When the Iranian regime’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, appointed Ebrahim Raisi as president, all officials and state media of his so-called “consolidated system” praised Raisi’s ascendance to his new position. Yet almost two years later, and in light of a nationwide uprising, the very same officials and state media are criticizing his incompetence.
The most recent example is an article published on May 13 in “Resalat” newspaper, an outlet close to Khamenei’s faction. The article reflects on the consequences of Raisi’s failure to address the country’s crises. “Ignoring people will be met with their anger and frustration,” the paper warns.
“Honorable Ministers! How do you understand or feel the soaring inflation and the hardship to pay rent when you only go from your house parking lot to your ministry’s parking?” Resalat wrote.
Last Week, Raisi’s Minister of Social Welfare, Solat Mortazavi, brazenly invited workers to contentment when asked about the latter’s insufficient salaries.
Referring to the astronomical embezzlements and the regime’s pervasive corruption, Resalat sarcastically wrote, “Those who have astronomical wealth cast aspirations on workers, inviting them to contentment!”
“Those who go from the parking lot of the house to the parking lot of the ministry and the organization and from this meeting to that meeting and their employees do everything for them, from buying a home to enrolling their children in school, do not understand inflation, or the declining of purchasing power. They do not know about installments, loans, and guarantors. They feel no pain, yet make surprising remarks,” Resalat adds.
Resalat’s article was the last fact revealing the regime’s increasing infighting. Last week, the regime’s parliament impeached Reza Fatemi Amin, Raisi’s Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade, only a few days after Khamenei pled with officials to stay “united.”
Watch why the #Iranian regime's minister of #education resigned last week and judge if this is going to silence #IranRevolution? pic.twitter.com/TlpRs4I4MU
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 9, 2023
Fatemi Amin’s impeachment swiftly ensued Raisi’s decisive move to boot two cabinet members, the Minister of Agriculture and the president of the Planning and Budget Organization, on April 15. Unlike the Ministers of Education and Labor, who offered their resignations, the defiantly ousted duo adamantly declined to depart on their own accord.
Blatantly disregarding Khamenei’s explicit directives on April 22, the parliament went against his recommendations by acknowledging the rampant corruption during Fatemi Amini’s impeachment process. “A paramount strategy is to steer clear of distractions and propaganda fabricated by the enemy. In the face of rumors surrounding an official’s [wrongdoings and corruption], refrain from echoing or amplifying them,” he said.
Since 2020, in a bid to solidify the regime, Khamenei has propagated a vision of a “young and Hezbollahi” government, staunchly aligned with his agenda and policies in the face of a restless society. He personally cherry-picked the Majlis and meticulously orchestrated the manipulated 2021 presidential elections to guarantee Raisi’s victory, a feat he hailed as the “most gratifying occurrence of 2021.”
These internal power struggles erode the strength of the regime further. Hence, Resalat cautioned officials about the dire repercussions of engaging in internal conflicts.
“Dispensing empty pledges to the populace and issuing such directives is akin to Marie Antoinette’s infamous ‘let them eat cake!’ decree prior to the momentous French Revolution. It appears that naivety knows no bounds, extending beyond Marie Antoinette, while the reverberations of discontent are not confined to Paris!” cautioned Resalat.