THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET
Attack on Shrine in Central Fars Province Leaves Several Killed and Wounded
This afternoon, state media in Iran have been widely reporting an armed attack on the Shahcheragh shrine in Shiraz.
The official news agency IRNA reported, “According to an informed source, as a result of a terrorist attack by two armed assailants on Shahcheragh, four people have been killed so far.”
The state-run Entekhab website quoted the Governor of Fars Province as saying that the attack resulted in one fatality and five injuries.
So far, reports from official accounts on this matter remain contradictory and unreliable.
On 26 October 2022, in the midst of the nationwide uprising that sparked following the state murder of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish girl by the morality police patrol, a terror attack at the Shahcheragh mosque, a Shia pilgrimage site in Shiraz in southern Iran, took place that claimed the lives of 13 people. Hours after the attack, while the regime was trying to drive attention toward terror threats and blamed protesters for weakening the security forces, people on the streets started chanting slogans, pointing fingers at the clerical regime which has a record for orchestrating similar incidents.
UPDATE: 7:30 PM CET
Iranian Official Acknowledges Fuel Depletion Amid Gas Station Closures
Reflecting on reports about the closure of many gas stations, Ali-Akbar Nejadali, the head of the regime’s Oil Products Distribution Company, admitted to fuel shortages, explaining, “Our aim is to prevent gas station shutdowns due to fuel depletion by using the fuel reserves stored in our tanks.”
He indirectly acknowledged the scarcity of gasoline, mentioning that a plan to implement fuel rationing is being put into action to “avert running out of gasoline at gas stations.”
Today, the semi-official ISNA news agency quoted the spokesperson of the fuel station owners’ guild as stating, “Starting from 12 days ago, with the aim of better fuel distribution management and adhering to the legal resolution of the parliament, the fuel purchasing limit has been revised for personal fuel cards and emergency fuel station cards.”
In recent days, numerous reports and videos from different cities in Iran have spread across social media, showing the closure of certain gas stations and the formation of long queues in front of fuel stations.
Recent statements from a member of the Industries and Mines Commission of the regime’s parliament about a potential increase in gasoline prices seem to have triggered a public rush to fuel stations. On Saturday, August 12, Shafaqna News Agency quoted Mostafa Reza Hosseini Qotbabad indicating the government might be getting ready to raise fuel prices, suggesting possible preparations within society for such an increase.
In November 2019, sudden gas price hikes triggered a significant wave of protests that swept across the country. The demonstrations quickly escalated into large-scale anti-government protests, with citizens demanding the ousting of the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The regime responded with a brutal crackdown, killing at least 1,500 protesters, numerous casualties, and arrests.
UPDATE: 3:00 PM CET
U.S.-Led Naval Group Warns Ships To Avoid Iranian Waters To Avoid Seizure
DUBAI, Aug 13 (Reuters) – A U.S.-led naval coalition in the Gulf has warned ships in the region to stay away from Iranian waters to avoid possible seizure, the U.S. Navy said.
The warning shows tensions remain high in and around the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran seized tankers in late April and early May, while Washington and Tehran finalise a deal to free five U.S. citizens detained in Iran and the U.S. allows $6 billion in Iranian funds held in South Korea to be unfrozen.
“The International Maritime Security Construct is notifying regional mariners of appropriate precautions to minimise the risk of seizure based on current regional tensions, which we seek to de-escalate,” Commander Timothy Hawkins, spokesman for the Bahrain-based U.S. Fifth Fleet, said late on Saturday.
UPDATE: 12:00 PM CET
Regime’s Friday Prayer Leader in Kerman Warns Against MEK’s Influence in Iran’s Society
Mehdi Arabpour, the Friday Prayer Leader of the regime in Kerman, issued a warning regarding the influence of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MEK/PMOI) in Iran’s society.
Speaking during the Friday prayer sermon on August 11, he stated, “They (MEK) promote alluring slogans and deceptive words. They say things that, on the surface, seem very appealing to people. The Imam (the former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini) had warned us about them.”
“In gatherings, we see these very hypocrites (a term the regime uses to demonize the MEK), who apparently were revolutionary before the revolution and initiated armed conflicts at the beginning of the revolution,” Arabpour added, “You can see that they are still active. In a recent announcement from one of the security organizations, it was stated that they are using social media platforms to manipulate minds, create chaotic thoughts, and spread lies. They fabricate and spread rumors. They’ve formed a cyber army where thousands of them daily disseminate multiple lies. They spread rumors to sow discord. Therefore, we must recognize this group. We should never trust them. Our dear youth, both girls and boys, who are not too old, should study. They should read some books, and learn about certain historical events in our country from the 1980s.”
Regime’s Parliament Moves on With Hijab Law
During the parliament’s session today, August 12, members of the parliament used Article 85 of the regime’s Constitution to approve the submission of the repressive “hijab and modesty” bill to the Guardian Council for final approval. This decision bypasses the need for a parliamentary review. The approval was backed by 175 affirmative votes, while 49 members voted against it, and 5 members abstained, out of a total of 238 present members.
This bill, which had previously gained the endorsement of the Raisi administration as well as the authorities of the Judiciary, underscores the regime’s misogynist views toward women. The regime’s authoritarian leaders seem to harbor the illusion that such bills can quell the popular uprising where women play a leading role.
Reflecting on the parliamentary move, Abbas Abdi, a former intelligence interrogator and an ex-official, tweeted: “The fear of society led to the removal of the veiling bill’s discussion from the parliament. The foreseeable outcome for forces that dread their own society and enact secretive legislation is already evident.”
Sunday Protests in Iran
On Sunday, August 12, retirees of the Social Security Organization gathered once again in Ahvaz, Kermanshah, Alborz, and Shush to protest against inadequate living conditions and the lack of response to their demands.
August 13—Shush, southwest #Iran
Retirees of the regime's Social Security Organization from Shush, Karkheh, and Haft Tappeh resume their protest rallies.
"[The regime] looted the Social Security [fund] and ruined our lives!" protesters are chanting.pic.twitter.com/Cd6McEgkok— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 13, 2023
August 13—Takestan, northwest #Iran
Protest rally by defrauded customers of the state-backed Pishtaz Mehr car manufacturer. #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/grpo0PFXvk— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 13, 2023
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CET
Why Iran’s Regime Constantly Kills Porters in Border Areas
On Sunday, August 6, a human rights website reported that eight kolbars (porters) were wounded by the Iranian regime’s border forces in Kermanshah province. One of the porters was killed and another suffered critical injuries. The victims were from the cities of Paveh, Javanrud, and Salas-e Babajani. The body Asu Karimi, 39, who was killed in the incident, was found in one of the gardens around the village of Shushmi, near the Iran-Iraq border.
Porters transport goods on their back across the border for wealthy merchants and owners of large capitals throughout the year in exchange for a very meager salary, barely enough to make ends meet and put food on the table of their families. Their feet are swollen, their backs are bent and their bones ache. They have been forced into this physically demanding and exhausting job out of desperation and the regime’s neglect toward their plight and needs. Presently, the Kurdistan region is suffering from severe poverty and unemployment.
Iran’s Presidential Meltdown
Thirty-five years ago this month, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, issued a fatwa, ordering the massacre of more than 30,000 political prisoners in prisons all across Iran. It was a crime against humanity and one of the worst acts of malicious butchery since the end of WWII. The majority of those executed, in August 1988, were members or supporters of the main democratic opposition movement, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK). They were mostly young, well-educated, Iranian men and women. Some had been imprisoned for supporting the MEK and had been released after serving their sentences. They were re-arrested in their thousands and subjected to arbitrary 3-minute trials in which they were asked a single question: “Do you still support the MEK?” If they answered “Yes” they were immediately sent for execution.
Iranian Youths’ Unyielding Quest for Freedom
International Youth Day offers a moment to honor the brave Iranian youths who, in the past year, courageously rallied to the forefront, ardently pursuing their rights. In their pursuit, hundreds of Iranian boys and girls lost their lives. At the same time, thousands faced arrest and captivity, enduring the harrowing confines of prison, where unimaginable torture prevails. Among those who fell victim to the violence of security forces during the protests were seventy boys and girls under 18 and at least 100 women. In developed nations, August 12 is a day of heightened focus dedicated to shaping a brighter future for the country’s youth. Yet, upon arriving in Iran, we are confronted with a poignant inquiry: Can the youth of Iran envisage a promising future under the weight of a daily yoke imposed by the mullahs’ regime?
The Regime’s Brutal War On Iran’s Restive Youth
As the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s tragic death and the commencement of the popular uprising in Iran approaches, a retrospective of the past year illuminates the grave crimes and oppression committed by the regime against its own people. Each page of the 2022 calendar serves as a somber reminder of those who lost their lives in the uprising, a movement predominantly led by teenagers and youth. Over the course of this year, the regime garnered international notoriety as its actions earned it the label of a ‘child killer’ in the eyes of global public opinion. According to human rights organizations’ statistics, the initial three months of the 2022 uprising saw 71 children and teenagers added to the list of victims of the systematic brutality perpetuated by the Islamic Republic against the Iranian populace.
Guarding Exiles from Iranian Menace: A Test for Western Democracies
Unveiling the History and Closure of Rajaeeshahr Prison in 2023: A Step Towards Erasing Iran’s Dark Past or a New Challenge for Prisoners’ Families?”
The infamous Rajaeeshahr Prison, formerly known as Gohardasht, has long been one of the most feared political prisons worldwide. Its history is steeped in bloodshed, with mass executions of political prisoners beginning in 1988. Located in Gohardasht City, the prison’s construction started in the late 1970s, and it was fully operational by 1982. Despite a name change to “Rajaeeshahr” in 1961 to honor the school president, Rajaee, it is still commonly referred to as “Gohardasht” by locals and government documents alike. On Thursday, August 3, the transfer of Rajaeeshahr prisoners to another prison, whose name has not been announced, began. This is the beginning of the process of closing this prison. The execution of political prisoners started in this prison in 1988.
Roqieh Abedini Hanged in Hamedan – New Victim of Executions in Iran
At dawn on Thursday, August 10, 2023, two prisoners, including a woman, were hanged in Hamedan prison. The identities of the two prisoners were verified as Roqieh Abedini and Afshin Rahim Hedayat. Roqieh Abedini, 40 years old and from Tabriz, was sentenced to death due to charges related to drugs and murder. Roqieh Abedini was arrested three years ago on the charge of murdering her husband in Hamedan and was sentenced to death by judicial authorities. Until the moment of writing this report, the execution of these two prisoners has not been announced by state media or official sources in Iran.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – August 12, 2023