THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET
Massive Embezzlement of 3 Trillion Tomans Exposed in State-Owned Bank
State media reported today that the manager of a department in a state-owned bank in Iran has been involved in an embezzlement scheme amounting to around 3 trillion tomans.
According to the state-run Eghtesad Online, Ali Salehi, the Prosecutor General of the regime in Tehran, disclosed a case of corruption involving 29 trillion rials in one of Tehran’s state-owned banks. Salehi added that after this embezzlement, the individual attempted to leave the country and has been apprehended.
The recent incident exposes Ebrahim Raisi’s claims of combating corruption as a mere façade, intended to divert attention from his grim history as the infamous executioner responsible for the state-sanctioned killing of tens of thousands of Iranian youths.
UPDATE: 2:30 PM CET
Tuesday Protests in Iran
Retirees from various parts of the country gathered for protest demonstrations today, Tuesday, August 29, in front of pension funds in cities such as Tehran, Kermanshah, Urmia, Kuhdasht, Pol Dokhtar, Yazd, and Sanandaj.
More footage of today's protest rally by dentistry graduates.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/E6GBvohDxd
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 29, 2023
August 29—Yazd, central #Iran
Retired government employees hold protest rally, demanding higher pensions and basic rights.
"One less [government] embezzlement, and our problems will be solved!" the protesters chant.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/IknJuxPhmd— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 29, 2023
August 29—Tehran, #Iran
Muscular dystrophy patients protest lack of access to gene therapy drugs.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/ADevKGjenW— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 29, 2023
August 29—Tehran, #Iran
Defrauded customers of the state-backed Rezayat Khodro carmaker rally in front of the Judiciary, demanding the regime to address their demands.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/aVay4PvHaY— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 29, 2023
An Iran Mouthpiece’s ‘Scoop’ Draws Republican Ire
Republican lawmakers are calling for the State Department to probe how the Tehran Times, an Iranian state-run media outlet, obtained a purported memo informing U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley that his security clearance was suspended. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Mike McCaul (R-Texas), said Monday in a statement that Foggy Bottom “needs to do a top-to-bottom security review because I am concerned they have a leak.”
McCaul also touched on concerns that the Tehran Times has again obtained information that has eluded lawmakers who have demanded to know more about an ongoing investigation into Malley, which involves questions about whether he should be allowed to handle classified information. Last month, McCaul threatened to subpoena the State Department for details of the case.
Jordan Downs Drone from Syria in Third Incident This Month
AMMAN, Aug 28 (Reuters) – The Jordanian army said it downed a drone heading from Syria on Monday in the third such incident this month, while officials said an increase in weapons being smuggled across the border was raising concerns about a new Iranian-instigated threat beyond drugs.
The army said in a statement that the drone was brought down in its territory but did not say what it was carrying. Officials have recently revealed weapons were being smuggled as well as narcotics by drone.
Jordanian officials said the increasing use of drones carrying explosives was adding a new dimension in a relentless cross-border billion-dollar drug war the staunch U.S. ally has long blamed on Iranian-backed militias that hold sway in southern Syria.
“This is Iranian targeting of Jordan helped by the presence of their militias near our border. It poses a security threat that goes beyond drugs,” Samih Al Maitah, a former minister familiar with developments along the border said.
UPDATE: 12:30 PM CET
Raisi Government is Enforcing a 250 Percent Inflation on People’s Livelihoods, State-affiliated News Agency Reports
The state-run news agency ILNA reported that during the two years of Ebrahim Raisi’s governance, an inflation rate of at least 250 percent has been imposed on people’s livelihoods.
ILNA wrote on August 27, “In August 2021, the price of each kilogram of prime lamb meat was 145,000 Tomans, and the price of veal was also 162,000 Tomans per kilogram. However, in August 2023, the price of each kilogram of lamb meat reached 440,000 Tomans, and after two years, the price of veal has also reached 380,000 Tomans.”
Even though prices have risen significantly, government officials have declared that workers’ salaries will not be adapted accordingly.
Ali-Hossein Rayatifard, a deputy to the Minister of Labor in Raisi’s government, affirmed that this decision is consistent with the one made last year.
As reported by ILNA, this situation is unfolding while the poverty line stands at 30 million tomans in Tehran and at least 23 million tomans in rural areas, which is three times higher than the workers’ wages.
UPDATE: 9:30 AM CET
NGOs Want Iran Paralympics Boss Charged in France With Torture
AFP – Two rights groups said Monday they brought a legal complaint in France against the boss of Iran’s Paralympic body, accusing him of torture and crimes against humanity.
Ghafour Kargari, president of his country’s national paralympics committee for next year’s Games, is currently in France for a meeting with his counterparts from other participating countries, the organisers told AFP.
The two rights groups say Kargari is a former commander of the Quds Force, a branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) which runs intelligence and covert military operations in Iran and abroad.
Canada To Deny Temporary Residency to Ex-Iran Minister Reportedly Seen in Montreal
Aug 28 (Reuters) – Canada will deny temporary residency to Iran’s former health minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said on Monday, citing Tehran’s human rights record, after Hashemi was reportedly seen in Montreal.
“Based on an assessment of the relevant facts recently brought to my attention, I have exercised my authority under s. 22.1 of the IRPA to prevent Mr. Seyed Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi from becoming a temporary resident of Canada for the maximum period of 36 months,” Miller said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Section 22 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act gives the Canadian immigration minister the authority to deny temporary residency to a foreign national for up to three years.
Cybercrime Set To Threaten Canada’s Security, Prosperity – Spy Agency
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Organized cybercrime is set to pose a threat to Canada’s national security and economic prosperity over the next two years, the national signal intelligence agency said on Monday.
The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) in a report identified Russia and Iran as cybercrime safe havens where criminals can operate against Western targets.
Ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure such as hospitals and pipelines can be particularly profitable, the report said. Cyber criminals continue to show resilience and an ability to innovate their business model, it said.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
The Iranian Regime’s “Purification” Strategy Is Causing a Major Brain Drain
One of the crises in Iran under the rule of the mullahs is the “tsunami of immigration” and “brain drain.” This issue has become a topic of discussion in many of the regime’s media outlets. On August 22, state-run Aftab Yazd newspaper wrote, “Recently, a report published the list of elite students with high grades in university admission exams showed these people are not intending to enroll in university, but are thinking to migrate and among them, some have already chosen their country of destination.”
On August 23, the state-run Bahar News website referred to the reason behind the increase in migration statistics and wrote, “As long as the social atmosphere of a country is poisoned, migration is a common and usual event… A poisoned society is an atmosphere in which the social atmosphere is not befitting; In other words, the arena comprised of limited freedom of speech, lack of peace of mind, high unemployment, low incomes and degrading living conditions, and a thousand-and-one other problems.”
How Iran Uses Terrorism and Hostage-Taking as Tools of Diplomacy
In the realm of global politics, the efficacy of a nation’s diplomacy is commonly assessed through measures such as negotiation skills, peaceful conflict resolution, and international cooperation. However, Iran’s regime has forged an unorthodox path, intertwining diplomacy with a dark underbelly of terrorism and hostage-taking. This dual-faced approach not only challenges established norms of international discourse but also raises profound concerns about the regime’s intentions and impact on regional stability. Unlike conventional diplomatic efforts, where skillful negotiators aim to find common ground, Iran’s strategy appears rooted in unsettling actions that serve its own interests. This strategy is perhaps most evident in the regime’s use of terrorism as a form of leverage. Instead of engaging in earnest dialogue, Iran’s regime has resorted to sowing seeds of instability by supporting extremist groups, often at odds with the principles of peaceful coexistence.
Maryam Akbari Monfared, a Brave Woman Standing Like a Mountain Against All Odds
Political prisoner Maryam Akbari Monfared has received additional sentences based on new cases filed against her by the clerical regime’s Ministry of Intelligence. Branch 101 of the Criminal Court of Semnan sentenced Mrs. Akbari Monfared in absentia to two additional years in jail and 150 million rials in fines for “disseminating falsities in social media.”
Two new cases had been filed against Maryam Akbari Monfared by the Ministry of Intelligence. The first case concerned her time in Evin Prison, which accused her of disseminating “propaganda against the state.” The second case concerned her time in the Prison of Semnan for which she is accused of insulting Khamenei, propaganda against the state, assembly and collusion, disseminating falsities and disrupting public opinion, and inciting people against national and external security.
Eight Turk Activists Detained in Tabriz, Ardabil, and Mianeh
On the eve of the anniversary of the killing of Zhina Amini and the start of last year’s nationwide protests, pressures on civil activists and families of victims have intensified throughout the country. Threats, summons, and detentions of activists in various cities are alarming. On Sunday, August 27, 2023, eight activists from the Turkish community, named Zulikha Ghazizadeh, Shahin Barzegar, Mohsen Ebrahimi Dinour, Peyman Ebrahimi Dinour (residents of Tabriz), Mehrdad Sheikhi, Habib Negahban, and Iraj Shirzad (residents of Ardabil), and Mohammad Sheikh ol-Islami (resident of Mianeh), were detained by government forces. These individuals, detained in different cities, were subjected to physical assault and beatings during their arrest by security forces. According to an informed source, these Turkish citizens have been detained in connection with the widespread protests by citizens regarding the drying of Lake Urmia and the government’s failure to address the situation of the lake.
World Bank Warns About “Significant” Internal and External Risks to Iran’s Economy
In its latest report, the World Bank has reported about “significant” internal and external risks threatening the Iranian economy in the medium term, as well as the high inflation rate and persistent unemployment in the country.
In the section on internal risks, the report refers to the “escalation of social tensions and strikes in the industrial sector” in Iran, emphasizing that the continued internet restrictions by the regime could have long-term detrimental effects on employment and economic activities, especially in the services sector.
Following the nationwide protests in 2022 and the widespread workers’ strikes in recent months, the government, in addition to violently suppressing the protesters, has once again restricted access to the internet and intensified filtering in the country.
Sydney and London: MEK Supporters Held Rally and Exhibition, Supporting the Iran Revolution, Commemorating the 1988 Massacre Victims—August 26, 2023
August 26, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in Sydney (Australia) in solidarity with the Iran Revolution. MEK supporters in London held a photo exhibition, commemorating the 1988 massacre‘s martyrs.
Germany, August 26, 2023: MEK Supporters Rallied in Berlin, Cologne, Bremen, Heidelberg, Hamburg, and, Stuttgart in Support of the Iran Revolution
Germany, August 26, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held rallies in Berlin, Cologne, Bremen, Heidelberg, Hamburg, and, Stuttgart, 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 28, 2023