State TV blocks foreign minister’s war interview, sparking uproar

"Days without water in the scorching heat of July. There's no access to water for drinking, bathing, washing or cooling homes," the US State Department said in a post on its Persian X account, referring to the ongoing water crisis in Iran.

"The people of Iran continue to suffer the real consequences of the regime's greed, corruption, and mismanagement of water resources," the State Department said in the post accompanied by an image captioned, "Iranian people deserve better than this."

Officials in Tehran blame drought and public overuse for Iran’s worst water shortage in living memory.

Despite a UN “red warning” 25 years ago, Iran expanded hydropower rather than wastewater treatment. 80% of untreated wastewater is dumped into rivers, deserts and underground wells, contaminating key water sources.

Amid an unprecedented heatwave in Iran, many natural and engineered water reservoirs across the country particularly in Tehran, Alborz and Fars provinces are nearly depleted.

In the capital Tehran, officials have attempted to curb consumption through emergency measures, including repeated water and electricity outages and temporary office closures on certain days.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has built over 60 dams in recent decades. More than half are now empty, with hydropower generation operating at just one-third of its nominal capacity.

“The nuclear issue, uranium enrichment, and human rights are just excuses,” Khamenei said during a ceremony marking the 40th day after the deaths of Iranian military commanders and scientists killed during a recent 12-day conflict with Israel.

“Their real problem is Iran’s religion, knowledge, and national unity under the banner of Islam and the Quran.”

US President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed surprise at Tehran’s continued insistence on uranium enrichment despite last month’s American airstrikes on its nuclear facilities, vowing renewed strikes if Iran restarts nuclear work.

Speaking at the Imam Khomeini Hosseiniyeh at his residence in Tehran on Tuesday, Khamenei addressed families of the deceased and government officials.

“The world has now seen the full capability of the Islamic Republic up close,” he said. “These events are not new for us. For 46 years, we have resisted coups, wars, political unrest, and all types of plots.”

Khamenei added that Iran would not abandon its twin foundations of “religion and knowledge” despite mounting international pressure.

“With God’s help, we will continue to take great strides in strengthening our faith and deepening our scientific achievements,” he said. “To the dismay of our enemies, we will elevate Iran to the height of progress and pride.”

Iran’s nuclear program has long been a flashpoint in its relations with the West, with the US and European powers accusing Tehran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies the accusation, saying its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes.

In a wide-ranging interview with the reformist outlet Didar News, Gholam Ali Jafarzadeh Imanabadi said Iran’s security establishment had failed in its most basic duty—protecting lives—despite massive budgets and broad powers.

“Where were our intelligence agencies with all their hefty budgets? How did they fail to detect the spies?” he asked. “Commanders and nuclear scientists were murdered in their own bedrooms. The intelligence community must be held accountable.”

A war veteran and former MP for Rasht, Imanabadi has long used a wheelchair since being wounded in the Iran–Iraq war. Though no longer in office, he remains known for his blunt political style and ties to moderate factions.

Imanabadi, who was barred for seeking re-election by hardliner-dominated establishment, mused that security forces were totally penetrated by Israel's spy agency.

"A group of Mossad spies are looking for Mossad spies among Mossad spies."

Intel collapse, state silence

Imanabadi singled out the Intelligence Ministry and the intelligence apparatus of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), criticizing both for failing to anticipate the Israeli attack despite weeks of tension.

“I felt insulted when the head of IRGC Intelligence and four of his deputies were killed,” he said. “I expected resignations or dismissals after these disasters.”

He went on to mock the government’s surveillance priorities.

“We are lost. We have no idea where we’re headed,” he said. “The intelligence forces were busy arresting dog walkers and those without hijab. If they’re incompetent, they should step down.”

Despite mounting internal and external threats, Iran continues to dedicate substantial resources to controlling the private behavior and public expression of its citizens.

Weak president, muted parliament

While the interview marked his harshest critique of Iran’s intelligence failures, Imanabadi also attacked the broader ruling system.

“Up to the night before the war, top officials—including Pezeshkian and military commanders—insisted there would be no war. They owe the public an explanation but refuse to speak,” he said.

“(Pezeshkian) has had absolutely no achievements in his first year in office. He lacks both the will and a plan to implement any change.”

Turning to the legislature, he asked: “Why hasn’t the Majles impeached the minister of intelligence? We no longer have a functioning parliament in Iran.”

‘Change course’

Israel’s unrelenting strikes on Iran not only exposed deep cracks in the state’s command and control structures but also disrupted the official narrative. More voices can now be heard challenging an embattled establishment.

A fundamental shift in tone is required to make up for past mistakes, Imanabadi suggested.

“Enemies are bad. Critics are good. During the 12-day war, it was the people—including critics and opposition figures—who passed the test. Only the officials failed.”

He cited the renewed prison sentence of veteran activist Mostafa Tajzadeh as a sign that the government was “slapping charges” on its critics instead of thanking them.

“They proved that people cannot rely on them,” he said.

Although the interview was scheduled to air on Iran's state TV, the broadcaster’s decision to withhold it has raised eyebrows among moderate and pro-government news outlets.

“A bomb was planted in a house across from ours, but it was discovered before it exploded," Araghchi said in the interview which is the latest episode of an online program titled The War Story.

He also said that during his overland trips, several drones were detected flying overhead. While Araghchi himself did not notice the drones, he said his security team identified them using specialized equipment and, on several occasions, had to turn off their mobile phones for security reasons.

On June 21, Araghchi visited Istanbul to attend the meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). His trip to Turkey came after his visit to Geneva, Switzerland, where he met European powers in the middle of the Israel war.

ZDF reported at the time that Araghchi had informed Israeli officials that he would be flying to Geneva, as Israel controlled the Iranian airspace during the 12-day war that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on June 23.

“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” US President Donald Trump announced in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Araghchi confirmed at the time that Iran would halt military operations starting at 4:00 am Tehran time on June 24.

Ceasefire violation caused by 'misunderstanding'

In his recent interview, Araghchi revealed a misunderstanding between him and Iran's military forces, which led to continued Iranian strikes past the intended ceasefire time.

“There was a misunderstanding between me and the armed forces. Our friends had thought the ceasefire was in effect from 4 am GMT, so they continued attacks against the (Israeli) regime until 7:30 am Tehran time,” Araghchi said.

He said another misunderstanding occurred on the afternoon of June 24.

On the first afternoon of the ceasefire, Araghchi said, “the (Israeli) regime claimed Iran had launched missiles and violated the agreement, and they sent their jets to carry out attacks."

"I immediately messaged (Trump's envoy Steve) Witkoff and said Israel was making excuses, accusing Iran of violations that never happened. I warned that if they take action, we will respond immediately and more forcefully than before. Iran is not Lebanon — they can’t repeat what they did there.”

He said Trump then said in a social media post that he had ordered Israeli pilots to turn back, effectively halting the operation.

“This showed, once again, that everything had been coordinated with the Americans from the very beginning," Araghchi said.

The 12-day war was started by Israel and capped off by US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The United States had signaled it would join only if the campaign was going well, The Washington Post reported on Saturday citing Israeli and American officials involved in the operation.

Israel was preparing a final wave of attacks aimed at toppling Iran’s ruling system when Trump announced the ceasefire, the Post reported citing the officials.

Israel's surprise campaign of airstrikes and drone attacks killed hundreds of Iranians including civilians, military personnel and nuclear scientists. Iran's retaliatory missile strikes killed 27 Israeli civilians.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf backed the decision, citing security issues as the main reason. “The matter of mobile phone use by lawmakers has been discussed by the parliamentary presidium. Regardless of security concerns, we are in the chamber to legislate, and mobile phone use is inappropriate,” Ghalibaf said during Sunday’s open session.

He added, “Even if the security issues are resolved, the presidium still opposes the use of mobile phones inside the chamber. Our dear people should know that when MPs are present in the chamber or in committees, they cannot use mobile phones.”

The restriction comes amid growing fears in Tehran over Israeli intelligence operations. In recent weeks, Iranian media and officials have warned of unprecedented Israeli surveillance capabilities.

A report by The Sunday Times saidon Saturday that Israeli intelligence had deeply infiltrated Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure through complex operations over the past year.

Earlier this month, Abdollah Shahbazi, a former senior intelligence official and director of a state-affiliated research institute, warned on social media that Iranian officials should avoid carrying electronic devices for fear of being targeted. “It has now become clear that, in addition to drones and missiles, a highly active Mossad network is operating on the ground inside Iran,” Shahbazi wrote.

The ban has sparked criticism from some parliamentarians, who argue it hinders their ability to communicate with constituents.

Hamidreza Goudarzi, a lawmaker from Aligoudarz, said during Sunday’s session: “Not having our phones with us has become a problem. People expect us to be available and responsive, and this ban makes that difficult. I ask the presidium to step in and resolve this issue.”

Ghalibaf, however, said that the decision was made in consultation with security agencies. “Our colleagues in the security apparatus have specific views about mobile phone use after entering the chamber. We are following up with the presidium to make decisions accordingly,” he said.

The restriction appears to be part of broader efforts by Iranian authorities to tighten control over sensitive communications.

While the move has faced resistance from lawmakers concerned about accessibility, Ghalibaf said that constituents could still contact their MPs through office staff.“Citizens should understand that their representatives cannot speak on mobile phones while in the chamber, but their office teams can respond on their behalf,” he said.