THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET
Iran Uprising at a Glance
Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran
Saturday, April 29, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1
- Days: 226
- Protests: 282 cities
- Fatalities: 750+ estimated deaths, 675 identified by MEK
- Detentions: 30,000
Reports tallied by the Iranian opposition, People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), indicate protests by people from different walks of life in Iran continued on the 226th day of the nationwide uprising on Saturday.
April 29 – Tehran, #Iran
Teachers are protesting outside the regime's Ministry of Education protesting their low paychecks.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/lgrZJxyY5n— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 29, 2023
A group of teachers rallied outside the regime’s Education Ministry in Tehran on Saturday, protesting low paychecks and poor living conditions.
In other reports from the Iranian capital, at least two all-girls schools became targets of the regime’s latest organized and deliberate chemical gas attacks. Many of the students are reportedly feeling extremely ill after being poisoned as a result of these latest attacks. Targets include:
- The all-girls Sama High School near the Swiss Embassy
- An all-girls technical school
- The all-girls Mahdizadehnia Technical School in Mashhad, northeast Iran
Employees of the Montazeri power plant in the city of Isfahan, central Iran, are on strike and protesting officials’ refusal to increase their paychecks despite the country’s skyrocketing inflation and devastating economic conditions.
April 28 – Tehran, #Iran
Locals in the capital's Shahrak-e Bagheri district began chanting anti-regime slogans, including:
"Down with the dictator!"
"Down with Khamenei!"
"Down with the IRGC!"
"We are standing to the end!"#IranRevolution pic.twitter.com/pzg5hu9TwS— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 28, 2023
Locals in the Shahrak-e Bagheri and Amir Abad districts of Tehran began chanting anti-regime slogans on Thursday night, including:
“Down with the dictator!”
“Down with Khamenei, the murderer!”
“Down with the IRGC!”
“We are standing to the end!”
UPDATE: 7:30 PM CET
UANI: Tankers Shift from Carrying Iranian Oil to Russian Oil
On December 5, 2022, the G7, the European Union, and Australia agreed to a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil. The G7 price cap allows non-EU countries to continue importing seaborne Russian crude oil, but prohibits shipping, insurance, and reinsurance companies from handling cargoes of Russian crude around the globe, unless it is being sold for less than the price cap. EU countries have separately implemented an embargo that prohibits them from purchasing seaborne Russian oil. In an attempt to overcome these curbs on the country’s oil, Russia has established its own shadow fleet of tankers. These are mostly older vessels, many of which have experience working with sanctioned regimes such as Iran. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, more than 52 vessels previously involved in helping Tehran export Iranian export oil are now helping Moscow transport Russian oil or petroleum products.
Two Clerics Attacked and Injured in Qom
According to state media reports, on Saturday morning, April 29, a car attacked two state-affiliated clerics in Qom and injured them seriously.
According to the state-run website Didban, around 4:30 this morning, a car attacked two state-affiliated clerics at a bus station on Shohada Safaiye Street in Qom, seriously injuring them. The source suggests that one of the clerics was severely stabbed by the attacker who also fled the scene.
UPDATE: 6:30 PM CET
State Media Report More Scandals Amid Increasing Infighting in Tehran
Shahriar Heydari, a member of the Iranian regime parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said: “Unfortunately, a number of MPs invited Mr. Raisi to step in and become the president, and this jeopardized the parliament. Several representatives collected a petition for Mr. Raisi with requests and promises but now, 95% of them regret it. Everyone apologizes to the parliament and the nation for inviting Raisi to become president.”
However, following increasing calls for the impeachment of several ministers of Ebrahim Raisi’s cabinet, news made rounds that there have been 70-75 SUVs sent to MPs as “a gift”.
The state-run Bahar news wrote today: “MP Ahmad Alirezabighi confirmed a statement about the donated vehicles to some representatives and said: ‘The most obvious and clear issue is that between 70 and 75 cars have been distributed between parliament employees and representatives. This issue has caused an unusual trade-off between us in the parliament as a supervisory body and an automobile manufacturer.”
“This claim should be determined by the parliament’s board,” Alirezabighi added. “How are these 70 devices related to the impeachment of the Minister of Mining and Industries and what was the basis for it? Why were the cars parked in the parliament’s parking lot and at the door of the representatives’ house? Of course, this has never happened before. They may have made promises, but I was not informed.”
Meanwhile, Mohammad Hosseini, the parliamentary deputy of the president, tried to deny the scandal and said: “During the previous impeachment of Mr. Fatemi Amin (the Minister of Mining and Industries) there were similar allegations that a series of SUVs were given to the representatives, but this has yet to be proven. The claim of receiving 75 SUVs in exchange for a negative vote on the impeachment of the minister is a devastation of the parliament itself.”
UPDATE: 1:00 PM CET
Us Confiscates Iran Oil Cargo on Tanker Amid Tehran Tensions
Reuters – The US confiscated Iranian oil on a tanker at sea in recent days in a sanctions enforcement operation, three sources said, and days later Iran seized another oil-laden tanker in retaliation, according to a maritime security firm.
As oil markets remain jittery, the cargo seizure is the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran after years of sanctions pressure by the US over Iran’s nuclear program. Iran does not recognise the sanctions, and its oil exports have been rising.
Tehran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes while Washington suspects Iran wants to develop a nuclear bomb.
Hamid Noury: An Ordinary Citizen or a Murderer of Political Prisoners?
In the mullahs’ system ruling Iran, there are three independent powers not accountable to any individual and entity, let alone reason and common sense. Although they are separate entities, these three independent powers are among the main tools of the regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Recently, the judiciary published a report on Hamid Noury, one of the perpetrators in Iran’s Gohardasht prison during the 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners across the country. Noury was arrested upon arrival at an airport in Stockholm, placed on trial, and sentenced to life in prison. He has filed for appeal and the court has yet to announce its final decision.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CET
Iran’s Protests Expand Into More Sectors of the Society
Iran’s nationwide uprising is witnessing its 225th day on Friday as the country’s industrial workers continue their strike in over 110 sites of 38 cities across 13 provinces. The walk-offs by workers of Iran’s oil, gas, petrochemical, steel, copper and other critical industrial sites are a major wake-up call for the mullahs’ regime while delivering a significant blow to their sources of revenue. This nationwide campaign is also a reminder to the international community of how vulnerable the mullahs’ dictatorship truly is, and the determination of the Iranian people to stand up for their rights. Protests in Iran have to this day expanded to at least 282 cities. Over 750 people have been killed and more than 30,000 are arrested by the regime’s forces, according to sources of the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
Iranian Judiciary Indicts Detained Journalists and Summons Others
Recently, the Iranian Judiciary has taken drastic measures against journalists and citizens. Two detained journalists have been indicted, while other journalists, teachers, and citizens have been summoned for questioning. This wave of arrests and torture has been ongoing. Even those previously released under the guise of “amnesty” in February are now being summoned and imprisoned again.
The arrest and detention of journalists and activists in Iran is a grave violation of human rights and freedom of expression. The international community must condemn these actions and pressure the Iranian regime to respect the fundamental rights of its citizens.
Threat of the Snapback Trigger Mechanism in 2023, Amidst an All-Around Crisis
While the termination of the JCPOA-sanctioned missile embargo on the Iranian government is due on October 26, 2023, some of the Iranian government’s veteran diplomats are warning against the danger of activating the trigger mechanism and the return of the 6 previous Security Council resolutions’ sanctions against the Iranian government. It might be interpreted that the recent months and weeks are not important or consequential times in the Iranian nuclear file, and for now, the Vienna talks’ negotiating table is buried under a layer of dust.
Heidelberg, Germany—April 20, 2023: MEK Supporters Rally to Support the Iran Revolution
Heidelberg, Germany—April 20, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians, supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in support of the Iranian Revolution. The Iranian community in Heidelberg supported their rising compatriots and pledged to continue to call for freedom and democracy in Iran.
Berlin, Germany—April 22, 2023: MEK Supporters Rally to Support the Iran Revolution
Berlin, Germany—April 22, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians, supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. The Iranian community in Berlin supported their rising compatriots and pledged to continue to call for freedom and democracy in Iran.
Iran Policy Podcast—Robert Torricelli: Iran’s Revolution and the Alternative to Dictatorship
Also, read Iran News in Brief – April 28, 2023