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Wave of Faculty Exodus Reaches Iran’s Major Universities

Jubin Katiraie
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Wave of Faculty Exodus Reaches Iran’s Major Universities

Mohammad Jalili, head of the Faculty Recruitment Center at Iranian regime’s Ministry of Health, has warned that the exodus of faculty members has now reached the country’s major universities. According to Jalili, these professors either continue working in their fields outside the university system or leave the country altogether.

In an interview with the state-run Shafaqna website on Sunday, March 23, Jalili described the situation of faculty migration from medical universities as “deeply concerning.” He stressed that professors are among the country’s elite, in whom significant investments have been made, and that they should not be lost so easily.

He suggested measures such as elevating faculty members’ status and respect in society, improving their living and financial conditions, and easing the process of recruiting and retaining top talent as key solutions to prevent university professors from leaving.

Jalili noted that the departure of faculty members is visible across all universities in Iran. He stated: “We even have cases where individuals either do not get the opportunity to become faculty members or, if they are, they leave their positions to exit the university system. After that, they either work in their field outside academia or leave the country entirely.”

This is not the first time reports have emerged about the migration of experienced and distinguished university professors and other professionals in Iran.

The large-scale migration of university professors, doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals in recent years has fueled concerns about the future of Iran’s healthcare system.

The head of the Faculty Recruitment Center at the Ministry of Health admitted that no official or precise statistics exist regarding the number of faculty members leaving the country. However, he acknowledged that this issue has become a serious concern for many universities, both large and small.

Jalili pointed out that salary caps for faculty members at universities under the Ministry of Science have been removed. He expressed hope that the Ministry of Health would follow the same logic and lift the salary cap for faculty members at medical universities.

Jalili noted that the minimum salary for faculty members at medical universities is approximately 200 million rials (~$210), while their salary cap is around 600 million rials (~$630). He described this limit as “irrational” and stressed the need for its removal.

High Emigration Intentions Among Iranians

Mostafa Moein, former Minister of Science and head of the “Iranian Association for Ethics in Science and Technology,” stated in December 2024 that only 16% of Iranians do not consider emigration.

He further revealed that 53% of university professors, 45% of doctors and nurses, and 40% of students and graduates expressed a desire to emigrate.

Crackdown and Dismissal of University Professors

The dismissal of university professors in Iran has also been a controversial issue in recent years.

Mahmoud Sadeghi, a former member of parliament, reported in September 2023 that more than 1,500 university professors in Iran had faced “administrative punishment” for supporting the 2022 anti-regime uprising.

In September 2023, the newspaper Etemad published the names of 52 university professors who had been dismissed, forced into early retirement, suspended, or barred from teaching between September 2021 and September 2023.

 

Iran’s Rial Continues to Plummet in New Persian Year

Jubin Katiraie
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Iran’s Rial Continues to Plummet in New Persian Year

Foreign currency prices in Iran experienced a sudden surge, with the U.S. dollar rising by 50,000 rials compared to the last day of the Iranian year 1403 (March 21, 2025), surpassing the one-million-rial threshold.

According to Iranian exchange rate websites, on Tuesday, March 25, the U.S. dollar reached 1,035,000 rials, setting a new record in the history of the rial’s depreciation.

Since Masoud Pezeshkian took office in August last year, the Iranian rial has lost more than half its value. In late August, the U.S. dollar was around 580,000 rials.

USD Surpasses 940,000 Iranian Rials as Inflation Accelerates

The euro, the official currency of the European Union, also increased to approximately 1,190,000 rials, while the British pound was traded at 1,340,000 rials.

The rise in foreign currency prices occurred amid numerous reports in recent weeks about the potential for new negotiations between Iran’s regime and the United States to reach a fresh agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.

While the maximum pressure policy of Donald Trump’s second administration against Iran’s regime continues, the U.S. president has sent a letter to Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Iranian regime, which, according to Iranian officials, contains “opportunities and threats.”

The rise in the U.S. dollar’s value in Iran’s open market may indicate skepticism about the likelihood of renewed negotiations between Tehran and Washington and the lifting of sanctions, although both Iran’s regime and the U.S. claim to be in indirect contact through various channels.

The Iranian regime’s Foreign Minister stated that Donald Trump’s letter is under review and will be responded to soon.

 

Tehran Dismisses Statements by Iraq’s Oil Minister as Propaganda

Hoshang Amiri
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Tehran Dismisses Statements by Iraq’s Oil Minister as Propaganda

Following remarks by Iraq’s Oil Minister regarding the provision of information to the United States about Iran’s sanctions evasion, a senior official from the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Oil rejected these reports, calling them “negative and malicious propaganda.”

Hayan Abdul Ghani, Iraq’s Oil Minister, stated that Iranian oil tankers have been using falsified Iraqi documents to bypass sanctions and that this matter has been reported to the United States.

Without providing details, Abdul Ghani added that Baghdad has received reports regarding the seizure of oil tankers in the Persian Gulf by U.S. naval forces, which were carrying Iraqi documents.

However, Ali Mohammad Mousavi, the Iranian regime’s Deputy Minister for International Affairs and Commerce in the Ministry of Oil, stated on Monday, March 24: “Iran’s oil sales are conducted in full compliance with all recognized standards and criteria governing oil trade interactions.”

He added: “Such negative and malicious propaganda will have no effect on the determination of the Ministry of Oil in fulfilling its legal duties and responsibilities.”

The senior Iranian regime official also claimed that the statements of Iraq’s Oil Minister had been “incompletely reported” and that the issue of “the seizure of several Iranian oil tankers by the United States” was actually raised by American officials.

Iraq Informed the U.S. About Iranian Tankers Using Fake Iraqi Documents

The remarks by Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister come amid past reports indicating that Iranian oil has been exported using falsified Iraqi documents.

For example, Reuters reported in 2019 that the Grace-1 oil tanker had transported Iranian oil using documents indicating it had been loaded in Basra, Iraq.

On December 3, this news agency also reported that a complex fuel oil smuggling network operating in Iraq, benefiting the Iranian regime and its proxy groups, has generated between one to three billion dollars annually since the beginning of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani’s tenure in 2022.

On March 19 of last year, the Iraqi Navy announced the seizure of an Iranian vessel in the Persian Gulf on fuel smuggling charges, stating that the Iranian captain, eight Indian crew members, and two Iraqi crew members had been arrested.

On February 4, former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reinstate the “maximum pressure” policy against the Iranian regime, aiming to bring Iran’s oil exports down to zero in order to pressure Tehran into halting its nuclear program.

The U.S. government has also placed Iran’s Oil Minister under its sanctions list.

Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokesperson for the government of Masoud Pezeshkian, responded on March 17 to Washington’s decision to sanction Iran’s Oil Minister, stating that it is impossible to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero.

The Iranian regime’s Foreign Ministry also described the U.S. efforts to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero as “contrary to international law.”

Although sanctions on Iran-linked oil tankers began in October 2024, their intensity and precision have increased in recent months.

 

“No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign; Prisoners’ Hunger Strike in Iran

Sia Rajabi
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“No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign; Prisoners’ Hunger Strike in Iran

While the international community has repeatedly warned about the rising number of executions in Iran, new statistics reveal that in the Iranian year 1403 (March 21, 2024 – March 21, 2025), over 1,150 prisoners were executed in Iranian prisons.

According to a statement issued by the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, among those executed, 135 were Baluchi citizens, and 104 were Kurdish citizens. Additionally, 38 women were among those executed last year. Alongside these figures, five political and ideological prisoners were executed, and eight public executions were carried out.

This campaign, which has been active for over a year, announced in its 61st week that on Tuesday, March 25, prisoners in 38 prisons across the country will go on a hunger strike.

The Resistance of Prisoners with the “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign, 1,148 Executions in Less Than a Year

The “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign emphasized in its report that 85% of last year’s executions took place during the presidency of Masoud Pezeshkian. This highlights once again that different factions within the Iranian regime make no distinction in repression and carrying out executions, and the policy of mass executions continues.

Activists of this campaign, emphasizing their resistance against the death penalty, have called on all human rights organizations, civil institutions, political parties, and activists to take more concrete actions against this practice in the new year. They hope that the year 1404 (beginning on March 21, 2025) will mark the end of executions and repression and be a step towards freedom.

The “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, which operates weekly, has recently announced that prisoners in 38 different prisons across the country, including Evin, Ghezel Hesar, Greater Tehran, Adelabad in Shiraz, Urmia, Tabriz, and Mashhad, will join the hunger strike.

The mass execution of prisoners in Iran continues amid ongoing protests against harsh judicial rulings and the increasing execution rate. Many international organizations, including the United Nations and Amnesty International, have repeatedly called for an end to these repressive policies, yet the Iranian authorities persist in carrying them out.

With the continuation of the regime’s repressive policies and the rising wave of executions, concerns about escalating violence and the continuation of this trend in the new year have grown even more.

In their statement, they emphasized: “We, the members of the ‘No to Execution Tuesdays’ campaign, stand united, with one voice and with all our strength, against the inhumane death penalty. We call on all political parties, organizations, unions, activists, human rights defenders, civil groups, and justice seekers who care about ‘the right to life and human rights’ and oppose executions to take more practical and effective measures against executions in the new year. We hope that the year 1404 will mark the end of repression and executions and the beginning of freedom for Iran.”

 

Congress Begins Investigation into Iranian Regime’s Influence at Princeton University

Esmaeil Mohades
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Congress Begins Investigation into Iranian Regime’s Influence at Princeton University

The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce has launched an investigation into Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian regime diplomat and a professor at Princeton University.

According to Fox News, 12 Republican members of the committee have sent a letter to Christopher L. Eisgruber, the president of Princeton University, requesting an explanation regarding the Iranian regime’s influence through Mousavian’s activities at the institution.

Lisa McClain, a Republican representative from Michigan, who co-authored the letter with Jim Banks, stated:
“Higher education has bowed down to the radical left and enemies of America for far too long, and the mere fact that a former member of the Iranian regime is given a platform at Princeton is proof.”

Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian regime diplomat
Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian regime diplomat


Concerns about Mousavian intensified after he attended the 2020 funeral of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, and spoke about Soleimani on Iranian television in 2022. In that program, he claimed that an American official told him that the wife of Brian Hook, then U.S. Special Representative for Iran, had lost sleep for several nights out of fear of Iranian retaliation.

In response, Mousavian said, “The 10-second clip from my two-hour interview with Iranian TV was taken out of context.”

How Princeton Sacrificed Its Scholar To Maintain Ties With Tehran

Republicans in Congress have accused Mousavian of advancing Iranian interests in the U.S., a concern that grew after it was revealed that he had spoken at a symposium hosted by the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) in August 2023.

Republican lawmakers have also pointed to Mousavian’s background as the Iranian regime’s ambassador to Germany in the 1990s. They recalled that a Berlin court, in the case of the assassination of four Iranian dissidents at the Mykonos restaurant, identified the Iranian embassy as the center of planning for the attack. Mousavian has denied these allegations, stating that his name was not mentioned in the court ruling.

Republicans are now calling for action against Mousavian and others linked to the Iranian regime within the U.S. education system. Jim Banks, one of the signatories of the letter, has demanded Princeton University sever ties with Mousavian and also with Robert Malley, the former Biden administration’s envoy for Iran. Banks claimed:

“Mr. Mousavian is a longtime Iranian propagandist who only knows how to teach anti-Israel, antisemitic lies.”

However, Mousavian defended himself in an interview with Fox News, stating: “My work is just academic, and I have nothing to do with the U.S., Iran, or any other government.”

Despite multiple requests, Princeton University has so far refrained from commenting on the matter.

 

Iraq Informed the U.S. About Iranian Tankers Using Fake Iraqi Documents

Mehdi Hosseini
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Iraq Informed the U.S. About Iranian Tankers Using Fake Iraqi Documents

Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani stated that Iranian oil tankers have been using fake Iraqi documents to circumvent sanctions, and that this matter has been reported to the U.S.

Speaking on a television program, the Iraqi oil minister, without providing details, said that Baghdad had received reports about U.S. naval forces seizing tankers in the Persian Gulf that were carrying Iraqi documents.

He emphasized that Washington had been informed that these documents were fraudulent.

Over the years, there have been reports about Iran’s regime exporting oil using forged Iraqi documents.

For instance, in 2019, Reuters reported that the tanker Grace-1 transported Iranian oil under documents claiming it was loaded in Basra.

On December 3, 2024, Reuters also reported that a complex fuel smuggling network in Iraq, benefiting the Iranian regime and its proxy groups, had generated between $1 billion and $3 billion annually since the start of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani’s tenure in 2022.

On March 19, the Iraqi Navy announced the seizure of an Iranian vessel in the Persian Gulf for fuel smuggling, stating that the ship’s Iranian captain, eight Indian crew members, and two Iraqi crew members had been arrested.

Iranian Oil Shipments Stranded at Sea Without Buyers

On February 4, former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order to resume the maximum pressure policy against the Iranian regime and eliminate Iran’s oil exports to pressure Tehran into halting its nuclear program.

Meanwhile, on March 17, Fatemeh Mohajerani, spokesperson for the government of Iranian regime President Masoud Pezeshkian, responded to Washington’s decision to sanction Iran’s oil minister by stating that eliminating Iran’s oil exports is impossible.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the U.S. attempt to halt Iran’s oil exports, calling it “a violation of international legal principles.”

Although sanctions against Iran-linked oil tankers began in October 2024, their intensity and precision have increased in recent months.

Since December 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has placed special focus on targeting Iran’s covert fleet of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs).

These tankers, with a capacity of 300,000 tons—equivalent to two million barrels of crude oil—play a key role in Iran’s oil exports.

Iran’s regime seizes second oil tanker in a week in Persian Gulf waters

In recent years, the Iranian regime has also seized several foreign oil tankers in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

 

Repeated School Closures in Iran

Sia Rajabi
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Repeated School Closures in Iran

Ali Farhadi, the spokesperson for the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Education, warned that repeated school closures in Iran have had a negative impact on students’ learning quality.

On Saturday, March 22, in an interview with the official IRNA news agency, Farhadi stated that each day of school closure costs approximately 10 trillion rials, and online education cannot be an effective substitute for in-person learning.

He added that frequent school closures and reduced in-person teaching time have significantly harmed students’ learning quality and have prevented them from achieving satisfactory educational outcomes.

Schools in Many Provinces of Iran Closed Due to Cold Weather, Gas Shortages

In its report, IRNA highlighted the frequent school closures in 2024 due to air pollution, cold weather, and the energy crisis. Citing education officials and experts, the report stated that online education has caused serious academic and developmental setbacks.

Some provinces declared school closures for 72 out of 291 working days last year due to gas or electricity shortages. This figure does not include additional closures caused by the death of Ebrahim Raisi, natural disasters, and other incidents.

The Ministry of Education spokesperson emphasized in his interview that frequent school closures are not endorsed by the ministry.

Farhadi added, “The Ministry of Education has even opposed school closures in the Emergency Air Pollution Task Force, but final decisions are made collectively, and the ministry only has one vote.”

This is not the first time warnings have been issued regarding weak remote learning infrastructure, learning poverty, and declining student achievement in Iran.

Masoud Kabiri, a faculty member at the Iranian regime’s Education Research Institute, warned in January 2025 that two out of every five Iranian students lack effective learning, and 70% of boys in rural schools fail to reach the minimum expected learning level.

Rezvan Hakimzadeh, Deputy Minister of Primary Education, stated in November 2024 that 40% of students suffer from learning poverty, significantly reducing their chances of academic and professional success in the future.

He described learning poverty as a situation in which some students, despite attending school, fail to properly acquire basic literacy skills, including reading, writing, arithmetic, and speaking.

Gholam-Ali Afrooz, a professor at the University of Tehran, stated in November last year that only 70% of Iranian students who start elementary school complete high school.

 

At Least 104 People Executed in Iran Over Past Month

Jubin Katiraie
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At Least 104 People Executed in Iran Over Past Month

The Iranian regime hanged at least 104 people in prisons across the country between February 19 and March 20. According to these figures, nearly four executions took place per day on average last month.

On March 21, the human rights website HRANA released its latest monthly report on human rights violations in Iran, stating that at least 98 instances of the right to life violations (executions) were recorded between February 19 and March 20.

The news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) added that, in addition to executing 104 prisoners, the Iranian regime issued death sentences for at least 22 individuals and confirmed the death sentences of at least five others during this period.

Seventy-four people were executed in Iran in one month

HRANA highlighted the public hanging of a prisoner in Esfarayen and the death sentence issued for Sasan Shadman, an 18-year-old juvenile offender from Yasuj who committed murder at the age of 16, as some of the most significant cases of the right to life violations in March.

The issuance and execution of death sentences for individuals under 18 violate international human rights standards, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Iran is a signatory.

Iran is one of the few countries in the world that continues to issue and carry out death sentences for individuals under 18.

On March 19, HRANA published another report on human rights violations in Iran, stating that in the Iranian year 1403 (March 21, 2024 – March 20, 2025), the regime executed at least 1,050 people, including 29 women and five juvenile offenders.

According to this report, five of those executed were put to death in public.

Additionally, last year, 189 more individuals were sentenced to death, and the Supreme Court upheld the initial death sentences of 55 others.

The Resistance of Prisoners with the “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign, 1,148 Executions in Less Than a Year

The rise in the issuance, confirmation, and execution of death sentences in Iran in recent months has sparked widespread protests both domestically and internationally.

In the latest example of such reactions, Mai Sato, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, expressed concern in her first report about the Iranian regime’s use of executions as a tool for repressing the population.

On March 18, a group of families of political prisoners sentenced to death gathered in Sarab Park in the town of Sonqor, Kermanshah province, to protest the death sentences issued against their loved ones and other prisoners.

 

The Ongoing Electricity Crisis in Iran

Sia Rajabi
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The Ongoing Electricity Crisis in Iran

As the Iranian regime continues to struggle with the challenge of supplying electricity, Abbas Aliabadi, the regime’s Minister of Energy, called on the public to invest in Iran’s electricity industry projects as a way to escape the power crisis.

On Saturday, March 22, Aliabadi referred to the Iranian New Year’s theme designated by Ali Khamenei, the regime’s Supreme Leader, as the “Year of Investment for Production.” He stated that the Ministry of Energy is implementing “a specific program to attract small-scale public investments alongside large-scale investments.”

He added that with the establishment of an investment fund in the electricity industry, people will be able to participate in implementing electricity projects, including “major and strategic renewable energy projects,” by purchasing shares in the fund.

Iran Faces Worsening Power Shortages as Officials Contradict on Electricity Crisis

In his Nowruz (Persian New Year) message, Khamenei, without offering New Year greetings, described the past year as “strange and eventful” and named the new year the “Year of Investment for Production.”

Following this, vice president Mohammad Reza Aref established a special task force to implement this slogan, in line with previous administrations. Iranian media reported that this task force will consist of “executive agencies and related institutions.”

Last year, Khamenei had designated the year as the “Year of Production Leap with Public Participation.” However, economic indicators in Iran declined, the rial depreciated, and rampant inflation severely impacted the lives of citizens, particularly low-income groups.

Overall, the past year (from March 21, 2024, to March 21, 2025) had 291 working days, but some provinces declared 72 days of closures due to gas or electricity shortages.

Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian regime’s president, stated on March 15 in a meeting of Tehran Province’s Planning and Development Council regarding energy-related closures: “Only six days of the closures were due to energy shortages. The rest were unrelated, but we shut down industries more frequently.”

A review of regional and national regulations indicates that, contrary to Pezeshkian’s claim, 72 working days in various parts of the country were either fully or partially suspended. This figure does not include additional closures due to the death of Ebrahim Raisi, natural disasters, and other factors.

In recent months, many citizens have staged protests in various parts of the country against the Iranian regime’s inefficiency in energy supply and the frequent power outages.

 

Warnings About Iran’s Drought Crisis Coinciding with World Water Day

Mehdi Hosseini
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Warnings About Iran’s Drought Crisis Coinciding with World Water Day

Several Iranian media outlets, marking World Water Day, reported a significant decline in groundwater resources and reservoir levels, as well as the ongoing water crisis and drought. The Minister of Energy warned of a water crisis in the provinces of Isfahan, Tehran, Razavi Khorasan, and Yazd.

Abbas Aliabadi, Iran’s Minister of Energy, stated on Saturday, March 22, that five consecutive years of drought have led to a decline in the country’s water reserves.

He emphasized the importance of implementing water consumption management programs and water recycling initiatives, which are currently on the Ministry of Energy’s agenda.

Nearly three decades ago, the United Nations designated March 22 as World Water Day to raise awareness about sustainable water resource management and addressing water-related crises.

Drought Has Put Iran’s Environment at Risk

“Preserving Glaciers” has been chosen as the theme for World Water Day in 2025.

Mohammad Javanbakht, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Energy, stated that 93 permanent rivers in Iran are fed by natural glaciers. However, the volume and surface area of these glaciers in the Alborz and Zagros Mountain ranges—such as Alam-Kuh, Damavand, Sabalan, Zard-Kuh Bakhtiari, and Takht-e Soleyman—have been decreasing.

Citing statistical data, he noted that over the past decade, snow accumulation in Iran’s glaciers has decreased by approximately 30%, while snow production across the country declined by about 20% during the 2010s.

Iran’s Challenges in the Global Arid Belt

For Iran, which lies in the world’s arid and semi-arid belt, water management remains a critical issue, even without the additional impact of climate change.

The state-run ISNA news agency reported on Saturday, March 22, citing Reza Shahbazi, Director General of the Geological Hazards Office at the Geological Survey of Iran, that since 1998, Iran has entered a prolonged period of drought, with all water balance levels in continuous decline.

Over Extraction of Groundwater and Drought Crisis

Ezzatollah Raeesi Ardakani, a professor at Shiraz University, told ISNA that since 1966, the number of water extraction wells has increased, leading to the drying up of wells, qanats, and rivers.

According to him, Iran has entered years of critical drought.

According to conducted studies, 11 provinces—Isfahan, Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan, Khuzestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Fars, Kerman, Mazandaran, Hormozgan, Hamedan, and Yazd—are experiencing the highest levels of water stress in Iran.

Official statistics indicate that approximately 80% of the country’s groundwater resources have been consumed, and dam reserves are in a critical state.

Previously, some experts warned that Iran’s thousand-year-old groundwater reserves have been depleted over the past three decades.

Repeated Warnings About Dam Reserves

On March 22, ISNA, in another report, referred to the condition of the Zayandeh Rud River, stating that in the current water year, inflows to its dam were 19% lower than last year and 53% below the long-term average, leading to a sharp decline in water reserves.

Previous reports have suggested the possibility of water rationing, particularly in the provinces of Tehran and Isfahan.

Hamid Ehsani, CEO of the Semnan Regional Water Company, described the water crisis in the province as severe on March 22, stating that half of the province’s dam reservoirs are empty.

In recent weeks, warnings about water shortages, emptying dam capacities, and the worsening drought crisis have intensified.

Isa Bozorgzadeh, spokesperson for the water industry, warned on March 18 about the significant drop in reservoir water levels and the critical condition of key dams in Iran. He stated that the usable volume of the Karaj Dam reservoir has been reduced to nearly half, with a large portion consisting of dead volume and sediment.

According to him, the Lar Dam has nearly dried up, while the Latyan, Taleqan, and Mamloo dams have experienced a 46% decrease in rainfall compared to the normal level and a 25% decrease compared to last year.

 

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