THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 10:30 PM CET
Water Crisis Reached Tabriz in Northern Iran
For over two weeks, the people in the city of Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, are struggling with water shortages. According to state-run media, repeated and prolonged water shortages in certain urban areas, along with a drop in pressure in other areas, have left the residents of Tabriz frustrated in recent days.
The semi-official ISNA news agency blamed the crisis on a burst in the city’s main water supply line and reported, “Muhammad Khani, the CEO of East Azerbaijan Water and Wastewater Company, announced in an interview with IRNA on Thursday, ‘Our company’s employees are currently repairing the burst and with the completion of the repair operation, water will be restored to this area.”
The swell of protests in response to water scarcity and shortages is surging across the eastern, western, and central regions of the nation. Over the past several months, the critical issue of water scarcity and shortages has extended its grip from Sistan and Baluchestan provinces to encompass Tehran, East Azerbaijan, and West Azerbaijan provinces. This widespread concern has ignited protests and sporadic rallies in these areas.
UPDATE: 2:00 PM CET
Counter Terrorism Designation Update; Iran-related Designation Update
On Tuesday, August 15, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States added several individuals and entities from Iran, the UAE, and Singapore to the list of sanctioned entities.
One of the individuals newly added to the sanctions list is Behnam Shahriari, an Iranian national also known by the following names: Hamid Hosseini, Behnam Shahriari Maralou, Seyyed Ali Akbar Mirokouli, Seyyed Hamid Reza Shah Chiraghi. He has been designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under the Iran Financial Sanctions Regulations (IFSR), specifically for secondary sanctions related to global terrorism.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has stated that the inclusion of these individuals in the sanctions list is based on the regulations of “anti-terrorism” sanctions. A registered company in Singapore and the UAE has also been sanctioned.
The energy company UNICIOUS located in Singapore has been designated under Executive Order 13846 – Iran, related to the company Triliance Petrochemical Co. (TRILIANCE). Additionally, addresses of the company in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Geneva, Switzerland, have been added.
It has been noted that the bank accounts and assets of the sanctioned individuals will be frozen in the U.S., and these individuals will not be allowed to engage in financial transactions with the country.
Tehran Grapples with Gasoline Crisis: Stations Depleted, Long Queues Persist
Despite repeated denials by the highest officials of the regime regarding an increase in gasoline prices, reports from Tehran indicate the formation of long queues for obtaining gasoline.
Meanwhile, state media reported that the reason behind the formation of these long queues at gas stations is the heated rumors of gasoline price hikes and disregard for the statements of government officials who assert that gasoline will not become more expensive.
According to reports from Tehran, on Wednesday, in a residential district, several kilometers of lines formed for obtaining high-octane gasoline, and after a while, the fuel at the gas stations was depleted.
In Valiasr-Chamran area, high-octane gasoline hasn’t been available to station owners since Wednesday morning. Locals say that due to the gasoline shortage, high-octane gasoline will be made available to the public once in two days.
In Parvin Square in Tehranpars and in Valiasr-Chamran lower area, gasoline stations are closed, and none of the fuel types are being distributed.
Footage from the Hakimiyeh Pashaei region also indicates long queues.
The gasoline at Doulatabad, Moftah, Ferdousi, and Shariati Bahar Shiraz streets, as well as at Panj Niroo Alley, and Vozara Street, has all been exhausted as well.
UPDATE: 12:00 PM CET
Gunfire Erupts as Inmates Protest Transfers and Oppression in Prison in Western Iran
Based on popular sources from inside Iran, on Tuesday evening, August 15, simultaneous with the sounding of sirens, gunshots were heard from Sanandaj Prison, in Kurdistan Province. Following the transfer of several inmates in this prison to solitary confinement for execution, the situation in Sanandaj Prison has become tense, and prison guards have been stationed in various locations, including the rooftop of the prison.
According to this report, in the women’s ward of Sanandaj Prison, inmates protested against being transferred to the Judiciary prison as well as the relocation of several others to Yazd Prison. Meanwhile, the sound of gunfire was also heard from the Marivan highway.
Additionally, sources suggest that in order to punish protesters who were detained during the 2022 uprising, the regime has issued severe and harsh sentences and is exploiting their labor in state-affiliated agriculture.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Iran’s Regime Is on the “Path of No Return”
We are approaching the anniversary of the Iranian uprising in 2022, which began on September 16, following the killing of Mahsa (Gina) Amini by the morality police in Tehran. Since the Iranian regime expects the uprisings to flare up again, it has taken measures to counter them. On July 16, the spokesperson of the regime’s State Security Forces announced the deployment of morality police patrols. The return of this repressive patrol force to the streets and the unexpected resistance of women against them caused controversy inside the regime. Ahmed Reza Radan, who was appointed as the commander of the SSF on January 7, 2023, has all the characteristics of a brutal oppressor that can run this repressive force.
The Implications of Internet Censorship on Iran’s Digital Economy
The ongoing internet censorship in Iran has been a significant hindrance for digital entrepreneurs and online space advocates. Initial restrictions began in November 2019 as a reaction to protests over high fuel costs and have escalated since September 2020. Consequently, accessing social networking platforms has become increasingly challenging. A study from Comparitech, a British non-governmental organization focusing on security and the private sector, ranks Iran second only to China in social media censorship. Furthermore, Iran is the third nation, following North Korea and China, to enforce stringent internet restrictions globally. These constraints, combined with an economic downturn, have generated a unique and difficult landscape for Iran’s online businesses.
The Hijab and Chastity Bill: Parliamentary Commission Approves 39 Articles
The legal commission of the mullahs’ parliament has so far examined and adopted 39 of the 70 articles of the Hijab and Chastity Bill, officially renamed “Supporting the Family through Promotion of the Culture of Chastity and Hijab” bill. Mullah Naghdali, a member of the legal commission, told the semi-official Tasnim news agency, that the commission had examined and adopted 39 articles over the past two days which primarily deal with the obligations of various ministries and institutions to enforce the Hijab and Chastity bill. Naghdali said the remaining articles after article 38, are more controversial and will take more time to examine. In the meantime, another MP, Hossein Jalali from Rafsanjan, told the open session of the mullahs’ parliament on August 14: “It is said that individuals under 18 will not be imprisoned.
Fatemeh Amini, Symbol of Perseverance and Steadfastness
There are people who make up cornerstones on which a long history of resistance is built for millions to follow. There are grim wills that make the enemy fall on its knees and overcome its cruelty and savagery. There are humans that look on to the horizon, calmly sing the beautiful song of life, and then become eternal. Fatemeh Amini was one such human being. Fatemeh was born in the city of Mashhad (northeastern Iran) to a religious family who were political and progressive. She, too, started her political activities against the Shah’s dictatorship in 1962 when she was studying at Mashhad University’s School of Literature. Soon, she and her friends founded the Association of Progressive Women.
MEK Supporters Rallies in Rome, London, and Brussels, 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 Rome, London, and Brussels, and demanded the trial of Ali Khamenei (Supreme leader of the mullahs’ regime) and the mass murderer Ebrahim Raisi for crimes against humanity, in an international court. They expressed strong support for the MEK leadership.
MEK Supporters Rallies in Cologne, Bremen, Hanover, and Kassel, 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 Cologne, Bremen, Hanover, and Kassel, and demanded the trial of Ali Khamenei (Supreme leader of the mullahs’ regime) and the mass murderer Ebrahim Raisi for crimes against humanity, in an international court. They expressed strong support for the MEK leadership.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – August 15, 2023
