Trucker strike continues, #ElaheHosseinnejad—and more
The Iranist for the week of June 6, 2025
THE هفت/SEVEN THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK:
۱/1 Nationwide truck driver strike enters third week
According to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran, more than forty drivers and their supporters have been arrested in various cities since the strike began on May 22 (HRANA).
۲/2 IAEA reports bring drama, Tehran to reject US proposal
US PROPOSAL SENT TO IRAN On May 31, the Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi traveled to Tehran, where he handed over a US proposal (BBC). Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi relayed the news on X, adding that it “will be appropriately responded to in line with the principles, national interests and rights of the people of Iran.”
WHAT’S IN IT? Numerous outlets—Axios, CNN, New York Times, Wall Street Journal—are reporting that the US proposal would allow Iran to continue enriching uranium at a low level. At the same time, it introduces the idea of a regional consortium—including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and others—that would build enrichment facilities that are monitored by the IAEA. The location of the consortium remains unclear, though initial indications suggest it would not be on Iranian soil. Under the proposal, Iran would have to halt its own enrichment once it begins receiving benefits from the consortium, which would also supply nuclear fuel to other regional countries for civilian energy and research. Per the New York Times, “The wording of the new proposal, crafted by Steve Witkoff… is vaguely worded on many of the most important issues, suggesting that considerable negotiating lies ahead, Iranian and European officials said.”
In an apparent response to public criticism of allowing Iran to enrich, on June 2, Trump posted on Truth Social:
“The AUTOPEN should have stopped Iran a long time ago from ‘enriching.’ Under our potential agreement—WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!” (X)
It’s important to note that new talks have not been set since the fifth round held on May 23 in Rome, Italy.
HOW WILL IRAN REACT? An anonymous senior Iranian diplomat told Reuters that “Iran is drafting a negative response to the US proposal, which could be interpreted as a rejection of the US offer.”
On June 2, CNN reported that a senior Iranian official described the proposal “as incoherent and disjointed, very unrealistic, and with excessive demands.”
On June 4, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized the proposal during a speech marking the death anniversary of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (AP). In his speech, the supreme leader declared:
“Uranium enrichment is the key to our nuclear program and the enemies have focused on the enrichment. The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear program. Who are you to decide whether Iran should have enrichment?” (BBC)
Just hours after his comments, President Trump accused Tehran of “slow-walking their decision.” (Axios)
On the same day, Araghchi wrote on X:
“…Iran has paid dearly for these capabilities, and there is no scenario in which we will give up on the patriots who made our dream come true. To reiterate: No enrichment, no deal. No nuclear weapons, we have a deal.”
On June 4, journalist Laura Rozen said that two experts in contact with the Iranian negotiating team said Tehran may add in “a demand for a nuclear weapons free Middle East zone to its counter proposal to the US.” (X)
ARAB STATES OPPOSE A STRIKE Last month, during his visit to Tehran, the Saudi defense minister told Iranian officials to take the negotiations seriously to avoid the risk of an Israeli strike (Reuters). Three anonymous sources told Axios: “The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates all argued against a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities during President Trump's recent visit and encouraged him to continue pushing for a new nuclear deal.” Meanwhile, Israel conveyed a message of reassurance that it would not launch a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities unless the US president signaled that the talks had failed (Axios).
SANCTIONS CONTINUE On June 1, the Wall Street Journal reported on a White House directive announced by the press secretary to pause all new Iran sanctions. However, on June 6, the Treasury Department announced additional sanctions on ten individuals and 27 entities connected to the country’s national tanker company (Reuters).
TWO MAJOR IAEA REPORTS RELEASED On May 31, the same day the US proposal was handed to Tehran, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released two long-anticipated reports (AP). The first, a confidential assessment, reveals that as of May 17, Iran had increased its stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium to 408.6 kilograms (900.8 pounds)—a nearly 50 percent jump from 274.8 kg (294.9 pounds) reported in February. The IAEA noted with alarm that Iran was now “the only non-nuclear-weapon State to produce such nuclear material” and “is of serious concern.” (Wall Street Journal)
Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Tehran was only allowed to enrich at 3.67 percent. While US intelligence assesses that Iran has not decided to weaponize, the recent enrichment activities are enough for about ten nuclear weapons if further refined (AP).
The second report, requested by the agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors last November, details Iran’s secret nuclear activities with material not declared to the agency at three locations—Marivan, Turquzabad, and Varamin—which have long been under investigation (Reuters).
The IAEA report says:
The “lack of answers and clarifications provided by Iran… has led the agency to conclude that these three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear program carried out by Iran until the early 2000s and that some activities used undeclared nuclear material.” (AP)
However, the agency emphasized there are “no credible indications of ongoing, undeclared structured nuclear program.” (armscontrol.org)
On the same day, the Iranian foreign ministry rejected the report calling it “forged documents provided by [Israel]” and reiterated “previous biased and baseless accusations.” (Al Jazeera)
BOARD OF GOVERNORS DRAMA Britain, France, and Germany—the E3—plan to introduce a draft resolution at the upcoming IAEA Board of Governors meeting this week, declaring Iran in noncompliance with its nuclear safeguards obligations (Reuters). The US is expected to support the measure, which would mark the first time Tehran would be formally found in non-compliance in twenty years and could push the issue to United Nations Security Council for a response (Wall Street Journal). As the Wall Street Journal reports, the E3 “said this could be the next step in their threat to reimpose all the international sanctions lifted on Iran under the 2015 nuclear deal,” known as the snapback mechanism. Tehran has repeatedly warned that if snapback proceeds, it may withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and expel IAEA inspectors.
On June 1, Araghchi told the director general of the IAEA Rafael Grossi that “Iran will respond to any inappropriate action by the European parties,” and called on him to stop “parties from exploiting” the nuclear watchdog report “to advance their political objectives.” (Times of Israel)
On June 6, Araghchi threatened retaliation against the E3:
“..Instead of engaging in good faith, the E3 is opting for malign action against Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors. When the E3 engaged in the same foul conduct back in 2005, the outcome in many ways was the true birth of uranium enrichment in Iran. Has the E3 truly learned nothing in the past two decades? Falsely accusing Iran of violating safeguards—based on shoddy and politicized reporting—is clearly designed to produce a crisis. Mark my words as Europe ponders another major strategic mistake: Iran will react strongly against any violation of its rights. Blame lies solely and fully with irresponsible actors who stop at nothing to gain relevance.” (X)
۳/3 Travel ban on Iran is back
Here’s what the proclamation specifically says about Iran:
(i) Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism. Iran regularly fails to cooperate with the United States Government in identifying security risks, is the source of significant terrorism around the world, and has historically failed to accept back its removable nationals.
(ii) The entry into the United States of nationals of Iran as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby suspended. (White House)
Read some of the reactions of ordinary Iranians to the ban (AP).
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۴/4 Woman, Life, Freedom supporter found murdered
Twenty-four-year-old Elahe Hosseinnejad disappeared under suspicious circumstances, prompting widespread concern amongst Iranians. A suspect has since been arrested in connection with her murder. Since her disappearance on May 24, many Iranians have closely followed her story using the hashtag #ElaheHosseinnejad (الهه_حسین_نژاد#).
Over the past week, Iranian social media users inside Iran and in the diaspora have been actively discussing femicide, patriarchy, and misogyny—prompted by the murder of Hosseinnejad, outrage over an assault on the Iranian version of Love Island (Eshgheh Abadi) filmed in Turkey (X), and backlash against an Instagram influencer who voiced support for the gang rape of a Korean woman (X/X).
While some of the online commentary has been deeply troubling, it’s striking that Iranians inside the country are engaging so openly about these issues. The widespread pushback reflects real social progress amongst the youth despite living under a clerical establishment that practices gender apartheid.
۵/5 Foreign minister visits Lebanon, meets with new Hezbollah chief
۶/6 Rapper Tataloo returns to prison after suicide attempt
۷/7 Iran orders ballistic missile ingredients from China
OTHER اخبار/NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES:
Human Rights
۰ Two prisoners executed in Dastgerd prison in Isfahan (HRANA)
۰ Political prisoner hospitalized after refusing shackled transfer (IranWire)
۰ Prisoner continues hunger strike after hospital return (IranWire)
۰ Iran escalating persecution of Persian staff and relatives, BBC says (BBC News)
Domestic Issues
۰ Prosecutors ban dog walking in public spaces (IranWire)
۰ ‘No singles allowed’: The cost of living alone in Iran (IranWire)
Foreign Policy + Security
۰ Top court upholds death sentence for ‘Israeli spy’ who killed nuclear scientist (Ynet)
۰ Roger Cooper, British journalist jailed for five years in Iran whose sense of mischief kept him sane (Telegraph)
۰ Finland uncovers Iranian spy operations (Defense Post)
۰ Hackers pretend to be a modelling agency to try and steal user details (TechRadar)
۰ Needing dollars, Iran-backed militias turn to Visa and Mastercard (Wall Street Journal)
۰ Pilgrims chant ‘death to America’ and ‘death to Israel’ at hajj ceremony (Iran International)
۰ Pakistani man convicted of smuggling Iranian missile parts headed to Houthi rebels (New York Times)
۰ Iran says 13 ISIS affiliates arrested for planning suicide attacks (Al-Monitor)
Iran Deal + Sanctions
۰ Military briefing: How Iran is preparing for Israeli or US strikes (Financial Times)
۰ Putin is ready to help Trump on Iran nuclear negotiations, the Kremlin says (Reuters)
۰ Iran says it has seen no change in US position on sanctions yet (Reuters)
۰ Iran oil flows to China fall on sanctions, refinery maintenance (Bloomberg)