Iranians struggling to afford basic needs as new year approaches

Majid Takht-Ravanchi made the remarks in a Saturday meeting in Abu Dhabi with the UAE president's diplomatic advisor Anwar Gargash.

The two sides also discussed bilateral relations as well as pressing regional and international issues, according to Iran's official news agency IRNA.

Takht-Ravanchi underlined Iran’s commitment to forging closer ties with neighboring countries, expressing Tehran's preparedness to enhance relations with the UAE based on mutual interests.

The UAE and Iran repaired their diplomatic ties in 2022, about six years after Abu Dhabi cut diplomatic relations in allegiance with Saudi Arabia after the 2016 looting of the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

According to the statement, "Hojatoleslam Sadegh Mahmoudi and Milad Damankesh were targeted by terrorists while traveling home from work in a private vehicle and were martyred in the attack." The two were part of the Shahid Sajjad Security Plan.

Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl in a statement on Saturday claimed responsibility for the attack.

Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province has long been a flashpoint for violence, frequently targeted by Jaish al-Adl, which is known for ambushes, bombings, and armed attacks that have claimed the lives of both civilians and security forces.

The incident follows a surge in violence in the province. In February, the group took responsibility for a bombing in Chabahar that destroyed a government coordination office, as well as an armed assault on a Housing Foundation building.

Jaish al-Adl said those attacks were in retaliation for policies displacing local Baluch communities. The Baluch are one of the poorest ethnic groups in Iran, suffering from lack of decent public services and infrastructure.

Both Iran and the United States have designated Jaish al-Adl as a terrorist organization. The group has carried out multiple attacks on Iranian military and IRGC positions in recent years.

In November, four members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in clashes during a military drill in Rask County. In October, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for an attack that killed ten Iranian military personnel.

"The first lesson from the situation in Ukraine is that Western support for countries and governments that are their puppets is a mirage," the post on Ali Khamenei's X account quotes him as saying in Ukrainian.

"All governments must understand this. Those governments relying on the US and Europe should look at the current situation in Ukraine," the post reads, citing his remarks from March 1, 2022.

Khamenei's office reposted his old comments in reaction to Friday’s controversial meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, in an apparent effort to vindicate his longtime opposition to the West, and the US in particular.

Over the past few hours, many Iranian hardliners have claimed that the Trump-Zelensky blowout validates Khamenei’s opposition to negotiations with the United States.

Citing Khamenei’s early February speech, in which he declared negotiations with the Trump administration would not be “wise, expedient, or dignified,” they argue that Trump's confrontational exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office should serve as a warning to those who question Khamenei’s stance.

On social media, hardliners have also extensively highlighted Khamenei’s warnings in the past about direct talks with the United States and his criticism of Trump for not abiding by the commitments the US had made in the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal and re-imposition of sanctions on Iran in 2018.

Following the Oval Office incident, some reformist politicians and commentators—who have generally supported direct talks with the United States—also voiced skepticism about the viability of negotiations with the Trump administration.

Referring to Khamenei’s early February speech, where he said negotiations with the Trump administration would not be “wise, expedient, or dignified,” they argue that Trump's confrontational exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office should serve as a warning to those who question Khamenei’s stance.

“Can an Iranian even imagine our president in Zelensky’s position?” Abdollah Ganji, a former editor of the IRGC-linked Javan newspaper, wrote in an X post, referencing Trump’s remark during the meeting that Zelensky was in no position to dictate terms because he didn’t have the right cards in hand.

Khamenei’s political adviser and former secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, shared photos of Khamenei’s June 2019 meeting with the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during which Khamenei refused to accept a message Abe was delivering from Trump.

On social media, hardliners and ultra-hardliners have also extensively highlighted Khamenei’s warnings in the past about direct talks with the United States and his criticism of Trump for not abiding by the commitments the US had made in the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal and re-imposition of sanctions on Iran in 2018.

Incident disappoints advocates of talks with US

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a speech on Thursday that Tehran was open to talks with Washington but would not “bow to bullies.” However, he also stressed that without the lifting of US sanctions, there could be no economic improvement.

Following Friday’s Oval Office incident, some reformist politicians and commentators—who have generally supported direct talks with the United States—also voiced skepticism about the viability of negotiations with the Trump administration.

Mohammad-Ali Abtahi, a former vice president under reformist President Mohammad Khatami, dismissed negotiations with Trump as futile. “Trump and the America of Trump are not parties we can negotiate with,” he tweeted. “Imagine Pezeshkian sitting across from him—talking to this man won’t help the Iranian people.”

Reformist commentator Fayyaz Zahed condemned Trump’s public rebuke of Zelensky, likening it to “a return to the era of imperialism.” He remarked, “The real America is what we are witnessing.”

Former political prisoner Hossein Ronaghi's tweeted:

Calls for strategic decision-making

Despite the backlash, some Iranian analysts argue that the incident underscores the urgency of determining when and how to engage in negotiations with the US before Iran loses all bargaining power.

“The humiliating exchange between Zelensky and Trump proved that negotiations must happen while there are still cards left to play,” argued Diako Hosseini, a political commentator and deputy chairman of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, in an X post. “One should never enter talks under any other circumstances.”

In a lengthy thread, Mohammad Rahbari, another political commentator in Tehran, argued that the lesson Iran should take from the standoff between Trump and Zelensky for Iran is to look at international relations from a different perspective in the current circumstances. Warning against “obstinacy,” he argued that Iran should remain cautiously open to negotiations to avoid “falling victim to bigger powers.”

"Trump has not, and will not, pursue abstract goals... He knows how to calculate and knows numbers. Smart behavior towards him means proposals that are of mutual benefit, precise and clear!" Ali Asghar Sahfieian, managing director of the reformist news website Ensaf News, argued in a tweet.

Responding to Masoud Pezeshkian’s remarks on Thursday saing,"We will not bow to bullies. We should not fear what they plan to do with sanctions. Some say we have no choice but to negotiate"—the reformist daily Ham Mihan questioned his approach.

"You say you don't shy away from dialogue—so why not put the ball in the opponent’s court?" the editorial argued. It urged the president to work toward halting the Trump administration's escalating sanctions, establish a negotiation agenda, and set a clear timeframe for talks.

The newspaper dismissed the notion that negotiating with the US equates to surrender, writing, "If they [the US] act like bullies and demand more than they offer, then inform the people and reject their terms. Otherwise, negotiations will yield results. Those who argue that we have no choice but to negotiate are not advocating surrender—because surrender requires no negotiation."

The debate over talks with the United States comes as Iran faces increasing economic pressure. In February, US President Donald Trump reinstated sanctions under his “maximum pressure” policy, calling for a deal that would permanently prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

More recently, Trump signed a directive aiming to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero, arguing that Tehran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and must make a deal.

"I would prefer a deal with Tehran to an Israeli attack on their nuclear sites," he said after signing the memorandum that reinstated the sanctions.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has dismissed engagement with Trump, calling negotiations "not wise, expedient, or dignified."

Beyond foreign policy, Ham Mihan also examined Pezeshkian’s economic promises, particularly his statement that "If shares are to be allocated, they should go to those truly in need, not to the wealthy."

These are good words, wrote Ham-Mihan. “So why hasn’t it been implemented? You have repeated it several times already. Moreover, your proposed national budget contradicts this notion of justice. You have increased salaries at half the rate of inflation.”

On Pezeshkian’s comments that "we are not afraid; we will stay and build the country with strength," Ham Mihan argued that fear is sometimes necessary.

"People are afraid. Officials should also be afraid. We should fear the people becoming angry. We should fear that some are unable to secure a dignified life... We should fear being unable to provide water and electricity for the people, leading to factory closures and even government shutdowns."

Iran continues to struggle with mounting economic and social crises, exacerbated by years of sanctions, government mismanagement, and public unrest. The 2022 protests, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, evolved into broader demonstrations against political repression and economic hardship. The government’s crackdown further eroded trust in state institutions.

The national currency has suffered a dramatic collapse, with the rial recently surpassing 940,000 per US dollar. Inflation remains persistently high, driving up the cost of food, housing, and healthcare. Energy shortages have worsened the crisis, with rolling blackouts disrupting industries and daily life.

The editorial concluded by warning Pezeshkian that rhetoric alone will not satisfy public expectations: " Let us fear that people pin their hopes on us, only for us to disappoint them and make them turn away. In fact, more than anything, we are in need of fear."