On Friday, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on approximately 35 individuals engaged in money laundering activities for Iran, coinciding with ongoing efforts by the administration to negotiate a deal with Iran regarding its nuclear weapons program.

According to a statement from a State Department spokesperson, “This network has facilitated the laundering of billions of dollars via Iranian exchange houses and foreign front companies, supporting Tehran’s terror campaigns that threaten international peace and security while enriching regime elites.”

At the same time, tensions with Iran persist, with the Associated Press indicating that Western nations are contemplating a resolution at the IAEA to officially declare that Tehran is not in compliance with its nuclear commitments.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the move a “strategic mistake” and accused the U.K., France, and Germany of choosing “malign action” over diplomacy. “Mark my words as Europe ponders another major strategic mistake: Iran will react strongly against any violation of its rights,” he wrote on X.

She described a system where state censors dictate what reporters can and cannot say—down to the vocabulary. “It’s not just the content—it’s the individual words. And that makes journalism almost impossible.”

In the interviews with Fox News Digital, Iranians expressed deep skepticism that Khamenei would abide by any agreement. “He lies,” the journalist said bluntly. “What he says publicly is never what he actually does. He manipulates both the public and foreign governments. No one should trust a dictator like him.”

The man echoed the sentiment. “The regime’s survival depends on its hostility toward the U.S. and Israel. If it truly committed to a deal, it would undermine its own ideological foundation. That’s why no one believes it can last.”

Recent months have seen a resurgence of protest activity in Iran, including a growing nationwide strike by truck drivers demanding fair wages and lower fuel prices. Though largely ignored by international media, these strikes follow years of widespread protests—most notably the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising sparked 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. The pattern has left Iranians wary that any sign of instability is met with brutal suppression.

An Iranian student pointed to the truckers’ strikes currently roiling parts of Iran as a sign of grassroots unrest. “These strikes are a direct message from the people,” he said. “They’ve been largely ignored by the media, but they are powerful and legitimate. This is how change begins—if it’s allowed to.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.