehghani Firouzabadi, secretary of the Islamic Republic’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, told ISNA that current conditions require Iran to assert authority over the Strait of Hormuz.

“This new strategic tool is now one of the elements of Iran’s power,” he said.

Dehghani Firouzabadi said Tehran must balance national security with freedom of international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, adding that Iran and Oman determine the waterway’s legal future.

Referring to ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington, he described China as “the guarantor of a possible understanding” and said President Donald Trump prioritized an understanding over further escalation.

He called the talks very difficult and the issues under discussion very complex and broad, adding that Iran should strengthen the legal team supporting the negotiators.

Israel Hayom reported that Mossad created a covert unit for infiltration and destabilization operations against the Islamic Republic, saying the unit has become part of a broader strategy aimed at accelerating Tehran’s collapse.

The Israeli newspaper said the unit was established in 2021 after David Barnea became Mossad chief and was initially used to force senior Iranian officials out of positions of influence, including by leaking damaging information through media and social networks.

The former head of the branch, identified only as O., told Israel Hayom that such operations were “much cheaper and simpler” than assassination and said Mossad had already been responsible for the dismissal of several senior officials in Iran.

O. said the Islamic Republic’s overthrow had become one of Mossad’s core missions and described recent operations as part of a longer process rather than a finished campaign.

“We are not done with Iran. We are just getting started,” he said.

Israel Hayom also cited sources who recently spoke with Barnea as saying the Mossad chief believes the Islamic Republic could fall by the end of 2026 if President Donald Trump refuses to sign an agreement that would allow Iran’s economy to recover and if the blockade continues.

A draft one-page US-Iran memorandum of understanding would set parameters for a roughly 30-day negotiating period aimed at de-escalation, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The framework reportedly includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels of commercial shipping, including measures such as clearing mines and ending harassment, alongside a US easing of restrictions on Iranian ports.

It also calls for discussions on Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles and broader nuclear issues in a second phase, with key details on enrichment limits, timelines and uranium handling still unresolved.

Sanctions relief would be phased and tied to progress in talks, with limited early access to some frozen Iranian assets, including funds held in Qatar, according to the report.

The Wall Street Journal said the preliminary framework could ease US military pressure and support de-escalation, including a possible ceasefire extension, though it remains under discussion and subject to approval.