THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:30 PM
Protests Spark in Tehran Against Alleged Mosque Construction in Popular Park
On April 1, residents of Tehran gathered in Qeytarieh Park to protest against the decision by Mayor Alireza Zakani to build a mosque in the area.
Yesterday, news spread claiming that the fences of Qeytarieh Park had been removed and that the cultural heritage protection units had prevented the construction of a mosque in the location. However, contrary to these claims, it was clarified that the cultural heritage protection units had not hindered any mosque construction in the area.
UPDATE: 5:30 PM
Iranian Consulate in Damascus Flattened in Suspected Israeli Air Strike
DAMASCUS, April 1 (Reuters) – Iran’s consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus was flattened on Monday in what Syrian and Iranian media described as an Israeli air strike, a startling apparent escalation of conflict in the Middle East that would pit Israel against Iran and its allies.
A Lebanese security source, speaking to Reuters, said one of the dead was Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Iranian state television said several Iranian diplomats had been killed.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said five people were killed in the Israeli strike. Syria’s SANA state news agency reported an unspecified number of deaths and injuries.
UPDATE: 1:30 PM
Regime Implements Restrictions on Iranian New Year Celebrations
As Iranians prepare to celebrate the ancient tradition of Sizdah Bedar, the 13th day of the new year on the Iranian calendar coinciding with April 1, the regime is deploying various measures to suppress this long-standing custom, intending to exploit it for social control and instilling fear and despair. According to the regime’s official IRNA News Agency, Masoud Emami, the governor of Ardabil, announced the prohibition of Sizdah Bedar gatherings and any congregations in parks, green spaces, and recreational areas within and outside the city. He stated, “Any gathering in parks within the city, the Shorabil tourism and sports complex in Ardabil, and recreational areas outside the city will be prevented.”
Emami added, “Necessary coordination has been made with law enforcement, the municipality, and other relevant authorities in this regard.”
Hossein Afshari, the governor of Hamedan, also declared that tourist sites, museums, and amusement parks in the city will be closed on the 13th of Farvardin.
Similarly, Esmail Naderi, the governor of Gorgan, announced the closure of recreational and tourist centers in the county on April 1, warning of legal consequences for violators.
Images circulating on social media depict authorities affiliated with the regime blocking entrances to recreational centers such as Saadi’s mausoleum in Shiraz, Tagh-e Bostan in Kermanshah, and the entrance to Sofeh Mountain in Isfahan.
The state-run website Asr-e Iran reported confusion regarding the closure of parks on April 1, stating conflicting reports about whether parks and recreational areas would be closed or not. Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Interior Security contradicted reports of park closures, stating that no such directive had been issued.
On the other hand, the governor of Qazvin stated that, following the guidelines from higher authorities and in line with all provinces in the country, parks and recreational areas would be closed on this day.
According to the state-run news agency Mehr, the commander of the unit responsible for natural resource protection within the regime announced the deployment of over 1,500 patrol units on April 1 when people traditionally visit nature and recreational areas.
The commander mentioned that in some provinces, cameras have been installed to monitor a radius of 50 to 60 kilometers around recreational areas, and in some areas, drones will be used for surveillance.
US Military Says It Destroyed Houthi Drones over The Red Sea and in Yemen
CAIRO (AP) — The U.S. military said Sunday its forces destroyed one unmanned aerial vehicle in a Houthi rebel-held area of war-ravaged Yemen and another over a crucial shipping route in the Red Sea. It was the latest development in months of tension between the Iran-backed rebels and the U.S.
The drones, which were destroyed Saturday morning, posed a threat to U.S. and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region, said the U.S. Central Command.
It said that one done was destroyed over the Red Sea, while the second was destroyed on the ground as it was prepared to launch.
Azerbaijan Prevents Drug Smuggling Attempt from Iran
On March 31, on the territory of the Horadiz border detachment of the border troops of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan, the border guards recorded the movement of two unknown persons from the Islamic Republic of Iran in the direction of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The personnel of the border outpost blocked possible directions of movement of border violators, and operational search activities were carried out on the territory, the State Border Service told Azertag.
Border violators traveling from the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the Republic of Azerbaijan did not obey the order of the border guard to “Stop!” and tried to run back, abandoning their bag.
UPDATE: 9:30 AM
Regime Expert Admits to The Explosive Dynamics of Iran’s Society
In a revealing interview with the state-run Khabar Online news website, Amanullah Qarai-Moghadam, a government expert, shed light on the critical socio-economic transformations Iran faced in the Persian calendar year 1402 (March 2023-March 2024), highlighting the profound implications of these shifts on the nation’s stability. His insights offer a window into the underlying tensions fueling the country’s social and political landscape, marked by a notable shrinkage in the middle class—a development with far-reaching consequences.
Qarai-Moghadam points out, “A very important change that we witnessed in 1402 is the shrinking of the middle class.” Traditionally, the middle class serves as a buffer, or a “resistance shield,” protecting the lower strata from the upper echelons of society. Its erosion, according to the expert, not only destabilizes this balance but also propels the lower classes into a potential confrontation with the upper classes and the government. This thinning of the middle class, therefore, signifies a loss of a critical stabilizing force within Iranian society, with the potential to undermine social cohesion and governance.
Iran’s Specialist Shortage: A Looming Crisis in Healthcare
Iran faces a critical situation in its healthcare system: a severe shortage of specialist doctors across the country. This issue transcends inconvenience and threatens the well-being of millions.
Nearly 410 Iranian cities, with populations exceeding 50,000, struggle with limited access to specialists. Long wait times, often lasting days or even months, leave patients in limbo. This shortage cripples efforts to establish comprehensive treatment facilities in many regions.
Experts warn of a potential future reliant on foreign doctors from Bangladesh and India to bridge the gap. This highlights the urgency of addressing the problem before it reaches this critical juncture.
Rising Costs and Shrinking Supply Squeeze Iran’s Rental Market
The rental price is directly influenced by various economic factors such as inflation rates, exchange rates, housing prices, and bank interest rates. As these factors fluctuate, so too does the rental rate, often resulting in shifts in the balance between rental costs and mortgage payments. For instance, a decrease in the value of the national currency coupled with an increase in the dollar rate typically leads to a rise in rental prices while reducing the portion allocated to mortgage payments. The significant issue currently impacting Iran’s rental market in 2024 is the recent exchange rate fluctuations.
In the first three months of 2024, the dollar rate surged from 50 thousand tomans to over 61 thousand tomans, representing a considerable increase of more than 11 thousand tomans. This abrupt change has reverberated across all markets, including the rental sector.
Parvin Mirasan Detained for 17 Months in Uncertain Conditions
After 17 months of detention, the political prisoner Parvin Mirasan remains in custody under uncertain conditions. Mirasan was arrested on November 4, 2022, during protests in Isfahan, central Iran.
She underwent trial in February 2024 at Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, yet her verdict has not been issued. Despite being 66 years old and suffering from diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, joint conditions, and neurological disorders, political prisoner Parvin Mirasan has been denied proper medical care and treatment until now.
Mirasan’s arrest during the Isfahan protests led to two months of interrogations in Isfahan before she was transferred to solitary confinement in the Intelligence Ministry Ward 209 of Evin Prison on February 12, 2023.
Iranian Woman Sara Tabrizi Suspiciously Dies After Arrest by Ministry of Intelligence
A few days after the news of the “suspicious” death of a young woman named Sara Tabrizi was published, the Iranian regime’s judiciary confirmed her detention in recent months. On March 23, reports of the “suspicious” death of Ms. Tabrizi went viral on social media
Some news sources claimed that this 20-year-old girl had died after being summoned again by the Ministry of Intelligence in mid-March. The regime’s Judiciary Media Center confirmed on March 29 that Sara Tabrizi’s father had announced on March 24 “through contact with the local police station in their residence in Shahriar County, Tehran Province, that his daughter did not wake up from sleep and apparently had passed away.”
IAEA Head on Iran’s Expansion of Its Nuclear Abilities in 2024.
IAEA Head cautions that without improved transparency on Iran’s nuclear program, it cannot assure its peaceful nature, echoing fears of repercussions akin to the Iraq War.
In a Friday interview with PBS, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi expressed concern over Iran’s advancements in its nuclear program alongside restrictions placed on the UN monitoring activities.
Grossi emphasized that without full Iranian cooperation, the agency cannot verify that its program is peaceful. The lack of visibility would be a major setback, similar to the situation during the late 1980s and 90s in Iraq.