Tehran also increasingly cut back its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, as tensions increased over its nuclear program in recent years. The IAEA’s director-general has warned Iran could build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program.

US shifts Iran policy as Trump administration revives aggressive messaging toward Tehran, contrasting sharply with previous diplomatic approaches.

At least 29 Iranian protesters have reportedly been killed in unrest across the nation, putting its rulers under huge pressure after Trump threatened to intervene.

The Institute for the Study of War has recorded at least 369 protests in 28 of the country's 31 provinces since the unrest began.

The spreading unrest, sparked by economic protests by Tehran shopkeepers, adds to a list of pressures on the regime.

Since the supreme leader's remarks, Iran's judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, said authorities would "listen to protesters and critics who legitimately and rightly have concerns about their livelihood and social and economic welfare".

Iran's efforts to quell a wave of anti-government protests have been complicated by Donald Trump's threat to intervene on their side, a warning firmly underlined by the subsequent U.S. capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro,

Iran shifts from import subsidies to direct $7 monthly payments for citizens as the currency loses its value and protests intensify nationwide, according to reports.