THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:30 PM
Sunday Protests in Iran
In various cities across Iran, including Isfahan, Shush, Kermanshah, Arak, Ahvaz, Dezful, and Zabol, protests erupted, highlighting widespread discontent among retirees, pensioners, and drivers.
Isfahan: Retirees from the steel industry resumed protest rallies, demanding higher pensions to cope with the rising costs of living. Similarly, farmers in east Isfahan continue to protest the lack of access to irrigation water.
More footage of protest rallies by retirees of the steel industry in Isfahan.#Iran #IranProtestspic.twitter.com/5ZAtOwsr0p
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 7, 2024
Shush: Retirees and pensioners of the Social Security Organization came back on the streets, demanding the regime increase their pensions in accordance with its own laws.
Kermanshah: Retirees of the Social Security Organization have gathered for their weekly protests, reiterating their demands for higher pensions.
Arak: Retirees of the Social Security Organization resumed protest rallies, expressing frustration as the regime fails to adjust their pensions according to the costs of living.
April 7—Shush, southwest #Iran
Retirees and pensioners of the Social Security Organization resume their protests rallies, demanding the regime to raise their pensions according to its own laws.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/h5YQJerm8o— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 7, 2024
Ahvaz and Dezful: Retirees and pensioners of the Social Security Organization in both cities demanded higher pensions and other basic needs as required by the regime’s laws.
Zabol: Drivers organized a protest rally against the regime’s decision to reduce subsidized fuel rations, exacerbating their financial burdens.
April 7—Kermanshah, western #Iran
Retirees of the Social Security Organization rally for their weekly protests to reiterate their demands for higher pensions.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/YX5q6jKoNk— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 7, 2024
These protests reflect the deep-seated grievances within Iranian society, stemming from economic hardships, mismanagement, and failure to address the needs of the people. Despite the regime’s crackdown on dissent, these demonstrations persist, underscoring the persistence of popular discontent across the country.
UPDATE: 5:00 PM
Embezzlement Scandal Unfolds at Imam Khomeini Port Complex in Khuzestan Province
The state-run Etemad newspaper has unveiled a troubling case of embezzlement totaling two million dollars at the Imam Khomeini Port Complex in Khuzestan province, southern Iran.
The report indicates that an individual responsible for check issuance within the port’s accounting department made off with the equivalent of two million dollars in “digital currency” before fleeing to Canada. This incident transpired late last year, as confirmed by the province’s ports director.
Ettemad wrote today, “This individual’s family had previously fled to Canada in the winter of last year, and he also took advantage of the opportunity during the Nowruz holidays to travel to that country. This embezzlement took place as the individual had control over the financial matters of the Imam Khomeini Port Complex for payments to individuals and legal entities. With his absence from his workplace at the end of the Nowruz holidays, the issue of embezzlement and illegal withdrawals from the port’s accounts comes to light!”
Iranian Dairy Industry Facing Decline Amid Government Policies
Mohammadreza Bani-Taba, the spokesperson for the Iranian Dairy Industries Association, has highlighted a concerning trend in the country’s dairy sector, citing government policies as the main driver.
According to Tabba, “The number of dairy companies in Iran has plummeted from over a thousand companies in the 2000s to around 200 companies.”
Tabba implicitly acknowledged the failure of government promises and the annual slogan chosen by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stating, “The slogan of the year is ‘Production Leap,’ but what is happening in reality is a blow to production. In these circumstances, the dairy industry expects state officials to respect the regulations they themselves have approved and act accordingly.”
UPDATE: 3:30 PM
Iranian Cleric Calls for Regime to Pursue Nuclear Bomb
Nasr Hosseini, an official representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has urged the Iranian regime to pursue the acquisition of a nuclear bomb to counter perceived threats and dangers.
Speaking at a state-sponsored event titled “Quds Day” in Yasuj, Hosseini stated, “We have National Nuclear Technology Day on Monday, and we must possess this knowledge. If necessary, perhaps we request the esteemed authorities to pave the way for the development of this nuclear weapon. When this Zionist regime is offering its own nuclear bombs as a policy, saying Israel can return Iran to the Stone Age. If it makes such a mistake, we will destroy Israel. Inshallah, Israel will be destroyed.”
Iran Ranks Second Globally in Land Subsidence, Government Official Reveals
Ali Beitollahi, head of the Seismology and Hazards Division at Iran’s Research Center of Roads and Urban Development, has unveiled alarming statistics regarding Iran’s land subsidence, placing the country second globally in this concerning phenomenon. In a recent announcement on Sunday, April 8th7, Beitollahi disclosed that Iran’s land subsidence rate has reached a critical level, trailing only behind India. He emphasized that certain provinces, including Alborz, Semnan, Tehran, Razavi Khorasan, Kerman, and Fars, are particularly vulnerable to land subsidence.
Of significant concern is the province of Golestan, where unauthorized groundwater extraction, driven by relentless cotton and corn cultivation, has led to subsidence rates exceeding 22 percent in some areas.
Beitollahi stressed that Iran’s subsidence rate far surpasses the global average, citing alarming figures. In Kerman province alone, subsidence rates have soared to 40 centimeters per year, while regions south of Alborz province, near the capital Tehran, have experienced rates exceeding 30 centimeters annually. Similar trends have been observed in Isfahan province, with rates exceeding 15 centimeters per year.
Southern Tehran has recorded a staggering subsidence rate of over 20 centimeters per year, with some areas in Varamin experiencing similar rates. In other regions such as Neyshabur and Kashmar, the situation is even more dire, with subsidence rates significantly higher than the national average.
The revelation underscores the urgent need for action to address the root causes of land subsidence in Iran, particularly concerning groundwater management and agricultural practices. It also highlights the potential risks posed to infrastructure, agriculture, and the environment by this widespread phenomenon.
Iran’s Breathtaking Hypocrisy
It seems that hypocrisy has no limits in Tehran. Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian president known as ‘The Butcher of Tehran’ for his bloodstained role as an executioner, has accused Israel of a “clear violation of international relations” following the Israeli airstrike that killed seven senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the consular annex of the Iranian embassy in Damascus. The five-story building was completely flattened on April 1, when six missiles were allegedly fired from Israeli F-35 warplanes. Israel has refused to comment.
UPDATE: 10:30 AM
PMOI Resistance Units across Iran Echo The Message of Struggle against Dictatorship
With the launch of the Nowruz campaign, the Resistance Units have increased their activities in various cities across the country. In a coordinated effort indicative of organized work. The Resistance Units, affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), carried out activities including distributing leaflets, installing banners, and writing slogans against the repressive regime of the mullahs in dozens of cities across Iran, extending from north to south and from east to west.
In Tehran, pictures of Massoud Rajavi, the leader of the Iranian Resistance, were distributed, accompanied by quotes confirming the activities of members of the resistance that are defying the repressive measures of the regime.
Roya Zakeri, 31, Forcefully Transferred to Psychiatric Hospital
A young woman, Roya Zakeri, was taken to an isolation room at the Razi Psychiatric Hospital by security forces on April 4, after chanting slogans against Khamenei, the regime’s Supreme Leader.
The report was posted on X by her lawyer Sina Yousefi. He wrote that Roya Zakeri was hospitalized in the Bu Ali ward of Razi Hospital in Tabriz, northwestern Iran, under the supervision of security agents and that her life was in danger.
After the morality police attacked Roya Zakeri on the street last October, she chanted, “Down with Khamenei” and was arrested by security forces and taken to the Razi Psychiatric Hospital.
Iran Air Allegedly Controlled by IRGC Commander: Sanctions Calls Renewed
The Telegraph reveals intelligence suggesting the Iran regime’s national airline, Iran Air, is secretly controlled by a senior commander within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This news reignites calls for stricter sanctions on the Iranian regime from Europe.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an opposition group in exile, revealed Brigadier Shamseddin Farzadipour has been in charge of Iran Air since 2022. Farzadipour previously served as the aviation commander for the IRGC’s Air and Space Force.
This revelation comes as the European Union (EU) faces pressure to increase sanctions on the regime. France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States advocate for stricter measures due to the regime’s alleged shipment of weapons to Middle Eastern proxies and Russia. The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, has resisted these calls, favoring continued diplomatic efforts.
Iran’s Non-Oil Trade Shows Deficit in 2023
New government data reveals a negative trade balance of $16.8 billion in Iran’s non-oil sector for 2023. According to customs figures, non-oil exports reached $49.4 billion last year, a 7% decline compared to 2022. Conversely, imports rose by 7% to $64.3 billion. Additionally, Iran imported $1.9 billion worth of standard gold.
In an attempt to showcase a positive overall trade balance, Iran’s customs authority has, for the first time, included statistics on oil, electricity, and service exports. However, it does not include the imports of these goods in its official calculations.
Iran’s Natural Gas Consumption Increases While Production Continues to Stagnate
According to statistics announced by Saeed Aghli, an official at the National Iranian Gas Company on Wednesday, April 4, the Ebrahim Raisi government has only compensated for the growth in gas consumption over the past two years through a reduction in gas injection into oil fields and a decline in exports, with no progress in increasing gas production. Saeed Aghli, the dispatching manager of the National Iranian Gas Company, announced Iran’s natural gas consumption in the past year as 249 billion cubic meters, showing an increase of about three percent, or seven billion cubic meters, compared to 2022.
Statistics from the Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority show that Iran reduced its exports to this country by 48% in 2023, reaching 5.2 billion cubic meters.
Unveiling The Brutal Crackdown On Protesters In Iran In 2022
Iran committed crimes against humanity during the protest crackdown. After more than a year since the 2022 uprising and the atrocities committed by the Iranian regime in suppressing the people, the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) has published a report regarding the crimes committed during this crackdown.
The Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley released a document on March 21, 2024, confirming that approximately 120 individuals partially or completely lost their eyesight when Iranian security forces, using shotguns, paintball guns, and tear gas canisters, cracked down on women’s rights protests that erupted in late 2022.
Geneva, April 5, 2024: MEK Supporters Hold Exhibition on Human Rights Violations in Iran
Geneva, Switzerland—April 5, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and s supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) coinciding with the 55th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, organized an exhibition of human rights violations by the mullahs’ regime in Iran.
