Cleric says talks with US defy Mojtaba Khamenei's position

An Iranian cleric criticized what he called the spread of violations of the country's mandatory hijab rules, saying the current state of observance was "unacceptable" and urging authorities to take stronger action.

“The current state of hijab in society is unacceptable. People from different walks of life have raised their voices, and officials, the Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and cultural institutions must act with seriousness, planning and prudence against corruption and indecency,” Mohammad Reza Naseri, Friday prayer leader in Yazd, said during prayers on Friday.

The US dollar reached a record 1,918,000 rials on Iran’s open market Friday, surpassing its previous high as war, inflation and worsening economic prospects continued to weaken the currency.

The previous record was 1,900,000 rials, registered on May 4. Other foreign currencies also rose. The British pound reached 2,576,500 rials, while the euro climbed above 2,190,000 rials.

At Friday’s open-market rate, Iran’s official monthly minimum wage of 166,255,500 rials is worth about $87.

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Britain formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a threat to national security on Friday, making public support for the organization or assistance to it punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

The IRGC was designated alongside the Iran-linked Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right and Russia’s GRU Volunteer Corps, the first organizations placed under powers created by the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026.

The designations took effect on July 17 after Parliament approved an order submitted by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood four days earlier.

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A senior Iranian cleric said avenging Iran's slain supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, would unfold in three stages, culminating in what he described as "final revenge" by the Imam of Time.

"Punishing the killers, confronting the American system of domination, and achieving final revenge at the hands of the Imam of Time are the three stages of this vengeance," Ahmad Alamolhoda, Friday prayer Imam in Mashhad, said in a sermon. "Its continuation will only be possible through the resistance of the people and officials."

The Imam of Time is a title used by Twelver Shiite Muslims for the Mahdi, a messianic figure they believe will return to establish justice.

The previous record was 1,900,000 rials, registered on May 4. Other foreign currencies also rose. The British pound reached 2,576,500 rials, while the euro climbed above 2,190,000 rials.#

At Friday’s open-market rate, Iran’s official monthly minimum wage of 166,255,500 rials is worth about $87.

The new low follows a sharp deterioration in Iran’s economic outlook. The International Monetary Fund expects the economy to contract by 6.1% in 2026, after previously forecasting modest growth.

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  Iran faces region’s harshest mix of wartime contraction and inflation

Average inflation is projected to reach 68.9%, leaving households with fewer opportunities to earn money while the value of their income falls rapidly.

The IMF linked the downturn to damage to energy and transport infrastructure, lower production and exports, and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.

The rial’s decline increases the cost of imported goods, raw materials and medicine, while feeding broader price rises in an economy already struggling with sanctions, war damage and years of economic mismanagement.

Iran operates several official and semi-official exchange rates, but the open-market rate is the price most closely watched by households and businesses seeking foreign currency.