THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 10:30 PM CET
Iranian Regime Executed Eight People in Karaj, Isfahan, and Shiraz
On Wednesday, March 16, the Iranian regime’s Judiciary executed three prisoners in Gohardasht, Karaj, identified as Gholam Ali Khavargir, Abbas Khavargir, and Mohsen Jandaghi. An Afghan citizen named Zubayd was also executed in Dastgerd prison in Isfahan on the same day.
According to reports, on Sunday, March 13, four prisoners were hanged in Adelabad prison in Shiraz. Two prisoners executed were identified as Jamshid Fadaei and Hossein Mehrabani, 37.
Alleged Reformist Analyst Says Iran Has to Exploit The War in Ukraine
In an interview with the state-run Sharq newspaper, former presidential advisor Saeed Laylaz said: “I told Mr. Zarif that the world of politics is the world of power, not morality. The reason for the Ukraine crisis is that Russia has gained strength and the United States has weakened, and that is what we predicted and wrote that the United States is in decline.”
Laylaz, who has been appreciated by particular western think tanks as a “moderate” or “reformist” analyst added: “Of course, I believe that Russia had no choice but to attack Ukraine… Any sane person who would be in Putin’s shoes would attack.”
Explaining how Tehran should get the most out of the Ukraine crisis by selling more oil, Laylaz said: “I believe that Iran’s game in the Ukraine crisis has been very clever and precise, and now we are getting more than we ever wanted.”
Stressing that Tehran should support Moscow, Laylaz also added: “We must pursue the right to uranium enrichment and we must not compromise on this. Now is the best time for us to use the Ukraine crisis and make $12 billion to $14 billion in revenue overnight, and thereby I’m not even talking about frozen assets. Our might lies in our missile power and enrichment, and if any politician wants to give in on these two cases, we will end up like Ukraine.”
Savagery Recorded in The City of Dezful, South Iran
Footage posted on Persian language social media shows an Iranian woman who was protesting against poverty while blaming the state, was brutally beaten by security forces.
Iranian Regime Has Secretly Signed a 20-Year Oil Contract, State-run Website Disclosed
Today, Iranian state media reported about a major 20-year oil contract that has been signed by Tehran in which neither the signing party nor the amount is specified.
The state-run website Tejarat News wrote on March 16: “Under the radar, the Minister of Oil signed a contract for the South Pars oil field on Tuesday. The minister has not released any details of the contract so far, and it is not even clear which country the signatory to the contract is.”
Writing about another deal between India and the Iranian regime in 2008, called the Farzad B field contract, where the regime was willing to give away 30 years of Iranian gas, Tejarat News warned that the new contract whose terms and details have been kept secret might contain the same characteristics.
UPDATE: 8:30 AM CET
People Celebrate Fire Festival Across Iran, Express Opposition to the Regime
Despite broad efforts by the regime to prevent celebrations during the annual Fire Festival (Charshanbe Suri), marking the eve of the final Wednesday of the Persian calendar year, people across Iran celebrated this Persian tradition.
Iranian people celebrate Charshanbe Suri by lighting and jumping over fires. The regime fears that such assemblies can lead up to anti-regime protests. Therefore, every year, it takes intense measures to prevent any kind of celebration. In Tehran, the people celebrated the Fire Festival with firecrackers in different areas.
Iran Fears Anti-state Protests on Annual Fire Festival
The people of Iran hold various cultural festivals and celebrations throughout the year, many based on ancient Persian traditions. Iran’s Fire Festival or ‘Chaharshanbeh Suri’ is a 4,000-year-old celebration, with deep historical and traditional roots. It is one of the most popular festivities among Iranians. On the eve of the last Wednesday of the Persian calendar, millions of Iranians in Iran and around the world light bonfires and jump over them as they celebrate the Fire Festival, the prelude to Nowruz, the Persian New Year.
Iran’s COVID-19 Statistics: Lies and Deception
As the days and weeks pass by, and COVID-19 cases continue, one can never forget the many lives that have been perished, families that fell apart, relationships that opted separate ways, the many challenges we had to face every day, and the hard choices we had to make. The perseverance and resilience of humanity, once again, rose to the occasion, wore its game face, and became determined to bring the virus to its knees. Thanks to the generous donations of countless people, incentives manifested by many countries, and the attempts of an army of medical personnel, various forms of vaccines are becoming available for those who wish or are required to roll up their sleeves. The pandemic was a hard lesson to learn for every person, every culture, every nation, and every government.
Iran: ‘Collapse’ and ‘Negative Growth of Industrial Production’
Iranian regime’s experts and its state media are speaking daily about the disastrous situation of the country’s industry, with many of them bankrupted or on the verge of a total collapse. The state-run daily Servat on March 12, 2022, reported that 12,000 industrial units have been closed.
The state-run daily Jahan-e Sanat reported on March 8 that 110 steel factories are closed and about 25,000 people have lost their jobs, while these factories produced about six million tons of steel annually.
Hasti Amiri Sentenced to One Year, Pardis Rabii Detained by Security Forces
Hasti Amiri, a student at Tehran’s Allameh Tabatabaii University, was sentenced to one year in prison. Meanwhile, security forces in Yazd, central Iran, arrested Pardis Rabii, a genetics student at Kharazmi University. The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Hasti Amiri to one year in prison. Hasti Amiri is a master’s student of law at Allameh Tabatabaii University. She has been charged with propaganda activities against the state. She was also sentenced to additional punishments, including confiscating her cell phone, a ban on membership in political and social groups both in cyberspace and on the ground, and a two-year ban from attending student gatherings.
Freedom-loving Iranians, Mek Supporters Rally in Sweden, France, and Australia Against Iran’s Regime
Saturday, March 12, 2022: Freedom-loving Iranians, supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran(PMOI/MEK) in different countries of the world(Canada — Toronto, Sweden in the cities of Gothenburg and Malmö, France—Paris and Australia—Sydney) staged rallies against mullahs’ regime.
Read more: Iran News in Brief – March 15, 2022