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Analysis: Iran and a Painful Week of the Coronavirus

Jubin Katiraie
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Analysis: Iran and a Painful Week of the Coronavirus

Iran has experienced a painful week with the coronavirus. Despite all the lies and secrecy of the government, the Iranian Ministry of Health called last week in Iran the bitterest week in the coronavirus pandemic. A week that broke a new record with 2503 deaths and 44,377 people were infected. These numbers are very painful for Iran’s 80-million population. This is a new statistic that, according to the experts of the Ministry of Health, should be multiplied by two, three, or four. If we take the statistics of the Iranian opposition as an indicator, the total number of deaths has exceeded 136,000. 

Coronavirus: New “Human Error” by the Iranian Government

The Differences Between Governments Are Significant 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that the coronavirus deaths are not a number to her. There are human lives that she has to fight to save. But unfortunately, for the rulers of Iran, the dead and the sick are not just numbers. Rather, they are the spoils of the wind to escape any possible protest of the people. Nevertheless, October 29 has become the darkest coronavirus day in the country. Worse, the total number of patients indicates darker days in the upcoming weeks. 

The pandemic situation in Iran is such that, unlike in previous months, the numbers can easily describe the horrible situation in the country. In one day, 415 people died from the Covid-19. The next day, 8,293 people are infected with the virus, and thousands more are hospitalized. 

“The situation is very terrible and there is no room at all in hospitals,” said Minoo Mohraz, a member of the National Coronavirus Taskforce. 

Record-breaking Victim Statistics 

Earlier, this record was broken on October 20, with the death of 340 people. In the last seven days, an average of 351 people has been infected with coronavirus per day, according to official statistics. 

In general, in the first week of October, a total of 2503 people died of COVID-19. A number that shows that Iran is not only facing its darkest coronavirus day, but it has also had its worst coronavirus week, with the official death toll almost doubling from a few weeks ago. 

More Victims Are on the Way 

Unfortunately, last week the number of patients increased sharply compared to previous weeks. The increase in these numbers, while not initially scary at first, heralds’ darker days ahead. According to experts, almost two weeks after the increase in the number of patients, the number of victims of the disease will increase significantly. 

In the last seven days, the record number of patients in Iran was broken. On Thursday, 8,293 people became infected with the coronavirus. This situation was not just about one day. While in the last week of September, for the first time, the number of infected people exceeded 5,000, last week, the number of infected people per day was more than 5,800, with an average of 6,597 people being infected with coronavirus every day. 

“God knows how long this process will continue if the rallies continue… and the closures do not take place, this process will continue. But we will definitely see an increase in the number of victims. Because we are hospitalizing critically ill patients, their hospitalization means an increase in the number of coronavirus deaths in the country,” Mohraz said. 

Who Is the Cause of the Deadly Coronavirus Leap in Iran? 

On October 28, the state media wrote about a corner of the catastrophic situation and the defenseless people against the coronavirus. 

“Unfortunately, in the last 24 hours, 415 COVID-19 patients have lost their lives. The total number of deaths from this disease reached 33,714,” said Sima Sadat Lari, the Health Ministry Spokeswoman.

On the same day, Reza Karami Mohammadi, head of the Crisis Prevention and Management Organization of Tehran, while acknowledging that the number of deaths in Iran is higher than in other parts of the world. “The annual casualties of the coronavirus in Iran have exceeded the annual casualties of the eight-year war!” he said.

But the question is, what caused this deadly coronavirus leap in Iran? 

Could the cause be other than the government’s criminal policies such as holding entrance exams, reopening schools, etc.? 

After all, who issued the permit for thousands of Basijis to gather in Mashhad, even at the peak of the coronavirus? These scandalous scenes are related to the two days before October 28. The system itself has called it the deadliest day of the coronavirus. 

How is it that in the same city of Mashhad, the gathering of hundreds of people at the tomb of Shajarian is forbidden? But is it permissible for thousands of Basijis to gather? 

What can this mean other than the government’s intentional use of coronavirus deaths to prevent an uprising? 

The Ayatollahs Hope U.S. Elections Will Save Them from Public Outrage

Edward Carney
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The Ayatollahs Hope U.S. Elections Will Save Them from Public Outrage

It was reported on Thursday that a number of top Iranian officials had publicly downplayed the significance of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Their comments on the subject tend to evoke the idea that American leaders are inherently anti-Iranian and committed to the goal of imperial influence and regime change that has never been acknowledged by any major policymaker, not even President Donald Trump. 

Some of Iran’s critics have openly lamented that several close politicians to the National Council of Resistance of Iran may have helped to shape the “maximum pressure” strategy. There is some view considers this policy as contributing to the conditions that might lead to a democratic revolution inside Iran. But that influence did little to move the needle toward outright endorsement of regime change or even formal acknowledgment of the Resistance movement that is actively pushing for that outcome. 

The Importance of US House Resolution 374 on Iran

Nonetheless, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared without evidence in September, “America has a deep-rooted enmity against the Iranian nation and whether Trump is elected or Biden, it will not have any impact on the U.S. main policy to strike the Iranian nation.” 

Interestingly, the reports that cited this quotation on Thursday also pointed out that Ghalibaf’s remarks stood in contrast to what most Iranians were saying when asked about the U.S. election, which is scheduled for Tuesday but may lack an official outcome for several days as states tabulate the record numbers of early and absentee ballots brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Polling by one Iranian state-owned entity determined that 55 percent of people expect that the outcome of the election will affect Iran “a lot.” At the same time, roughly half of the population seems to anticipate that Trump will win.

It’s not immediately clear where these attitudes come from, and reports in global media draw no real conclusions about the specific effects that Iranians anticipate from each electoral outcome. On the former point, one possibility is that the aforementioned statements from Iranian officials have left the public with the impression that Trump’s comparatively belligerent approach to Iran policy is more representative of underlying trends in the U.S. But on the other hand, the Iranian people do not generally look to Iranian state media or to regime officials for such insights – a fact that was even acknowledged by a hardline Iranian think tank, Asra, in a report early this year. 

Although most foreign media outlets are banned in the Islamic Republic, many citizens defy those bans by using virtual private networks to circumvent internet blocks. That being the case, Iranian attitudes about the U.S. election may see greater influence from those sources’ reporting on statements from American politicians and commentators, including the presidential candidates themselves. 

Iran Plans to Block All Messaging Apps

President Trump has been very clear about his expectations in the event of his reelection. He reportedly believes that the Iranian regime is holding out hope for victory by his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden and that this prospect is the sole reason why the regime hasn’t capitulated to “maximum pressure” by striking a new agreement with the U.S. already. Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama spearheaded nuclear negotiations that led to a seven-party deal which went into effect in January 2016. But roughly two and a half years later, Trump pulled the U.S. out, promising to pursue an alternative that would much more seriously impede Iran’s progress toward a nuclear weapon while also limiting its interventionism and malign activities in the surrounding region. 

So far, Tehran has flatly refused to negotiate with the U.S., while the other participants in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action have remained committed to the deal even as Iran ceased compliance in reaction to the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions. As a result of this non-compliance, experts now estimated that Iran’s “breakout time” for a nuclear weapon has shrunk from about one year to as little as three months.

Iran Desperately Plays Its Latest Atomic Cards

For their part, Iranian officials are trying to use the reduced breakout time as leverage for convincing the deal’s European signatories – Britain, France, and Germany – to implement countermeasures that might reduce the impact of U.S. sanctions. But in doing so, the Iranians have put the deal at an increased risk of collapse. The three European nations even went so far as to trigger a dispute resolution mechanism earlier this year in response to Iranian violations.

Tehran’s risky strategy arguably lends credence to the U.S. administration’s assessment of the situation. Iran’s economy is in awful shape and that the government will eventually be forced to reach out for some sort of relief in order to forestall total collapse. This, he has explicitly stated, could happen immediately after Trump is sworn in for his second term, at which point the White House would push for a much more restrictive alternative to the JCPOA. 

Biden has been rather less specific about what he expects from Iran in the event of his election. But in debates and media interviews, he has given the impression that the hoped-for outcome is broadly similar, though it would be reached by many different means. As Biden was vice president when the JCPOA was negotiated, it is little surprise that he has defended the deal as largely serving its purpose up until the U.S. withdrawal. Yet he has also seemingly embraced the notion that it is imperfect and could be strengthened after talks between the two nations reopen. 

UNSC Votes for an Arms Race at the Expense of Iranian People

Biden’s vision for that reopening apparently involves the U.S. resuming participation in the JCPOA as written, but only on the condition that Iran already resumes full compliance. Only then would a Biden White House be expected to urge a re-examination of the agreement’s terms, in partnership with traditional allies who have been at odds with the Trump administration on this matter for more than two years. 

In both Iran and the U.S., expectations about the impact of each potential outcome depend upon one’s assessment of how successful or unsuccessful the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” strategy has been so far. Biden’s plan for re-engagement might make sense both to Americans and to ordinary Iranians if they believe that Tehran can still hold out for additional months or years in the face of that pressure. But for those who agree that the regime is near its breaking point, changing course in January would surely seem foolish. 

Recently, Alireza Miryousefi, the spokesperson for Iran’s mission to the United Nations, alleged that “the U.S.’s addiction to sanctions has not paid off” and that “the U.S. has out-sanctioned itself.” 

Miryousefi’s comments were accompanied by ridicule for the latest measures imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department, namely the designation of the Iranian Oil Ministry, the National Iranian Oil Company, and the National Iranian Tanker Company as valid targets for counterterrorism sanctions. That designation stems from allegations that the three companies have been instrumental in channeling Iran’s petroleum revenue into the hands of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ foreign special operations division, the Quds Force. However, the sanctions are also redundant in practice, as the three entities had already been fully sanctioned in accordance with the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. 

These latest sanctions are not the first to be deemed largely ornamental after being imposed by the Trump administration. But this is not to say that the symbolic value of those sanctions is insignificant. With each new designation, the Trump administration reiterates its commitment to enforcing existing sanctions to the fullest extent possible. And this potentially an important signal to the roughly 50 percent of Iranians who expect Trump to win reelections. That segment of the population is sure to extensively overlap with the portion of the population that supports Iran’s pro-democracy Resistance movement, and thus supports heavy sanctions on the clerical regime. 

Iran Arrests Thousands Arbitrarily Fearing an Protest

Tehran Bans Female Doctor from Working Due to Her Husband’s Complaint

Staff Writer
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Tehran Bans Female Doctor from Working Due to Her Husband’s Complaint

The Iranian government has banned a female doctor, who used to care for 180 to 200 coronavirus (COVID-19) patients daily, from working because her husband filed a complaint. 

The doctor worked at Imam Hossein and Baghyatollah hospitals as an emergency room specialist, a vital job at any time, let alone during a pandemic, but her husband complained to the court in August that his wife’s job had disrupted his life and her duties towards the family.

This is despite the fact that she had chosen the emergency room specialty with the agreement of her husband and that she arranged her nights on call to coincide with his frequent business trips. 

One can only imagine the disruption caused to the family lives of people who lost husbands and wives during the pandemic because there wasn’t a doctor to treat them.

At first, the court rejected this because their marriage certificate stated that the woman was in medical school, so he clearly didn’t mind that she’d be working in this field when he married her.

The court said that there was no evidence that the doctor worked in private hospitals and that, because of the pandemic, all medical staff was working overtime, so she was not doing anything wrong. 

Then, the husband appealed the case and the Revision Court of Tehran Province rules that the doctor should only be allowed to work in the university hospital that hired her out of medical school. 

The Revision Court made this ruling at a time when Iran has the highest per capita coronavirus death toll in the world (136,300 on Tuesday, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran) and when a serious shortage of medical staff due to illness, death, and not having enough staff in the first place is making matters worse. 

This is because Article 1105 of Iran’s Civil Code states that “the family is headed by the husband and the woman may not leave home without the husband’s permission”, while Article 1117 says that “the husband can prevent his wife from engagement in any profession or industry that contradicts family interests or his own or the wife’s dignity”. 

Of course, this is far from the first time an Iranian woman has been forced to give up her career on her husband’s say-so. In a famous case, eight Iranian athletes were prevented from competing at the Olympic games because their husbands refused to let them leave the country.

Female Iranian Athletes Leave Country; Not to Return

Iran Arrests Thousands Arbitrarily Fearing an Protest

Staff Writer
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Iran Arrests Thousands Arbitrarily Fearing an Protest

Iranian authorities have settled on widespread and heavily publicized arrests of “security disruptors” in order to scare the people out of anti-establishment protests or any gathering that could spur an anti-establishment protest.

Mohammad Reza Yazdi, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ (IRGC) Mohammad Rasulallah brigade in Tehran, told state-run television on Monday that the role of his forces in the suppression of the people has increased dramatically since 2018, which was just after a major upheaval threatened to unseat the entire ruling system.

“In coordination with our brave brothers in the State Security Forces and Tehran’s prosecutor’s office, we have deployed Razaviun units in all cities to maintain the security… These efforts will continue until we can stop any attempt at disrupting security in the capillaries of cities,” Yazdi said.

A similar protest occurred in November 2019, so IRGC deputy commander Ali Fadavi increased the deployment of Razaviun security patrol units, controlled by the IRGC Basij forces, with the intention of quelling anti-establishment protests across the country.

On Sunday, Rahim Jahanbakhsh, State Security Forces commander in Zanjan, told the IRGC- affiliated Tasnim News Agency that 1,500 “security disruptors” who “spread rumors and cause[d] tensions in the society” had been arrested since February; something that is no doubt to do with the coronavirus pandemic and the authorities’ dire response.

“Cyberspace is a reality of the society, and this space has become a reality, which requires the expansion of security efforts in this domain,” he said.

It seems more like that the government was trying to hide accurate reports of coronavirus infections and deaths in order to make themselves look better so they arrested people sharing the truth.

That same day, Kermanshah State Security Forces commander Ali Akbar Javidan reported that that they had arrested 5,550 people labeled as “thugs and thieves” from March to September for causing “tensions and fear”  in society.

On Friday, Kuhdasht State Security Forces commander Nabiollah Ghassemi said there were 98 arrests in police operations for “bad behavior” that threatened “public peace and security”. While last Tuesday, Semnan State Security Forces commander Abdollah Hassani reported that 3,000 people were arrested; 80 percent of whom were under 35, and cited cybercrime as one of the main reasons.

The ayatollahs have stepped up arbitrary arrests in order to scare the country into compliance. However, repression, a poor economy, and the government’s failed response to the pandemic mean that resentment is only growing. Many officials leaked their concerns over a new round of protests, using the term “nitrate of disappointment,” referring to Beirut’s major explosion.

UNGA Condemns Iran for Human Rights Abuses

Staff Writer
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UNGA Condemns Iran for Human Rights Abuses

The United Nations General Assembly condemned the Iranian government on Monday for its ongoing and systematic human rights abuses. 

During the 75th session of UNGA’s Third Committee, which is focused on social and human rights issues, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, said that there is a “clear pattern” of Iranian authorities trying to “silence public dissent over the social, economic and political situation.”

He mentioned that in the past few months, the government has handed down and carried out multiple death sentences for protesters, citing the arbitrary execution of wrestler and political prisoner Navid Afkari in September as “emblematic”. 

“This grievous violation of the right to life is the latest execution in a series of protest-related death sentences, despite allegations of torture-induced forced confessions and other serious fair trial violations,” he said.  

Before Afkari’s execution, political prisoner Mostafa Salehi was executed in August and his family has since had their home stolen by the official. There are dozens of more political prisoners on death row, many under torture, and there is increased concern about the protesters arrested during the November 2019 protests. After all, the State Security Forces (SSF) shot 1,500 peaceful protesters dead in the street, so what would they do behind closed doors? 

Deputy U.S. Representative to the Economic and Social Council Courtney Nemroff also raised concerns about Afkari’s, other political prisoners, and ongoing human rights abuses. 

“We remain concerned about death sentences imposed following unfair trials and forced confessions reportedly obtained through torture. The most vicious recent example is the execution of wrestler Navid Afkari on September 12,” she said.

Iran Acts with Impunity in Executing Navid Afkari

Nemroff further said that the government enjoyed impunity over its criminal activities since 1979 and urged the international community to conduct “an independent investigation” into the 1988 Massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, including the alleged involvement of judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi. 

This comes after Iranian authorities have increased the repressive measures used against the people, especially peaceful protesters. In October alone, the SSF members have killed several young people in the streets, and security authorities have been boasting about mass arrests under the guise of getting violent thugs off the streets. At the same time, conditions in Iran’s prisons have severely deteriorated, particularly for political prisoners. 

Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), again called on international bodies to intervene on human rights in Iran, especially for political prisoners. 

Iranian People Prepare for Anti-Establishment Protests

Sia Rajabi
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Iranian People Prepare for Anti-Establishment Protests

On the cusp of the first anniversary of the November 2019 protests, Iranian officials and state-run media express their concerns about resuming nationwide demonstrations. For instance, in its October 27 edition, Resalat daily affiliated with the radical Motalafeh (coalition) party leaked its fears in a piece titled, “A word about November 2019.”

The daily points out that in November protests, known and trained individuals had participated in many hotspots. November 2019 paved the path for taking away Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Quds Force.

“2019 was one of the most important landmarks of the post-Islamic Revolution era. The route of developments in Iran and the region expose that there were ominous plans for fundamental changes,” Resalat wrote.

“Set of pressures had turned 2019 into a special year. Gasoline price hikes were a spark on keg powder, which had previously been ready. Three-fold increase in the gasoline price and rationing it had consequences. However, retracting the decision would bring more dangerous results,” the daily added.

Then, Resalat continues that “Since while ago, organized groups were activated to use disappointment environment and potential protests. November 2019 paved the path for these persons to appear in the scene with weapons and military equipment.”

“The November sedition [a term used by state-run media to demonize popular protests] was not supposed to be extinguished. It was a start point for a chain of more expanded unrest and disrupting the country’s security, intelligence, and law enforcement apparatuses. It was launched to create instability and insecurity inside Iran.”

“Less than two months later, Qassem Soleimani was assassinated by the U.S. in January… It seems that adversaries are implementing parts of a new conspiracy in the near future. In this respect, in addition to being aware and countering domestic and foreign seditions, notifying public opinion over these movements should be considered,” Resalat concluded.

The Future of Iran and the Region Without Qassem Soleimani, Commander of the Quds Force

However, Resalat is not the only outlet to release their scare over the upcoming protests and society’s volatile conditions. “Reformist” figures are also deeply concerned about the people’s disappointment and complaints.

On the same day, in an interview with the “reformist” daily Etemad, Javad Imam reminded the November protests and their definite impacts on society. He sounded alarms about citizens’ outrage against the government’s mismanagement in different fields.

“Today, the pressures have been intensified in comparison to the pre-coronavirus era or even November 2019. Therefore, the scale of disappointment has increased,” he said.

Imam also mentioned the dire economic conditions. “Several people have lost their careers. Several employees experience sharp declines in their salaries. Meanwhile, we deal with rampant inflation, which increased disappointment,” he added.

The reformist expert also highlighted that the people no longer trust in “reformist officials” and counted President Hassan Rouhani’s failures. “On the other hand, the administration could not take a serious step about sanctions, budget deficits, and living pressures. It did even nothing in tax issue despite many merchants and employees yielded severe disadvantages.”

Imam also reminded the society’s volatile situation and the likelihood of new protests. “Salaries are not raised, but expenditures grew several times, and people must endure all these troubles. The likelihood of people’s reaction has increased,” he concluded.

Iran’s Government Faces Protests ‘On the Tarmac’

Wave of Arrests Makes Overcrowding Worse at Qezal Hesar Prison

Staff Writer
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Wave of Arrests Makes Overcrowding Worse at Qezal Hesar Prison

A massive wave of arrests in October has further increased the dangerously large number of prisoners in Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, Iran, with 2,000 detainees transferred there in just four weeks, according to Iran Human Rights Monitor. And this is just in one prison in one province. 

Why have there been so many arrests? 

The government is terrified that massive protests will form on the anniversary of the November 2019 protests, so the ayatollahs ordered mass arrests of those that might be involved under the pretext of protecting national security, decreasing tensions, or getting violent thugs off the streets. Of course, the truth is that this means anyone who an anti-establishment sentiment on social media, particularly young people, who authorities are especially afraid of. 

This includes 1,500 people in Zanjan Province, 5,550 people in Kermanshah Province, 3,000 people in Semnan Province, and 98 people in Lorestan Province. All of these were boasted by leading figures in the State Security Forces or the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). 

“The Razavioun patrols, which were created to provide security, started [a series of] preparations two years ago. Last year, these preparatory activities were completed, and this year they have been fully implemented,” said IRGC Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Yazdi.

“In other words, in coordination with our SSF brothers at Tehran’s Judiciary, we have launched the Razavioun patrols across the Province to create security … and in coordination with the prosecutor and with the help of SSF, the continuation of this task will be to develop and extend our activities at all levels and in all areas of the city to confront those who want to disrupt the people’s security,” he added.

Iran Protesters Given Major Sentences 

What does this mean at Qezel Hesar Prison? 

There are supposedly no political prisoners in the prison, but with a new total of 14,000 inmates, it may be impossible to tell. What’s certain is that the influx will make poor conditions worse. 

What are conditions like? 

  • Inmates must buy their own beds or wait years for one to be provided 
  • Prison food is bad–smelling and low quality 
  • Complaints by inmates are ignored 
  • Prisoners are not given medical attention when sick 
  • Ill detainees are not held in quarantine during the pandemic 
  • Prisoners are forced to study the Quran, whether or not they are Muslim 
  • Many inmates are held in limbo 

Some 1,800 detainees sentenced to death are held on Ward 2, with just four halls to hold them all. These halls have large rooms (5X5 meters) that hold 40 prisoners and small rooms (4X3 meters) that hold 11. Given the lack of personal space, 15 prisoners must sleep on the floor in the large rooms and three in the small rooms. 

Many of the other prisoners are detained on drug-related offenses that bear heavy sentences, but the drug mafia controlled by the prison’s warden and guards still operates, buying drugs from outside and selling it to prisoners. 

Iran’s 2020 Budget, in Support of Suppression and Corruption

Iran Protesters Given Major Sentences 

Staff Writer
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Iran Protesters Given Major Sentences 

Iran’s Behbahan Court, in Khuzestan province, has sentenced 36 protesters including two women, arrested during November 2019 protests a total of 109 years in prison, 2,590 lashes, and a 33 million rials [$110] fine. 

The protesters were informed of their sentences on October 22, just days before the anniversary of the 2019 protests, during which Behbahan was a hotbed of protest. 

Iran Sentences January Protesters to Flogging and Prison 

Let’s look at the sentences of these women: 

  • Roghieh Taherzadeh was ordered to pay 33 million rials [$110] if she wanted to avoid three months in prison for the “crime” of insulting government agents while on duty 
  • Maryam Payab  was given one year in prison and 74 lashes for “disruption of public order” 

In related news, another protester – this time from Khorramabad, Lorestan Province – was sentenced to one year in prison. 

Fatemeh Khoshrou, 32, who was arrested on November 16, 2019, alongside 69 other citizens in Khorramabad, was told about her sentence via email. She was tried in absentia on October 5 by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Khorramabad on charges of: 

  • leading riots 
  • disrupting public order by taking part in illegal gatherings 
  • collaborating with hostile and dissident groups 
  • preparing and sending footage of illegal gatherings to operatives in Turkey 

Khoshrou was held in Khorramabad detention center for 18 days, where she was brutalized and put under pressure to make false confessions on TV, before being moved to Ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran. After 34 days under interrogation, she was transferred to Khorramabad Prison. She was temporarily released 10 days later, in mid-January, on a 100 million Tomans bail until her trial was convened and her sentence finalized. 

Female Political Prisoners Suffering in Iran

During the November 2019 uprising, some 1,500 peaceful protesters were murdered by special forces, including about 400 women. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had ordered the special forces to “do whatever it takes to stop [the protesters]”. 

Of course, these numbers are a conservative estimate because the government is well versed in trying to cover up its crimes and the Iranian Resistance could only uncover so many deaths. Never asked, this is undoubtedly one of the most horrific crimes of the 21st century.  

Maryam Rajavi, the Iranian opposition President, has repeatedly urged the United Nations and the European Union to take immediate action to save more protesters by dispatching fact-finding missions to Iran to investigate this, visit prisons, and secure the release of those arrested.
She called on the UN Security Council to declare the Iranian government, specifically Khamenei, President Hassan Rouhani, and IRGC Commander Hossein Salami, as perpetrators of crime against humanity. 

Tehran’s Non-Petrol Exports See Decline Alongside Oil Exports

Pooya Stone
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Tehran’s Non-Petrol Exports See Decline Alongside Oil Exports

No one exactly knows how much crude oil the Iranian government extracts, produces, and exports. However, massive budget deficits, a significant shortage of foreign currency, and the national currency’s devaluation against the U.S. dollar show Iran’s oil revenues have drastically declined.

Recently, Tehran appealed to and even threatened South Korea to release its blocked money but received nothing as a result. In addition to South Korea, China—as Tehran’s strategic ally—has refused to release the Iranian government’s frozen assets.

Sharp Drop in Iran’s Imports/Exports

How Much Oil Did Tehran Export in 2019?

According to official statistics, Iran exported one-third of the oil that had been predicted in the 2019-2020 budget bill. Observers forecast that this value will decrease in the current year. However, the government has not yet provided details about the exported crude oil and condensate in 2019.

According to senior officials in President Hassan Rouhani’s administration, the oil revenue was roughly around $8-9 billion in 2019. The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Abdolnasser Hemmati, First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, and economic deputy Mohammad Nahavandian announced the same number in separated remarks.

“In 2019, the country’s oil revenue—and not just the administration—was $8.9 billion. Therefore, given the National Development Fund’s 20 percent stake and the National Oil Company’s 14.5 percent stake, the administration’s total and gas condensate exports were over $5.8 billion. In this context, Iran has exported 490,000 barrels per day (BPD) based on receiving $50 per barrel,” Donyay-e Eghtesad daily wrote on May 24.

Giving False Hopes Instead of Real Stats

In this respect, MPs questioned the administration’s representative about false estimations. Why did the administration close the oil presell amount on 1.5 million BPD despite the sanctions? MPs asked.

“‘If we close the budget plan on 500,000 BPD instead of 1.5 million, it means that we have succumbed to the U.S.,’ said the administration’s representative. In other words, in a radio program, an official of the Planning and Budget Organization explicitly acknowledged that the administration noted high figures in the budget bill to create hopeful space,” Fars news agency, affiliated to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), reported on May 24.

Furthermore, according to customs statistics, the government’s non-petrol income has reached $13.556 billion in the past six months, the lowest figure in the past decade. “In the past six months, non-petrol exports declined by 34 percent in comparison to the last year, which is the most severe drop in the span of two decades. The country’s imports also yielded a 21.66 percent decrease compared to the last year and have reached $16.783 billion. Therefore, Iran’s financial interaction was $30.349 billion, the poorest foreign trade in the past decade,” Mashregh daily wrote on October 10.

Significant Drop in Pistachio and Carpet Exports

Once upon a time, Iran had monopolized the pistachio and carpet worldwide market. However, the government has lost these privileges and failed its traditional clients.

“Regrettably, we are losing the pistachio position in global markets due to the dire export conditions… We can earn more U.S. dollars if the administration does not make trouble for [pistachio] exporters with insisting on its routines. However, the administration insists on its instructions,” Fararu website quoted Mehdi Seifoddini, secretary of Farmers’ Union in Kerman province, as saying on October 13.

Meanwhile, in 2018, Iran earned $238 million through exporting humanmade carpet. However, this industry met a sharp decline in 2019 and reached $73 million.

“In 2018, Iran’s carpet exports to the U.S. as the main intention for Iranian carpets, and our traditional market stopped. In this regard, the carpet export decreased around $200 million while we faced a drastic decline in 2019 and the value of carpet exports reached less than $100 million,” said Hamed Chaman-Rokh, member of the managing board of Manmade Carpet Exporters’ Union, in an interview with Jahan-e Eghtesad daily on September 10.

In conclusion, given the Iranian government’s insistence on irresponsible and costly policies inside the country and abroad, Iran’s non-petrol revenues fell in the fate of oil revenues. However, the ayatollahs still continue funding extremist proxies in the Middle East region, advancing their ballistic missile programs and nuclear ambitions.

Extending Iran’s Arms Embargo Is in Favor of Iranian Citizens

In this respect, the current ruling system that has cut Iran from the worldwide banking system and international commerce is the main barrier to its industry and development. They also stockpiled billions of dollars in personal accounts or financial institutions rather than aiding needy people who sell their organs or even their newborn babies to make ends meet. They also imposed the IRGC’s additional budget on the country, while many people are losing their lives to the health infrastructure’s weakness.

Iran’s Child Suicide Tragedy

Mehdi Hosseini
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Iran’s Child Suicide Tragedy

As suicide rates rise among disadvantaged people in Iran, the suicide rate among children and adolescents has risen too, and its nature and quality are more appalling than ever.

Children and adolescents who have committed suicide in recent days are mostly from poor families.

The severity of suicide among children and adolescents due to poverty is such that state media are forced to report it in some cases, despite the scandal and stigma it will leave on the system.

Iranian Children Dying from Poverty Increases

Such children have no hope for the future and see their future in the poor image of their parents and other close relatives, many of whom are not even able to provide the daily bread for their meals.

In Bushehr province, two children committed suicide due to the poverty of their families and the impossibility of getting a smartphone to participate in ‘Shad‘ online classes.

Education officials in Bushehr province denied that one of the children committed suicide because they did not have a smartphone, while Mohammad Mousavi’s mother said, “The school principal had said several times that he wanted to give a phone to three students, but that did not happen. There were no phones and the only reason for my son’s grief that caused this disaster was not having a phone.”

The governor of Nishapur reported the suicide of three people in the city, aged 15, 17, and 22, and two of them died.

Gradual Increase in the Price of Bread, Another Deceptive Step by Iran’s Regime’s to Loot the People

A 10-year-old child in Ilam, western Iran, hanged himself and died due to the poverty of his family.

In Parsabad Moghan in Ardabil province, a 16-year-old boy committed suicide with a hunting rifle and died.

In a village in Urmia, a 13-year-old girl committed suicide due to the family’s financial poverty, lack of a smartphone, and an inability to attend online classes.

The fact is that the Ministry of Health of the government and other relevant institutions never announce the exact number of suicides and deaths resulting from it, especially the suicide of children and adolescents.

Certainly, the cases of child suicide are more than the cases reported by the media.  “Statistics will not be announced unless made public. Of course, after a while, the noises fall asleep again. The government does not provide statistics, and many families do not report the cause of their child’s death as a suicide. Even for the coronavirus, accurate statistics are not provided,” Bartarinha website quoted a government-linked expert Mustafa Eghlima as saying on October 22.

This situation is due to the state’s political and economic institutional corruption, about which Tasnim news agency wrote:

“The presence of wealthy people in important centers of power, where macro-social and economic decisions are made, confirms that poverty, although measured by economic indicators with a social manifestation, is a phenomenon related to policy-making and politics.

“In such a way that some of those sitting on the path of management either own large capital or use it in the influence of the owner of capital, policies, and decisions are naturally laid out in such a way that the distribution of national capital and revenues is diverted from its fair form and is directed to the pursuit of specific and limited group interests.

“And what reaches the other strata, according to their relation to the center of the capital, becomes less and less to the point that some people reach a very small share, equal to zero.”

Iran: Shocking Poverty and Its Class Divide

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