Iran army warns Trump of 'surprises' if US attacks continue
Iran's army warned on Thursday that US President Donald Trump should expect "surprises" from its forces if he persisted with what it described as violations of the memorandum of understanding and attacks on Iranian territory.
"If the US president insists on his adventurism and hostile actions, he should expect the unveiling of the Islamic Republic of Iran army's surprises," army spokesman Amir Akraminia said in a statement.
The warning came after Trump threatened to strike Iran's power plants and bridges unless Tehran returned to negotiations.
An Iranian lawmaker said on Thursday that outright opposition to diplomacy with the United States sends a signal of internal division to Iran's enemies and increases the cost of negotiations.
Farshad Ebrahimpour, a member of parliament's presiding board, said attacks on government officials undermined national unity and contradicted messages from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, adding that such criticism benefited the country's opponents.
He said "smart diplomacy from a position of strength" backed by deterrence was the only rational path consistent with Iran's interests.
An elderly couple walks through a public park in Iran.
Iranian pensioners say their monthly income no longer covers basic living expenses, with many forced to seek additional work as inflation continues to erode their purchasing power.
“The pension is only enough to cover the equivalent of 13 days of basic work,” one woman receiving her late husband's pension told Iran International, describing monthly payments as far below the cost of supporting her family.
Other retirees also told Iran International that decades of contributions to the social security system have left them with pensions insufficient to meet basic expenses.
Several said that after 35 years of paying into the system, they now receive around 220 million rials ($117) a month, an amount they say does not even cover rent in many parts of the country.
The average monthly income in Iran is approximately $150 to $200, depending on fluctuations in the open market currency rate. This level of income falls far short of the cost of living, which requires around $385 to $400 per month to afford basic necessities like food and housing.
“Last year my husband's pension was 90 million rials ($48). This year it has increased by about 22% to 110 million rials ($58),” another woman supporting her two children told Iran International.
Many said they have turned to driving for ride-hailing services or other informal work after retirement to supplement their income.
Official data show year-on-year inflation for food and beverages has remained above 130% in recent months, placing further pressure on households already struggling with rising living costs.
Pension system under growing strain
The financial hardship described by pensioners reflects broader strains on Iran's retirement system, which has faced mounting funding shortages and growing concern over the sustainability of pension funds.
Mostafa Salari, head of the Social Security Organization, said on July 13 that the organization faces an 820 trillion rials ($436 million) funding gap to pay pension arrears for the first two months of the Iranian year and is also struggling to finance July payments.
An elderly couple sits on a park bench in Iran.
The government has also moved to raise the retirement age as it seeks to ease pressure on the pension system, a step that has drawn criticism from labor advocates.
Economists have for years warned that demographic pressures, underfunding and broader economic problems have left Iran's pension funds increasingly vulnerable.
In 2022, Sajjad Padam, then director-general for social insurance at the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, warned that even selling three million barrels of oil a day without sanctions would not be enough to resolve Iran's pension crisis, underscoring the depth of the structural challenges facing the country's retirement system.
A senior adviser to Iran's parliamentary research center said on Thursday that Tehran could pursue negotiations with the United States while remaining prepared for war, arguing that diplomacy and military readiness were not mutually exclusive.
"If national interests can be secured through non-military means, no one prefers war to negotiations," Mohammadreza Talebinejad said in remarks carried by state news agency IRNA. "One can pursue negotiations with dignity while simultaneously being prepared for war."
Talebinejad criticized opponents of negotiations, saying they had no practical alternative beyond calling for war, and urged political factions not to undermine officials involved in diplomacy.
Iraq suspended crude oil flows at all its loading terminals on Thursday after a drone crashed into an oil tanker at the Basra terminal, Reuters reported, citing four Iraqi oil and security sources.
The incident caused no damage or fire, the sources said.
There was no immediate information on the drone’s origin or how long the suspension would remain in place.
A fisherman works from a small boat at a sheltered coastal area in Chabahar along the Gulf of Oman, on May 25, 2026.
The cost of bringing an Iranian dhow into Dubai has risen sharply since the Iran war began, the Telegram channel Civil Protest of the Bazaar reported on Thursday, citing maritime traders.
They said the fee had risen from about 1,000 dirhams, roughly $270, before the war to 8,700 dirhams, about $2,370, for each vessel.
Traders said the higher transport and import costs were feeding into consumer prices by raising the final cost of goods.
Traditional wooden dhows are central to livelihoods and the supply of goods in southern Iran’s coastal communities. Through small-scale seaborne trade, they support jobs, and help deliver consumer goods quickly to markets.
