Iran president thanks Pope Leo for stance on Iran war

Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said resolving the Strait of Hormuz crisis depended on ending military action against Iran and lifting what Tehran calls a maritime blockade.

Speaking at a special meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council, Iravani said the current situation in the strait and its global economic consequences were “solely and exclusively the responsibility of those who started the war against Iran and their regional allies.”

He said the Islamic Republic remained committed to “constructive engagement” and efforts to restore stability, energy security and normal conditions in the Strait of Hormuz, “provided that aggression and military escalation stop and the maritime blockade is lifted.”

US President Donald Trump is expected to decide within the next 24 hours on possible military action against the Islamic Republic, Israel’s Channel 12 reported, citing Israeli assessments.

A senior Israeli official told the broadcaster that Israel was preparing for a renewed conflict that could last from several days to several weeks.

“The resumption of the war is near, and we are preparing for several days to several weeks of fighting,” the official said.

Medicine shortages and price increases in Iran have left many patients struggling to obtain basic drugs, state news agency IRNA reported, citing field checks at production and supply centers.

IRNA said shortages had reached medicines including Cldinium-C, some antibiotics, Asentra and estradiol valerate, while health officials continued to reject claims of a broader shortage in the drug market.

The report said three sheets of estradiol valerate 2 mg, used in some fertility treatments and other conditions, cost about 840,000 rials, around $0.47, with insurance and pharmacy fees, but were being sold unofficially at 5 million to 17 million rials, about $2.80 to $9.40, because of shortages.

A patient undergoing IVF treatment in Tehran told IRNA she had spent more than seven hours searching pharmacies across the city and found only three sheets of the drug.

“They promote childbearing, but simple IVF medicines are in short supply,” she said.

IRNA said medicine production and pricing were affected by foreign exchange rates, sanctions, imports of raw materials, energy costs, liquidity shortages and insurance funding gaps.

The report also said some drug prices had risen before insurance systems were updated, forcing patients to pay more out of pocket. A senior health insurance official said some recent price increases had not been reported to insurers in advance, creating problems for patients.

Iranian labor activist Ali Nejati said protest was “the only path left” for Social Security retirees as pensions and wages fall further behind rising living costs, the welfare website Qalamro Refah reported.

Nejati, a retired Haft Tappeh Sugarcane worker, said not only retirees but also workers, teachers and employees were facing severe pressure under Iran’s current economic conditions.

He described prices, medical costs and housing expenses as “disastrous,” saying wages had been overwhelmed by inflation.

Nejati said the minimum monthly wage for workers covered by Iran’s labor law, around 166 million rials, about $92, rising to about 230 million rials, about $128, with benefits, remained “below the poverty line.”

He said Social Security retirees had protested in recent years but officials “do not hear the voices of workers and retirees.”

Nejati said the Social Security fund was facing shortages because companies had shut down, contributions had fallen and the government had not paid its debts to the fund.

“The only path left for retirees is protest,” he said.

He added that officials were telling retirees not to protest because the country was in wartime and crisis conditions, but warned that if talks with Social Security officials produced no result, retirees would again take their demands to the streets “as they did in previous years.”

An Iraqi national accused of involvement in multiple attacks and attempted attacks against US interests in Europe and the United States has been arrested and brought to the United States to face six terrorism-related charges, according to the US Justice Department.

Prosecutors said Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi was a senior member of Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia, and accused him of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

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US Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York said Al-Saadi was accused of coordinating or supporting nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and the United States, “including his efforts to kill on US soil.”

The US government and independent experts say Kata’ib Hezbollah operates at the direction of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

US officials said Al-Saadi was taken into American custody overseas and transported to the United States, where he appeared before a magistrate judge and was ordered detained pending trial. ABC News reported he was detained in Turkey and handed over to US authorities.

Prosecutors allege Al-Saadi directed and encouraged attacks on US and Israeli targets, including efforts to kill Americans and Jewish civilians, as part of a broader campaign tied to Iranian-backed militant groups.

Court documents cited by officials describe attacks linked to Al-Saadi and his associates that included bombings, arson and assaults targeting American interests abroad. Officials also allege he discussed possible attacks inside the United States, including potential targets in New York, California and Arizona.