IranWatch Daily: October 21, 2025

Brief Notes

State TV Broadcasts Home Addresses of Diaspora Commentators:  State broadcaster IRIB aired a report today revealing what they claimed to be the home addresses of Israel-based journalists working for the diaspora network Iran International, along with the Persian-language IDF spokesperson. Regime in Iran ‘Knows Protests Are Inevitable’: Three unnamed senior Islamic Republic officials told Reuters that Tehran believes the U.S., its Western allies, and Israel are trying to incite unrest and destabilize the regime. The government is holding emergency meetings to prevent collapse, but options are limited amid worsening inequality, corruption, and public anger. The rial has plunged to about 1.1 million per dollar, inflation exceeds 40%, and food prices have soared over 50%, eroding living standards and sparking fears of new protests. “The establishment knows protests are inevitable; it is only a matter of time...The problem is growing, while our options are shrinking," said one of the officials. Russian Envoy to Syria Visits Tehran: The Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, visited Tehran yesterday following security chief Ali Larijani’s visit to Moscow last week. Lavrentyev had separate meetings with Larijani and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during his trip. In Lavrentyev’s meeting with Araghchi, Tehran expressed appreciation for Moscow’s opposition to what it called European countries’ “misuse” of the snapback mechanism. State outlets today reported that in yesterday’s meeting with Larijani, Lavrentyev outlined the latest “regional developments” and “discussed aspects of regional cooperation.” No further details were disclosed.

Iraqi Delegation Visits Tehran: ‘No Country Can Limit Our Relationship’

In a meeting with Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji today, President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized “the strategic need to link the Iranian and Iraqi railway networks,” calling it “a key area of cooperation between the countries.” He added, “Whenever unity and cohesion prevail among Islamic nations, the conspiracies of the United States and the Zionist regime against the peoples of the region will fail.” Pezeshkian continued by saying that Tehran views “all people of Iraq…as brothers.” Al-Araji responded, saying that from the perspective of Iraq's prime minister and the authorities of Iraqi Kurdistan, the Iran–Iraq border should be among the safest in the region, and no threat should emanate from this area towards Iran. In a separate meeting, Majles (Parliament) Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told the Iraqi delegation that the implementation of the two nations’ August 11 border security agreement was of the utmost importance, adding that “the threat posed by the Zionist regime, supported by America, is more dangerous than before.” Al-Araji concluded the meeting by saying, “It is impossible for us to reduce ties with any country under external pressure, and we will not seek to downgrade relations with the Islamic Republic. Given the depth of our ties, no country can limit our relationship.” These meetings followed al-Araji’s meeting with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi yesterday, where he reaffirmed “the Iraqi government’s full commitment to the implementation of the bilateral border security agreement.” In another meeting today, IRGC Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Pakpour warned that any attack on the Islamic Republic would be met with a response even stronger than during the 12-Day War, saying Tehran “will raise hell” for its enemies. Speaking during a meeting with al-Araji, Pakpour claimed that despite U.S. and Israeli reliance on advanced missile defense systems like THAAD and Aegis, the Islamic Republic had “successfully” struck all its intended targets. He emphasized that the regime is now fully prepared to retaliate with even “greater force”.

On the Radar

• A six-year-old boy named Zolfaghar Sharafi was killed in southwest Iran’s Khuzestan Province after police opened fire on his family’s car and subsequently abandoned the wounded at the scene, according to local sources. Authorities claim to have arrested the officers involved, though their identities have not been released.
• Bolivia’s President-elect Rodrigo Paz is expected to end the country’s defense cooperation agreement with the Islamic Republic, which was signed in Tehran in July 2023 and included plans for military collaboration and equipment sales. Argentina’s Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said that members of Paz’s incoming administration had indicated their willingness to cancel the deal, saying it would bring “peace and tranquility” to Argentina, whose deadliest terrorist attack of all time, the 1994 AMIA bombing that killed 85 individuals, was perpetrated by the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah. Ending the agreement would mark a sharp break from outgoing Bolivian President Luis Arce’s foreign policy, which strengthened Bolivia’s ties with Tehran, Moscow, Beijing, and other authoritarian regimes.
• Over the weekend, Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing submitted a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council asserting the October 18 expiration of UNSCR 2231. The letter says, “The attempt by the E3 to trigger the so-called ‘snapback’ is by default legally and procedurally flawed,” adding that, “in accordance with operative paragraph 8 of Resolution 2231, all its provisions are terminated after Oct. 18, 2025… the full and timely conclusion of Resolution 2231 marks the end of the Security Council’s consideration of the Iranian nuclear issue and contributes to strengthening the authority of the Council and the credibility of multilateral diplomacy.”
• Tajik Health Minister Jamoliddin Abdullozoda and the Islamic Republic Ambassador to Tajikistan, Alireza Haghighian, met in Dushanbe to discuss expanding cooperation in medicine, healthcare, and social protection, in accordance with the agreement signed between the two nations’ health ministries in 2008. Abdullozoda said, “In the first nine months of 2025 alone, 61 doctors were sent to Iran for short-term courses, five specialists for fellowship programs, and one doctor for residency. Over the past three years, 242 Tajik doctors have completed training at leading Iranian medical institutions, and another 60 are preparing for internships.” The two sides also discussed joint pharmaceutical development, medical equipment supply, and the processing of medicinal plants.