THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET
Today, August 14, retirees from the telecommunications sector in Tehran, Mashhad, Ardabil, Hormozgan, Ilam, Shiraz, Rasht, Kermanshah, Tabriz, Isfahan, and other cities gathered once again in front of the Telecommunications Company to voice their grievances. These retirees were protesting the authorities’ refusal to respond to their demands, which include the complete enforcement of the 2010 personnel and employment regulations and the resolution of healthcare insurance issues.
More footage of today's protest rally by retirees of the telecom industry in Ahvaz.
"The shareholders have stolen our share!" the protesters are chanting.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/Ed5uPIWEuT— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 14, 2023
August 14—Shabestar, northwest #Iran
Locals protest the regime's destructive environmental and economic policies that have caused the drying up of Lake Urmia.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/1gYvmBY33K— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 14, 2023
Also today, a group of Tehran Metro employees and personnel gathered at the Baharestan Metro station in protest against the latest initiative of the regime. The protesters are objecting to Article 29 of the Fifth Chapter of the Seventh Development Plan, which increases the retirement age in labor-intensive and hazardous jobs.
The gathering was initially planned to take place in front of the Parliament but organizers faced opposition from the regime’s security forces.
August 14—Tehran, #Iran
Staff of Tehran Metro hold rally, protesting livelihood challenges and new laws being passed in the regime's seventh development plan, which will make life even harder for them.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/jkrGq5azCf— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 14, 2023
On August 14, families whose loved ones were killed during the downing of the flight PS752 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on January 8, 2020, gathered in protest against the destruction of their loved ones’ graves in Tehran’s Behesht Zahra Cemetery.
August 14—Tehran, #Iran
Rally by the families of the victims of flight #PS752, a Ukrainian airliner shot down by the IRGC in January 2020, protesting the destruction of the graves of their loved ones.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/ke4QUYDWRK— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 14, 2023
UPDATE: 7:00 PM CET
Iranian Regime Summons Students Ahead of Uprising Anniversary and New Academic Year
As the start of the new academic year and the anniversary of the 2022 uprising approach, the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Education has taken steps to summon students in what appears to be an attempt at intimidation.
According to the state-run Dideban website, on Saturday afternoon, at least 15 students from Allameh Tabataba’i University were summoned by the university’s security apparatus.
Similar summons had occurred previously with students from National University and Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran. Moreover, this source has indicated that around 200 students from Bu-Ali Sina University in Hamedan have faced canceled housing arrangements.
These actions are linked to the regime’s concerns about potential public unrest on the anniversary of the uprising. In response, the regime has heightened its repressive tactics in recent weeks.
In the 2022 uprising in Iran, universities across the nation emerged as significant centers of protest and played a pivotal role in galvanizing the entire population. As the epicenters of intellectual thought and youthful aspirations, these universities became powerful platforms for expressing discontent and demanding change.
UPDATE: 11:00 AM CET
Fuel Shortages and Long Queues Plague Iranian Cities Amidst Rumors of Gasoline Price Hikes
According to reports, cities across Iran are grappling with a mounting fuel crisis, as fuel stations experience overwhelming congestion and shortages. Reports indicate that an increasing number of citizens are facing arduous waits and frustration as they seek to fill their tanks.
The state-run Etelaat Online wrote on August 13, “Last night in some cities, many fuel stations faced congestion of vehicles and fuel shortages to the extent that many citizens had to visit multiple stations to obtain fuel. Long queues, slow fuel dispensing, along with the underutilization of the full capacities of the petrol pump stations, have not only caused frustration and fatigue among the people but have also fueled rumors of gasoline price hikes.”
House Intelligence Chair Says Congress Should Consider Travel Ban to Iran
Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio.) said on Sunday that Congress should consider implementing a travel ban on Iran. During an appearance on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” Turner, who is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told moderator Margret Brennan that he would support a broader diplomatic deal and negotiations between the U.S. and Iran that would eventually freeze progress in Iran’s nuclear program.
“But the terms of the deal are absolutely important, because you know, last time we had an insufficient inspection regime, we had terms that were critical that expired,” Turner told Brennan.
“In this instance, they appear to be careening toward a deal that would be informal, not subject to congressional oversight, because we wouldn’t know all the terms,” Turner added, noting that lawmakers don’t want a secret deal with Iran. When Brennan asked if Congress should implement a travel ban to Iran, Turner replied that a travel ban should be under consideration.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Iran: Retirees and Defrauded Customers of State-Backed Companies Hold Protest Rallies
Retirees of the regime’s Social Security Organization returned to the streets in several cities across Iran on Sunday as their lives continue to plunge into poverty and the regime continues to ignore their most basic needs. Protests were reported in Kermanshah, Rasht, Shush, Ahvaz, and Karaj. In Rasht, protesters were chanting, “Inflation has broken the people’s backs!”
In the past few years, retirees across Iran have been protesting their deteriorating living conditions, especially as the government refuses to adjust their pensions based on the inflation rate and fluctuations in the price of the rial, Iran’s national currency. The price of most basic goods has spiked severalfold while pensioners continue to receive the same stipends as before.
200 Female Students of Bu-Ali University Are Denied Dormitories
As the anniversary of the nationwide 2022-2023 uprising approaches and universities prepare to reopen, the clerical regime’s security services have escalated their pressure on students. On Saturday, August 12, 2023, the National Student Guild Councils disclosed that a minimum of 200 female students from Bu-Ali Sina University in Hamedan, western Iran, were suddenly expelled from their dormitories without prior notification. The realization of their expulsion came as these students attempted to secure dormitory accommodations through online reservations. According to the National Student Guild Councils, the deprivation of dormitory rights for female students at Bu-Ali Sina University has been attributed to a report by the university’s security department. The report cited breaches of dress code regulations and smoking as reasons, with the majority of affected students being female. These students have been instructed to draft commitment letters to regain their dormitory privileges.
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Iran’s Pension Funds On The Verge Of Bankruptcy
Most of the 17 active pension funds in Iran are on the verge of collapse and imminent bankruptcy. This situation is making it impossible for them to sustain operations without government and institutional intervention. The support ratio, denoting the proportion of insurance contributors to pension beneficiaries, is a crucial metric. To avert the brink of insolvency, an insurance organization requires a minimum support ratio of 3. Currently, this ratio has plummeted in the country’s pension funds, rendering the prevailing state of most funds akin to “bankrupt.” The confluence of a progressively aging population, dwindling support ratios, and a surge in premature retirements will further exacerbate the strain on pension funds. In the spring of this year, the employed population numbered 23,577,638. Consequently, the livelihoods of nearly 64,340,000 individuals hinge on the labor and activities of these working individuals.
Iran’s Regime Has Spent $50bn In Syria, Leaked Documents Show
A leaked “confidential” document from the Iranian regime Presidential Institution reveals that Tehran has spent an estimated $50 billion on supporting the Assad regime during the Syrian war. Only the repayment of approximately $18 billion has been determined, not in cash, but in the form of projects and plans that lack both technical and economic justification and executive guarantees. Reports emerged on May 29 revealing that the Iranian presidency’s website and internal servers were targeted by a group of Iranian dissidents codenamed “GhyamSarnegouni” (meaning “Rise to Overthrow” in Farsi). Confidential documents released earlier by the group indicated that the Iranian regime’s budget spent during the ten-year Syrian war goes beyond $50 billion. Now, this group has released another document indicating that the Iranian regime is having a hard time reclaiming its debts from the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
MEK Supporters Rallies in Vienna, Hamburg, Heidelberg, and Aarhus, Supporting the MEK Leadership and Against the Mullahs’ Regime
August 12, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held rallies in Vienna, Hamburg, Heidelberg, and Aarhus, and demanded the trial of Ali Khamenei (Supreme leader of the mullahs’ regime) for crimes against humanity, in an international court. They expressed strong support for the MEK leadership.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – August 13, 2023