Iran International
The conservative Tehran newspaper Jomhouri Eslami has warned Iranian authorities that Moscow may sacrifice Iranian interests in exchange for concessions from Washington over the Ukraine conflict.
Referring to US-Russia negotiations over Ukraine that began earlier this week in Riyadh—talks that notably excluded Kyiv—the newspaper speculated on Wednesday that these discussions could lead to a Moscow-Washington agreement. Such a deal, it argued, might see Russia securing territorial gains in Ukraine in return for granting Washington more leverage to protect Israel’s interests in the Middle East.
“Iran will be drawn into this equation alongside Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Palestine… and Russia will turn a blind eye to any actions the United States may take against Iran,” the newspaper wrote in an editorial titled “Us and the Great Moscow-Washington Deal.” This editorial has been widely covered by other media outlets in Iran.
The article accused Russia of failing to support Iranian forces in Syria in the past when Israeli jets targeted their positions and of collaborating with the US and Israel against Iran’s ally, Bashar al-Assad, when Tahrir al-Sham militia forces made advances against his troops.
Jomhouri Eslami warned that Moscow could betray Iran again if Washington helps Russia emerge victorious in Ukraine. The paper urged Iranian authorities to remain vigilant and strategize ways to mitigate the consequences of such a deal.
A similar concern was raised by the reformist Shargh daily in an article titled “Will Tehran Be Sacrificed in a Trump-Putin Deal?” The publication urged Iranian authorities to swiftly decide whether to pursue direct negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program.
Foreign relations expert Rahman Ghahramanpour, interviewed by Shargh, suggested that any deal between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin would first impact European nations that have supported Ukraine. However, he acknowledged that Iran’s position could become a bargaining chip in future discussions, given Moscow’s role in Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Meanwhile, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov attempted to reassure Iran, stating in an exclusive interview with Iran’s official news agency (IRNA) on Wednesday that Moscow’s talks with the United States would not impact its relations with Tehran. Peskov confirmed that Iran’s nuclear program was mentioned in a February 12 phone call between Trump and Putin but insisted it was not a primary topic of discussion.
Peskov told IRNA that the cooperation between Iran and Russia was independent of the relations between the Kremlin and the White House. Peskov confirmed that Iran's nuclear program had been “mentioned” in the Trump and Putin’s phone call on February 12, but said it had not been a primary topic in the two presidents’ talk.
Iran faces a limited timeframe, as the European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal could invoke the “snapback” mechanism in October, reinstating UN sanctions lifted under the agreement. In an interview with RIA Novostiast last week, Russia’s envoy in Tehran, Alexey Dedov, emphasized the importance of Russia and China in any nuclear negotiations, stating, “Without Russia and China, such discussions will not reach their goals and will remain unproductive.”
Trump has signaled a preference for striking a deal with Tehran but has also made clear that, failing diplomatic progress, he would not hesitate to consider military options to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Iran has sought to deepen ties with Russia and China in line with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s “Look East” policy in the past few years. This approach, which hardliners have actively promoted, posits that closer relations with non-Western powers will bolster Iran’s development and resilience against US pressure and sanctions. However, economic sanctions imposed by Trump in 2018 have led to a deep economic crisis in Iran, without any decisive assistance by Russia and China.
Trump’s stance on the Ukraine war and the concessions he appears willing to make to Putin have been widely criticized by US politicians and media, including by some conservatives who fear that bypassing Kyiv in negotiations could have serious security implications for Ukraine and its European allies.
The conservative Tehran-based website Tabnak quoted Hossein Allah-Karam, leader of the vigilante group Ansar Hezballah, as saying that US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot follow through on their threats against Iran.
Tabnak described Allah-Karam as a political science professor at the University of Tehran and quoted him as asserting that Trump has failed to back his threats against Hamas. He concluded, “His other threat about bombing Iran if we do not sign a paper for him also cannot materialize.”
The hardline figure further claimed, “Trump’s performance has forced the United States and Israel to kneel before Gaza.”
He added, "We have achieved this with the capabilities we already have, so why should we challenge ourselves by opting to upgrade our capabilities?" This was perhaps a veiled reference to producing nuclear weapons and more potent ballistic missiles.
Allah-Karam’s remarks align with recent statements from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and some IRGC commanders suggesting Iran is prepared for conflict with Israel.
In a recent speech, Khamenei called for upgrading Iran's ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, IRGC deputy commander Ali Fadavi said on Monday that a third direct attack on Israel will happen in due course. "Operation True Promise 3 will occur at the right time," Fadavi said.
Fadavi made these remarks in response to statements by Israeli and US officials regarding Iran’s perceived weakness, as well as Trump’s threat that Israel would bomb Iran if Tehran refused to negotiate with the United States over its controversial nuclear program.
He stated, “Not a single day has passed without the world's evildoers—the Great Satan, America, and its allies—waging war against us.”
Reformist political commentator Ahmad Zeidabadi warned on Telegram that "Netanyahu has already made preparations for attacking Iran in the coming months." He appeared to be referring to Trump's backing of the plan, possibly alluding to the shipment of US-made bunker buster bombs to Israel and stationing of US B-52 bombers somewhere in the region.
Zeidabadi added that "all official statements and both direct and indirect remarks from Israeli and US officials suggest that such an attack is imminent." He cautioned that "while it might be a limited strike, its consequences could be extremely destructive and uncontrollable."
On Monday, Canadian-based military analyst Houshang Hassanyari and German-based political analyst Ali Sadrzadeh, both Iranian-born, stated on Iran International TV that the Islamic Republic appears to be preparing for war against Israel. Both analysts agreed that Iranian officials and military commanders' claims about the country's military capabilities are based on illusion rather than reality.
Hassanyari warned that "the Islamic Republic is under a dangerous illusion. Khamenei believes his forces can defend Iran and deliver heavy blows to Israeli and US forces. Even if he is not actively planning a war against Israel, his rhetoric is pushing Iran toward one."
He added that Iran lacks strong military capabilities and is destined for a major defeat in any war. If a conflict with Israel breaks out, the United States will undoubtedly intervene to support Israel.
Sadrzadeh, however, expressed skepticism about the likelihood of war. "I do not believe Iran is preparing for a war with Israel, as its commanders and top officials must have at least a basic understanding of their forces' limitations. US officials say Iran has no effective air defense, and as far as I know, Tehran no longer has allies or strategic depth in the Middle East."
He also noted that the situation has changed since the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. Given the protests in Iran in recent years, it is inconceivable that Iranians would rally behind Khamenei’s idea of war against Israel.
Anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are not approved by Iran’s health regulators but that does not seem to bother those who seek and afford this newfound status symbol.
“Have a quick scroll through Instagram and you’ll see scores of Ozempic posts,” says Fatemeh, a psychotherapist in Tehran over a call on an encrypted messaging app. “You may see the medical pen flaunted alongside a Givenchy or a Louis Vuitton.”
For many, Ozempic is as much about status as it is about fitness, she says, adding that it’s not all too rare to happen upon someone live streaming their injection of Mounjaro to showcase their apparent weight-loss journeys.
The longing for a slimmer physique is nothing new. But the anti-obesity injections, often called a Fitness Wand, are also highly coveted in Iran not in spite of but because of their high cost.
On Instagram and Telegram, platforms with the most users in Iran, instructional videos are mushrooming on Ozempic and other weight-loss medications, with more physicians and clinics offering tips on how to use those, how to get the best results, and of course, how to tell apart the original and the fake ones.
“For many of our clients, these weight-loss pens are seen as tools to regain self-confidence,” says Maryam Majd, a 42-year-old fitness trainer at a high-end gym in Tehran’s affluent Zaferaniyeh district.
“Our gym staff is trained to assist with using these products, and we’ve even set up a dedicated room next to the solarium for this purpose,” she adds.
The urge to follow western trends may be explained, partly at least, by Iran’s official isolation from the world. But there’s little doubt that Iranians tend to be trigger happy when it comes to invasive methods of uplifting their appearance.
Take the wave of rhinoplasty (or nose jobs) that came to Iran’s shores a couple of decades ago and has left very few nostrils intact. Then it was liposuction, then Botox.
Every time it starts with the well-off and spreads to others, first as a luxury then a necessity, an obsession almost, which compels people with not enough disposable income to cut their expenses elsewhere, give up their basic needs even, to afford it.
Ozempic and other pens appear to be following a similar trajectory.
All this comes as many Iranians have to visit multiple pharmacies and queue up for hours to get life-saving medication for their loved ones.
Iran’s ongoing economic troubles—driven by sanctions, corruption and government mismanagement—has led to chronic shortages of essential drugs. Three in ten Iranians are now unable to afford their medication due to the soaring prices.
It does not help that some black market dealers, drawn by the substantial profit margins, have shifted their focus from rare disease medications to high-demand weight-loss drugs.
As the global trend of weight-loss medications continues to gain traction, Ozempic and similar drugs have become yet another example of Iran’s widening gap—between those constantly chasing the latest status symbol and those struggling to meet their basic needs.