Iran is a ‘peace-seeking nation,’ the intelligence minister said, warning of a strong response to any hostile act from the US or Israel as threats against its nuclear facilities increased under the new Trump administration.
“The Iranian nation is peace-seeking and has no enmity with any country,” Esmail Khatib said during a ceremony Saturday marking the 40th anniversary of the Intelligence Ministry’s establishment.
“However, in the face of adventurism, malicious actions, and unwarranted interference—particularly from the US and the Zionist regime—we will adhere to the strategy of threat for threat and aggression for aggression.”
While US President Donald Trump has said he prefers diplomatic channels to deal with Iran, he has not ruled out military action against its nuclear facilities, having vowed that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, and other security and military officials attended the ceremony.
Khatib was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for his role in cyber operations and human rights abuses, designating both him and the ministry in 2022 saying they were involved in cyber activities against the US and its allies.
Iran’s intelligence services, particularly the Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence arm, have played a central role in suppressing dissent in recent years, detaining protesters and opposition figures in its own detention facilities.
A video showcasing the interactive installation at Tajrish station established by the Tehran municipality and run by the Daughters of the Revolution group aired on state television Tuesday.
The group, known for promoting an Islamic lifestyle and championing the Islamic veil is headed by Bahareh Jangravi, who said the project was a means of spreading the importance of wearing the hijab, in the wake of a national mass rebellion against the Islamic Republic's mandatory dress code.
The video shows women whose attire violates hijab rules weeping in the room. They are then offered headscarves by metro officials and encouraged to comply with the theocracy's strict regulations.
Concerns have also been raised on social media platforms about the authenticity of the video, with some suggesting that the women depicted either paid actors or women acting under duress.
Jangravi explained that her group's name, "Daughters of the Revolution," was chosen in response to the "Girls of Enghelab (Revolution) Street" movement, a wave of symbolic protests against mandatory hijab inspired by activist Vida Movahed's 2017 public act of defiance.
The interactive installation also features images of slain Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and other figures revered by the Islamic Republic.
They include the slain commander of the IRGC foreign operations arm Qassem Soleimani and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The two figures revered by Iran's military-clerical establishment were killed by the United States and Israel, respectively.
The exhibit is a scaled model of the shrine of Imam Husayn ibn Ali, the third Shia Muslim Imam. Through VR goggles, visitors can explore a lifelike virtual rendering of the actual shrine and its surroundings in Karbala, Iraq.
The initiative has drawn widespread criticism, with many viewing the room as an inappropriate use of public space to enforce the government's ideological agenda.
Critics question the municipality's involvement, arguing it oversteps its mandate and diverts resources from pressing urban issues.
Similar controversies have surrounded previous actions by the municipality, such as the deployment of "hijab guards" in metro stations and the burial of "unknown martyrs" at universities and recreational sites, along with the construction of mosques in parks.
The controversy highlights the ongoing struggle over hijab enforcement in Iran since the nationwide Woman Life Freedom protest movement following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police in September 2022.
A large number of women in Tehran and other major cities continue to defy the mandatory hijab, a trend that began with the 2022 protests.
The widespread non-compliance has strained police enforcement efforts, prompting the government to explore alternative methods, including a controversial new bill that emphasizes fines, deprivation of public services and the so-called cultural initiatives over direct confrontation.
