Iran economic sanctions leading to extremist regime elements gaining power, dissident says – report

US sanctions against Iran risk empowering extremist elements within the regime, according to a KAN News report citing an Iranian political dissident. While the public faces severe economic pressure, leadership remains largely unaffected. Israeli authorities note increasing economic damage across all sectors, causing internal rifts among Iran's leadership. President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed concern, but the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has adopted a more aggressive stance, preparing to suppress economic protests.

• US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, "the pressure is working," and vowed to "cut off every economic lifeline sustaining this regime."
• Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf acknowledged, "if the people are hungry and we lack cash flow, economic growth, and domestic production - we will not be able to hold out."
• Iran and Oman are continuing consultations to resume navigation and manage vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran seeking to distance these talks from direct US negotiations.
• Economist Shlomo Maoz predicts that full implementation of US and Western sanctions could lead to Iran's collapse within six to nine months, potentially escalating into a global economic war that would severely impact countries like Turkey.