Frankfurt mayor says freedom prize honors Iran's slain protesters and prisoners

The report, which the channel said was unsourced and broadcast under military censorship, did not describe the operation. It said other senior figures in the security establishment opposed it because it could cause an escalation and force the election to be postponed, but that planning went ahead until the United States learned of it and moved to stop it.

The Prime Minister's Office denied the report: "The prime minister himself clarified in real time that an attack before the Israeli elections was not on the agenda."

The account follows a run of reports in the week of the vote. On October 25, two days before the election, Channel 12 reported an "unprecedented confrontation" between Benjamin Netanyahuand the military chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, over an instruction for unspecified action involving Iran, with Zamir demanding further deliberations and signed legal authorization.

• 

  Israel denies pressing Trump for Iran strikes amid diplomatic push

• 

  Netanyahu pressing Trump to strike Iran immediately after midterms - Axios

Iran International carried that report at the time. The next day Channels 12 and 13 reported that Zamir was the only security chief to oppose the action, and the New York Times reported, citing three senior defense officials, that Netanyahu had "sought for weeks to orchestrate a new airstrike on Iran" and was blocked by Zamir.

CNN reported that Netanyahu had asked President Donald Trump to approve a joint strike before the election and that Trump refused.

Netanyahu called the October 25 report "nonsense," saying in the same interview that he had "instructed the IDF and Mossad to topple the regime" in Iran. Former prime minister Ehud Barak said on Thursday that Netanyahu had planned "a provocation" via the Mossad "behind the back of the IDF chief of staff."

Friday's report came as Qatari-mediated talks between Washington and Tehran continued. Channel 12 reported this week that Netanyahu had urged Trump to resume the war immediately after Tuesday's US midterm elections, and that Trump wanted to give the talks more time.

"We're talking to Iran," Trump told reporters on Friday. "We haven't lost a soldier in six or seven months."

Senior Iranian officials have come close to claiming credit for the Democrats' sweeping election victory, frequently pointing to US officials' acknowledgment that the war contributed to Republican losses.

Many Iranian newspapers have followed suit, dwelling on America's economic and political troubles while portraying Iran as a country growing stronger despite the war.

"Ever-Stronger Iran on the Road to Progress," one economic daily declared on its front page on Thursday. Another proclaimed "American Humiliation Continues," alongside a photograph of a seemingly dejected Trump.

The hardline daily Kayhan highlighted what it described as €127 billion in European losses resulting from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, presenting the economic damage as a measure of Tehran's success.

Largely absent from those triumphant headlines was the economic crisis that matters most to ordinary Iranians: the soaring cost of living.

The labour-focused news agency ILNA offered a starkly different picture, reporting that the estimated cost of basic household necessities had nearly doubled in seven months to 85 million tomans a month, almost six times the monthly earnings of an ordinary worker.

Labour expert Hamid Haji-Esmaeili told ILNA that inflation had become "normalised" in the thinking of Iranian officials, criticising the government's inadequate response and calling for wages to be revised midway through the year.

Pay levels set at the beginning of the Iranian calendar year no longer reflected economic realities, he argued, warning that the crisis was no longer confined to low-income workers but also affected civil servants and large sections of the middle class.

Economist Ali Ghanbari, also quoted by ILNA, described Iran as facing a "livelihood crisis", warning of a severe decline in the purchasing power of lower-income households.

Another ILNA report highlighted delayed wage payments for contract workers in Iran's southern oil-producing regions, adding to the uncertainty facing employees already struggling with inflation.

Growing calls to expand food-support programmes suggest that wages alone are no longer sufficient to protect many households from the rising cost of essential goods.

Years of inflation, currency depreciation, sanctions and inadequate investment had already eroded living standards. Two rounds of war in 2025 and 2026, and the subsequent US blockade of Iran's maritime trade, have compounded those pressures.

The government's response has come under increasing criticism, particularly over its failure to adjust wages and pensions to reflect the rapidly rising cost of living.

Pensioners have been among the most vocal groups demanding action. ILNA reported calls for authorities to restore their purchasing power immediately, as housing, healthcare and other essential expenses consumed an increasing share of their incomes.

In another report, a representative of military pensioners' organisations criticised repeated discussions about wage increases that had produced no concrete results.

He warned against creating "false hope" among pensioners frustrated by promises of financial relief that have yet to translate into higher payments.

Pensioners are among Iran's more organised social groups and have staged repeated demonstrations in recent years over inadequate incomes and rising prices.

Yet the emphasis in hardline political rhetoric remains on the costs Iran has imposed on its adversaries.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on international energy markets have been presented as evidence of Tehran's leverage over Western economies.

Such claims of success sit uneasily alongside accounts of hardship emerging from Iran's own media, where journalists operate under restrictions on reporting deemed damaging to the Islamic Republic's image.

For workers awaiting overdue wages and pensioners demanding relief, the economic pain inflicted on Iran's adversaries offers little consolation. Their immediate concern is whether they can pay next month's rent and put food on the table.

The BBC's investigation, published Friday, drew on satellite imagery examined by analysts at MAIAR, a British intelligence analysis company. The analysts identified significant excavation and new construction at two major missile facilities, Garmdareh in Karaj near Tehran and Shahroud in northern Iran. At least 12 other military installations, including missile complexes and air bases, also showed signs of repairs.

BBC Verify identified new roofing on damaged structures at a missile base near Kermanshah in western Iran and extensive reconstruction at the Parchin military complex east of Tehran.

The findings add to growing evidence that Tehran is attempting to restore its military capabilities despite the continuing US-Israeli campaign, which began in February and targeted Iran's missile factories, launch facilities, air defenses and nuclear infrastructure.

Rebuilding a damaged military arsenal

President Donald Trump has repeatedly described Iran's military capabilities as largely destroyed. The Pentagon previously said US strikes had destroyed up to 90% of Iran's drone, ballistic missile and naval industrial base.

Other assessments, however, suggest Iran has retained significant capabilities.

In September, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US and Middle Eastern officials, that Iran had resumed assembling ballistic missiles in underground facilities using stockpiled components. Production reportedly remained below prewar levels.

Bloomberg reported in October that Western officials believed Iran had preserved enough missile and drone manufacturing capacity to replenish its arsenals. One official also said Russia was supplying missiles, although Moscow did not confirm the claim.

An October report by the US Congressional Research Service also cited an earlier Defense Intelligence Agency assessment that Iran retained thousands of missiles and attack drones despite wartime losses and was seeking Russian and Chinese equipment and materials to replace damaged capabilities.

A separate October assessment by the Foreign Policy Research Institute offered a more cautious picture. Its satellite analysis found continued underground activity at Parchin, Khojir and Shahroud, though it concluded that major aboveground missile-production facilities remained heavily damaged.

The institute said several solid-fuel production lines were still inoperable and that substantial reconstruction and equipment replacement would be necessary before large-scale manufacturing could resume.

The latest BBC findings point to further efforts to protect surviving infrastructure.

Former CIA analyst Jim Lamson told the BBC that excavation near Shahroud could be connected to missile production, with the Revolutionary Guards potentially seeking to move manufacturing operations underground to shield them from future attacks.

At Karaj, satellite imagery appeared to show a new entrance to an underground complex, according to Sam Lair of the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

Iranian state television has also broadcast footage it said showed dozens of missiles outside an underground facility in southern Iran, although the footage does not establish the size or operational readiness of the country's remaining arsenal.

Construction near nuclear facilities

The reconstruction effort also extends to sites near Iran's nuclear infrastructure and facilities associated with past nuclear research.

BBC Verify identified excavation and new construction outside tunnel entrances near the city of Qom, close to the Fordow underground uranium enrichment complex, which has repeatedly been targeted by US and Israeli strikes.

At Parchin, satellite imagery also showed substantial work at the Taleghan 2 facility, including concrete reinforcement around an underground structure damaged by airstrikes.

The Institute for Science and International Security reported in September that Iran was rapidly reconstructing Taleghan 2, a facility associated with past nuclear weapons-related research. Its analysis documented construction vehicles, repairs to bomb-damaged sections and additional measures intended to protect the structure from future attacks.

Separately, the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported increased construction activity at Pickaxe Mountain, an underground complex near the Natanz nuclear facility.

100%

Satellite imagery showed reinforced entrances, road improvements and activity suggesting work inside the mountain. The researchers said the available evidence could not establish whether centrifuges had been transferred there or whether uranium enrichment was taking place.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has been unable to inspect Iran's bombed nuclear installations since June 2025, leaving major uncertainties about the condition of its enrichment infrastructure and nuclear material.

The combination of new underground construction, repairs to military installations and reported weapons assembly suggests a continuing effort to restore capabilities targeted throughout the war, although the extent of Iran's recovery remains uncertain.

Military rebuilding and economic pressures

Mark Cancian, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the BBC that the construction appeared intended to strengthen Iran's defenses against future attacks.

“It also indicates a priority on rebuilding military capability rather than rehabilitating the economy,” he said.

For a military campaign intended to cripple Iran's missile and nuclear capabilities, the continuing reconstruction raises questions about how lasting its results will be. Months of bombardment have inflicted extensive damage, yet Tehran continues to direct resources toward rebuilding military infrastructure, increasingly underground, while its economy deteriorates and ordinary Iranians struggle with rising costs and declining living standards.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Vance identified ending the war and reassessing relations with Israel among the priorities of voters who supported Donald Trump in 2024 but switched to Democrats in Tuesday's midterm elections.

Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, quoted Vance's post to challenge the Trump administration's approach to the war and its relationship with Israel.

Iranian media have since offered differing interpretations of Vance's intentions and his influence over US policy.

The analytical website Vana News said the vice president's remarks highlighted differences in how senior US officials assessed the costs and future of the war, but cautioned against interpreting them as evidence of an irreconcilable rift.

“Differences in perspective do not necessarily mean a breakdown in political cooperation or an irreconcilable conflict between the president and his deputy,” Vana News wrote, adding that it remained unclear whether such differences would affect Washington's policy decisions.

‘Self-interest’

Mohsen Zahedi-Movahed, a retired diplomat and international affairs analyst, was more emphatic.

“Vance's admission that the war was the first reason voters were angry with Republicans is extremely important. How will Trump respond? The divide they wanted to create among Iranian leaders has now come back to haunt them!” he wrote on X.

Ali Nasri, a pro-government commentator, argued that Vance's apparent differences with Trump over Israel predated the Republican election defeat.

“[Vance realised] that his own political future and the survival of the entire America First movement depend on distancing himself from Israel and ending the war with Iran,” Nasri wrote on X. “We paid a heavy price to reach this position of strength,” he added.

‘Prelude to war’

But Parisa Nasr, a hardline journalist, warned against interpreting Vance's remarks as an encouraging sign, describing them as “another episode in Vance's double game.”

She accused Vance of pursuing an electoral and geopolitical manoeuvre designed to appeal to American voters while encouraging Iranian officials who favour an agreement with Washington.

Nasr also linked the remarks to mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan, warning that Tehran could be drawn into an agreement that would leave it vulnerable to renewed conflict.

“Even if it leads to an immediate asymmetric agreement, it is a prelude to the next war and poses a very serious danger,” she wrote.

Diplomacy continues

Asked on Wednesday whether he agreed that the war had contributed to the Republicans' defeat, Trump said it was “largely true” but defended his decision to attack Iran, insisting that military action was necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

The debate over Vance's intentions comes against the backdrop of a letter he sent in late October to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, to which Tehran has not formally responded.

According to US media reports, Vance called for the immediate start of comprehensive negotiations, including on Iran's nuclear programme, and expressed his readiness to lead the American delegation in talks with Iranian officials.

Rezaei said on October 31 that he had read the letter, delivered through Qatar, but had not yet responded. He described its tone as different from previous communications from Washington, calling it “a good sign” that demonstrated Iran had consolidated its power.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei struck a more cautious note on November 2, saying Tehran would judge Washington by its actions rather than the tone of its letters.

The official said the United States was concerned about the safety and security of the Iranian people.

“The IRGC has been placing military assets like weapons and command centers inside civilian neighborhoods and near homes,” the military official said.

The official accused Iran’s leadership and the Revolutionary Guards of using civilians to shield military assets while sheltering in protected locations.

“The Islamic Regime does not care about the people of Iran, as evidenced by Regime leaders and the IRGC using innocent civilians as human shields while they hide. They are hiding in fortified facilities and underground bunkers.”

The official also outlined precautions for civilians in the event of heightened tensions.

“If military tensions escalate, Iranian civilians should take appropriate precautions by remaining indoors and staying far away from the IRGC.”

“The safest place for Iranian civilians during heightened tensions is inside their home.”

The remarks follow an Iran International investigation published in March that found Iranian security and military forces had moved personnel, weapons and equipment into at least 70 civilian sites across 17 provinces during US-Israeli airstrikes.

Those sites included 34 schools, alongside hospitals, stadiums, universities, mosques, parks and government offices. Iran International could not independently verify every account but geolocated visual evidence from seven sites, all schools. Iranian officials have repeatedly denied using civilians as shields.

• 

  Iran’s military uses schools and civilian sites during US-Israeli war

The warning comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts to avert further fighting. President Donald Trump said Friday that talks with Iran were ongoing.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani urged Washington and Tehran on Friday to accept a good deal rather than pursue a perfect one, saying the two sides had failed to reach a comprehensive agreement.

Bloomberg reported Friday, citing a diplomat familiar with the talks, that Iran was studying Qatari proposals involving nuclear issues previously off the table.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters a day earlier that Tehran had sent Washington a nuclear proposal through Qatar, but would discuss it only after the United States met its seven demands.