Khamenei's paper calls nuclear talks futile, says enrichment will continue

The strike, called by the national union of truckers and drivers, has emptied highways, halted freight movement, and drawn in voices from across the country demanding action on long-standing sector grievances.

In a video from Kaveh Industrial City in Markazi province, a driver said: “Please respect each other. These men have debts, they have loans, but they stood their ground so we can fix things.”

Another video from Firoozkouh showed drivers refusing to take loads, stating: “Not a single truck moved freight today. Every driver is on strike.”

Protesters cite steep insurance costs, delays in diesel quota refills and low cargo rates as key reasons for the strike.

A driver from Dezful sent a message saying, “These trucks’ freight rates are too low. They either don’t get fuel or the diesel fuel cards are topped up late. Why has truck and driver insurance gotten so expensive?”

The scale of the action was visible in near-empty transport corridors. A driver on the Tehran-Isfahan highway filmed the road devoid of freight trucks, saying: “Today is Saturday, May 24. This is the Tehran–Isfahan highway, and there’s not a single trailer or truck in sight.”

Another video from Sabzevar showed trailers honking in unison.

In Kazerun, farmers were seen protesting the lack of available transport for their produce.

A driver from Zarand, Kerman, urged others to maintain discipline: “This video is from Zarand. No one should enter the city until we can support each other. Stand together.”

The drivers’ union, which earlier announced, “Our trucks are silent, but our voices are louder than ever,” said the strike would continue until authorities formally commit to resolving their demands.

“We won’t be deceived again,” the union said in a statement. “No driver will turn on the engine until our demands are officially recognized and enforced.”

Exiled prince Reza Pahlavi expressed support for the truckers’ nationwide strike on Friday, writing on X: “As one of the country’s vital economic pillars, your protest against unjust working and living conditions gives voice to the shared suffering of millions of Iranians crushed for years under injustice, incompetence, and corruption.”

Launched on May 18 in Bandar Abbas, the coordinated protest has since spread to over 35 cities, with truckers pledging to hold out for a full week or possibly longer if their demands remain unmet.

"Iran is ready to store its enriched uranium stockpiles under 1,000 meters of earth, wherever they (international community) say — but within Iran," said Brigadier General Hossein Daghighi, a top advisor to the chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

"We have said that we do not possess nuclear weapons, but now they say we should not even have enrichment — we do not accept that."

Panahi, who has faced imprisonment and a 15-year travel ban for his outspoken criticism of the Islamic Republic, received a standing ovation as Cate Blanchett presented the award.

In his acceptance speech, he urged unity among Iranians striving for democracy: "Let's set aside our differences. The important thing now is the freedom of our country, so that no one would dare to tell us what to wear or what film to make."

France's foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in a French post on his X account, "In an act of resistance against the Iranian regime's oppression, Jafar Panahi wins a Palme d'Or, reigniting hope for freedom fighters around the world."

The thriller, co-produced by Iran, France, and Luxembourg, was made clandestinely without official permission from Iranian authorities and features women not wearing the hijab, challenging Iran's compulsory dress code laws.

Panahi who managed to leave Iran and attend his film's premiere at Cannes after a 15-year travel ban, said on Wednesday he would be returning immediately to Iran after attending the Cannes Film Festival to begin work on his next film despite being free to travel again.

Panahi was released on bail from Tehran's notorious Evin Prison in February 2023 after he started a hunger strike.

Making history

Panahi has achieved a rare distinction in the world of cinema by winning the top honors at all three major European film festivals. His 2025 Palme d'Or adds to his previous accolades: the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for Taxi in 2015 and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for The Circle in 2000.

This accomplishment places Panahi among a select group of filmmakers who have achieved this triple crown of European cinema. The other directors who have earned this distinction are Michelangelo Antonioni, Robert Altman, and Henri-Georges Clouzot.

A senior Iranian official said on Wednesday that preserving the country’s nuclear capabilities remains a national priority, emphasizing that Iran seeks peaceful use of atomic energy and is not pursuing nuclear weapons.

Brigadier General Ghasem Ghoreishi, deputy head of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, said nuclear energy is essential for Iran’s future and development in sectors such as medicine, agriculture, and electricity production.

“Nuclear energy is among the Islamic Republic’s main priorities,” Ghoreishi said, adding that maintaining uranium enrichment and nuclear capacity is “even more crucial for Iran’s tomorrow.”

Arguing in support of the need for uranium enrichment in the country, a sticking point in the current talks, Ghoreishi also criticized Western sanctions, recalling past embargoes on basic goods during the Iran-Iraq war. “Those who didn’t give us barbed wire then, will not hand over enriched uranium now,” he said.

“Our goal is to protect the nation’s interests—either through diplomacy or resistance.”

Brigadier General Ghasem Khamoushi, commander of the Islamic Republic’s Army Aviation (Havanirooz), said Iran has developed precision-guided and long-range missiles domestically and expanded the operational capabilities of its helicopters to include night missions using indigenously developed night-vision systems.

“Missile range has increased more than sevenfold, and targeting systems have become significantly more precise,” he told reporters during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the 1982 liberation of Khorramshahr during the Iran-Iraq war.

The city, taken by Iraqi forces early in the war, was retaken by Iran during Operation Beitol-Moqaddas in what is considered a turning point in the war.

Khamoushi added that key helicopter parts, previously affected by sanctions, are now produced in Iran using domestic expertise and knowledge-based companies. The advances, he said, will be formally unveiled in the coming weeks.

Khamoushi also said that Iranian helicopters, once limited to daytime operations, are now equipped to conduct missions in complete darkness, thanks to technological upgrades and locally developed equipment.