The Intensifying Brain Drain Crisis in Iran: A Look at Academic, Economic, and Healthcare Challenges
Amid growing concerns over the intensifying brain drain crisis in Iran, and as statistics point to the departure or desire to leave among a large portion of the country’s skilled workforce, Hossein Simayee Sarraf, the Iranian regime’s Minister of Science, has admitted that in recent years, “25% of university professors” have emigrated.
On Friday, November 22, Sarraf described this figure as “worrying” and a factor contributing to the “decline of universities and academic performance of students.” He added that if this trend continues, “their replacements may be of a weaker caliber.”
This regime official also highlighted various factors contributing to migration from Iran—including “job-related, economic, and socio-political” reasons—and identified economic problems as the primary driver behind the emigration of professors. He added, “Some of them don’t even plan to return.” Referring to the income levels of university professors in “our neighboring countries across the water,” he stated that “the salary of our full professors with 50 pay grades barely reaches $1,000.”
This comes in the aftermath of the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police and the nationwide protests of 2022, which led to increased pressure from Iranian authorities on students—who were at the forefront of the protests—as well as professors who supported them. A significant number of these professors were suspended, dismissed, or forced into early retirement.
Additionally, other professors were removed from teaching positions after Ebrahim Raisi assumed presidency, due to their lack of alignment with the university presidents appointed under his administration.
While it was previously claimed that Massoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran’s regime, had called for a review of the situation of dismissed professors, Kayhan newspaper—one of the most hardline publications in Iran and effectively a mouthpiece for the Supreme Leader and the regime’s core establishment—quickly attacked this idea, describing Pezeshkian’s remarks as “promoting lawlessness.”
Mahmoud Najafi Arab, the head of Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce, recently warned that in the past two to three years, more than 2,000 “startup visas” have been issued to young Iranians. Startup visas are granted to individuals with entrepreneurial ideas who intend to establish their businesses abroad.
Iranian economic experts warn that the emigration of entrepreneurs reduces economic growth and job creation while weakening Iran’s innovation and technology industries.
The accelerating trend of Iranian emigration in recent years has also repeatedly made headlines in the healthcare sector, fueling concerns over the collapse of the country’s healthcare system.
Recently, the head of Iran’s Nursing Organization stated that according to statistics from the Ministry of Health, “around 1,500 nurses left the profession last year.” However, these figures only account for nurses in the public sector and do not include private-sector nurses or graduates in this field who have not entered the workforce.
The state-run Ham Mihan newspaper reported in June 2024, quoting Iraj Khosronia, the head of the Scientific Society of Internal Medicine Specialists, about a shortage of specialized doctors nationwide.
Khosronia told the newspaper, “There is only one gynecologist for every 7,000 women in the country.”
Abolhassan Mostafavi, a member of the regime’s Majlis’ (parliament) Education and Research Committee, also recently reported a shortage of “12,000 doctors.”
Mostafavi stated, “Due to the shortage of doctors, many of our clinics in smaller towns have closed after 40 years.”
Official statistics indicate that over the past two decades, more than 6 million Iranians have emigrated.
The government-affiliated Rokna news agency, citing these figures, reported that around 40% of Iranian migrants hold higher education degrees, and the emigration of educated women has seen a “significant increase.”
Iran’s Regime Says It Will Increase Uranium Enrichment
The Iranian regime announced that it has immediately begun implementing measures in response to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors’ resolution and has informed the agency of its actions. Meanwhile, an advisor to the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has indicated Tehran’s readiness for a new agreement with the Trump administration.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, stated on Friday evening, November 22, on Iranian state television that 60% uranium enrichment has not been halted and that “since last night, we have been instructed to increase the pace as well.”
He added: “We have the capacity to significantly increase enrichment levels.”
On Thursday evening, the IAEA Board of Governors condemned the expansion of Iran’s nuclear activities and issued a rebuke resolution against Iran for the second time in six months.
Several other regime officials also spoke on Friday of “reciprocal actions” against the IAEA and issued various threats.
For example, Ebrahim Azizi, head of the regime’s Majlis’ (Parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, threatened that “if the case is to return to the same futile cycle,” Iran would withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
He was referring to a law passed in 2020 titled “Strategic Action to Lift Sanctions,” which was strongly criticized by then-regime’s President Hassan Rouhani.
Meanwhile, Mohsen Naziri Asl, Iran’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, stated on Friday that the Iranian regime “is ready for positive engagement to achieve a sustainable solution through dialogue and constructive cooperation.”
According to the state-run IRNA news agency, he accused the European countries party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) of having “chosen the path of confrontation,” while claiming that Iran “has exercised restraint over the past two months and avoided any actions that might complicate efforts to revive the JCPOA.”
Previously, Abbas Araghchi, the regime’s foreign minister, had described the final year remaining before the expiration of Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA as a “critical year” and warned of the possibility of the snapback mechanism being activated during this time.
Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, an advisor to Khamenei, called on the “new U.S. officials” to provide the “necessary concessions” to achieve a new agreement.
On Friday evening, he wrote on X that the new U.S. officials must “accept Iran’s conditions and agree to the necessary concessions, including compensating Iran for damages and similar issues.”
Eight years ago, at the start of Donald Trump’s first term as the U.S. president, Khamenei had responded to Trump’s remarks about “tearing up the JCPOA” by saying: “If you tear up the JCPOA, we will set it on fire!”
Now, however, Ali Larijani, who recently traveled to Lebanon and Syria to deliver Ali Khamenei’s messages to the leaders of these two countries, stated that with Iran enriching uranium to 60% purity, the U.S. has two options: returning to the JCPOA along with “compensating for the economic damages caused by its unilateral withdrawal from the agreement,” or negotiating for a new deal “based on Iran’s and the region’s new position.”
Larijani concluded that applying pressure and issuing new resolutions at the IAEA Board of Governors “will lead nowhere,” and the only option for the West is “accepting Iran’s new position” and returning to the negotiating table to revive the JCPOA or reach a new agreement.
The publication of Larijani’s remarks on Khamenei’s official website, especially given his recent mission as Khamenei’s special envoy, could be interpreted as the supreme leader’s approval of this stance, particularly Iran’s “readiness for renewed negotiations with Washington.”
Following the recent IAEA Board resolution against Tehran, the regime swiftly announced the activation of another set of new centrifuges. This move could pave the way for Iran to be referred to the United Nations Security Council and the activation of snapback sanctions, especially with little time left before the JCPOA’s expiration date.
Iran: 133 Executions in One Month
The Human Rights Activists News Agency, in a detailed report, announced that within just one month (from October 22 to November 21), at least 133 executions were carried out in Iran, including one public execution, 24 death sentences issued, and seven death sentences upheld.
This report, published on Thursday, November 21, on the HRANA website (hra-news), warned of “serious challenges in the field of human rights in Iran.”
According to the report, the state of human rights violations in Iran over the past month presents a “troubling outlook.”
The report states: “We have witnessed widespread violations, including the implementation of death sentences without fair trials, suppression of freedom of expression, arbitrary detentions, denial of the right to education, suicides among children and adolescents, domestic and honor-based violence against women, violations of workers’ rights, and excessive use of force by security forces.”
The report emphasizes the “urgent need for effective international and domestic actions to address these violations and support the victims,” stating that “instances of military and judicial violence, especially against women and minorities, have raised deep concerns regarding the Iranian regime’s commitment to upholding international human rights standards.”
The report includes instances such as “executions in cases where fair judicial procedures were not followed,” “widespread suppression of freedom of expression and arbitrary arrests,” “extensive violations of the right to education through student suspensions,” and “suicides resulting from pressure and hopelessness among children and adolescents.”
Highlighted in the report are the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd, a dual Iranian-German citizen, on charges of “corruption on earth”; death sentences for Milad Armoon, Alireza Kafaie, Amir Mohammad Khosheghbal, Navid Najaran, Hossein Nemati, and Alireza Barmarzpournak—six protesters involved in the case known as the “Ekbatan kids“; the issuance of a death sentence for Mohammad Mahdi S., one of those arrested during the nationwide 2022 protests, on charges of “murdering a IRGC Basij member”; and the sentencing of Varisheh Moradi, a political prisoner, to death on charges of “armed rebellion.”
Energy Deficit Crisis in Iran From Gas to Electricity and Gasoline
The Iranian regime is grappling with a chain of energy deficits in managing the country, a crisis it prefers to label as “energy imbalance.”
On Tuesday night, November 19, Mohammad Jafar Qaem Panah, the Executive Deputy to the Iranian regime’s president, admitted during a news program aired on state television to the existence of “imbalances” in the fuel, gas, and electricity sectors. He stated, “The president is planning to resolve these problems in the shortest time possible or by next year so that we do not witness blackouts that disturb people’s lives.”
The roots of Iran’s energy crisis date back several years, but its signs began to emerge notably in the second half of the 2010s. A chain of crises has emerged, affecting all sectors in the Iranian regime.
Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of the regime, claims that the Iranian regime spends $5 billion annually on gasoline imports. However, Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), refuted this claim, reporting that $2 billion worth of gasoline was imported last year.
Additionally, Pezeshkian stated that a subsidy of 65,000 rials (approximately $0.09) per liter is provided for domestically produced gasoline.
Regardless of the exact figures, it is evident that the Iranian regime is preparing for a fuel price increase.
When the Iranian regime altered fuel prices in November 2019, it faced one of the most widespread protests in its history.
Iran now not only struggles to sell its oil like a normal country but also, due to sanctions and financial restrictions, is unable to procure gasoline in a regular manner.
On the one hand, according to regime officials, Iran must subsidize fuel, and on the other, it has to circumvent sanctions to purchase gasoline.
Nevertheless, a gasoline price increase, which past experiences show is typically accompanied by a diesel price hike, will directly and immediately affect general price levels due to its significance in the transportation sector, triggering a chain of changes.
Iran, which possesses the world’s second-largest known natural gas reserves, faced challenges in 2024 in supplying gas to households, industries, and power plants.
The issue is that merely having sufficient gas reserves is not enough; extracting and transporting it requires continuous investment.
According to regime officials, Iran needs $250 billion in investment to revitalize its oil and gas industry—a goal that has not yet been achieved and may now require even more funding.
Although the financial situation of the Iranian regime is far from ideal, in past administrations, substantial oil revenues were spent on other sectors, and adequate investment was not made in the gas industry.
As a result, the country is facing a severe gas shortage at the onset of the cold season, and it is anticipated that this trend will exponentially worsen as temperatures drop.
On November 18, Iran’s Supreme Audit Court, the oversight arm of the regime’s Majlis (parliament), announced that its technical and specialized reviews indicate that the gas imbalance in 2023 reached 63.9 billion cubic meters, while 18 billion cubic meters were wasted as flare gas.
In the summer of 2024, amid widespread nationwide blackouts, regime officials suggested that citizens could prevent power outages by reducing air conditioner usage. However, the reality is that the country’s aging power production and distribution network requires $19 billion in repairs, a problem that cannot be resolved by merely setting air conditioners to low power.
Now, in November, with citizens no longer using air conditioners, the government tells people they must choose: burning heavy fuel oil (mazut) or enduring blackouts.
According to some observers, the discussion of burning mazut is a new misleading tactic by the Iranian regime during the cold season. Eighty percent of electricity in Iran is generated by thermal power plants, which predominantly rely on natural gas. Out of the country’s 140 major power plants, only 14 are capable of burning mazut.
Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported, citing data from the Ministry of Energy, that since September 2024, the process of replenishing liquid fuel reserves at power plants has stopped, and over time, the volume of these reserves has fallen to one-third.
In reality, power plants lack the fuel to operate. As a result, the government’s initial response was to announce a nationwide blackout schedule under the pretext of halting mazut burning.
In addition to the blackouts, a quiet increase in electricity prices has also been put on the agenda.
The state-run Khorasan newspaper, on November 20, compared electricity bills for an industrial unit and reported that while its actual electricity usage cost about 66 million rials (approximately $96), a “transit tariff” of 500 million rials (approximately $724) was also included in the bill.
This means the unit is required to pay approximately 7.5 times the cost of its actual electricity consumption in transit tariffs to the electricity authority.
On Tuesday, November 19, Abbas Aliabadi, the Minister of Energy, during a meeting with the Russian Energy Minister, called for connecting Iran’s electricity grid to Russia’s in hopes of compensating for the energy deficit.
It seems that despite Iran’s abundant energy resources, the regime lacks any short- or long-term solutions to address the energy deficit. Instead, the clerics channel the country’s revenues into fueling wars in the region.
Millions Liters of Gasoline Smuggled Daily in Iran
Ali Mahmoudian, head of the Iranian regime’s Alternative Fuels Association, stated that there is a 25-million-liter gap between gasoline production and consumption in the country, adding that 10 million liters of gasoline are smuggled out of Iran daily. Previously, Mousa Ghaninejad, an economist, had estimated that daily gasoline smuggling ranged between 20 and 50 million liters.
On November 20, the head of the Alternative Fuels Association stated at a press conference that there is currently a 25-million-liter gap between gasoline production and consumption, with daily consumption standing at 135 million liters while production is only 110 million liters.
Mahmoudian pointed out that over the past 50 years, gasoline consumption has grown by 8% annually and added, “If this trend continues, daily consumption will reach 250 million liters by 2029.”
Mahmoudian’s remarks come as, on November 8, Naser Ashouri, Secretary-General of the Employer Association of the Refining Industry, had stated that average daily gasoline consumption in the country had reached 112 million liters, while production was between 98 and 104 million liters, resulting in a daily shortage of 8 to 14 million liters.
Conflicting statistics regarding fuel consumption, production, and smuggling have increased in recent months. At the same press conference, Mahmoudian stated that 10 million liters of gasoline and 8 million liters of diesel are smuggled out of the country daily.
The figure he announced is half of the lowest previous estimates.
For years, the dominant narrative regarding gasoline smuggling in Iran has been a figure of 20 million liters daily. This 20 million liters figure has been repeatedly cited by experts and media outlets for at least the past five years until, in September 2024, Ghaninejad presented new data.
Referring to daily gasoline distribution statistics of 120 million liters in the country, he stated, “Of this amount, only 70 million liters are actually consumed, and the rest is smuggled out of the country.”
In recent years, fuel smuggling has consistently been one of the reasons cited by officials for raising gasoline prices.
Past experiences with gasoline price hikes show that an increase in the frequency of news and conflicting statements about fuel consumption and smuggling often precedes price increases.
In November 2019, following a gasoline price hike, an uprising broke out in Iran that quickly turned into nationwide protests calling for the overthrow of the regime. The Iranian regime brutally killed over 1,500 people during this uprising.
In mid-October, coinciding with the submission of the 2025 budget bill to the parliament, members of parliament and those close to the government of Masoud Pezeshkian strongly denied any plans to increase gasoline prices.
However, on November 14, Ali Rabiei, Pezeshkian’s Social Affairs Advisor, stated, “We are compelled to make decisions regarding the gasoline issue.”
He said, “Decision-making on the gasoline issue is an unavoidable necessity. If the issue of gasoline does not become a social matter, it will turn into a massive social crisis.”
Two days earlier, on November 18, Fatemeh Mohajerani, the government spokesperson, stated that “Expert discussions on energy carrier prices are ongoing within the government,” and emphasized, “The government’s plan is to prepare public opinion for possible decisions regarding energy carriers.”
Food Insecurity Is Rapidly Spreading in Iran
The Research Center of the Iran Chamber reported that, according to the latest available statistics, approximately 32 million people in the country were living below the poverty line (food insecurity) by the end of 2021. This trend continues to expand rapidly due to the severe inflation of recent years.
On November 16, the Research Center examined the causes of inflation in the Iranian economy and the necessary measures to address this phenomenon under various scenarios, focusing on monetary perspectives and the impact of exchange rates.
The Iran Chamber emphasized that in economies with 20% inflation, discussions about production, investment, and economic growth are practically futile and unconventional.
According to this report, the population living below the poverty line (food insecurity) in Iran in 2017 was estimated at around 18 million, but due to inflation and shocks in 2018 and 2019, this number rose to over 26 million at the beginning of 2020.
The report highlighted the rapid expansion of the food poverty line due to severe inflation in recent years, stressing that in such an environment, discussions about investment goals and production, as well as controlling poverty and inequality, would be mere illusions.
The Majlis Research Center reported on October 24 that the poverty rate in 2023 increased by 0.4 percentage points compared to 2022, reaching 30.1%.
According to this report, last year at least one-third of the population could not meet their basic needs and lived below the poverty line.
In its report, the Research Center of the Iran Chamber stated that most economists believe that inflation in Iran is a monetary phenomenon that can be controlled by managing the money supply, noting: “Limiting the cause of current inflation in Iran to liquidity growth misleads the audience and its policy implications are very risky.”
The Iran Chamber noted that part of the chronic and persistent inflation in Iran is related to liquidity growth, citing the large size of the government, the imposition of numerous costs on the government budget, financing structural budget deficits through money creation mechanisms, the lack of an efficient budgeting system, financial dominance, and the lack of independence of the central bank as some reasons for liquidity growth in the country.
In its November 17 issue, the newspaper Ham-Mihan published a report titled “Installment Living,” emphasizing that reaching a crisis point is significant for society, stating that families have no choice but to resort to installment purchases for meat, chicken, and dairy products, which are always facing rising prices.
This report pointed out that the first six deciles of society are living under relative poverty, and with the daily rise in prices of goods in the country, it noted that in these conditions, families cannot afford to buy many of these items, leaving them with no choice but to eliminate or purchase these goods on installment.
Ham-Mihan listed rice, detergents, pasta, oil, electronic devices, clothing, shoes, bags, gold, and hygiene and cosmetic products as some of the items that have become installment purchases in people’s lives.
The report noted that alongside installment purchases, the sale of second-hand goods is also thriving, highlighting that items which might have been found next to trash bins in the past are now being sold on goods sale platforms, and the market is flourishing.
In recent years, due to the inefficiency of the Iranian regime in managing the country’s economy, numerous reports have been published about the sharp increase in poverty and the poor economic conditions of the people in Iran.
The newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad reported on August 25 that the poverty line for a three-person household in Tehran this year is approximately 20 million tomans.
This media outlet quoted economic experts as stating that approximately 26 million Iranians are unable to meet their basic needs.
The newspaper Etemad also reported in May 2024, after examining available data on poverty rates, that a 10% increase in the poverty rate over two years translates to about eight million more people living in poverty in the country.
This newspaper emphasized that the likelihood of non-poor individuals falling below the poverty line has increased, and the capacity to secure budget resources from the non-poor population has diminished.
Iran: 150 Schools in Isfahan Province Affected by Subsidence; 42 Evacuated
Mohammadreza Ebrahimi, Director General of Education in Isfahan province, announced that approximately 150 schools in Isfahan province have been affected by subsidence, and “so far, 42 schools have been completely evacuated.”
According to the state-run Tasnim News Agency, Ebrahimi stated that schools in Isfahan province have also been affected by repeated subsidence incidents.
He added that “several schools in Barkhar and Shahin Shahr counties” have also been evacuated, and schools in some other counties have been evacuated as well.
In another report by the regime’s Etemad newspaper, Mehdi Zare, a seismologist and professor at the Earthquake Research Institute, stated in his latest assessments that approximately 11% of Iran’s total land area is affected by subsidence.
According to the seismologist, this phenomenon affects approximately 39 million residents of Iran living in areas susceptible to this issue.
He added that apart from Gilan province, all other provinces in Iran are dealing with subsidence.
Zare emphasized that in Iran, the extent and rate of subsidence vary significantly across different regions. Reports indicate that nearly 25% of urban areas in Iran are experiencing various degrees of subsidence.
The researcher also explained that about 5% of the country’s total land area is at risk of severe subsidence, while approximately 18.5 million hectares, equivalent to 11% of Iran’s land area, are affected by varying degrees of ground subsidence.
Zare added that this issue is particularly pronounced in provinces such as Tehran and Fars, where the subsidence rate in some areas exceeds 40 centimeters per year.
Previously, Ali Beitollahi, director of the earthquake division at the Road, Housing, and Urban Development Research Center, warned of the intensifying subsidence phenomenon, stating that all provinces in Iran face this danger and that “we have only five to ten years from now to save our cities and villages.”
Masoumeh Amigh-Pei, head of the precise leveling and radar interferometry department at Iran’s National Mapping Organization, mentioned in June that a comprehensive subsidence database had been developed, revealing that subsidence has reached 16 major cities in Iran, with 800 cities located in subsidence-prone areas.
According to some critical experts, misguided policies, lack of proper planning, and mismanagement by Iran’s regime in the water sector are key factors contributing to land subsidence and environmental crises in Iran.
Thousands of Iranian Teachers Hold Protest Rally In Front of the Parliament
Thousands of retired teachers held a protest on Wednesday, November 20, in front of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament) and the Plan and Budget Organization, demanding the payment of their dues.
The number of participants at Wednesday’s protest was approximately 7,000.
According to reports, a group of retired educators at the protest objected to the failure to implement the 2021 directive on pension adjustments, which stipulated that “90% of the special rank-based benefits be included in retirement salaries.”
The protesters chanted slogans such as “Ranking is our right/ It’s the result of our hard work” to express their dissatisfaction with the neglect of their demands. They also held up 100,000 rial banknotes (approximately $0.14) as a symbolic protest against their low pensions.
The protesters also shouted slogans like “Teacher, cry out/ Shout for your rights” and “Three years of uncertainty/ Damn this collusion.”
The government had promised that with the implementation of the equalization law, the pensions of retired educators would be increased to 90% of the salaries of their active counterparts in the same category.
With this promise unfulfilled, the protesters demanded the payment of arrears resulting from the 2021 pension adjustments for retired educators.
On Saturday, November 16, a group of retired educators had also held a protest in front of the Presidential Office in Tehran, objecting to the lack of attention to their demands.
These protests are not the first gatherings of retired educators this year.
Despite the promises made by the Iranian regime, the living conditions of retirees in Iran are deteriorating day by day.
“Iran Broadcasting” And “Government Trading Corporation of Iran” Among State-Owned Loss-Making Companies
Recent audits by Iran’s Supreme Audit Court of the 2023 budget show that the number of loss-making state-owned companies has reached 134, with the majority of losses attributable to six companies, including the “Subsidy Targeting Organization.”
“Budget Clearance” refers to the process of examining the compliance of government financial performance with the approved budget law.
According to Mizan News Agency, the official outlet of Iran’s judiciary, the budget law had anticipated losses for 17 state-owned companies. However, financial statements reveal that the number of loss-making companies has risen to 134, with their losses increasing nearly 17-fold.
According to the Supreme Audit Court, an entity under the parliament’s oversight, the bulk of these losses is concentrated in six state-owned companies, which alone account for approximately 80% of the total losses.
The Government Trading Corporation of Iran and the Subsidy Targeting Organization are the largest loss-making entities.
Next on the list are the Iranian Health Insurance Organization and the Thermal Power Holding Company.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and the Armed Forces Medical Services Organization are also among the six state-owned entities with the highest levels of losses.
The losses of state-funded entities stem from the imbalance between their expenditures and the allocated budget.
Experts attribute the budget overruns and losses of these companies to poor oversight of their operations, lack of accountability, and financial transparency.
These companies are largely managed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with their primary mission being the suppression of the public and the prevention of growing protests.
Statistical Center of Iran: 96% Of Victims of Registered Spousal Abuse Cases Are Women
The latest data from the the Statistical Center of Iran shows that during this spring, 16,264 individuals were examined by the Forensic Medicine Organization due to spousal abuse. Of this number, 15,764 cases, or 96%, were attributed to women, indicating that women are the primary victims of domestic violence and spousal abuse.
On November 18, the Center reported that in the second quarter of 2022, 2023, and 2024, at least 85 women and girls were killed by their husbands, fathers, brothers, and close male relatives.
This report emphasizes that femicide is one of the most severe forms of gender-based violence.
Ham Mihan newspaper recalls that the bill to ban violence against women has been gathering dust in the parliament for 11 years and has not yet been approved.
The newspaper Etemad, in July, presented statistics showing that 22 women were killed in the second quarter of 2022 by “close men,” including husbands, fathers, and brothers.
The report indicated that this number had risen in the same period in 2023 and 2024, reaching 28 and 35 women killed, respectively.
Last July, Shargh newspaper reported that from June 2021 to June 2023, on average, one case of femicide occurred in Iran every four days.
The website rouydad24 also reported on November 17 that frequent news of spousal murders and suicides has become one of the most important concerns in society.
This report notes that throughout the year, numerous news reports of women’s murders under various pretexts, such as “honor killings,” are published, stating: “A key question remains: Where is the law to protect women?”
The Women’s Security Bill was drafted about 13 years ago, and despite passing through the filters of the government and judiciary, it still collects dust in parliament.
On November 17, a campaign was launched online calling for the approval of the Women’s Security Bill, emphasizing that each year, the number of women who fall victim to oppression and injustice due to a lack of explicit legal and judicial support increases.
The signatories of this campaign recalled that Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of the Iranian regime, was urged to expedite the legal process for the bill’s approval in parliament and to take necessary actions to see it through.
In August of this year, Stop Femicide Iran, an organization focused on monitoring gender-based murders in Iran, reported that femicide in Iran increased by 60% in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year.
According to the data from this organization, 93 gender-based murders were recorded in Iran from January to July 2024.
The Gallup research institute, in its 2017 report, identified Iran as the angriest country in the world, placing it at the top of social violence rankings globally.
