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As the fifth round of nuclear talks continues in Rome, the Iranian regime is under intensifying pressure both from abroad and within. In the span of just days, the regime has faced new U.S. sanctions, harsh internal criticism, and growing unrest across the country.
On May 23, the regime’s Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Esmail Baqai condemned a new wave of U.S. sanctions targeting the regime’s construction sector, calling them “malicious, illegal, and inhumane.” The move, enacted by the U.S. under provisions aimed at countering weapons proliferation, expands sanctions on sectors linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). “This raises serious doubts about America’s seriousness toward diplomacy,” Baqai said defensively.
On May 21, the regime’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced European threats to trigger the JCPOA’s snapback mechanism as “completely illogical.” Blaming the U.S. exit from the nuclear deal and Europe’s failure to compensate economically, Araghchi said: “We reduced our commitments only after they failed to support Iran’s economy. This threat has no legal or political basis. If Europe takes this step, it must accept the consequences.”
Khamenei's Hardline Stance on Nuclear Program Exposes Deepening Instability in #Iran’s Regimehttps://t.co/WemgYWvQiy
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 20, 2025
The U.S. State Department, in a May 21 statement, confirmed the measures, stating that they are designed to prevent Tehran from accessing strategic materials tied to its missile and nuclear programs. The department reiterated that maximum pressure would continue until the regime’s nuclear ambitions, missile development, and terror sponsorship are curtailed.
Internally, the regime is facing mounting dissent. Former top security official Ali Shamkhani came under fire from regime officials for suggesting Tehran could abandon high-level uranium enrichment if sanctions were lifted. MP Ali-Asghar Nakhai-Rad blasted him, saying: “Raisi removed you for a reason… Trump welcomed your remarks—what authority do you have to speak for Iran?”
Shamkhani’s interview also drew a pointed response from ex-parliamentarian Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, who wrote: “The same man who excited Trump once filed a complaint against me for advocating détente with the U.S. Those who profited from sanctions must be held accountable.”
Internal Strife and Conflicting Signals Paralyze #Tehran’s Nuclear Policyhttps://t.co/K2GbNTCacU
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 19, 2025
The regime’s clerical base rallied in opposition to any diplomatic flexibility. In Friday sermons, Supreme Leader Khamenei’s representatives across Iran issued fiery denunciations of the U.S. and reiterated uranium enrichment as a “red line.” In Savojbolagh, Ruhollah Mokhtari called enrichment “a symbol of national pride.” In Arak, Ghorban-Ali Dori-Najafabadi declared, “We will never succumb to threats or bribes. Uranium enrichment has become a revolutionary culture.”
Simultaneously, public frustration is boiling over amid economic hardship. Bakers have launched protests over subsidy cuts, rising insurance costs, and prolonged power outages. MP Mohsen Zanganeh warned that “inaction and mismanagement” are pushing a once-respected profession “to the edge.” Energy officials admitted to impending 24-hour blackouts in some regions this summer, exacerbating an already dire economic crisis.
Mohammad-Javad Larijani—senior advisor to #Khamenei—has just revealed more than intended. He said Iran is ready to share the peaceful parts of its nuclear program. That’s not transparency—it’s admission. If there are “peaceful parts,” what are the others?
The regime has never… pic.twitter.com/Dmof7XRnAV— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 20, 2025
The state-run Etemad newspaper warned that power outages and inflation are fueling social unrest. “Public trust is eroding. Under this pressure, widespread dissatisfaction could escalate into larger instability,” it reported.
The newspaper Jahan Sanat also wrote with deep concern: “Power outages in industrial towns have led to widespread dissatisfaction among workers, and in some industrial towns, the scent of violent protests can be smelled… In the days ahead, perhaps tolerance and inviting citizens to cooperate with the government will become a rusted tool that serves no purpose and does not reduce societal tension. Every day that passes like this, the cancer of power outages brings the killing of Iranian society closer.”
As nuclear talks proceed, Tehran is increasingly cornered—facing renewed Western resolve, deep internal divisions, and a public rapidly losing patience with crisis as the status quo. In response, the regime intensifies its hostile rhetoric against the West, using it as a shield to deflect attention from the deepening economic collapse, widespread social unrest, and eroding legitimacy it faces at home.