THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET
GOP Reps Raise Alarm Bells Over Iran’s Influence in ‘American Religious Institutions’
Republicans in Congress have issued a tough letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines warning about the influence of Iran’s terror ideology in at least four U.S.-based mosques and centers. The GOP letter, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, is a highly detailed three-page document that outlines a kind of bill of particulars against alleged Iranian regime-linked mosques and centers in Maryland, Texas, Michigan, and Virginia. According to the letter, the Islamic Education Center (IEC) in Potomac, Maryland, secured funding from what it says is the Iranian regime-controlled Alavi Foundation, and Bahram Abolfazi Nahidian, an IEC member… was “acknowledged by all as the most prominent supporter in this country of Khomeini.” The Alavi Foundation did not respond to numerous Fox News Digital press queries.
UPDATE: 4:30 PM CET
Clerical Regime Implements Emergency Shutdown Amid Speculations of Economic Downturn
The Iranian regime has announced a two-day national holiday on Wednesday and Thursday, August 2 and 3, citing “extreme heat” across the country.
As reported by IRGC-run Fars News Agency, Ali Bahaduri Jahromi, the government spokesperson, announced in a tweet, “Due to the unprecedented heat in these days, and with the aim of preserving the citizens’ health, the government has approved the proposal from the Ministry of Health for a nationwide holiday on Wednesday and Thursday.”
با توجه به گرمای بیسابقه هوا در روزهای جاری، بهمنظور حفظ سلامت شهروندان، هیئت دولت با پیشنهاد وزارت بهداشت مبنی بر تعطیلی روزهای چهارشنبه و پنجشنبه در سراسر کشور موافقت کرد.
— علی بهادری جهرمی (@alibahaadori) August 1, 2023
However, considering temperatures were even higher in many cities last week, some suspect that the real reason behind this decision is the regime’s fear of potential protests due to rising currency prices.
There are also speculations that the Raisi government might use this holiday period to implement a gasoline price increase. Additionally, social media users suggest that the holiday could be related to the recent decline in the Tehran stock market, where many shareholders have suffered losses.
UPDATE: 3:30 PM CET
Central Bank Dissolves Iran Currency Exchange Association Amid Controversy
On Tuesday, the regime’s Central Bank made a sudden and surprising announcement, dissolving the Iran Currency Exchange Association. The association, established in 2010, aimed to regulate the non-bank monetary market in the currency exchange sector. The Central Bank stated that the decision was taken after reviewing the association’s activities and finding deviations from its goals, objectives, authorities, and registered articles of association.
The move by the Central Bank received extensive attention from government supporters, with some seeing it as a step to strengthen the government’s economic authority. For instance, Yaser Jabrayili, one of the economic planners of Ebrahim Raisi’s government and an economic adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, tweeted that “the closure of the Currency Exchange Association is a step towards reviving the government’s authority in the economy, due to its deviations and misconduct.”
Consequently, the exchange rate in Iran’s open market witnessed a significant increase on Tuesday. The dollar rate exceeded 50,000 tomans, and the euro surpassed 55,000 tomans until Tuesday afternoon.
Belarus Seeking to Manufacture Iran’s Shahed Drones Near Ukraine’s Border – ISW
Belarus wants to secure an agreement with Iran to produce Shahed drones in a converted factory in its southeastern Gomel Region, which borders Ukraine just north of the Dnipro’s “Sea of Kyiv” reservoir, western analysts have said.
According to Institute for the Study of War (ISW) analysts, Belarusian Defense Minister Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin arrived in Iran on July 31 and met with Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding and a plan for bilateral military cooperation for 2023.
As Minister of Defense of Iran, Ashtiani holds the primary responsibility for negotiating military acquisitions and foreign sales of military equipment and weapons.
UPDATE: 10:30 AM CET
Official Announces New Measures for Online Censorship in Iran
With the intention of increasing online censorship, the prosecutor representing the clerical regime in Khorasan Razavi province announced the establishment of a center “to counter individuals deemed threats to mental security” on the internet.
According to Mohammad Hossein Doroudi, “These individuals, perceived as adversaries and enemies of the system, exploit the digital realm to disseminate widespread false news across various domains and online platforms, aiming to create a division between the public and authorities. As a response, the Khorasan Razavi judiciary will closely monitor and pursue such activities within the confines of laws and regulations, ensuring that suspects are subjected to legal investigation and prosecution.”
“Monitoring and dealing with those who knowingly or unknowingly disseminate such false news is crucial and necessary, as otherwise, it will jeopardize the mental security of the society,” he added.
Security Forces Killed Young Man in Southeastern Iran
Local sources reported that the criminal security forces in Sistan and Baluchistan Province have murdered a 17-year-old Baluch teenager, Ebrahim Barahuti.
On Wednesday, July 26, on the Zabol-Zahedan road, security forces opened fire on his vehicle, leaving him severely wounded. After several days of hospitalization, Ebrahim succumbed to his injuries on Monday, July 31. Some witnesses reported that the agents pulled Ebrahim out of the vehicle and brutally beat him while he was severely burnt.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Water Shortages Trigger Protests in Iran
On Monday night, a large group of locals in Divandarreh, western Iran, held a protest rally as they are facing severe water shortages and the regime continues to ignore their needs. The people of the city have been facing three days of water outages. Instead of addressing the people’s needs, the regime dispatched security forces to suppress the protests. The protesters resisted the repressive security forces and blocked roads with fire. Clashes between security forces and the people of Divandarreh continued late into the night. According to reports, security forces directly fired tear gas canisters into the crowd, injuring four civilians. The protest comes as many regions of Iran are facing severe water shortages, mainly caused by the destructive policies of the ruling regime.
Why Iranian Officials Don’t Take Responsibility for Raising the Price of Bread
Recently, the high price of bread has become one of the main issues discussed in Iran’s state-run media. Since July 10, when bread high price became one of the country’s main crises, no government official is willing to take responsibility. How is it possible that the most basic and fundamental part of the people’s diet become 30-40% more expensive while the government announced it is not intending to increase the price of bread? Past experience shows that the government is behind the price hike and is using it to pocket the people’s money. On June 7, the Farda website quoted the advisor to the Minister of Economy as saying, “The government’s emphasis is not on increasing the price of bread. The emphasis of the government is to apply non-price models to support bakers.”
The Execution of 11 Baluch Citizens in Zahedan and Zabol Prisons in the Past 72 Hours
Based on the data compiled by the Iran Human Rights Monitor, at least 11 Baluch prisoners have been executed on drug-related charges within the past 72 hours in Zahedan and Zabol prisons without informing their families. On the morning of August 1, 2023, the death sentences of at least three Baluch prisoners were carried out in Zahedan prison for drug-related charges. At least another eight Baluch citizens were executed on July 30 and 31, 2023, in Zahedan and Zabol prisons on drug charges. After the subsiding of protests, especially in Zahedan, the Iranian regime is taking revenge on Baluch citizens by executing them without allowing their families to have a last meeting or even without informing them.
Owning a Home in Iran Has Become Nearly Impossible
According to a report published in the regime’s Tehran-based newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad, young adults aged 25 to 26 in Tehran will have to wait “166 years to become homeowners” as long as housing prices remain stable. The report is based on a field survey about the prospects of homeownership for those born in the 1990s and in their mid-20s. According to global definitions, those born between 1997 and 2010 are known as “Generation Z.” The newspaper conducted its survey among a sample of 100 individuals from this demographic who had worked for one to two years in an organization. Based on the report, the average monthly income of Generation Z employees in the surveyed organization ranges from 113 million to 120 million rials (approximately $226 to $240), and they can save up to 10 million rials (approximately $20) per month “at best.” Given current housing prices, they would have to wait 166 years to become homeowners, assuming a fixed income and housing price.
Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi Accused of “Collaborating With the US Hostile Government”
Massoud Setayeshi said, “On July 26, 2023, the defendants’ last defense was taken in court, and the defendant’s lawyers asked for a three-day opportunity to present their defense bill. They presented the bill to the court on Saturday, July 30, and the verdict is being drafted.” The Judiciary’s spokesman had previously listed the charges against Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi as “collaborating with hostile governments, participating in a collusion against national security, and engaging in propaganda against the state.” Niloufar Hamedi, a photojournalist for Shargh newspaper, took and published the first photo of Mahsa Amini in a coma at the hospital. Elaheh Mohammadi, a journalist for Ham-Mihan newspaper, published a report on Mahsa’s funeral and an interview with her father.
Saeedeh Shafiei and Nasim Sultan Beigi To Serve 8.5 Years in Jail
Saeedeh Shafiei and Nasim Sultan Beigi were also sentenced to two years of ban on membership in political and social groups and organizations and two years of ban on leaving the country as additional punishments. Mehrnoush Zarei Hanzaki, the third defendant in this case, was acquitted. The hearing on the accusations of these journalists was held on July 3, 2023, in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, which mainly focused on the content written by them. But in the middle of the proceedings, the judge brought up the issue of their opposition to mandatory hijab, which led to a controversy, and the judge insulted them. This issue was not among the accusations brought against the three journalists. Saeedeh Shafiei, a writer and independent journalist, was arrested on January 22, 2023, by security forces at her home in Tehran. She was temporarily released on bail of 500 million tomans until the end of her trial on February 7, 2023.
Ottawa and Vancouver: Rallies in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution by Freedom-Loving Iranians and MEK Supporters—July 29, 2023
Ottawa and Vancouver—July 29, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held rallies in solidarity with the Iran Revolution. MEK supporters in Ottawa and Vancouver condemned the wave of brutal executions in Iran by the religious dictatorship.
Brussels—July 29, 2023: MEK Supporters Held a Rally in Support of the Iran Revolution, Condemning the Appeasement Policy
Brussels, Belgium—July 29, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in front of the Belgian Foreign Ministry to support the Iran Revolution. They also condemned the appeasement policy toward the mullahs’ regime, demanding to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. MEK supporters in Brussels condemned the wave of brutal executions in Iran by the religious dictatorship.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – August 1, 2023
