Iran continued rejecting negotiations under pressure, with Foreign Minister Araghchi tweeting in English that "bullying" won't lead to talks, reinforcing Khamenei's rejection of Trump's letter from previous days. Trump reciprocated by cutting funding to Iranian opposition groups and dismissing concerns about Iran-Russia-China naval exercises.
The severe water crisis dominated domestic news, with 57% of dam capacity now empty, rainfall below normal in 28 provinces, and Lar Dam completely dry. Motorcyclists were photographed riding on dried dam beds, while water rationing began in some regions.
Parliament advanced legislation recognizing freedom of assembly, while debates continued over lifting social media filtering. Khabar Online reported "hardliners' barriers" against removing Telegram and YouTube filtering, with one MP characterizing the government's approach as "giving in to opponents." These developments occurred against a backdrop of potential Iran-EU3 negotiations scheduled for late March.