Horrifying situation of Iran’s children

Hoshang Amiri
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Horrifying situation of Iran’s children
Iran’s state-linked Etemad newspaper has published a chilling report citing informed sources on cases of physical torture and severe abuse of children in an orphanage in the Tehranpars area of the capital Tehran. The instructors at this center are seminary acolytes, according to the report. In its publication on Sunday, June 11, the report states that a seven or eight-year-old child in the “Zanjireh Mehr Mandegar Charity Institution” was subject to torture due to bedwetting. According to a former instructor at this center, The head of the center, in collaboration with another instructor, burned the child’s hands and feet with an iron, according to a former instructor of this center. Subsequently, the child was imprisoned in an old bathroom infested with cockroaches and provided limited dry bread and water, and this process continued for a week. The accuracy of this report and the “burning of the child’s hands and feet” has been confirmed through several other sources, and “there are also images that prove its authenticity,” according to the Etemad newspaper report. “This is just one of the horrific stories of this center, and sources say that there have been around 24 orphans residing in this center for months,” the report reads in part. “The children in the center were strangely afraid of the technical supervisor, and this very person explained the reason for their fear: ‘From the very beginning, I intimidated the children through severe measures. They have been terrified of me ever since. At the beginning, I freightened one of the children and told him that I would take away his tongue, and I struck his mouth repeatedly until it bled. Now these children fear me like death,'” according to the Etemad report citing source whose collaboration with this institution has been confirmed. Hamed Haghi, the CEO and founding member of the Charity Institution, told Etemad daily: “We used seminary acolytes as instructors. For example, this person [referring to the technical supervisor] used his connections and contacted us. Yes, all of our instructors were seminary acolytes, and we thought they were the best option for this role as instructors and educators.” Furthermore, according to Etemad, following an investigation the “State Welfare Organization of Iran” confirms these violations and will deal with this center “in its own way.”Based on this report, in recent years, reports of child abuse and punishment in Iran’s privately-run childcare centers, as well as centers for the care of disabled individuals, addicts, and underprivileged groups who need to live in such centers, has increased. In 2018-2019, reports revealed “sexual abuse” cases at the Moin High School in Tehran resulting in a wave of public reactions. Additionally, in recent years, numerous reports of child abuse in Iran’s kindergartens have also been published.

Child labor statistics in Iran “increasing day by day”

Marking the World Day Against Child Labor, a member of the City Council in Tehran said the Iranian capital is home to at least 70,000 child laborers. On June 11, Soudeh Najafi, a member of the Tehran City Council presidium, said that child laborers face various abuses, suffer from physical and mental problems, and their presence on the streets “creates difficulties” for the locals. According to the semi-official ILNA news agency, Najafi explained that “despite the high number of authorities responsible for this issue, child labor statistics in the country, especially in Tehran, are increasing day by day, and no specific and official institution has been introduced in this regard.” According to Najafi, 80 percent of child laborers on the streets are not Iranian, adding the solution lies in preventing the entrance of foreign child laborers into Tehran and taking decisive measures against child labor gangs in the Iranian capital. The data presented by this Tehran City Council member was also published in Tehran media outlets last year on the eve of World Day Against Child Labor. However, according to a June 2022 report by the regime’s Donyaye -e-Eghtesad daily, there are 70,000 child laborers across all of Iran, and about 3,000 of them work in Tehran. That report indicated that at least 4,000 children in the country are engaged in collecting recyclable goods and other items that be sold from people’s trash and large garbage dumps. Since last year, thousands of families have entered Iran from Afghanistan to escape the Taliban government, and some of their children have been pushed into street work. Earlier this spring, Iran’s State Welfare Organization reported that 120,000 child laborers have been identified, and that 14,500 of them are street children. Article 79 of the regime’s Labor Law apparently prohibits children under the age of 15 from working. Based on last year’s statistics, 21 percent of child laborers in Iran suffer from malnutrition, 14 percent have experienced accidents, over 15 percent are subjected to verbal abuse and physical violence from the state security forces, about two percent are victims of sexual harassment, and 23 percent struggle with extreme cold and heat. At the same time, three percent have nowhere to sleep. Earlier this spring, the State Welfare Organization reiterated its opposition to authorities rounding up child laborers. A senior organization official had said that such a measure would prevent the welfare organization from being able to support them. In reality, the circumstances of child laborers in Iran are far worse. These are homeless and poor children who have no other means to make ends meet and are being exploited by regime officials who take advantage of their situation to pocket enormous financial gains. And as the regime’s corruption continues to take its toll on the country’s economy, Iranian workers can’t afford to send their children to school or make ends meet for their families. As a result, more children are being forced to leave their schools and work as laborers in streets across the country.      

Ongoing Controversy, New Questions after Iran Releases Three More Europeans in Swap

Esmaeil Mohades
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Ongoing Controversy, New Questions after Iran Releases Three More Europeans in Swap
One Danish national and two Austrians were reported to be back in their home countries on Saturday after having been released by the Iranian regime. The Austrians, Kamran Ghaderi and Massud Mossaheb, had been arrested in 2016 and 2019, respectively, while Thomas Kjems was arrested in November 2022, around the peak of the nationwide uprising that was sparked in September by the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman at the hands of the “morality police.” Tehran has made concerted efforts to blame that uprising upon foreign infiltration, and toward that end, over the past nine months it has announced several new arrests of individuals with supposed connections to “enemy” nations in the West. It remains unclear how many such arrests have been carried out in total and how many of them involved people who actually hold citizenship in the countries in question. But even before the uprising began, more than a dozen Western nationals were understood to be held hostage in Iran. Many reports to that effect also emphasized that the real number was likely to be significantly higher, both because of the opacity of the Iranian criminal justice system and because the families of some arrestees have been known to remain mum about their situations for fear of the public attention to the case would stoke resentment in Iranian authorities and create more complications. These issues were underscored by the news of the three latest releases, insofar as Ghaderi, Mossaheb, and Kjems have rarely if even been included in lists of Western nationals whose release was being pursued by their respective governments. Now that international attention has been brought to their resolved cases, it appears that efforts to secure their release were being made not only by Austria and Denmark but also by Belgium. Reports indicate that their release was a previously undisclosed condition of Brussels’ release of an Iranian diplomat-cum-terrorist, Assadollah Assadi, who has been serving a 20-year-sentence over his leadership role in a plot to bomb the 2018 Free Iran World Summit, an event organized outside Paris by the National Council of Resistance of Iran. It is still unclear whether this is the full extent of the prisoner swap agreement. While Assadi’s particularly high value to the Iranian regime might have unilaterally opened up the possibility for the release of multiple hostages in exchange, there is also ample historical precedent for an arrangement to be unbalanced in Iran’s favor. In 2016, for instance, as Iran and six world powers were implementing a nuclear deal, the US arranged to release seven Iranian prisoners and drop charges for fourteen others in exchange for just four Americans whom Iran had detained based on clearly fabricated charges. This is to say that the possibility still exists that other Iranian prisoners have been released or will be released as part of the arrangement involving Assadi. Even if this is not the case, though, controversy will continue to follow the case, with the NCRI asserting that Belgium violated a court order allowing for the victims of a convicted criminal to mount a legal challenge before he becomes the beneficiary of any swap agreement. The NCRI and other critics have also argued that by releasing Iranian hostages or offering other concessions to the regime, Western powers risk incentivizing further hostage-taking, among other malign activities.  

Iran’s Housing Crisis from Another Perspective

Jubin Katiraie
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According to statistics released by the Central Bank of Iran, housing prices in the capital Tehran have increased by more than a thousand-fold in the past thirty years! On February 18, the state-linked Eghtesad-e Bazaar website reported that housing prices have risen by 600 percent in the past two years. According to statistics published by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the staggering increase in housing prices and rent in Tehran has witnessed an unprecedented rising trend since 2001. Tasnim is an outlet affiliated to the Quds Force of the regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). These catastrophes are developing at a time when, according to an 8 June 2019 report by the state-run Eghtesad Online website, “There are six million renters in Iran! That means six million households.” In simpler terms, six million families in Iran cannot afford to purchase their own home. Also, according to a report by the semi-official Resalat newspaper published on July 24, 2022, property prices in Tehran increased by ten-fold in an eight-month period. In the past forty years, housing prices have increased six thousand-fold, and the price of gold has risen ten thousand-fold. In an interview on March 9, with the state affiliated Ofogh TV network, Farhad Beizai on the other hand, when we look at the number of vacant houses (according to state statistics), the status quo becomes mind boggling. For example, on January 5, Iranian regime Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that there are 60,000 uninhabited residential areas across the country. This means residential areas that have water, electricity, gas, and other urban services but are currently uninhabited. All the while, official statistics show that at least 19 million Iranians are living on slums and in poor housing conditions, according to an April 17 report published by the semi-official Shargh newspaper. In such conditions, if anyone wants to build a house from the ground up, even with government loans, they should think twice.  According to the state-run Etemad daily, housing loans are burdensome. A loan of 5.5 billion rials (equal to around $11,000) with a 20-year payment plan will finalize at around 25.56 billion rials (equal to around $51,000)! At a time when land, materials, and labor are available, why aren’t we witnessing measures aiming at resolving Iran’s housing crisis? The mullahs are going down the same path with housing as they did with foreign currency, the stock market, people’s bank deposits, interest-free funds, foreign exchange, and the gold market. They are busy plundering these assets to fill their pockets and cover the costs of regime’s hallmark domestic suppression and support for foreign terrorism. However, providing shelter for the family is not something to be ignored unless you expect people to start living in tents and caves. In Iran, owning has become a luxury. There are many reports of people “living in graves”, “renting rooftops,” and “sleeping in shops,” especially among the country’s workers.      

Iran: Inefficient Management Resulting in Environmental and Historical Disasters

Pooya Stone
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Iran: Inefficient Management Resulting in Environmental and Historical Disasters
On June 7, Hossein Akbari, Deputy of Natural Environment and Biodiversity at the Department of Environmental Protection Agency of Isfahan Province in Iran touched on one aspect of the country’s environmental disasters due to the mullahs’ rule. “During the past year alone, seven million cubic meters of ‘sewage and wastewater’ were temporarily released into the ‘Gavkhuni’ wetland, along with eight million cubic meters of water. This, however, proved to be ineffective,” he said. Akbari explained that based on satellite images, the Gavkhuni wetland is “completely” dry, and maybe a mere two or three percent of its northern part is “slightly moist.”
Gavkhuni wetland is "completely" dry
Gavkhuni wetland is “completely” dry
Last August, Mansour Shisheforoush, the Director of Crisis Management of Isfahan Governorate, had also announced that 98 percent of the Gavkhuni wetland had dried up. Gavkhuni, one of Iran’s most famous international wetlands, spans across Isfahan and Yazd provinces in central Iran and is considered one of the country’s largest and most important wetlands, serving as a habitat for migratory birds and aquatic animals. This wetland used to be nourished by the Zayandeh Rud, the largest river in central Iran.  In recent years, however, as a result of dam construction and the subsequent drying up of Zayandeh Rud, this wetland has also almost dried up. In recent years, numerous reports have been published on the destruction of Iran’s wetlands and lakes, and experts have attributed this catastrophe to mismanagement, uncontrlled dam construction, and unsustainable policies alongside drought. The Iranian regime’s destructive policies in recent years have led to numerous environmental disasters. These policies have caused Lake Urmia, the world’s second-largest saltwater lake located in northwest Iran, to dry up and witness its final days.
Lake Urmia witness its final days
Lake Urmia witness its final days

Historical mosques in Isfahan “have sunk” due to land subsidence

 According to a report by the regime’s “Ham-Mihan” newspaper on Wednesday about the continuation of land subsidence in Isfahan, “all areas” of the city have been affected, including areas near the historical monuments of Isfahan. Based on the report, due to drought and a decrease in groundwater levels, the phenomenon of subsidence is progressing at a faster rate than expected and has reached downtown Isfahan. An archaeology expert who, according to “Ham-Mihan,” wished to remain anonymous, mentioned that structures such as the “Hakim and Atiq Mosque, Imam Gate, Vazir Bath, the Ali-Qoli Agha Mosque and Bath, and the Seyed Mosque” have all been affected by subsidence. He considers “long vertical cracks” in these structures as signs of subsidence, adding that evidence of this phenomenon can also be seen on the Hafez and Sepah entrances to the city’s famous Naghsh-e Jahan Square, as well as on the domes and walls of the historic Jameh Abbasi Mosque.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the semi-official Mehr News Agency, Alireza Izadi, Director-General of the Isfahan Province Cultural Heritage, claimed that the cracks in structures such as Seyed Mosque and Jameh Abbasi Mosque are not related to subsidence and are “natural cracks” due to their brick and adobe structure. However, Izadi acknowledged subsidence in northern areas of Isfahan, adding that due to its close proximity to the city’s historic monuments there is “no guarantee” that subsidence will not affect the all-important sites. On the other hand, the Director of Cultural and Communications Affairs of Isfahan’s Cultural Heritage Organization has told Ham-Mihan daily that with the continuation of drought and the failure to establish a continuous flow of the Zayandeh Rud River, further subsidence will spread further in downtown Isfahan, describing it as an “incurable disease.” The report, citing the head of the Seismology and Engineering and Vulnerability section of the Research Center for Roads, Housing, and Urban Development, indicates that more than “2.7 million people” live in the “subsidence zones” of Isfahan, and over 400 registered historical buildings are located in these areas. Iran’s heavy industries, including steel, petrochemical and military complexes, are another factor that is depleting Iran of its waters. One solution lies in investing in Iran’s farming industry and transforming this highly potential sphere into mechanized farming to provide produce suitable to Iran’s land and climate. However, the mullahs’ regime is busy wasting billions of dollars in pursuit of nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, supporting regional terror groups, and meddling in Iraq, Lebanon and … Iran is also plagued by corrupt officials heavily involved in plundering the country’s water resources to sell abroad and pocket the hefty profits themselves.            

Iranian regime threatens Middle East with “hypersonic” missiles

Shahin Mahmoudi
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Iranian regime threatens Middle East with “hypersonic” missiles
The Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday unveiled a hypersonic missile. Hypersonic is a type of supersonic missile that can travel at Mach 15. Without providing any evidence, state media in Iran and IRGC officials  claim that this missile, named “Fattah,” can “penetrate all missile defense systems.” The range of this missile is reported to be 1,400 kilometers with a solid-fuel spherical type engine. The Fattah features a moveable secondary nozzle and uses solid propellants, allowing it to reach high speeds and “perform various maneuvers inside and outside the earth’s atmosphere,” according to the regime’s semi-official Fars News Agency, also described as the IRGC’s mouthpiece. The governments of the United States and United Kingdom responded to the IRGC’s claim of unveiling a hypersonic missile on Tuesday, emphasizing the need to counter the regime’s destabilizing actions in the region. ” The Biden administration has been very clear, very concise, and very firm on pushing back on Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region to include the development of an improving ballistic missile program,” said John Kirby, the Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, in response to a question about the IRGC’s “hypersonic missile”. “I’m not going to talk about the specific reports of this alleged hypersonic missile, but we have laid down very clear sanctions and other activities to push back on what Iran is doing in the region, again, to include their ballistic missile program,” Kirby added.

A Global Security Threat

The spokesperson of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office issued a statement also regarding the Iranian government and its missile program as a threat to the world. “Iran has announced the development of a new ballistic missile, despite repeated calls from the UN Security Council to halt its programme. This, only weeks after Iran claimed to have successfully test-launched a ballistic missile of similar capability, further proves its continued disregard of international restrictions and the grave threat posed by the regime to global security,” the statement reads in part. “Alongside partners, the UK remains committed to taking every diplomatic step to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and to hold the regime to account for its malign activity around the world,” the FCCDO statement concluded. The IRGC Air Force hosted the unveiling ceremony of the “Fattah” hypersonic missile with regime President Ebrahim Raisi also participating, state media reported. The name of this missile was chosen by regime Supreme Leader .Ali Khamenei himself, according to these reports. Raisi delivered a speech at this event, emphasizing on the importance of this development for the mullahs. “This missile power means that the region will be safe from evildoers and foreign aggression. Therefore, its message to the people of the region is a message of security, and to those who are thinking of attacking Iran is that the Islamic Republic is a powerful country, and its power aims to support the people of Iran and the oppressed people of the world,” he said. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, had previously claimed that the Fattah “can penetrate all missile defense systems, and I don’t think any technology able to counter it will be developed in the coming decades.” On February 24 the Iranian regime had made the announcement of acquiring a long-range missile. Hajizadeh used the occasion to lash out a threat to Europe. “We are capable of striking American warships up to 2,000 kilometers away, and this is also out of respect for the Europeans, whom we hope will maintain their own respect,” the IRGC Aerospace Force commander warned. Banners of the Fattah missile have been recently installed across the Iranian capital of Tehran claiming that the new hypersonic missile could reach Israel in 400 seconds.
A banner Tehran claiming that the new hypersonic missile could reach Israel in 400 seconds
A banner Tehran claiming that the new hypersonic missile could reach Israel in 400 seconds.
Hajizadeh had also claimed the production of a “new hypersonic missile” at the time saying that, in his belief, the U.S. “no longer has any superiority over Iran.” Amidst threats voiced by IRGC officials at such events, tensions between Tehran and the Washington over Iran’s nuclear program remain high, and the development of Iran’s missile program has become one of the important points of contention between the regime and the negotiating parties in reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA. In recent days, the Iranian regime’s Defense Ministry had announced another ballistic missile named “Khaybar,” which belongs to the regime’s “Khorramshahr” ballistic missile family.        

The Iranian regime lacks nuclear transparency

Mehdi Hosseini
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The Iranian regime lacks nuclear transparency
Iran has not acted as expected in terms of transparency regarding its nuclear program, said the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog at a press conference on Monday. Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, reported to the IAEA Board of Governors that Iran’s enriched uranium reserves at a level of 60 percent have reached over one ton in capacity. Grossi warned that cooperation with Tehran on better monitoring its nuclear program was “very slow,” saying “a lot more” needed to be done despite the fact that some cameras and other equipment had been reinstalled. At the beginning of the IAEA Board of Governors session in Vienna, Grossi emphasized the continuation of ambiguities at Iranian nuclear sites and insufficient cooperation with the agency. The IAEA Director-General stated that Tehran only cooperates with a certain request raised by of the agency’s nuclear inspectors. According to a March agreement between the Iaea and Tehran, the mullahs’ regime was supposed to show necessary cooperation with IAEA inspectors for transparency regarding the detection of uranium traces at three previously undisclosed locations. A few days ago, state media in Iran claimed that access to its “Abadeh site” had been granted to IAEA inspectors, adding this claim was published based on the statements of an “informed source.” However, during the Board of Governors’ session, Grossi dismissed the clarification of ambiguity regarding the Abadeh site, stating that the assessment by the inspectors of this location remains unresolved. The Abadeh site is located in Fars province, south-central Iran, where a project called “Marivan” has been underway. The Iranian opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) first revealed information about this site. Intelligence about the site in the city of Abadeh in Fars Province had first leaked in July 2019, but was not made available to inspectors until August 2020. In the meantime, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly razed the buildings at that site and initiated efforts to sanitize it.
Marivan site near the city of Abadeh
Marivan site near the city of Abadeh
In a report to member states last week, Grossi said Iran had explained the depleted uranium traces found at one site. Just prior to the Board of Governors’ meeting, excerpts from a confidential report by the agency were released by Reuters and French news agencies. The report stated that Iran’s estimated stockpile of enriched uranium stands at 4,744.5 kilograms, exceeding the permissible limit set in the 2015 nuclear deal by 23 times. According to the report, Iran has offered a “possible explanation” regarding the detected depleted uranium particles at the ‘Marivan’ site. As a result, the IAEA currently has no further inquiries regarding this matter, and it is no longer unresolved at this stage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Iran’s explanation was “technically impossible”, adding, “The agency’s capitulation to Iranian pressure is a black stain on its record.” Grossi suggested on Monday that Iran has been dragging its feet over the re-installation of monitoring equipment that was removed at Tehran’s behest a year ago. “What needs to happen now is a sustained and uninterrupted process that leads to all the commitments contained in the Joint Statement being fulfilled without further delay,” Grossi said in a statement to the IAEA board. The remarks of the IAEA Director-General come one day after Netanyahu’s warning and accusing the agency of “capitulation to Iranian pressure”.Grossi’s report to the IAEA Board of Governors has been selectively published in Iranian state media under the title of “Progress in Agreements.” These media outlets had previously reported that the issue of the discovery of 84 percent enriched uranium traces at the Fordow site in central Iran had been resolved based on technical explanations from Iranian authorities. However, Grossi emphasized in response to these claims that the issues are complex, and the IAEA has not yet reached a final conclusion. Robert Malley, the US Special Representative for Iran, recently stated that the military option is still on the table in order to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. However, he also added that Washington is still pursuing diplomatic solutions . The Iranian regime has a long history of pursuing its drive to acquire nuclear weapons while constantly concealing and lying to the world about its nuclear activities.  

Iran has sold $1 million in ammo to Russia

Esmaeil Mohades
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Iran has sold $1 million in ammo to Russia
The Iranian regime has sold ammunition to Russia worth more than one million dollars in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to a 16-page document obtained by Sky News. The document, reported to be 100 percent authentic by a security source , reveals Tehran’s sale of military ammunition to Moscow for the Ukraine war. Sky News, citing a knowledgeable security source, obtained a 16-page document indicating that Tehran has sold ammunition valued at approximately one million dollars to Moscow for the Ukraine conflict. While Sky News cannot independently verify the authenticity of the document, their informed sources have reportedly confirmed the news based on 100 percent reliable and credible documents. The content of the document, dated September 14, 2022, includes the sale of various types of ammunition, such as artillery and tank rounds, and missiles to Russia. Additionally, alongside the 16-page document, there is a five-page text of a $740,000 contract related to ammunition such as T-72 tank rounds, Howitzer artillery cannon rounds, and mortars. Sky News reports that the Russian and Iranian embassies in the UK have not responded to the news outlet’s request for comment on this matter. Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK, had previously raised concerns about such activities in an interview with Sky News. اHe also added that his country will take action once they are certain about the complete accuracy of this report. According to Sky News, based on the investigations conducted, these incidents appear to be samples of products prior to further shipments. Just a few weeks ago, , the Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, announced an increase in military cooperation between Russia and Iran, stating that Moscow had purchased 400 suicide/kamikaze drones from Tehran to prolong the Ukraine war. The UK Defense Ministry recently reported that Russia likely used at least 71 Iranian drones in the first quarter of this year during the war with Ukraine. Less than two months ago, the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Japan issued a statement calling on Iran to cease military assistance to the Russian military in the war against Ukraine. Tehran officials, while acknowledging the delivery of drones to Moscow, claimed that the Iranian drones were sent to Russia before February 2022, prior to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, and before the prohibition of arms transfers to Russia by the UN Security Council. They stated that these drones were not intended for use in the Ukrainian conflict. However, a closer look at the mentioned date in the recent document reveals that this Iran-Russia arms sales contract was signed months after the start of Moscow’s military aggression against Ukraine.    

Forecasting a “difficult year” for Iran

Jubin Katiraie
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Forecasting a “difficult year” for Iran
The official website of the Iranian regime’s presidency was taken over by Iranian dissidents in a significant security breach on May 29. They placed images of the Iranian Resistance leadership and slogans calling for the regime’s overthrow on the front pages of dozens of websites affiliated ot the Iranian regime presidency network. Reports are indicating that the Iranian presidency’s website and internal servers were targeted by a group of Iranian dissidents, self-described as “GhyamSarnegouni” (meaning “Rise to Overthrow” in Farsi). One particular leaked document sheds light on an economic outlook for 2023, warning of difficult circumstances that the “regime must prepare for.” One of these documents is a classified report sent by the “Country’s Economic Information and Advertising Headquarters” to different authorities, including the Office of the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The report focuses on “fuel consumption management,” concluding that the “current circumstances are unsustainable,” and “Iran’s gasoline reserves will last only five days.” As a result, the report warns, 2023 will be a “difficult year” for which preparations must be made. A second report, designated as “highly classified,” was sent by the “Deputy of Economic Information and Security and the Counter Corruption” of the Ministry of Intelligence to the Office of the Presidency, indicating that the equivalent of 3.625 billion euros has “sunk” in ten Iranian banks. These banks are accepting most of their foreign currency deposits in Chinese yuans, since they don’t have access to U.S. dollars or euros.

Iran’s gasoline reserves far lower than expected

The “Uprising until Overthrow” group recently released a classified document on the “decisions of the fourth session of the Country’s Economic Information and Advertising Headquarters” held on February 22. Sephre Khalaji, the head of this headquarters, prepared and sent this report to senior officials, including Khamenei’s Office. This session, focusing on the “reviewing the fuel consumption management plan,” was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Industry, State Radio and Television, the Ministry of Intelligence, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, the Judiciary, the Ministry of Oil, the Central Bank, the Ministry of Interior, and the Economic Security Police. The most important part of this document pertains to two reports indicating a severe gasoline shortage in the country and a significant decline in Iran’s strategic reserves. According to Khalaji, the country’s daily gasoline consumption has increased from 82 million liters before the Covid-19 pandemic to 104 million liters, resulting in a “severe reduction” in strategic gasoline reserves and a “reduced capacity to five days.”

“Current circumstances are unsustainable”

Highlighting the “unsustainability of the current situation,” the Deputy Minister of Oil stated that last year the country’s refineries were not even shut down for maintenance in order to operate at full capacity, and this year the situation will be “harsher.” The representative of the “Economic Security Police,” of the regime’s State Secruity Force (SSF), attributed the significant increase in gasoline consumption to “excessive consumption by domestic vehicles,” adding that fuel smuggling does not play a significant role in the rise in gasoline consumption. According to this official, imposing any restrictions on fuel cards for the people or gas station owners will not be effective. To resolve this matter, the country’s gasoline production capacity must increase, he adds. The Deputy Minister of Industry also emphasized that the “current circumstances are unsustainable” and it is necessary for the government to plan for the next year by creating consensus in governance. In April of this year, Reuters reported the import of 30,000 tons of Russian gasoline and diesel to Iran, and Ahmad Maroufkhani, the head of Iran’s Oil Exporters Union, announced that the country is importing each ton of Russian petroleum products $150 higher than global prices. In another part of his report to the “National Economic Information and Advertising Headquarters,” the deputy Minister of Oil stated: “Due to the country’s gas shortage, the consumption of polluting liquid fuels in power plants has increased from seven billion liters in the year 1398 (from March 21, 2019, to March 21, 2020) to 16 billion liters in the year 1400 (from March 2021 to March 2022) and peaked at 20 billion liters last year (from March 2022 to March 2023).” These statistics are significant considering the fact that in the past three years, the Ministry of Energy has no publishing any reports on the consumption levels of various types of fuel in Iran’s power plants. This particularly coincided with the peak of Mazut combustion in power plants. The Ministry of Energy’s reports also claim that the efficiency of the country’s power plants stands at 39 percent, while the Deputy Minister says the figure as “30 percent and lower,” adding that this year the country’s energy imbalance is “a serious issue”. The new power plants being launched in the country are mainly steam and gas-fired power plants with very low efficiency.

“A difficult year”

In a session of the “National Economic Information and Advertising Headquarters” a representative of the regime’s Ministry of Intelligence emphasized that 2023 will be a “difficult year” and that “we should be prepared for it from now on.” He mentioned that important measures are currently being implemented in four areas, including plans for “smartening the subsidy system for flour and bread,” “electronic coupons,” “gasoline,” and “foreign exchange market management.” In another segement of his remarks, the Intelligence Ministry representative also said, “When it comes to media coverage regarding various subjects, it is important to consider who presents the first narrative. Unfortunately, we are currently in a situation where in various subjects, the initial narrative is formed in opposition media. This is the result of weak information dissemination within the country.”

Three billion euros sunk in 10 Iranian banks

The severe sanctions imposed on the regime due to its terrorism and belligerence have cut Tehran off from the U.S. financial system have forced regime authorities to turn to countries such as China to sell oil at a significant discount and covertly receiving yuans or goods from China in return. The “Deputy Office of Economic Security and Counter Corruption” of the Ministry of Intelligence sent a “highly classified” report to regime President Ebrahim Raisi on May 14 titled “Residual Funds with Trustee Bankers of Banking Operator Companies.” On May 27 Raisi’s Office transferred this report to Mohammad Reza Farzin, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, to take “necessary action.” A table attached to this two-page report of the Ministry of Intelligence shows an increasing trend in the accumulation of foreign currency sunk in ten banks. It indicates that the deposits have increased from the equivalent of 3.349 billion euros last December to the equivalent of 3.625 billion euros in April, an increase of 276 million euros. In this context, “accumulation” refers to the stagnation of foreign currency in the bank accounts of certain companies, government institutions, and exporters, without being transferred to the market in timely fashion. This is significant considering the fact that the Iranian foreign exchange market has experienced severe fluctuations in recent months, and even the U.S. dollar has reached an all-time high of around 600,000 rials per dollar. One important issue mentioned in the report is that “the majority of the incoming currency to the banks is in the form of the ‘yuan’, which is in less demand compared to the dollar, euro, and dirham.”      

US Sanctions IRGC’s Foreign Terrorism, Intel Unit Chief

Shahin Mahmoudi
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US Sanctions IRGC’s Foreign Terrorism, Intel Unit Chief
The US government has imposed sanctions targeting the Chief of the Intelligence Unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other members and affiliates of the IRGC, as well as its foreign operational arms, in connection with transnational terrorism. These individuals have been accused by Washington of participating in terrorist plots outside of Iran against former US government officials, Iranian American dual citizens, and Iranian dissidents. The U.S. Treasury Department announced on June 1 through a statement that these sanctions target three individuals located in Iran and Turkey, a company affiliated with the IRGC’s Quds Force, and two senior officials of the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization. These individuals have played a role in “lethal foreign operations” against non-combatants, including journalists, the U.S. Treasury Department statement adds. One of the sanctioned individuals is Mohammad Reza Ansari, a longtime member of the Quds Force, is involved in supporting the operations of this force in Syria, according to the U.S. Shahram Poursafi, another Iranian citizen, is also among the sanctioned individuals and has been involved in planning and directing efforts to assassinate former US government officials. Poursafi had previously been accused by the U.S. Justice Department of conspiring to carry out and funding an international assassination plot. Furthermore, Hossein Hafez Amini, a dual Iranian and Turkish national based in Turkey, has also been sanctioned. He has used his connections in the Turkish aviation industry and his own airline company, the Turkey-based “Ray Airlines”, for the Quds Forces’ covert operations, including abduction and assassination plots against Iranian dissidents. This company has also come under U.S. sanctions. The U.S. Treasury Department has also imposed sanctions on two individuals associated with the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization, who have acted as a domestic and an international unit to target journalists, activists, Iranian dual citizens, and those who oppose the regime’s human rights violations. These two individuals are former IRGC-IO Counterespionage Department Chief Rouhallah Bazghandi, and the IRGC-IO Foreign Intelligence Chief Reza Seraj. Seraj previously served as the head of the Special Operations Unit of the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization and was responsible for a series of unsuccessful operations against Israeli citizens.
The IRGC-IO Foreign Intelligence Chief Reza Seraj
The IRGC-IO Foreign Intelligence Chief Reza Seraj
Additionally, Bazghandi has been involved in planning plots to assassinate journalists and Israeli citizens in Istanbul. According to these sanctions, all potential assets of these individuals and the sanctioned company in the U.S. will be frozen, and any dealings with them may result in “secondary sanctions” and penalties for both U.S. and non-U.S. individuals and entities. “The United States remains focused on disrupting plots by the IRGC and its Qods Force, both of which have engaged in numerous assassination attempts and other acts of violence and intimidation against those they deem enemies of the Iranian regime,” said Brian E. Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. “We will continue to expose and disrupt these terrorist activities and efforts to silence opposing voices, particularly those who advocate for respect for the universal human rights and freedoms of the Iranian people,” Nelson added. According to a recent report by Freedom House in Washington, the Iranian regime is one of the ten governments in the world that has the highest repression of dissidents abroad. This regime has also abducted some of its dissidents abroad in recent years and sentenced them to death, and in some cases, these sentences have been carried out. Furthermore, in recent years, Habib Farajollah Chaab and Jamshid Sharmahd, two dual citizens, were abducted outside of Iran and transferred back to the country. Mr. Chaab was executed some time ago, and the Iranian regime has also promised to carry out the death sentence for Sharmahd. Moreover, following the killing of former IRGC Quds Force chief Qasem Soleimani by the U.S., IRGC commanders have long threatened to assassinate senior Trump administration officials . The U.S. State Department designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization in 2019, and in recent months, a campaign has been gaining momentum in Europe, the United Kingdom, and Canada to also blacklist the IRGC.    

Iran’s Fruit Production: Exports High, Consumption Low, Prices Soar

Jubin Katiraie
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Iran’s Fruit Production: Exports High, Consumption Low, Prices Soar
Iran’s diverse climate, topography, and altitude give rise to a wide variety of fruits, ranging from tropical dates to those found in temperate and cold regions. In fact, Iran is one of the world’s top ten producers of 15 horticultural products. Despite producing four percent of the world’s agricultural products, Iran’s autocratic rule has led to the industry facing collapse. As a result, the Iranian people have one of the lowest rates of fruit consumption in the world. According to the report of the state-run Mardom Salary newspaper on April 24, “Iran is a leading producer of several high-quality agricultural products. The country holds the first place in the world in producing pistachio, barberry, caviar, saffron, stone fruits, and various types of berries. Additionally, Iran ranks second in the world in apricot production and third in cherry, melon, apple, and fig production. These impressive rankings are a testament to the country’s rich agricultural heritage and the hard work of its farmers.” According to the state-run Bazar website, as of July 25, 2023, Iran produces over 4.3 million tons of apples annually, with approximately one million tons of this fruit exported to other countries. These figures highlight the significant role that Iran plays in the global apple market and the country’s potential for further growth in the agricultural sector. And according to the state-run Taadol website on March 3, “Last year, apples were one of the most currency-earning agricultural products.” The price of exported apples from Iran has been relatively stable in recent years. For example, the price of exported apples was 34 cents a kilo last year and 28 cents in 2021. The Iranian regime has been exporting apples at similar prices in the past years. These figures demonstrate that the Iranian apple industry has maintained competitive pricing in the global market despite periodic fluctuations. On May 22, the wholesale price of good quality apples, which are even lower in quality than those exported, was 325,000 Rials or 64 cents in the Iranian fruit market. However, in fruit shops, the same apple can cost between 550,000 and 650,000 Rials, which is equivalent to between one and a half to two dollars. Even considering the lower price of 550,000 Rials as a base, Iranian citizens must pay three times the export price for apples. These figures highlight the significant disparity between the prices of apples in Iran and other countries, making it difficult for ordinary Iranians to access affordable and nutritious fruit. But how much do officials buy the same apple from the farmer? “Field investigations have revealed that the price of buying apples from farmers in Iran is 5,000 Rials per kilo, which becomes 30 times more expensive when it reaches the customer. In the fruit and vegetable markets, the price can reach at least 150,000 Rials per kilo. These findings demonstrate the significant markup that occurs as apples move through the distribution chain in Iran, resulting in higher prices for consumers,” the state-run media Khabar Online He wrote on October 12, 2021 The high prices of fruit in Iran can be attributed to brokers and middlemen who are affiliated with the government-linked mafia, and they control prices. These middlemen often take advantage of farmers and cause them to suffer significant losses, leading to the destruction of their livelihoods. In some cases, farmers are forced to throw away their crops due to inadequate pricing and being cut off from the supply chain, further exacerbating their plight. The involvement of these intermediaries highlights the need for greater transparency and fair market practices in the Iranian fruit industry. In many countries, governments purchase products from farmers at guaranteed prices or create processing factories for fruits to prevent spoilage. However, the clerical regime focuses solely on obtaining dollars. The regime sells the products, in this case, apple, at the world market rate and exports them to generate the necessary foreign currency. Unfortunately, Iranian farmers cannot buy agricultural inputs at exorbitant prices, leading to significant financial burdens. The Iranian government’s lack of support for farmers highlights the need for greater investment in the agricultural sector and the creation of policies prioritizing the well-being of farmers and the country’s food security.
Iran is a leading producer of several high-quality agricultural products
Iran is a leading producer of several high-quality agricultural products
During the parliament’s public session, MP Javad Nikbin said: “The Minister of Agriculture either does not live in Iran, does not deal with farmers, or is not interested in agriculture. The cost of agriculture has increased significantly due to exorbitant prices for fertilizers, which account for 50 to 80 percent of the total expenses. In the past, these fertilizers were 300percent  to 400 percent more expensive than their current prices. These high prices place a significant financial burden on Iranian farmers and hinder the growth and development of the agricultural sector. The government’s lack of attention to the needs of farmers highlights the need for greater investment and support in the industry.” As reported by the state-run Khabar Fouri website on April 30, the Iranian regime earned $215.9 million from the export of apples last year. This income was generated from the sale of 750 thousand to one million tons of apples. These figures demonstrate the significant role that apple exports play in the Iranian economy and the potential for further growth in the agricultural sector. Apple production is a water-intensive process, with each kilogram of ripe apples requiring approximately 700 liters of water. This means that producing 750 thousand tons of apples requires at least 500 million cubic meters of water. If freshwater is priced at one dollar per cubic meter, the value of the water alone is $500 million. The Iranian regime virtually and secretly uses this water, equivalent to $500 million, to produce and export apples, generating an income of $215 million. Unfortunately, the farmers who grow these apples receive a minimal share of the profits, if any at all. The Iranian government’s lack of support for farmers highlights the need for greater transparency and fair market practices in the agricultural sector.
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