THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:30 PM CET
Biden Warns of Eesponse if Iran Attacks U.S. Troops
President Joe Biden warned Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday that the U.S. would respond if Iran or its allied proxies attacked U.S. service members stationed in the Middle East.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House, Biden said: “My warning to the Ayatollah was that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond. And he should be prepared.”
The comments come on the heels of several attacks against U.S. troops and military installations in the Middle East since the outbreak of a war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has long received financial and logistical support from Tehran.
UPDATE: 5:30 PM CET
U.S. Accelerates Ban on AI Equipment Exports to Iran, China, and Russia
The United States has rushed to enforce an export ban on artificial intelligence (AI) equipment and processors to Iran, China, and Russia. Originally scheduled to take effect on November 17 this year, the U.S. government has compelled Nvidia, a major graphics processor manufacturer, to immediately comply with these restrictions, as stated in a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
This ban primarily affects high-end graphics processors, which are crucial for AI tool development, and some of these chips were initially designed for the Chinese market.
The Biden administration introduced these new restrictions to prevent the mentioned countries from accessing advanced AI chips produced by Nvidia and other American companies. Although Nvidia has not disclosed the exact reasons for the early implementation, it is anticipated that this move won’t significantly impact the company’s short-term revenues.
While the law explicitly names Iran, China, and Russia, some American media outlets believe the main objective of this legislation is to manage technological competition between China and the United States in the field of advanced processors. The U.S. Department of Commerce has not yet offered any explanations for the early enforcement of this law.
UPDATE: 4:00 PM CET
BCfIF: Proscription of the IRGC is Long Overdue
A statement supported by 23 members of the UK Parliament calls for the proscription of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. The statement highlights the urgent need to address this issue, given the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, to promote stability in the region.
The IRGC’s role in providing support to terrorist groups and fueling violence in the region is emphasized. The statement underscores that proscribing the IRGC is crucial for both global security and national safety, citing the detection of multiple Iranian-inspired plots on British soil by security agencies.
The statement commends the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) for exposing the IRGC’s actions and advocates for its proscription.
It also points out the IRGC’s involvement in suppressing the Iranian people and the need for regime change in Iran. The UK government is urged to recognize the urgency of proscribing the IRGC, seen as a significant step towards peace and stability in the Middle East.
UPDATE: 3:30 PM CET
Regime Insiders Warn against Iran’s Talent Flight
On October 24, Babak Negahdari, the head of the Parliamentary Research Center, acknowledged a startling fact: the loss of talented individuals from the country equals three times the nation’s oil revenue. He even suggested that the nation should make significant efforts to bring these talented individuals back, comparing it to laying out the red carpet for their return.
Amid these concerns, a state-run website, Didehban-e-Iran, discussed the plight of nurses in Iran. The country currently faces a shortage of 70,000 nurses, and each day, 100 to 150 nurses emigrate from Iran. This exodus occurs because nurses in Iran, who work grueling shifts of up to 18 hours, can earn a monthly salary of 100 million tomans in neighboring countries.
It’s worth noting that in these neighboring countries, nurses enjoy job security, social respect, and personal safety, which are not guaranteed in Iran. They don’t have to endure the harsh treatment from the medieval Revolutionary Guards and Basij militias that is often a part of life in Iran.
Mohammad Pakmehr, a member of the regime’s parliament, has reported a significant increase in the migration of doctors and nurses. He states that the alarm has been sounded regarding this trend, as migration statistics have skyrocketed from 1,500 people per year to 10,000.
Amid these worrisome developments, Taqi Azad-Armaki, a state-affiliated expert predicts, “The flood of emigration in Iranian society is a sign of unrest and societal disintegration, and with the continuation of the current trend, Iran’s specialized system will suffer fundamental degradation and bankruptcy.”
Escalating Egg Costs Worsen Economic Hardships for Iranian Citizens
As of October 24, the Iranian state media announced that the price of a single egg had reached 9,000 tomans, equivalent to 225,000 tomans for a standard tray of 25 eggs.
Egg prices have been on the rise since the beginning of this Iranian calendar year, with no regulatory mechanisms to control these fluctuations, all while wages remain stagnant.
Furthermore, poultry farmers have been grappling with difficulties in sourcing bird feed for the past two to three years. They are unable to procure the necessary food and health products for their poultry operations at stable prices. All these products are controlled by government and government-affiliated institutions, creating challenges for poultry farmers due to the lack of affordable feed and health supplies for their birds.
In April of this year, state-controlled media reported that the prices of chicken and eggs varied based on Tehran’s neighborhoods. For instance, during that time, a tray of 30 eggs ranged from 120,000 to 130,000 tomans. It’s important to note that, according to the state-run newspaper “Etemad,” the price for a single egg was previously between 4,000 to 5,000 tomans. The price has now nearly doubled to 9,000 tomans.
In light of the soaring egg prices, it has become increasingly evident that the economic struggles faced by the poorest segments of Iranian society have reached a critical point. With a significant number of people already grappling with low income, the surging prices of basic food items such as bread and eggs have now rendered them unaffordable for a substantial portion of the population.
Rethinking the EU’s Approach to Iran After Jina Mahsa Amini’s Death
Saturday 16 September marked the first anniversary of the death of 22-year-old Jina (Mahsa) Amini. She died in the custody of Iran’s morality police, sparking a wave of protests across the country. Analysts described it as the first women-led uprising in the Islamic Republic. If it is to be maintained, this historic momentum requires support from the European Union and the international community in the form of policies that address the Iranian government’s repression and gross human rights violations, as well as the disastrous socioeconomic situation in the country.
These were the major takeaways of the event, One Year After Jina Mahsa Amini’s Death: The Situation in Iran, held in the European Parliament on 21 September in partnership with the Alliance for Public Awareness.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET
Yazd Province Grapples with Water Crisis and Road Safety, Official Admits
On October 25, Mehran Fatemi, the governor of Yazd, acknowledged the critical water shortage situation in the province, stating that 381 villages in Yazd have almost no access to potable water.
According to the state-run newspaper Donyaye Eqtesad-Yazd, Fatemi made these remarks during a provincial meeting with the Deputy Minister of Economy and the head of the National Privatization Organization. He noted, “Currently, 381 villages in Yazd have access to water for only half to two hours per week, with water supply being delivered via tankers. It is imperative that actions are taken to address this issue.”
Fatemi also acknowledged the poor condition of the province’s roads, saying, “The provincial roads experience heavy traffic, and annually, 250 individuals lose their lives in traffic accidents on the outlying roads of Yazd. Yazd is one of the provinces with a high rate of accidents.”
Retirement Fund Crisis Looms Over Iran’s Social Landscape – Newspaper
On October 25, the state-run Sharq newspaper released a report under the title “Retirement Fund Challenges,” highlighting the crisis in retirement funds and the looming significant social challenges arising from this crisis.
Quoting Mehdi Karbasian, a former director of the Social Security Organization, the report states, “The situation of retirement funds is unfavorable, to the extent that the income of some retirement funds, such as the Steel Retirement Fund, has currently almost reached zero.”
Karbasian has evaluated the situation of retirement funds, including the Homa Retirement Fund, the National Copper Company Retirement Fund, the Oil Retirement Fund, the National Retirement Fund, and other funds, as being on the verge of a critical situation.
Hossein Abedi Tabrizi, a former Secretary General of the Tehran Stock Exchange, also warned in this report that the government is not fully aware of the imminent crisis of retirement funds. Tabrizi said, “It seems that one day the government will have to settle all the debt to the Social Security Organization using all the oil industry. If the government doesn’t initiate reforms in the retirement funds as soon as possible, it will face significant social challenges.”
Masoum Salehi, a member of the parliamentary economic commission, also reported the bankruptcy of retirement funds and said, “Only two or three funds are not in such a situation. If the government doesn’t help, these funds will not be able to meet the needs of national and military retirees.”
According to official accounts, this year’s budget of the Raisi government has allocated approximately 331 trillion tomans from public resources (about 15% of public resources) to these funds. This amount is separate from the 170 trillion tomans of debt payment to the retirement fund.
UPDATE: 6:00 AM CET
Message to the Conference at the UK Parliament: Proscribe IRGC; Regime Change in Iran Prelude to Peace and Stability in the Middle East
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s speech: “Honorable members of the House of Lords, Dear Friends,
The honorable Lord Alton, your name reminds us of defense of human rights. Greetings to you all.
I thank you for your efforts in support of the Iranian people‘s Resistance for freedom and democracy. Clerical regime in the phase of overthrow and the current situation in Iran has four important features:
•Repressive mobilization to prevent the next uprising
•Strong public anger
•The expansion of PMOI Resistance Units in dozens of cities, and
•The IRGC’s warmongering abroad.”
The Iranian Regime’s Apprehension of Women, Youths, and New Uprisings
The Iranian regime’s persistent unease toward its own population, particularly women and youth, is an ominous backdrop to the nation’s complex political landscape. This apprehension is rooted in the remarkable dynamics of empowerment, demographics, historical precedents, and the ever-expanding influence of the digital age and these two segments of society. As we delve into the heart of this narrative, it becomes clear that the regime’s deep-seated concerns are not without reason. They stem from a deep-seated fear of the potential for change and the resilience of those who yearn for it. For this reason, the regime has increasingly tightened its grip, resorting to heightened pressure to stifle dissent and maintain its authority.
Iranian State Media Confirm That Armita Geravand Is Brain Dead; Her Family Does Not
The Iranian state media, including the state-run Tasnim news agency, the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN), Borna news agency, and others announced on Sunday, October 22, 2023, that Armita Geravand seemed certain to be “brain dead.”
IRINN reported that “follow-ups on the latest health condition of Armita Geravand indicate that her health condition as brain dead seems certain despite the efforts of the medical staff.”
The news was followed by contradicting reports from other sources. The Norway-based Hengaw group that first reported on Armita Geravand cited an interview with her father, Bahman Geravand, who said, “Armita’s medical team has informed us that her brain is no longer functioning, and there is no hope of recovery.”
Zurich—October 24, 2023: MEK Supporters Held an Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution
Also, read Iran News in Brief – October 25, 2023
