The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on approximately 35 individuals on Friday, accusing them of laundering money for Iran. This action coincides with the U.S. administration’s efforts to negotiate a deal with Iran concerning its nuclear weapons program.

According to a State Department spokesperson, this network allegedly laundered billions of dollars through Iranian exchange houses and foreign shell corporations. The purpose was to support Tehran’s terrorist activities, which undermine global peace and security, and enrich regime officials.

Concurrently, tensions remain high with Iran. Reports indicate that Western powers are considering a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to formally declare Iran in violation of its nuclear commitments.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denounced this move as a “strategic mistake,” accusing the U.K., France, and Germany of opting for “malign action” instead of diplomacy. He warned that Iran would respond forcefully to any infringement of its rights.

The draft resolution, anticipated to be presented the following week, would represent the first instance in two decades of Western nations initiating such a motion against Iran at the IAEA.

As U.S. and Iranian negotiators engage in sensitive discussions, perspectives from within Iran reveal a difficult situation: While many citizens desperately seek relief from severe economic hardship, they worry that any agreement might only consolidate the Islamic Republic’s power.

A female journalist in Tehran, speaking anonymously due to safety concerns, stated that people in Iran currently lack hope. She described a collapsing economy with unreliable access to electricity and water, a declining rial value, and increasingly unbearable living conditions.

Like many Iranians, she believes that an agreement could temporarily alleviate inflation and stabilize the country’s economy. However, she and others fear the potential negative consequences. She expressed concern that a deal could empower the regime and increase its suppression of the people.

Under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran has experienced growing domestic unrest fueled by economic hardship, political repression, and widespread distrust. As negotiations continue, Iranian citizens are closely monitoring the situation, albeit without optimism.

Another Tehran resident, who also requested anonymity, described Iranians as being caught in a dilemma. They desire the regime’s downfall but are also burdened by severe economic hardship, making any deal offering relief seem like a lifeline. However, they believe that even if a deal is reached, ordinary people will not benefit, citing the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as an example.

He pointed out that the JCPOA, the Obama-era nuclear agreement, promised economic benefits but, according to many Iranians, failed to bring meaningful change for the public. He claimed that only those connected to the regime profited, while life remained the same for the rest.

While Iranian leaders assert that the nuclear program is peaceful, the U.S. and its allies remain concerned about uranium enrichment levels approaching weapons-grade levels. Former President Trump demanded a complete halt to enrichment, while Khamenei insists on continuing it.

The female journalist in Tehran described working under extreme censorship, where reporters are restricted from mentioning U.S. or Israeli military capabilities and cannot publish anything about the talks without approval.

She detailed a system in which state censors control what reporters can and cannot say, even dictating the vocabulary used, making journalism nearly impossible.

In interviews, Iranians expressed deep skepticism about Khamenei’s willingness to abide by any agreement, with the journalist stating that he lies and manipulates both the public and foreign governments, and that no one should trust a dictator like him.

The male resident echoed this sentiment, asserting that the regime’s survival depends on its animosity towards the U.S. and Israel, and that a genuine commitment to a deal would undermine its ideological foundation, which is why no one believes it can last.

Recent months have seen a resurgence of protest activity in Iran, including a growing nationwide movement demanding fair wages and lower fuel prices. These strikes, largely ignored by international media, follow years of widespread protests, most notably the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody.

That movement, along with economic demonstrations in 2019 and 2021, was met with violent crackdowns, mass arrests, and internet blackouts, leaving Iranians wary that any sign of instability is met with brutal suppression.

An Iranian student highlighted the ongoing truckers’ strikes in parts of Iran as a sign of grassroots unrest, describing them as a direct message from the people that has been largely ignored by the media but is powerful and legitimate, and that this is how change begins if it is allowed to.