An Iranian lawmaker said on Sunday that any country involved in an attack on Iran or allowing its territory to be used against the country could face a “decisive response.”
Mohammad Motamedizadeh said the warning applied to countries in the region and elsewhere if Iran’s national interests were threatened.
Self-immolation accounts for about 16% of burn hospitalizations in Iran, with women and young people making up a significant share of victims and mortality rates reaching 62%, the head of the country's burn association said on Sunday.
The figures come from an analysis of 39 studies conducted across Iran, which estimated the incidence of self-immolation at approximately 4.5 cases per 100,000 people, Hamid Salehi, head of the Iranian Burn Association, told the ILNA news agency.
"Self-immolation is not merely a medical issue, but a social and public health problem that requires cooperation between the healthcare system, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and institutions responsible for preventing social harm," Salehi said.
The research found that people who attempted self-immolation suffered burns covering an average of 65% of their bodies, with approximately 62% dying after hospitalization.
Salehi described the severity of injuries and death rates as deeply concerning, particularly given the substantial proportion of women and young people among those affected.
The findings were based on previous studies, and an accurate assessment of the present situation would require a comprehensive and up-to-date national registry, Salehi added.
Economic pressures and mental health concerns
The figures come as worsening economic, political and social crises in Iran have heightened concerns about the psychological pressures facing the population.
Iranian society is approaching an emergency in mental health and social welfare, with uncertainty stemming from the country's prolonged state of neither war nor peace placing severe pressure on citizens, Alireza Aghayousefi, head of Iran's Psychology and Counseling Organization, warned on October 25.
A person seeking welfare assistance set themselves on fire in protest against a medical committee's decision, Alireza Vahidzadeh, head of the Welfare Organization in Kerman province, said on October 28.
In August, human rights news agency HRANA reported that Souma Moghaddami, an 18-year-old woman from Piranshahr who had been subjected to child marriage, died in hospital from injuries sustained after setting herself on fire.
The cases add to concerns about self-immolation as a form of self-harm linked to wider social and psychological distress.
Acid attacks leave lasting physical and psychological injuries
Chemical burns account for approximately 3% of burn-related hospital visits and admissions in Iran, Salehi said.
Some result from accidents at home or in workplaces, while others stem from deliberate acid attacks and interpersonal violence.
Research conducted in Shiraz found that intentional acid attacks accounted for approximately 29% of chemical burn cases, according to Salehi.
"Although acid attacks are less common than other causes of burns, they are particularly significant because of the severity of physical injuries, permanent disfigurement, facial damage, and psychological and social consequences," Salehi said.
Victims can face years of reconstructive surgery, substantial medical expenses, unemployment and social exclusion.
New acid attack cases continue to be referred to support organizations, while survivors and their families struggle with the long-term consequences of such violence, the Shargh newspaper reported in a September 23 investigation titled Unfinished Wounds.
The report described how the financial and psychological consequences of acid attacks can transform the lives of victims and their families long after the initial injuries.
Sanctions and inflation hamper burn treatment
Sanctions, inflation and rising prices have made it increasingly difficult for Iranian medical facilities to obtain essential burn treatment supplies, Salehi said.
Specialized burn dressings, medical equipment and certain medications, including antibiotics, have become harder to procure, with shortages and purchasing difficulties worsening over the past year.
The problems add pressure to a healthcare system treating patients who often require extensive medical intervention, prolonged hospitalization and rehabilitation.
Mental health specialists recommend encouraging anyone showing signs of depression or suicidal thoughts to seek support from a trusted healthcare professional, support organization or someone they trust.
Some inside Iran may be focused on Benjamin Netanyahu's political survival after Israel's inconclusive election, but the most consequential decision about another war with Iran may be made in Washington rather than Israel, analysts say.
Netanyahu's promise to "finish the job" in Iran has offered a ray of hope to some Iranians seeking the end of the Islamic Republic.
But Middle East analysts speaking to Iran International's Eye for Iran podcast challenged the idea that Netanyahu's return is essential to further military action against Tehran, arguing that Israel's political divisions do not necessarily extend to its assessment of the Iranian threat.
Instead, they pointed to President Donald Trump's remaining time in office as a potentially decisive factor in whether Israel and the United States launch another round of strikes against Iran.
Dan Feferman, a Middle East researcher and co-founder of Middle East 24, cautioned against interpreting Israel's political divisions through the traditional American left-right framework.
‘No soft approach on Iran’
He argued that an Israeli government led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, particularly one involving former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman, would not necessarily approach the Iranian threat significantly differently from Netanyahu.
The divisions between Israel's political camps extend well beyond Iran, encompassing disputes over Netanyahu's handling of the October 7, 2023, security failures, the subsequent wars and military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Israelis.
Alex Winston, news editor of The Jerusalem Post, offered a similar assessment, arguing that Netanyahu's principal rivals would not necessarily pursue a softer approach toward the Islamic Republic.
But Winston drew an important distinction between confronting the Islamic Republic militarily and assuming responsibility for overthrowing it.
He argued that most Israelis would prefer to support Iranians seeking political change rather than have Israel itself be seen as the country that brought down the Islamic Republic.
That distinction raises a fundamental question about Netanyahu's repeated promise to "finish the job" in Iran: does it mean further weakening the Islamic Republic's military capabilities, or actively pursuing its removal from power?
Why Trump may matter more
Feferman pointed to the remaining two years of Trump's presidency as a potentially decisive window for further military action.
A future American president, particularly a Democrat, would be far less likely to support or participate in additional strikes against Iran, Feferman argued.
Netanyahu appeared to reinforce that argument in his first address following the October 27 election, in which his Likud party emerged as the largest but neither his bloc nor the opposition secured a clear parliamentary majority.
"Iran is weaker than ever, Israel is stronger than ever," he declared. "Israel stands before a historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, with our partner President Trump, to remove the existential threat from Iran once and for all."
The remarks placed Iran at the centre of Netanyahu's plans for another term, even as his path to forming a government remained uncertain.
Israel has its own security interests and military capabilities, but US political backing remains central to its leaders' calculations.
‘We want Bibi’
The Israeli election has nevertheless attracted considerable interest among Iranians hoping for the Islamic Republic's downfall.
Benjamin Basire, an Iranian-born Jewish political analyst living in the United States, said some had followed the vote as though it were their own, contacting him with messages expressing hope that Netanyahu would remain in power.
"We want Bibi. Bibi is our savior," he recalled them saying, adding that some feared Netanyahu's departure would extinguish their hopes of political change.
Netanyahu has already overseen two rounds of Israeli attacks on Iran, in 2025 and 2026, as well as operations that killed senior Iranian military commanders and severely weakened Hezbollah, Tehran's most powerful regional ally.
But with the prospect of another confrontation looming, the question is whether Israel will act again, and with what degree of American support.
Winston suggested that the prospect of renewed fighting was already shaping expectations in Israel, pointing to the approaching US midterm elections as a potential turning point.
"We're already preparing for war," he warned.
"We're ready. That's for sure."
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Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said Washington had changed its approach toward Tehran, but Iran would not enter negotiations or reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States met seven conditions intended to demonstrate a change in behavior.
In an interview with state television Saturday, Rezaei said diplomatic exchanges had been underway for more than a month and Washington had made three proposals, with Tehran now waiting for a US response to its latest position.
“We are now waiting for the Americans' response,” Rezaei said, adding that the Strait of Hormuz “cannot reopen unless Iran's seven conditions are met.”
The comments came as Iranian negotiators met Qatari mediators in Doha after more than 12 hours of talks between Iranian and Qatari officials in Tehran the previous day. The Qatari team has maintained regular contact with Washington during the discussions, Reuters reported, citing an official briefed on the negotiations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that President Donald Trump had not decided whether to resume military action and that Washington remained open to a diplomatic solution.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there were no plans for direct talks with US officials and that consultations over Iran's conditions were continuing through mediators.
US and Iran remain divided over terms
Rezaei said Washington's first response was insufficient and its second proposal was more favorable, but said the United States intended to negotiate and then attack Iran again. A third proposal still contains ambiguities and remains under discussion, he said.
Washington wants Iran to make nuclear concessions as part of restarting talks, while Tehran is seeking measures including the lifting of the US naval blockade, the release of frozen Iranian funds and permission to sell oil before negotiations resume, Axios reported.
Reuters reported that Qatar had proposed a seven-day confidence-building plan that Iran considered inadequate. Iran's own proposal includes lifting the blockade, unfreezing assets and approving an Iranian-backed shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Araghchi similarly tied progress toward negotiations to the Strait of Hormuz, saying Saturday that reopening it on Iran's terms could pave the way for talks with Washington.
Rezaei said Iran's seven conditions were intended to address ambiguities in an earlier Islamabad understanding, including the management of the Strait of Hormuz and the collection of fees.
Vance letter signals new US approach, Rezaei says
Washington's direct outreach to Rezaei has emerged as another channel in the effort to restart negotiations. US Vice President JD Vance sent him a letter at Trump's direction, the Wall Street Journal reported this week, citing US officials and people familiar with the matter.
Vance also offered to meet Rezaei personally to discuss a negotiated settlement, the Washington Post reported Thursday, citing a US official familiar with the negotiations. Istanbul or Doha would be the most likely venues if a meeting takes place, according to the report.
The Post reported that Vance's letter described Washington's central interest as ensuring Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon and called for Tehran to provide representatives empowered to discuss nuclear issues.
The Trump administration views Rezaei, a former commander of the Revolutionary Guards, as the key point of contact in Tehran and as someone capable of building consensus behind an agreement to halt Iran's nuclear program, the Post reported.
Rezaei said Saturday that he had read the letter but had not responded, though he described its tone as markedly different from an earlier letter from Trump.
“The tone of the letter has completely changed,” he said.
Trump later said the outreach concerned efforts to help Iran obtain medical supplies.
Nuclear issue remains central to diplomacy
With Iran's nuclear program central to any potential negotiations, Rezaei said Tehran had made no decision to change its nuclear doctrine despite public calls for a shift following attacks on the country's nuclear facilities.
“There has been no new decision regarding a change in the nuclear doctrine,” he said.
Rezaei said Iran was a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and would insist on what he described as its rights under the treaty in any future nuclear talks.
“If there are to be nuclear negotiations, we will demand our rights,” he said.
Rezaei also attacked International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi, calling him a “mercenary and servant of the Zionist regime.”
He said Iran's nuclear facilities had undergone extensive inspections and asserted that there had been no diversion in its nuclear program.
He also warned of a severe Iranian response to renewed US military action.
Iran pushes regional security role
Beyond the negotiations with Washington, Rezaei portrayed Iran as seeking a broader role in shaping regional security, pointing to recent four-way talks in Tehran with senior Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials.
Rezaei said the visiting officials voiced strong concerns about Israel, including a warning from Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman that Israel could eventually target Saudi Arabia.
“Prince Khalid said that after you, Israel will go after Turkey, and then it will come after us, Saudi Arabia,” Rezaei said.
Rezaei said the three countries had requested the visit and that all four sides agreed to continue the meetings. “They spoke so firmly against Israel,” he said.
He said Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin also raised concerns about Israel, while the Pakistani representative expressed concern about what Rezaei described as growing ties between Hindus and Jews directed against Muslims and Pakistan.
Rezaei said the talks covered the Mecca pact, Yemen and Syria, as well as Israel's presence in southern Lebanon and southern Syria and the situations in Gaza and the West Bank.
“We believe that foreign powers should leave the region and the countries of the region themselves should maintain their security,” Rezaei said.
As US-Iran diplomacy gains momentum through Qatari mediation, Tehran is seeking to project a willingness to wage a wider war with the United States and Israel, floating the prospect of retaliation without geographic limits.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and the country's top military commander issued warnings on Saturday of a wider response to any renewed attack, ordering an expansion of the list of potential American and Israeli targets.
The warnings came as Qatari and Pakistani mediators intensified efforts to broker an agreement between Tehran and Washington, while reports suggested President Donald Trump was considering renewed military action after Tuesday's US midterm elections.
In remarks published by Iranian state media following a meeting with senior military commanders, Khamenei called for "maximum deterrence," saying threats of any type or scale must be met with an "immediate and effective response without geographic limitations."
He also instructed commanders to update their list of potential targets to bring a wider range of American and Israeli assets, both physical and nonphysical, within reach of Iran's armed forces.
General Abdolrahim Abdollahi, chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, echoed the warning shortly afterward, saying the military was preparing a new list of targets across a broader geographic area and warning that Tehran's response to any attack would be "unimaginable" to its adversaries.
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, had briefed Trump on military options involving Iran.
The newspaper also reported that Washington had warned regional allies to prepare for the possibility of a short but intense resumption of fighting after the November 3 midterm elections.
Axios previously reported that the Pentagon had instructed Central Command to complete preparations for possible renewed combat operations.
The prospect of another round of war has alarmed regional powers.
Speaking at a security forum in Bahrain on Saturday, Saudi Vice Foreign Minister Waleed ElKhereiji said countries across the region wanted peace restored, although the outcome of mediation efforts remained uncertain.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty warned at the same event that another round of fighting would be "more dangerous, more destructive" and lead nowhere.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday that Tehran was reviewing proposals concerning its nuclear program and that an Iranian delegation had travelled to Qatar for further consultations.
He described an American effort to open dialogue as a "positive step," but said Iran had no immediate plans to meet US officials and that any resumption of negotiations would depend on Tehran's conditions being met.
A court in Iran has sentenced 21-year-old protester Omran Amani to death on a charge of "moharebeh," or "waging war against God," according to information obtained by Iran International.
Amani was sentenced on October 24 by Branch 26 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari.
Amani was arrested on February 11, following Iran's nationwide December-January protests, when Basij and intelligence officers raided his shared home in Tehran and detained him alongside two friends, Alireza Dolati and Mohammad Khalizadeh, a source familiar with the case told Iran International.
The three men worked as motorcycle couriers for SnappBox, an Iranian delivery service, the source said.
According to the source, security personnel severely beat the men during their arrest, and Amani was subsequently held in solitary confinement for two months.
The source said Amani's right shoulder was broken during torture aimed at extracting a forced confession at Tehran's Evin Prison and that he had not received adequate medical treatment for the injury.
His case also includes accusations of conspiracy against national security and conducting operational or intelligence activities on behalf of Israel or other hostile governments or groups.
After the US-Iran war began on February 28, Amani was transferred from Evin Prison to Greater Tehran Prison, where he remains held in Ward 6, according to the source.
UN warns of executions and mass trials
The sentence comes amid growing international scrutiny of Iran's treatment of protesters arrested during nationwide demonstrations earlier this year.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran Mai Sato told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that Iranian authorities had executed at least 34 people in connection with the January protests and conducted mass trials resulting in death sentences.
She cited one case in which 34 defendants were tried in five days, with 12 sentenced to death and seven subsequently executed.
Sato said the proceedings failed to establish individual criminal responsibility and warned that thousands of detainees had been held on national security charges, often without access to their families or lawyers.
"The result is that there is no lawful way left to dissent," she said.
The UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission concluded that the suppression of the January protests amounted to crimes against humanity, a finding Sato supported.
