Iran's Kayhan newspaper dismisses EU snapback threat as baseless
The editor of Iran’s ultra-hardline Kayhan newspaper, Hossein Shariatmadari, criticized Iranian negotiators for taking seriously European threats to trigger UN snapback sanctions, saying the 2015 nuclear deal is no longer valid.
In an editorial published Thursday, Shariatmadari wrote, “Is there even a JCPOA left for the snapback mechanism to apply to?” He added, “Europe has no independence and is once again playing the role of ‘bad cop’ to deceive us.”
Shariatmadari, whose paper is managed under the supervision of the Supreme Leader’s office, argued that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) lost legal standing after the US withdrawal in 2018, and that the European troika’s latest threat was “empty.”
His comments came after France’s foreign minister warned that Paris could initiate the snapback process if talks with Iran fail to address European security concerns.
A Tehran MP has accused entrenched corruption of derailing efforts to install X-ray scanners at Iran’s ports, warning that the absence of basic security measures has left the country exposed. “There’s a power struggle over which company gets the contract,” said Morteza Mahmoudi, who visited Bandar Rajaei after a devastating fire engulfed thousands of containers.
Mahmoudi said rent-seeking interests have blocked the purchase of screening equipment critical to national safety. “This is tied to the country’s security, but it’s being sabotaged by behind-the-scenes power games,” he added.
The MP said that at the time of the explosion, over 3,600 containers were piled at the site, with 2,000 of them catching fire. He blamed negligence, poor oversight, and lack of non-military defense planning for the disaster.
Iran’s multi-billion-dollar bid to rebuild postwar Syria and cement long-term influence has collapsed following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, according to documents obtained by Reuters from Tehran’s ransacked embassy in Damascus.
Modeled on the US Marshall Plan that helped rebuild post-WWII Europe, Tehran’s strategy sought to create political and economic dependency through reconstruction projects, religious diplomacy, and trade.
A 33-page Iranian policy study found in the looted embassy explicitly referenced America’s postwar blueprint, describing Syria as a "$400 billion opportunity" for Iran.
Instead, with Assad deposed by rebel forces in December and exiled to Russia, Iran’s assets in Syria were swiftly dismantled. Embassies were looted, paramilitaries withdrawn, and dozens of projects—including power plants, religious sites, and railways—abandoned.
Pieces of shredded documents are scattered on the floor of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, December 16, 2024.
Reuters reporters uncovered contracts, correspondence, and financial records showing Iran’s deep economic footprint and how it unraveled amid Western airstrikes, corruption, and internal mismanagement. The news agency used artificial intelligence tools to analyze nearly 2,000 documents.
One key project, a €411 million Latakia power plant built by Iran’s Mapna Group, remains half-finished. Other efforts, such as an oil venture in eastern Syria and a $26 million Euphrates rail bridge, were destroyed or halted. At least $178 million in unpaid debts to Iranian firms remain, though estimates of total losses exceed $30 billion.
The collapse comes as Iran faces regional setbacks, including heavy losses among its allies Hezbollah and Hamas, and growing diplomatic pressure from the US.
An exterior view of the abandoned Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, December 16, 2024.
“The Syrian people have a wound caused by Iran, and we need a lot of time to heal,” said new Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former rebel leader, in an interview.
Iran’s foreign ministry declined to comment. Many Iranian officials involved, including Revolutionary Guard commander Abbas Akbari, did not respond to Reuters' inquiries.
For Syrians who worked on Iran-backed projects, the exit is bittersweet. “Iran was here, that was just the reality, and I made a living from it for a while,” said a Syrian engineer who worked on the stalled Latakia project.
A picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei hangs on a wall in the Sayyida Zaynab neighborhood, in Damascus, Syria, December 14, 2024.
Seventy people injured in the Rajaei port explosion remain under medical care in Bandar Abbas, with five others transferred to Shiraz for advanced burn treatment, a senior health official said on Thursday.
“Two to three patients are in intensive care and the condition of most others is stable,” said Sajjad Razavi, deputy health minister for treatment. He added that three of those moved to Shiraz are in critical condition.
Razavi noted that a public response averted a blood shortage. “There was readiness to send 800 units from Tehran, but local donations met the need,” he said.
A former senior Iranian diplomat said Thursday that the United States is now in urgent need of negotiations with Iran, and that Tehran should seize the opportunity to rebuild regional ties and economic influence, state media reported.
“The US is in serious need of dialogue with Iran,” Mohammad Hossein Adeli, a former central bank chief and ambassador, said at a conference on the Persian Gulf. “If we use this opportunity wisely, Iran can reopen its path into the region.”
Adeli urged Iran to forge a comprehensive partnership with Saudi Arabia and expand direct foreign investment with Persian Gulf states, suggesting that Riyadh could invest in Iran’s renewable energy sector. He said Tehran should prioritize cross-border infrastructure in electricity and gas.
Labor Day in Iran was marked by demonstrations by teachers and heightened security in several cities across the country with allegations of violent suppression of protesters by security forces.
A group of active and retired teachers gathered outside the Ministry of Education headquarters in Tehran on Thursday to mark International Workers’ Day.
The protest, organized by the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Associations, was met with a heavy security response.
According to a statement from the council, “Security forces violently dispersed demonstrators,” preventing any photography and arresting an unspecified number of participants.
“The security atmosphere was so heavy that even the right to take pictures was denied,” the group said. “Teachers were beaten and forced to leave.”
Similar gatherings were reported in other cities under tight security. Authorities did not immediately comment on the reported arrests or use of force.
Meanwhile, Iranian government officials sought to reassure workers facing mounting economic hardship in a bid to calm tensions.
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani
Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani acknowledged the ongoing economic challenges, citing recent inflation estimates and the impact on workers’ purchasing power as two thirds of the country now live below the poverty line.
She also announced the government’s intention to maintain healthcare coverage for 75 days after insurance cancellation — a policy seen as crucial for many precarious workers.
Mohajerani also addressed wage concerns, saying that although a 45% increase in minimum wages was approved by the Supreme Labor Council for the current Iranian year that started on March 21, “inflation has eroded much of that gain.”
The minimum salary of Iranian workers is about 100 million rials, about $125 at today’s rate. The inflation rate in Iran is about 45%, according to official data, with prices of food and housing increasing at higher rates.
To mitigate the impact on lower-income households, she said the government continues to promote “remedial policies” such as food coupons and subsidies for vulnerable groups, including mothers and pregnant women.
On pension reform, Mohajerani said the second phase of salary adjustments for retirees would proceed as outlined in the national budget. “The government is legally bound to fulfill its obligations, even if at times delays occur due to unforeseen conditions,” she added.
In a nod to one of the long-standing demands of workers, Mohajerani highlighted government efforts to improve access to housing. “Agreements have been made between the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development and industrial zones to help workers live closer to their workplaces,” she said.
She also addressed delays in the passage of legislation to organize public employment contracts, noting the complexity of balancing workforce rights with the legal mandate to limit the size of government under Iran’s development plan. “The government's approach is to support the private sector rather than expand itself,” she said.
On the broader economic picture, labor economist Alireza Heidari said taming inflation remains the number one priority for workers, who have been protesting ever worsening conditions in recent years. Complaints include wage cuts, unpaid wages and worsening working conditions.
“In recent years, workers’ livelihoods have become directly tied to inflation,” he told ILNA. “The vast majority of wage earners fall within the seven lowest-income deciles of society, and they have been hit hardest.”
He warned that recent wage increases may be neutralized by future price hikes. “We ended last year (March 20) with the (exchange rate for one) dollar hovering at 1,000,000 rials. If this affects prices further, even a 45% wage increase won’t prevent a real income decline.”
Heidari stressed that structural reforms are essential to curbing inflation. “Experience shows that inflation in Iran is largely driven by the government’s lack of financial discipline,” he said. “Though the new administration is making efforts, the challenge is deeply structural.”
He cautioned against linking economic mismanagement solely to external factors or international negotiations. “Some officials try to attribute all issues to foreign policy, but many of the problems are internal and systemic.”
He said that without tackling inflation, any other policy amendments are redundant. “We talk about insurance, safety, and union rights, but it all comes back to the issue of livelihoods,” he added.
