Iran’s Regime Stealing U.S. Election Data, Attempting to Affect Outcome
The FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency of the United States issued a joint statement on Monday warning about the Iranian regime’s attempts to interfere in the 2024 U.S. presidential elections.
They advised campaign teams to implement necessary security measures, including using official emails only for official business, not opening suspicious emails, updating software, using strong passwords, and enabling multi-factor authentication.
The three organizations stated that the Iranian regime seeks to sow discord and undermine public trust in U.S. democratic institutions. Additionally, Iran has a long-standing interest in exploiting social tensions through various means, including cyber operations to access sensitive information related to U.S. elections.
The statement also notes that the Iranian regime is aiming to complicate any U.S. administration’s ability to pursue foreign policies that conflict with Tehran’s interests.
The statement recalls that the U.S. intelligence community had previously reported that the Iranian regime views this fall’s U.S. elections as particularly significant and is increasingly attempting to influence the outcome.
“We have observed increasingly aggressive Iranian activity during this election cycle, specifically involving influence operations targeting the American public and cyber operations targeting Presidential campaigns,” said the statement released by the FBI, DNI, and CISA.
In their joint statement, the three U.S. security agencies mentioned that the Iranian regime’s activities include those recently reported regarding the compromise of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign, which the U.S. intelligence community attributed to the Iranian government.
The Iranian Regime’s Response to the Report
In response to the report, Mizan News Agency, affiliated with Iran’s judiciary, quoted Iran’s representative at the United Nations as saying, “Such claims are baseless and without any merit.” He reiterated that “Iran has no intention or motive to interfere in U.S. elections.”
The Iranian representative at the UN, asserting that Iran has “no intention or motive to interfere in U.S. elections,” asked the U.S. government to “provide us with their evidence so we can respond.”
Last Monday, the FBI announced that it was investigating suspicious attempts attributed to the Iranian government to hack the Democratic Party’s campaign and one of Donald Trump’s aides.
Earlier, U.S. media reported that Iranian regime hackers had likely managed to hack the personal email account of Roger Stone, a veteran Republican operative and close associate of Trump.
The joint statement by U.S. security agencies indicates that the U.S. intelligence community is confident that Iranian regime operatives, through “social engineering” and other efforts, have sought access to individuals directly involved in the presidential campaigns of both major U.S. political parties, and “such activities, including thefts and leaks, are intended to influence the U.S. election process.”
According to the statement, such actions have previously been carried out by the Iranian and Russian regimes during past U.S. elections and in other countries. The FBI has tracked these activities, been in contact with the targets, and continues to investigate and gather information to pursue and disrupt those threatening the integrity of U.S. elections.
The FBI, DNI, and CISA stated that they will not tolerate foreign efforts to influence or interfere in the November 5, 2024, U.S. presidential elections, including targeting the candidates’ campaign teams.
Protests by Nurses in Several Iranian Cities
Protests by groups of nurses and healthcare workers continue in objection to poor working conditions and unmet demands.
These protests were held on Sunday, August 18, in several cities, including Mashhad, Yasuj, Jahrom, and Qazvin.
The protest by nurses at Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad continued for a second day, and nurses from other medical centers in the city, including Hasheminejad Hospital, Akbar Children’s Hospital, Taleghani Hospital, and Velayat Hospital, joined the protests on Sunday.
In Yasuj, the nurses’ protest also continued for a second day.
Images of the nurses’ protests in the cities of Jahrom and one of the hospitals in Qazvin have also been circulated on social media.
The main demands of the protesting nurses include tariff reform, implementation of the law on hard and hazardous jobs, and the cancellation of mandatory overtime.
Nurses’ protests have been ongoing for months, but the latest round began on August 3 at hospitals in Shiraz and has since spread to other cities.
During previous protests, reports emerged of threats and pressure against the protesters. Last month, Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam, the Secretary-General of the House of Nurses, stated that around 60 nurses in Kerman had been summoned to participate in the protests.
Following the widespread nurses’ strike across the country, teachers’ and students’ unions also expressed their support for the nurses’ strike.
Security forces at Sadoughi Hospital in Yazd have threatened striking nurses that they will be dismissed if the protests continue.
A senior nursing expert from Isfahan told Iran Focus:
“Our main problem is the lack of implementation of the tariff law, merit increases and compulsory overtime. We receive 20,000 tomans (approximately $0.33) for each hour of overtime. Doctors’ payment for overtime can be up to ten times or more. My net salary is 13.8 million tomans (approximately $230). Even service jobs receive 40,000 tomans (approximately $0.66) per hour for overtime.
The tariff law is not being implemented, and there is a mafia behind this corruption. Work experience does not significantly affect our salary.
Overtime is mandatory. We have no desire to work overtime for 20,000 tomans per hour, but due to staff shortages, we are forced to do so. My total salary is no more than 15 million tomans (approximately $250).
Patients’ companions do not treat us well. No one bothers the doctors; they directly confront us.
The number of work shifts is very high. This month, I have worked more than 29 shifts. Nurses are not provided with hospital food, which is of very low quality. We only get one meal during the night shift.
Low wages are not just for nurses. Even faculty members with a master’s degree earn around $250, and a nurse with a Ph.D. earns about 25 million tomans (approximately $417). As a nurse, I intend to emigrate.”
Qasem Abotalebi, a member of the Supreme Council of the Nursing System, announced in Mars 2024 that the country is facing a shortage of at least 100,000 nurses.
Frustrated with their working conditions, nurses are striking in an attempt to secure their rights.
The strikers are demanding an immediate wage increase, the elimination of mandatory overtime, proper and prompt implementation of nursing tariffs, payment of overdue wages, improvement of harsh working conditions, and an end to the security crackdowns on protesting nurses.
The strike is so widespread that the regime’s security apparatus is attempting to intensify repression through threats, summons, legal action, and the deployment of replacement forces to break the strike.
The statement emphasized that everyone must collectively support the strike in the face of “assaults, threats, and attacks by the regime against the nurses.”
Parvaneh Mandani, a nurse at Imam Hossein Hospital in Sepidan, died on August 2 after accompanying three patients for transfer from this hospital to another in Shiraz due to overwork, a condition referred to in medicine as “Karoshi Syndrome.”
After the death of this 32-year-old nurse, widespread nurses’ strikes began in various cities.
Ahmad Nejatiyan, the head of the Nursing Organization, said in a television interview: “Currently, our nurses are working with half the standard nursing workforce, which leads to mandatory overtime. We cannot stop serving patients, and therefore, nurses are forced to work up to 100 hours of mandatory overtime per month.”
It is reported that nurses receive around 200,000 rials (approximately 33 cents) for each hour of mandatory overtime.
Mohammadreza Sharifi Moghadam, Secretary-General of the House of Nurses, in an interview with the regime’s Shargh daily, mentioned that according to statistics, more than 30% of nurses have experienced physical violence in the workplace. He stated, “A nurse in Yasuj lost an eye due to an attack by a patient’s companion. We have received reports of knife wounds to the neck, chest, and fractures as a result of attacks by patients’ companions.”
On August 11, the Ham-Mihan newspaper reported that nurses from nine hospitals in Shiraz and one hospital in Karaj have stopped working since last week in protest over the neglect of their demands.
The Ham-Mihan report also pointed out the security measures taken against the protesting nurses.
The newspaper quoted a nurse as saying that security forces had contacted him, accused him of being a leader of these strikes, and subsequently threatened him with dismissal.
Sharifi Moghadam, in an interview with Sharg, stated that a formally employed nurse with 15 years of experience earns a salary of 14.9 million tomans (approximately 2.49 million rials or $250), from which 10%, or 1.49 million rials (approximately $25), is deducted for insurance.
The Secretary-General of the House of Nurses noted that nurses in the United States earn between $4,000 and $6,000, and in Europe between €3,000 and €4,000. He said, “Our nurses prefer to stay home rather than do such hard work for a monthly salary of 15 million tomans (approximately 2.5 million rials or $250).”
The problems in the nursing system and the healthcare sector in Iran are not limited to the recent strikes. Nurses also protested in July of this year.
Fereydoun Moradi, a member of the Supreme Council of the Nursing System, announced in June that 150 to 200 nurses migrate each month.
At Least 8 Prisoners Executed in Iran, over 100 Executions Since Presidential Election
Human rights sources report the ongoing trend of executions in Iranian prisons, and political prisoners held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison have stated that despite the pressures, they will continue to fight against the death penalty.
Human rights media outlets have reported that at least eight prisoners were executed early Monday morning, August 19.
Reports indicate that five people were executed in Yazd Prison, identified as three Baluch citizens and two Afghan nationals.
The Iran Human Rights Organization also reported the execution of three people in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz early Monday morning.
On Tuesday, August 8, security forces at Evin Prison attacked women who had gathered as part of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign to protest the execution of Reza Rasaei. According to reports, they were assaulted.
The prisoners, noting the pressures following this raid, including the banning of visits and phone calls for those who participated in the gathering, emphasized that despite these pressures, their opposition to the death penalty would continue.
Golrokh Iraee, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, also emphasized in a letter published on Monday that all citizens “from whatever position we are in, as political activists, critics, or opponents, and even those who consider themselves apolitical” must condemn the death penalty and openly oppose it.
The pace of executions has increased in recent months, and according to estimates by the Norway-based Iran Human Rights Organization, at least 87 people were executed in Iranian prisons in just one month following the election of Masoud Pezeshkian as president. Including those executed during the election campaign, this number reaches 100.
Recently, Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, also expressed concern over the trend of executions in Iran.
Iran: Power Outages Eliminate 40% of Production Capacity in Khorasan Province
The head of the Iranian regime’s Chamber of Commerce has reported that Iran’s production has reached its lowest level in the last 36 months. Meanwhile, Mohammad Sahamian-Moghaddam, a member of the board of the Industrial Managers Association of Razavi Khorasan Province, has announced that at least 40% of production capacity has been lost. Tavanir (the Iran Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Company) has ordered industries to reduce consumption by 90%.
Samad Hassanzadeh, the head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, also emphasized that in July this year, there has been a significant reduction in production in 12 industrial sectors across the country.
Sahamian-Moghaddam told the state-run Ham-Mihan newspaper that on Saturday, August 17, “around 1,000 factories were contacted,” and “there is a recording stating that electricity consumption must be reduced by more than 90% for two weeks; otherwise, due to grid issues, power will be cut off without notice.”
Sahamian-Moghaddam emphasized that this order was issued by Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, the CEO of Tavanir, from Tehran. According to him, “By law, they do not have the right to cut off electricity to industries.”
This private sector activist also spoke about the consequences of power outages on Iran’s economy, stating that many export-oriented companies have fallen significantly behind in their export schedules, and many of their export contracts are on the verge of cancellation.
Sahamian-Moghaddam also mentioned the impact of these blackouts on the domestic market, saying, “Some companies are losing their customers, suffering losses, and facing penalties.”
Another impact of the blackouts is on employment. Sahamian-Moghaddam told Ham-Mihan newspaper that some companies have lost employees and are in the process of layoffs, while others have faced equipment failures due to sudden power cuts.
Finally, this private sector activist stressed that in a year when production was supposed to leap forward, “we have already lost at least 40% of our production capacity.“
Experts believe that mismanagement and lack of planning are the main factors behind the imbalance in Iran’s energy sector. The Bushehr nuclear power plant, which took more than two decades to complete, provides only 1.3% of the country’s electricity.
Hashem Oraei, an electrical engineering professor at Sharif University, criticized the mismanagement and “weak planning” in August last year, noting that the combined nuclear, renewable, self-supply, and diesel power plants in Iran “provide only 5% of the country’s electricity.”
In addition to damaging industries and household appliances, power outages are also driving up the prices of some products.
Reza Mohtashamipour, the regime’s Deputy Minister of Industry, Mining, and Trade, announced in a letter to the Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade in late June this year that the electricity restrictions on industries this summer will intensify, leading to significant disruptions in industries such as steel and cement, ultimately resulting in reduced production and increased prices.
House Renting in Tehran Up By 50%
Davood Beigi-Nejad, the vice president of the Real Estate Union, says that the average rent in Tehran has increased by more than 50 percent, and due to the rise in housing prices, tenants are no longer considering buying homes.
On Sunday, August 18, Beigi-Nejad added that currently, the rental market and the buying and selling of housing are in a state of stagflation.
According to him, “There are generally no buyers in the housing market.”
Previously, the Central Bank of Iran had reported that the rental rates in Tehran and urban areas of the province had increased by 47 percent and 51.6 percent, respectively, in June compared to June 2023.
The Central Bank’s statistical archive shows that while nearly 15,000 homes were sold in Tehran in June 2018, before the US sanctions against Iran were implemented, this figure dropped to less than 4,000 units in June this year.
Since the start of Ebrahim Raisi’s administration, the average price per square meter of housing in Tehran has soared from under 32 million tomans (approximately 534 dollars) to nearly 85 million tomans (approximately 1,417 dollars).
At the beginning of his term, Ebrahim Raisi’s government promised to build one million housing units annually; however, on April 13, Mohammadreza Rezaei Kochi, the regime’s head of the Parliamentary Commission on Construction, announced that the progress of the “National Housing Movement” plan had stalled at 25 percent, and only a “very small portion” of the government housing projects had been completed.
He added that what has been delivered is related to the “National Housing Action” project of the previous government.
The vice president of the Real Estate Union also mentioned the approval of a 25 percent cap on rent increases this year, stating that currently, there is no suitable pricing model.
Last year, the government also banned rent increases of more than 25 percent in Tehran, but in practice, rents rose by twice that amount.
Beigi-Nejad says that, as in previous years, no steps have been taken in the housing market to help tenants become homeowners because the pricing is beyond the financial capability of tenants; in other words, the purchasing power of the average tenant has declined, and for this reason, the housing market is in recession, as there are no buyers.
He added that tenants, due to their reduced financial power, are moving from the areas they live in to lower-income neighborhoods.
The Iranian Regime’s Debt to the Central Bank Increased by 72% in June
New statistics from the Central Bank indicate a 72% jump in the government’s debt to the Central Bank this June compared to the same month last year.
Furthermore, the total debt of the government and state-owned companies to the Central Bank and other banks in the country surpassed 1.5 quadrillion tomans (approximately $25 billion) this June, which is 37% more than last June.
Of this amount, more than 1.3 quadrillion tomans (approximately $21.6 billion) is related to the government’s debt, while the rest pertains to the debt of state-owned companies to the banking system.
The government’s debt to the banking system is equivalent to six months of the national budget, and it is unclear how the government intends to repay this massive debt.
Moreover, the government’s bank debt is only a small part of its total debt; the National Development Fund also claims more than $100 billion from the government, an amount equivalent to 2.5 years of the national budget.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its spring report stated that the total debt of the Iranian government last year amounted to 28.5% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This significant increase in the government’s debt to the banking system comes despite the fact that the 13th government, under the presidency of Ebrahim Raisi, had promised at the beginning of its term to stop borrowing from the banking sector to control liquidity and inflation. However, over the past three years, the government’s debt to domestic banks has doubled.
Central Bank statistics show that liquidity in the country surged by 27% in June this year compared to June 2023, reaching an astronomical 8.5 quadrillion tomans (approximately $141.6 billion).
Economic experts have identified uncontrolled liquidity as the main factor behind inflation in Iran.
In recent years, the Iranian government has forced the Central Bank to print unbacked currency to cover budget deficits, enabling it to borrow directly from the Central Bank and other banks. As a result, inflation in Iran has consistently remained above 40% over the past three years, and the value of the national currency has more than halved.
Iran is Entering a Cycle of “Mass Migration,” Government Agency Warns
The Strategic Research Center of the Iranian Presidency, in a report based on the results of a survey, has highlighted serious issues in utilizing human capital and warned that Iranian society is entering a phase of “mass migration.”
In a report titled “Managing Migration Abroad,” the center wrote: “We are currently at the peak of the ‘desire and decision’ to migrate, especially among skilled and capital-rich labor.”
The report from the Strategic Research Center is dated August 3, but it gained attention from domestic media on Thursday, August 15.
According to this report, Iranian society is in a unique migratory situation, with a heavy psychological atmosphere surrounding the desire to emigrate, significantly affecting people’s lives.
The report adds that the desire and decision to migrate have “intensified” among various groups, including workers, athletes, doctors, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors.
In this study, two groups—”doctors and nurses” and “students and graduates”—have identified the economic effects of inflation as a major factor influencing their desire to migrate.
Seventy-three percent of doctors and nurses and 59% of students stated that the effects of inflation had a “very significant” impact on their desire to migrate. Additionally, 63% of doctors and nurses and 51% of students assessed the impact of sanctions on their migration desires as “very significant.”
Doctors and nurses cited dissatisfaction with job income, lack of future security, imbalance between income and expenses, and the commercialization of their field as the main reasons for their migration.
Previously, the head of the Iranian Medical Council had warned, “The exodus of doctors from the country is a serious issue.”
In June 2023, the head of the Health and Treatment Commission of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (Parliament) reported that about ten thousand specialists and sub-specialists had obtained the necessary certification for work migration over two years, stating that Arab countries have become the primary destination for Iranian doctors.
According to the report by the Strategic Research Center, on the other hand, entrepreneurs and startups have cited reasons related to economic uncertainty and insecurity, including economic sanctions, severe inflation, currency fluctuations, economic instability and unpredictability, the unprofitability of production, complex bureaucracy, and instability in domestic and foreign policies. They have mentioned the attractiveness of the investment environment and the stability of the destination country as reasons for their migration.
IRGC-Linked Hackers Targeted the Trump and Biden Campaigns
Iran-linked hackers targeted the campaign headquarters of both current President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, Google has confirmed.
On Wednesday, August 14, Google’s Threat Analysis Group reported that the APT42 hacker group targeted the personal email accounts of about a dozen individuals associated with Biden and Trump, the Republican Party’s nominee in this November’s election.
Google’s report also stated that APT42 “successfully accessed the personal Gmail account of a veteran political advisor,” but the name of the advisor was not disclosed.
On Tuesday, it was reported that the personal email account of Roger Stone, a supporter of Donald Trump, was possibly accessed by hackers linked to the Iranian government.
According to Google, the APT42 hacker group is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and consistently targets high-profile users in Israel and the United States.
Based on a chart included in Google’s report, this hacking group has even targeted users inside Iran to gain access to their computer systems.
Current and former government officials, political campaigns, diplomats, think tank members, as well as NGOs and academic institutions involved in foreign policy discussions, have all been targeted by this IRGC-linked group.
According to Google, in the past six months, about 60% of APT42’s known geographic targets were focused on the U.S. and Israel, indicating this group’s aggressive and multifaceted efforts to rapidly shift its operational focus in support of the Iranian regime’s political and military priorities.
According to the report, the APT42 hacker group had also previously attempted to interfere in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
According to Politico, early Wednesday, Trump, in his first public comment on the incident, accused the Iranian regime of hacking his campaign and praised the FBI’s investigation into the hack.
On the same day, The Washington Post reported that the FBI stated it is also investigating suspicious attempts attributed to the Iranian regime to hack the Biden-Harris campaign and a Trump aide.
The Washington Post, citing several informed sources, reported that FBI agents investigating the efforts of Tehran-linked hackers to target the Trump, Biden, and Harris campaigns have found evidence indicating that one of the targets of these hackers was Susie Wiles, a senior advisor to Trump.
IRGC Officer Killed in Drone Strike in Syria
The Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that one of its Aerospace Force officers has died due to injuries sustained in an airstrike in Syria. Tehran claims that this attack was carried out by the U.S.-led coalition.
In a statement published by Iranian regime news agencies on Thursday, August 15, Hossein Salami, the commander of the IRGC, identified Ahmadreza Afshari as one of the “Aerospace industry specialists of the IRGC in Syria” who died from injuries caused by the airstrike.
Government officials and Iranian regime media refer to members of the IRGC operating in Syria as “advisors,” but most of them are members of the Quds Force, the IRGC’s extraterritorial branch, playing a crucial role in maintaining Iran’s proxy groups.
In his “condolence message,” Hossein Salami stated that Ahmadreza Afshari was injured during an attack by “coalition forces” in Syria that took place a few days ago. He was transferred to Iran for medical treatment but succumbed to his injuries on Thursday.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had previously reported that five Iran-backed militiamen were killed in Syria due to a drone strike in Deir ez-Zor province.
On August 11, Agence France-Presse (AFP), citing this report, announced that a vehicle carrying militia groups near the Iraq-Syria border was targeted in this strike. Reuters, in a separate report, also confirmed the deaths of five individuals in the attack, quoting two security sources.
The location of this incident was reported to be in eastern Deir ez-Zor province, where Iran’s proxy forces have a significant presence and have frequently been targeted by the U.S. or Israel. However, neither of these countries has claimed responsibility for this attack.
Israel rarely acknowledges its attacks on Iran-backed militias.
The August 11 drone strike on Iran-backed forces followed a drone attack on the International Coalition base in “Kharab al-Jir” near Hasakah in northeastern Syria, during which several U.S. and coalition soldiers were injured.
Since the start of the Syrian civil war over a decade ago, Iran’s proxy forces and Hezbollah have been fighting in support of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Israel has also conducted hundreds of strikes against these forces.
An Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1 is an example of these attacks, which resulted in the deaths of several Iranian military personnel, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force.
In retaliation for this attack, Iran launched unprecedented drone and missile strikes on Israeli territory in the early hours of April 13.
Regional tensions, which had previously escalated with the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, entered a new phase after the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, during his visit to Tehran on July 31.
Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
Since then, the Iranian regime has repeatedly threatened retaliatory action against Israel, while the U.S. has expressed its expectation that Iran will refrain from any potential military strike against Israel in response to Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination.
It appears that the Iranian regime is caught between the dilemma of whether to attack or not. If it attacks, it may face a severe response from Israel, and if it refrains, its claims of power will be questioned.
What is certain is that the Iranian regime is much weaker than it appears.
The regime’s primary fear is of an uprising by the Iranian people and potential overthrow, similar to what nearly happened in 2022 when the regime was brought to the brink of collapse. This fear makes the Iranian regime increasingly cautious of further causing tension in the region and weakening its stance.
Halt in Iran’s Oil Production Growth Since Early Spring, Per OPEC, IEA
New statistics from the International Energy Agency and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) show that Iran’s oil production experienced significant growth last year, but this growth has stalled since the beginning of this spring.
The International Energy Agency estimated Iran’s daily oil production in July at around 3.35 million barrels, while OPEC’s assessment placed it at about 3.27 million barrels.
Before U.S. sanctions, Iran’s daily crude oil production was 3.8 million barrels, but this figure dropped to less than 2 million barrels towards the end of Donald Trump’s administration. However, production started to rise again after Joe Biden took office.
Data from Vortexa, a tanker tracking company, indicates that Iran’s daily exports of oil and gas condensates have remained steady at around 1.7 million barrels over the past few months.
Before the U.S. sanctions, Iran’s regime exported about 2.5 million barrels of crude oil and gas condensates (a type of ultra-light crude oil produced from gas fields) daily, but this figure dropped to 330,000 barrels towards the end of Trump’s presidency.
China is currently the buyer of over 95% of Iran’s oil exports, with the remaining oil being sent to Syria.
The International Energy Agency states that global oil demand growth in the second quarter of this year has slowed to nearly the same level as in the spring. It is expected that global oil consumption will increase by only 1 million barrels per day this year, with a similar increase anticipated for next year.
This is in contrast to last year when global oil consumption increased by 2.5 million barrels per day.
The slowdown in global oil demand growth is primarily due to the Chinese market, where electric vehicle purchases have surged. In the first half of this year, more than half of the cars sold in China were electric.
Oil consumption in Europe is expected to decline this year, and the Americas will see only a slight increase in oil consumption.
