Russia says no rift with Iran as row over Moscow role heats up in Tehran

In its latest assessment, the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) said the end of hostilities in Gaza will not significantly alter Tehran’s policy.

Iran remains committed to expanding its influence in the Palestinian territories, particularly through logistical and financial support to Hamas and other factions operating in both Gaza and the West Bank, the think tank affiliated with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

“Tehran views Hamas’s continued presence in these areas as a potential avenue to rebuild its capabilities and preserve Iranian leverage, even amid mounting operational constraints,” the report said.

Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel — in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 200 taken hostage and dragged into Gaza — Iran’s regional allies, including Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and Yemen’s Houthis, have suffered major blows in fighting.

Still, the ITIC report says Iran is unlikely to alter its policy of supporting and sustaining proxy networks across the region, particularly the so-called “Axis of Resistance.”

“The Houthis are capitalizing on the Gaza ceasefire to enhance their weapons stockpile and offensive capabilities, further entrenching Iran’s influence in the Arabian Peninsula,” the report said.

Iranian officials have publicly supported the ceasefire but emphasized that the decision was made independently by Hamas.

Tehran declined to participate in the recent peace summit in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt, citing ongoing threats and sanctions against Iran.

Analysts believe Iran is far more comfortable operating in the shadows and through proxies, preferring to stay in the background and avoid direct conflict.

Majid Takht-Ravanchi said the message, delivered three months before the 12-day conflict, read “we should start negotiations, and if they fail, there will be war.”

Iran agreed to indirect negotiations, while Washington pushed for direct talks, Takht-Ravanchi said.

“The content of the letter and the attitude of US officials showed they believed with Trump’s return, the whole world needed him and he could dictate the terms,” he said, adding that Tehran decided to respond but only through indirect channels.

In June 2025, tensions between Israel and Iran erupted into open conflict when Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, including Natanz and Isfahan, as well as several missile and command centers.

Several top Iranian military leaders, including IRGC commander-in-chief Hossein Salami and armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, were killed in Israeli attacks

Citing an imminent threat from Tehran’s expanding nuclear program, Israel’s operation drew swift retaliation from Iran, which fired waves of missiles and drones at Israeli targets.

Within days, the United States joined the campaign, striking key Iranian nuclear and military sites in support of Israel. The fighting lasted nearly two weeks, leaving heavy damage.

“Economic reforms and progress are meaningless without energy reform,” Ghalibaf said in a speech on Monday. “With the current energy situation, can we expect proper efficiency? Everything about it is completely wrong,” he said.

The government’s priority, he added, was not to raise prices but to restructure the energy sector. “This does not mean we want to increase energy prices – that has its own method. Raising prices is not the first step; there are several stages before that,” Ghalibaf said.

The comments come amid growing conjecture in Iranian media over a possible imminent increase in gasoline prices. Last week, President Masoud Pezeshkian said there was no doubt that fuel prices would eventually need to rise, though he acknowledged that such a move could worsen economic hardship for ordinary Iranians.

“It’s not that simple,” Pezeshkian said. “Of course it must be done, that’s obvious, but it can’t be done overnight,” he added.

Call for fair energy use

Ghalibaf described the first step in energy reform as what he called popularization, suggesting that the country’s vast energy resources must benefit all citizens equally. “This is public wealth and must reach the people fairly. It’s not acceptable that 46 percent of the population fully benefits from part of this energy while 52 percent get nothing,” he said.

Changing consumption habits, he added, is essential to avoid waste. “If culture improves, energy consumption will improve. We cannot have the heater on while people sit at home in undershirts,” he said.

The parliament speaker did not elaborate on the mechanism of the proposed popularization plan. His remarks come as Iran, despite possessing the world’s second-largest natural gas reserves, faces chronic energy shortages that disrupt industries and daily life.

In recent months, widespread blackouts and gas shortages have forced temporary shutdowns across several provinces, exposing what officials themselves have described as deep structural and managerial failures in the energy sector.

First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said on Sunday that criticism of the government’s performance was serving the enemy. Speaking at a meeting of the Market Regulation Headquarters, Aref accused outside actors of spreading “malicious and misleading analyses” following the recent 12-day conflict, which he said were being echoed domestically.

Iran’s Chamber of Commerce in September projected a worst-case scenario of a 60% currency plunge, inflation at 75%, and unemployment at 14% in the coming months.

Responding to growing discontent over the government’s handling of poverty and rising living costs, Aref said supervisory and economic institutions must “avoid giving excuses to the enemy” and “not dishearten the public.” He warned officials against airing internal disagreements in public, adding that “there is no need for officials to discuss disputes at podiums; such issues should be resolved in meetings.”

Officials defend government amid rising hardship

President Pezeshkian last week acknowledged that his administration’s economic policies were contributing to inflation, saying, “We are creating inflation. We are sleeping on gold, yet the people are hungry.” His remarks drew criticism from Javan, a newspaper affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which urged the president to address inequality instead of “repeating the word hunger.”

Mounting inflation, shrinking household purchasing power, and soaring living costs have deepened public frustration, exacerbated by the reactivation of the UN’s snapback sanctions mechanism against Iran.

Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, Pezeshkian’s executive deputy, also described the current situation as wartime on Sunday. Rising sanctions, he said, meant “the country must be evaluated in exceptional, not normal, circumstances.”

“Parliament members have the right to criticize the government,” Ghaempanah said. “But this is not the time to question how the country is being managed.”

Their remarks came amid intensifying domestic criticism over economic hardship, while Iranian officials continue to stress the need for “internal cohesion” against what they call a “hybrid war.”

The country faces a shortfall of at least 100,000 nurses, a deficit that has increased workloads, extended shifts, and contributed to staff burnout and lower patient satisfaction, Ahmad Nejatian, head of the Iranian Nursing Organization told Tasnim. Many nurses work compulsory overtime to compensate for missing staff, he said.

“Some hospitals in Tehran have wards ready to open, but they remain closed because there are not enough nurses,” Nejatian said. “Even when recruitment exams are held, a number of positions remain vacant because housing costs in Tehran make living in the capital unaffordable for nurses.”

Iran’s nurse-to-patient ratio, according to the Ministry of Health, remains far below international standards. The gap, Nejatian said, stems not only from limited funding but also from outdated staffing frameworks that do not reflect the actual number of active hospital beds.

Housing costs and retention challenges

Around 70 percent of nurses in Iran are women, most aged between 30 and 35, balancing work with family responsibilities, Nejatian said. Current regulations prevent hospitals from hiring temporary replacements for staff on maternity leave, placing added pressure on remaining personnel.

Offering incentives, he added, could help retain nurses in major cities. “Building dormitories or hostels alone won’t solve the problem,” he said. “We need a comprehensive plan that includes housing support and financial incentives similar to those used to attract staff to remote regions.”

Iran’s nurse-to-population ratio remains critically low – about 1.3 to 1.6 per 1,000 people – well below international standards. The shortage is worsened by excessive workloads, delayed or insufficient pay, insecure employment, short-term contracts, and the growing exodus of skilled nurses seeking better opportunities abroad. The impact is already visible, with some hospitals forced to shut down intensive care and emergency units due to a lack of qualified staff.