The Iranian cleric tightening Khamenei’s grip at home

In Iran on 27 August 2026, the Financial Times described a cleric who runs Iran's domestic militia and is tightening Khamenei's grip at home. Iran called US sanctions 'economic terrorism' and said they will achieve nothing. CNN wrote that Iran said it would 'retaliate like an earthquake' in response to Trump's economic 'D-Day', and Iran threatened US economic interests if the maritime blockade continues.

The National reported hardliners accuse Ghalibaf of going soft as a clash over the next move widens. Tehran denied a plot to kill Barron Trump. The White House was silent on an Iran-Oman Hormuz plan that Tehran says would ban US warships. Qatar's prime minister discussed de-escalation with Iran's foreign minister, and the Washington Post reported Putin sees the US as weakened by the Iran war.