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Ministry Of Labor: 57% Of Population Suffering From Malnutrition

Jubin Katiraie
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Ministry Of Labor: 57% Of Population Suffering From Malnutrition

An official from the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare has issued a warning about the “malnutrition” of the Iranian people, presenting new statistics that suggest a “humanitarian disaster” is unfolding in the country.

Hadi Mousavi Nik, the Director General of Social Welfare Studies at the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, said that 57 percent of the Iranian population suffers from malnutrition and does not receive the required 2,100 calories per day.

The official’s remarks were published on news website 90eghtesadi on July 10.

He added that this number of calories is the minimum daily requirement for humans, which the World Bank considers for refugees in refugee camps.

Mousavi Nik also stated that among the malnourished population in Iran, 14.5 million children, including 10 million children under the age of 12, are affected.

This figure presented by the government official is significantly higher than previous statistics.

In November 2022, Iranian media reported that according to statistics from the Ministry of Health, 800,000 Iranian children were suffering from malnutrition, equivalent to 15 percent of the country’s children.

At that time, the official IRNA news agency wrote that these Iranian children “are generally facing a shortage of energy and protein, as well as a lack of micronutrients.”

Meanwhile, Mohammad Taghi Hosseini Tabatabai, the scientific secretary of the 18th Emergency and Common Diseases of Pediatric Medicine conference, also announced that based on studies, four provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan, Hormozgan, Ilam, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad have high rates of short stature, underweight, and malnutrition.

In addition to the malnutrition of children, various reports in recent years have shown a significant increase in the price of protein foods like red meat in Iran, causing many impoverished and even middle-class families to reduce their consumption of protein.

Two months ago, the state-run Etemad newspaper published a field report on the state of buying and selling poultry in Iran, which showed that some citizens were unable to buy this type of white meat.

Reporters for the newspaper encountered various issues at poultry and meat stores in several locations in Tehran, from bartering to working for a few pieces of chicken.

Warning from the Parliamentary Research Center about the spread of poverty

In its latest report, the Parliamentary Research Center has warned that if the experience of the 2010s is repeated in the Seventh Development Plan, “redistributive policies” will not lead anywhere, and the poverty rate will experience an increasing trend.

This center has announced in its report: “To achieve high growth and improve productivity, policymakers must abandon price control policies to control inflation in order to fundamentally resolve the problem of inflation.”

This research institution has recommended to the regime’s officials that in the current situation, the country needs “to increase the production of new foreign exchange resources and strategic investment.”

The Parliamentary Research Center has also called for the “reform of the banking network with the aim of financing productive investments” and has written: “The health of the banking network has a direct relationship with its ability to provide facilities and its stability.”

This is happening while in recent years, according to numerous government and judicial reports, corruption in Iran’s banking system has increased, and domestic production has given way to imports, especially from China.

Iran: Poverty Line Reaches 300m rials

Sia Rajabi
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Iran: Poverty Line Reaches 300m rials

Following the Ministry of Labor’s rejection of the proposal to increase the minimum wage for workers, the government-linked ILNA news agency reports that even families with two employed members are still living below the poverty line in Iran.

According to the decision of the Labor Council, the minimum wage for single and inexperienced workers is set at 73 million rials (approximately $146), and for workers with two children, it is 85 million rials (approximately $170), only 21 percent higher than last year.

On June 18, ILNA reported that these figures only cover one-third of household expenses.

Last year, the Ministry of Labor announced in a report that one-third of the country’s population is below the poverty line. Recently, the Research Center of the regime’s majlis (Parliament) also reported that 30 percent of the population is below the poverty line.

The 21-percent increase in workers’ wages is announced while the official point-to-point inflation rate in Iran is announced to be 63 percent, and Mohammad Bagheri Banaee, a member of the parliament’s economic commission, also says that the poverty line has reached 300 million rials in Tehran.

ILNA writes that the poverty rate in Tehran is 300 million rials (approximately $600), and in other cities, it is about 240 million rials (approximately $480), with a difference of 20 percent. Therefore, a family with two employed members cannot afford the minimum cost of living.

Recently, a member of the Supreme Labor Council criticized the government regime president Ebrahim Raisi, saying that “tangible inflation” for Iranian workers and their families in the spring of 2023 is between 70 percent to 100 percent.

On June 7, in response to the statements of three labor representatives regarding the government’s promise to review the minimum wage if the inflation rate does not decrease to 27 percent, Soulat Mortazavi, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, said, “I did not make such a promise.”

His statements come while Ali Khodayi, a member of the Supreme Labor Council, had previously said that in the council’s meeting to determine the minimum wage for workers, the Minister of Labor signed a document stating that if the government’s promises regarding inflation fail, the wage will be adjusted.

Bahram Hassani-nejad, a labor activist and former secretary of the Chador Malu Mining Workers’ Association in Yazd province central Iran, told ILNA news agency that the rent for a small 60-square-meter apartment in central Tehran is not less than 150 million rials per month.

Meanwhile, the latest statistics from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have also reported a significant decline in domestic consumption of dairy and meat in Iran.

Previously, numerous reports in domestic and foreign media have reported on increasing poverty and the inability of Iranians to buy meat, dairy, and many essential food items, as well as housing and basic necessities. Even on May 19 Nasser Nabi-pour, the head of the Union of Egg-Laying Chicken Producers, announced that since the purchasing power for red meat and chicken has decreased, people show more interest in buying eggs, leading to an increase in domestic consumption and a halt to exports.

Mohammad Ali Kamali, a senior advisor to the Iranian Poultry Farmers Union, also said on June 6 that since the “popularization of subsidies” in May 2022, the country’s chicken consumption has dropped by six kilograms per person, or 12 percent.

Some regime officials have also recently referred to the poor living conditions in Iran, including Ali Agha Mohammadi, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, who said in late May of this year that based on estimates, 19.7 million Iranians are deprived of basic living facilities such as housing, employment, health, food, and clothing.

This is while according to official and international statistics, during the past two years, with consecutive record-breaking inflation and a decline in the value of the national currency, unemployment, and marginal growth in wages compared to inflation, the poverty situation in the country has become worse, and as a result, the absolute poverty statistics of the country and individuals who are deprived of basic living facilities are estimated to be almost twice as much as what Agha Mohammadi has suggested.

Britain, France, Germany: Tehran’s nuclear program has reached a dangerous level

Mehdi Hosseini
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Britain, France, Germany: Tehran’s nuclear program has reached a dangerous level

Following a United Nations Security Council meeting on Thursday regarding Resolution 2231 on Iran’s nuclear program, Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement in which they raised an alarm that the Iranian regime has been violating its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) for over four years. As a result, Tehran’s nuclear program has now become “dangerous.”

These European countries emphasized that this issue is a critical concern for international peace and security.

During a special session on July 6, the United Nations Security Council discussed not only Tehran’s uranium enrichment program but also its military cooperation with Russia, missile program, and regional policies.

UN officials at the meeting stated that the regime’s stockpile of enriched uranium has currently exceeded the JCPOA limits by more than 20 times. They urged the regime to refrain from any actions that go against its commitments outlined in the JCPOA.

The JCPOA, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, is attached to UNSC Resolution 2231.

The recent statement by Britain, France, and Germany states that Iran’s possession of 20% and 60 percent enriched uranium stockpiles is “unprecedented” for a country without a nuclear weapons program. It has been previously stated that enrichment at such levels has no legitimate non-proliferation justification.

In March, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported the discovery of highly enriched uranium particles in Iran’s Natanz facility. The recent statement highlights that such advanced enrichment levels raise serious concerns and are not in line with the JCPOA or even the levels reported to the Agency.

The statement also mentions that Iran’s research and development activities have resulted in irreversible scientific achievements, which the JCPOA aimed to limit. It further states that Iran has withheld reporting changes in the configuration of centrifuges in Natanz to the Agency since 2009.

The three European countries assert that Iran lacks a valid non-proliferation justification for escalating tensions. They express concern that Tehran’s activities are increasingly bringing it closer to military capabilities, which poses a significant threat to international peace and security.

The statement also addresses the regime’s missile program and the transfer of missiles and drones to countries and non-state actors in the region and beyond. It states that Iran continues to produce ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, which violates Resolution 2231. The statement adds that regime’s proliferation of arms to non-state actors in the Middle East endangers the region and the international community. It refers to “convincing” evidence that Iran is supplying prohibited weapons to non-state actors, which is unauthorized and violates the UN Security Council resolution.

The European countries also highlight the transfer of “hundreds of drones” from Iran to Russia since August 2022. They describe this as another violation and warn Iran’s regime about further delivery of drones to Russia, knowing that Moscow intends to use them for potential attacks on Ukraine.

The European countries condemn the regime’s continuous disregard for its commitments under Resolution 2231. They call upon the United Nations Secretary-General to instruct the UN Secretariat to investigate and report on evidence regarding the transfer of arms, materials, equipment, goods, technology, or related services by Tehran, in accordance with Resolution 2231.

The European countries reiterate their commitment to finding a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis with the regime. They emphasize that Iran’s regime must never develop nuclear weapons and should cease its nuclear activities that raise tensions. They also highlight that other restrictions imposed by relevant Security Council resolutions after the expiration of Resolution 2231 in October will remain in force.

 

Regime’s Negligence Amplifies Iran’s Air Pollution Crisis

Sia Rajabi
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Regime’s Negligence Amplifies Iran’s Air Pollution Crisis

The United Nations experts have coined the term “the tragedy of air pollution” to describe the dire state of air pollution in Iran. Shockingly, the Center for Air Pollution Research at Tehran University of Medical Sciences reveals that approximately 40,000 people in Iran lose their lives each year due to respiratory infections, lung cancer, and heart attacks caused by air pollution-related issues. This alarming statistic is expected to rise as environmental experts observe a deteriorating situation. Iran’s excessive consumption of mazut, a highly polluting and low-quality fuel, to compensate for natural gas shortages exacerbates the problem.

Burning Mazut and Toxic Emissions:

The combustion of mazut results in the release of toxic gases, including sulfur dioxide, which leads to various diseases and premature deaths. David R Boyd, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, describes Iran’s current state as an air pollution disaster with high levels of particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere.

Inadequate Fuel Standards and Mismanagement:

The Article 90 Commission of the Iranian Parliament highlights a significant increase in mazut consumption across the country. Out of 16 power plants, 14 rely on mazut as fuel. Shockingly, the commission confirms that the delivered fuels do not adhere to the required standards. Furthermore, the report underscores the failure of government ministries and institutions, such as the Ministry of Energy, to incorporate renewable energy sources into the country’s electricity supply. The lack of implementation of government laws and regulations, particularly in major cities, further exacerbates the air pollution crisis, representing a significant challenge.

Ineffectiveness of Environmental Organizations and Ministries:

Despite the Clean Air Law’s existence, the Environmental Organization responsible for implementing 60 legal decrees has failed to enforce more than 10 percent of them. The Ministry of Industry, Mining, and Commerce, despite being aware of the major role outdated industries and transportation play in Tehran’s air pollution, has not taken appropriate actions to address the issue. Similarly, the Ministry of Oil has failed to implement necessary standards for the use of mazut fuel in power plants and has supplied various fuels, including gasoline, gas oil, kerosene, and white oil, without adhering to approved national standards.

Economic and Budgetary Considerations:

The World Bank, in 2018, declared Tehran’s air as one of the most polluted in the world and estimated the annual cost of air pollution-related diseases in Iran to be around $2.6 billion. This figure, however, does not account for the costs incurred due to reduced agricultural productivity and school closures. Unfortunately, despite a 40 percent increase in the budget for the year 2023, the allocated funds for combating air pollution have nearly halved to approximately three million dollars at the official exchange rate, raising concerns about the government’s commitment to addressing the crisis.

Root Causes and the Need for Change:

The excessive consumption of mazut and the ongoing environmental crisis in Iran stem from a combination of political and managerial failures. The regime’s neglect and disregard for scientific principles while exploiting natural resources without accountability have led to environmental degradation and public dissatisfaction. To address the deep-rooted issues, it is imperative to remove the root cause, which lies within the current regime. The people of Iran, well-aware of the regime’s culpability, demand a change that prioritizes the preservation of their environment and the well-being of all living beings.

Iran’s air pollution crisis represents a dire situation that demands urgent attention and corrective action. The excessive burning of mazut, inadequate fuel standards, mismanagement by government ministries, and the failure to enforce environmental regulations have resulted in severe health consequences and economic losses. To safeguard Iran’s environment and protect its citizens, a comprehensive national plan and a commitment to renewable energy sources are imperative. Additionally, removing the root cause, the existing regime, is necessary to establish responsible governance that prioritizes environmental preservation and the welfare of the Iranian population.

Leaked Confidential Letter Urges Iran Regime’s President to Shut Down Internet and Social Networks

Hoshang Amiri
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Leaked Confidential Letter Urges Iran Regime’s President to Shut Down Internet and Social Networks

In a recently leaked classified letter exchanged among the Iranian regime’s leaders and commanders during last year’s protests, Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, expressed concerns about the detrimental impact of the internet, social networks, and virtual space on the regime. He urgently called on the regime’s President Ebrahim Raisi to take decisive action and shut them down.

On June 27, a dissident group named “Ghiam ta Sarnegouni” (meaning “Uprising Until Regime Overthrow”) made the contents of Hossein Salami’s letter regarding the internet shutdown public. In the letter, Salami highlighted the need to permanently block access to this harmful virtual space due to prevailing security conditions.

Salami emphasized the necessity of preventing foreign social networks from operating with significant influence for several years, citing the unregulated nature of the virtual space as the rationale. Remarkably, Salami’s request to regime’s president Raisi aligns perfectly with the statements made by the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the day the letter was published.

During a meeting with senior judiciary officials, Khamenei stressed the importance of planned measures to address both the virtual and non-virtual spheres. This further supports Salami’s proposition.

However, opposition has arisen concerning the shutdown of social networks. Salami, the author of the letter amidst nationwide protests and the subsequent blocking of messaging apps and foreign social networks, pointed out that most detained individuals during the protests are impressionable young people whose mental constructs differ greatly from reality due to exposure to foreign virtual networks.

Salami expressed deep concerns about potential adversaries who exploit artificial intelligence tools and data processing techniques to gather information about people’s virtual space usage. He fears that these enemies could manipulate preferences and conduct targeted operations to steer individuals towards foreign values and ideals.

Salami criticized certain regime officials who perceive blocking foreign social networks as a temporary and tactical measure and called for their release. He emphasized the need to strengthen domestic networks over the course of several years before considering “competing with foreign capabilities in a managed manner and with appropriate policies,” as stated in his letter.

Furthermore, Salami indirectly held those within the regime opposing the shutdown of virtual spaces and internet restrictions indirectly responsible for the loss of Basij forces’ lives and the heavy costs incurred in the “defense of the revolution.” The Basij is a paramilitary force affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards and plays a significant role in suppressing protests.

While Salami claims that the armed forces bear the burden of suppressing protesters without firearms and face bullets and attacks from enemies of the revolution, contradicting evidence exists as hundreds of protesters and others have been killed by bullets fired by regime forces during violent crackdowns.

The Commander of the Revolutionary Guards considers the prolonged restriction of people’s access to the internet and social networks in the coming years as a “critical measure” comparable to the downfall of the previous regime.

Under Raisi’s government, as per a decision by the Supreme National Security Council, internet access has been severely limited, and in certain provinces such as Kurdistan and Sistan and Baluchestan, internet access has even been completely cut off. Additionally, popular platforms like Instagram and the messaging app WhatsApp have been filtered.

However, it is worth noting that many regime officials, including the office of Khamenei, continue to use virtual space and foreign networks to disseminate government messages and propaganda.

During a meeting with the head of the judiciary and judicial officials, Khamenei called for judiciary action against those who manipulate public sentiment in virtual and non-virtual spaces, deeming it contrary to the preservation of public rights. Khamenei emphasized the need for planned interventions within the bounds of rules, discipline, and careful planning.

The regime has consistently failed in its attempts to restrict people’s internet access in recent years, highlighting the challenges in implementing effective measures.

 

Classified Letters Reveal Iranian Regime’s Secret Security Budgets

Esmaeil Mohades
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Classified Letters Reveal Iranian Regime’s Secret Security Budgets

On June 26, a dissident group called “Ghiam ta Sarnegouni,” meaning “Uprising Until Regime Overthrow,” made public the contents of two classified letters related to the requested budgets of religious and security institutions within the Iranian regime. These letters urged the allocation of substantial funds from the general budget to compensate for the damages resulting from the nationwide uprising that took place last year.

In one of the letters, the Secretary of the National Security Council wrote to the former Head of the Planning and Budget Organization, requesting an allocation of $18 million to cover security expenses. The letter emphasized the need for these funds due to the widespread disturbances across various provinces, ongoing unrest, and the financial resources required to manage the aftermath of the incidents.

The highly classified letter was dated October 15, 2022, only four weeks after the start of the uprising in Iran. While the exact time frame for this requested budget remains unclear, it is likely that further funds were allocated to the Ministry of Interior and other security and military institutions of the government in light of ongoing unrest after the letter’s submission.

The second letter, signed by the Chairman of the Policy-Making Council of Friday Prayer Leaders, was addressed to the regime’s president. It requested an allocation of $600,000 to compensate for damages caused by attacks on the offices and residences of Friday Prayer leaders in 58 locations across 15 provinces on December 13, 2022. The classified letter emphasized the necessity of equipping these locations with surveillance cameras and other security measures.

It is worth noting that the regime views the extensive protests of the previous year, which began after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the Tehran Morality Police, as disruptive, alongside numerous other protests against its rule. The regime continues to grapple with the consequences of these events.

Ghiam ta Sarnegouni has recently released a significant number of confidential and highly confidential documents from the security, political, and military institutions of the regime. In one such letter dated November 8, 2022, marked as top confidential, Ali Shamkhani, the former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, warned the regime’s Supreme Leader about the repercussions of the formation of the Committee of Truth Seekers by the United Nations Human Rights Council. This committee was established to investigate the unrest and killing of protesters, and Shamkhani urged the government to prevent its formation. However, the Human Rights Council proceeded with assembling the committee, and the Iranian regime subsequently announced its refusal to cooperate with it.

Although the recent release of documents by the Ghiam ta Sarnegouni group is not unprecedented, it highlights the underlying insecurity and flawed chain of command within Tehran, despite recent reshuffling and dismissals within the regime’s intelligence apparatuses. The regime’s power is being undermined by a discontented society, which has intensified attacks on symbols of the regime, as well as its repressive and propaganda structures.

Free Iran 2023 World Summit Calls for a Global Rally

Jubin Katiraie
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Free Iran 2023 World Summit Calls for a Global Rally

The Free Iran World Summit 2023, held in Paris on July 1, 2023, and organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), was attended by thousands of participants from different countries who came to support the Iranian people’s struggle for a democratic republic and to condemn the Iranian regime’s human rights violations and support for terrorism.

The summit aimed to unite the international community in support of the Iranian people’s fight for a democratic and secular republic. The event saw speeches from several prominent figures, including former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper, former Speaker of the Federal Parliament of Germany Rita Süssmuth, former Speaker of the House of Commons in the UK John Bercow, former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton, and former advisor to U.S. presidents General James Jones. Also speaking at the event were Bernard Kushner and Michèlle Alliot-Marie, and Hubert Vèdrine, former foreign ministers of France; Senator Giulio Terzi, former Foreign Minister of Italy; John Baird, former Foreign Minister of Canada; Dr. Liam Fox, former Secretary of Defense of the UK; General Wesley Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, and Senator Joseph Lieberman, Lance Gooden, U.S. Congressman from Texas, and Raul Ruiz, U.S. Congressman from California. Ms. Liz Truss, former Prime Minister of the UK.

The summit was attended by over 1,000 dignitaries from around the world, including parliamentarians, lawmakers, jurists, and human rights activists, who came to show their support for the Iranian people. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the NCRI, gave the keynote address at the summit, where she emphasized the need for a democratic republic in Iran and condemned the regime’s human rights violations and support for terrorism. Rajavi called on the international community to support the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and democracy and to hold the regime accountable for its crimes against humanity.

The summit witnessed speeches and discussions by politicians and lawmakers from over 50 countries.

The event was also marked by a photo exhibition that highlighted the regime’s human rights abuses, including the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. Iranian expatriates demonstrated at the summit calling for a free Iran. The summit concluded with a statement by Maryam Rajavi, in which she once again stressed the need for regime change in Iran and the establishment of a democratic republic.

The summit was a call for the international community to unite in support of the Iranian people’s fight for a democratic republic. The event highlighted the importance of holding the regime accountable for its crimes against humanity and urged the international community to support the Iranian people’s quest for freedom and democracy. The summit emphasized the need for solidarity among the international community to achieve the goal of a democratic republic in Iran.

 

Classified Letters Reveal Iranian Regime’s Secret Security Budgets

Shahin Mahmoudi
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Classified Letters Reveal Iranian Regime’s Secret Security Budgets

On June 26, a dissident group called “Ghiam ta Sarnegouni,” meaning “Uprising Until Regime Overthrow,” made public the contents of two classified letters related to the requested budgets of religious and security institutions within the Iranian regime. These letters urged the allocation of substantial funds from the general budget to compensate for the damages resulting from the nationwide uprising that took place last year.

In one of the letters, the Secretary of the National Security Council wrote to the former Head of the Planning and Budget Organization, requesting an allocation of $18 million to cover security expenses. The letter emphasized the need for these funds due to the widespread disturbances across various provinces, ongoing unrest, and the financial resources required to manage the aftermath of the incidents.

The highly classified letter was dated October 15, 2022, only four weeks after the start of the uprising in Iran. While the exact time frame for this requested budget remains unclear, it is likely that further funds were allocated to the Ministry of Interior and other security and military institutions of the government in light of ongoing unrest after the letter’s submission.

The second letter, signed by the Chairman of the Policy-Making Council of Friday Prayer Leaders, was addressed to the regime’s president. It requested an allocation of $600,000 to compensate for damages caused by attacks on the offices and residences of Friday Prayer leaders in 58 locations across 15 provinces on December 13, 2022. The classified letter emphasized the necessity of equipping these locations with surveillance cameras and other security measures.

It is worth noting that the regime views the extensive protests of the previous year, which began after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the Tehran Morality Police, as disruptive, alongside numerous other protests against its rule. The regime continues to grapple with the consequences of these events.

Ghiam ta Sarnegouni has recently released a significant number of confidential and highly confidential documents from the security, political, and military institutions of the regime. In one such letter dated November 8, 2022, marked as top confidential, Ali Shamkhani, the former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, warned the regime’s Supreme Leader about the repercussions of the formation of the Committee of Truth Seekers by the United Nations Human Rights Council. This committee was established to investigate the unrest and killing of protesters, and Shamkhani urged the government to prevent its formation. However, the Human Rights Council proceeded with assembling the committee, and the Iranian regime subsequently announced its refusal to cooperate with it.

Although the recent release of documents by the Ghiam ta Sarnegouni group is not unprecedented, it highlights the underlying insecurity and flawed chain of command within Tehran, despite recent reshuffling and dismissals within the regime’s intelligence apparatuses. The regime’s power is being undermined by a discontented society, which has intensified attacks on symbols of the regime, as well as its repressive and propaganda structures.

The Corruption and Power Struggles Within Iran’s Car Market

Mehdi Hosseini
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The Corruption and Power Struggles Within Iran’s Car Market

In continuation of the ongoing exploitation of the Iranian people, the regime’s parliament has finally passed a bill that gives the approval to import used cars.

These lethal vehicles, priced in the billions of tomans, claim thousands of lives each year, all serving the interests of the car mafia and the ruling elite who control this lucrative market.

The exorbitant price hikes in the car market have long posed a challenge to the regime. Under the pretense of “supporting domestic cars,” the regime has banned the import of foreign vehicles, essentially providing the car mafia with an opportunity to manipulate prices as they please for domestic cars.

Nevertheless, in order to maintain its control and dominance in the car market, the regime resumed importing new foreign cars at the beginning of 2022.

Recent months have seen a surge in protests among Iranian citizens due to the skyrocketing prices of low-quality cars produced by the regime.

To alleviate the public outcry, the regime’s parliament approved the bill on organizing the Automobile Industry on June 19, 2023.

Article 11 of this resolution allows importing used cars less than five years old to regulate the car market.

Jalal Rashidi Kochi, a member of parliament and part of the country’s internal affairs group, addressed the 171% tax increase that has contributed to the surge in car prices.

He pointed out that these high tariffs have effectively prevented cars from becoming more affordable, keeping the car market under the tight control of the regime. He further mentioned that a 4% customs duty will be imposed on imported cars, affecting their final price.

These actions to control the car market comes amidst allegations made by Reza Fatemi Amin, the former minister of the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, during his impeachment, where he repeatedly referred to the existence of a “car mafia” and accused them of manipulating prices and controlling the market.

However, Rashidi Kochi’s statements reveal intense competition between the government and other influential entities linked to the regime’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) in the car market. This battle persists despite the approval of the used car import bill.

Rashidi Kochi mentioned that Cruise Company, a major shareholder in Iran Khodro and Saipa, the two largest automobile companies in the regime, holds significant power and plays a decisive role in the car market. The specific agency of the regime to which the Cruise Company belongs was not disclosed.

Rashidi further highlighted that a 100% car import tariff, coupled with restrictions on the dollar price and engine capacity of imported cars has led to the TIGGO 8, priced at 800 million tomans in Gulf countries, being sold in Iran for 4.5 billion tomans.

In the corridors of the parliament, numerous lobbyists representing the car market mafia endeavor to obstruct the liberalization of car imports. Their objective is to sell cars to citizens at prices significantly higher than global rates through their domestically assembled products.

Another member of the regime’s parliament, Lotfollah Siahkoli, stated that the government will oppose the parliament’s resolution to increase import tariffs and reduce the number of cars entering the country.

Essentially, while the government claims to combat the car mafia, it is, in fact, complicit within this very mafia. Their intention is to amass profits by imposing high tariffs on imports and customs duties, ultimately enriching themselves at the expense of the people.

“Khamenei’s Warning Reveals the Divide Between Iran’s Intelligence Agencies”

Jubin Katiraie
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“Khamenei’s Warning Reveals the Divide Between Iran’s Intelligence Agencies”

On June 22, the Fars news agency, affiliated with Iran’s regime’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), published a message from Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, addressed to a joint meeting of the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Organization. This meeting reportedly took place on June 15 in Mashhad.

In his message, Khamenei acknowledged the existence of disputes between these two parallel intelligence agencies within the regime and emphasized that a lack of understanding between them is one of their weaknesses.

He stated that intelligence is a crucial national matter, and the lack of understanding among these groups hampers their effectiveness. Khamenei called for the implementation of this understanding at all levels, emphasizing that it is essential for those who fight for the cause of God. While there is a serious understanding at the leadership level of these institutions, the real challenge lies in implementing cooperation and understanding throughout their ranks.

The internal disputes between the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence are rooted in differing interests. Esmaeil Khatib, the regime’s Minister of Intelligence, expressed the need for coherence between the two intelligence systems across various fields, activities, and geographical and thematic conditions.

He claimed that achieving such coherence would strengthen Iran, curb inflation, and promote production growth, while also fostering hope and dynamism in the country. Khatib emphasized that even issues such as social norms of hijab and unemployment should be approached as intelligence matters.

The disputes between the Ministry of Intelligence and IRGC Intelligence have a long history, with notable tensions becoming evident during the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a prominent nuclear scientist, in October 2020. Following the assassination, the Ministry of Intelligence claimed to possess information about the incident, including the timing, and had allegedly informed the relevant agencies. However, no action was taken, and it was implied that the relevant body was the IRGC, responsible for safeguarding the nuclear scientists.

This incident highlighted issues of infiltration and gaps within the regime’s intelligence agencies. In June 2022, Hossein Taeb, the long-time head of IRGC intelligence, was dismissed, shedding light on the depth of the problem.

The Ministry of Intelligence, as part of the government apparatus, is generally influenced by the political and intelligence policies of the ruling faction. On the other hand, IRGC intelligence aligns with the IRGC’s objectives, which encompass various intelligence and terrorist projects. During Rouhani’s government, the divide between these two institutions widened significantly and became publicly visible.

With the departure of Rouhani and the consolidation of the regime’s apparatuses under Khamenei’s faction, it was expected that the disputes between the IRGC and the intelligence agencies would diminish. However, Khamenei’s recent message indicates that the intensity of this ongoing dispute persists. Changing the top management of the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence has not resolved the problem. These two intelligence agencies are deeply entangled in internal rivalries and conflicting interests, rendering Khamenei’s recommendations ineffective thus far.

Khamenei had previously stated that he privately warns government officials multiple times before making his concerns public when they are not heeded. The dispute between these two agencies appears to have become so intolerable for Khamenei that he was compelled to publicly address the issue.

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