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UPDATE: 8:30 PM CET
Iran Launches Wave of Executions With World Fixated on Gaza
Iran has launched a spree of executions targeting activists and ethnic minorities since the war in Gaza broke out, rights groups and campaigners say. With the world’s attention diverted by the Israel-Hamas war, Iran has executed at least 229 people, they said, as the regime in Tehran clamps down in the wake of the uprising after the death of Mahsa Amini.
Shahin Gobadi, the spokesman for the opposition group the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK), said many of its members have been victims. The clerical regime is engaged in a war with the people of Iran to prevent another uprising inside Iran, he said, referring to the worst civil unrest in the regime’s history, which began in September 2022 after Amini’s death in the custody of Tehran’s morality police.
“The mullahs want to prevent the resurgence of the uprising with a wave of executions, including the secret killing of political prisoners, and by intensifying repression, especially against the activists of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) and the Resistance Units affiliated to the MEK,” Mr Gobadi added.
Royal Navy: Destroyer HMS Diamond Shoots Down Drone Operated by Iranian-backed Houthi Rebels in Red Sea
Grant Shapps said HMS Diamond had shot down the suspected attack drone overnight following a spate of attacks on cargo ships in the region of the Arabian Peninsula. The warship has been deployed to the Middle East as part of a multinational operation amid concerns over missile attacks from territory held by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In a statement, Mr Shapps said: “Overnight, HMS Diamond shot down a suspected attack drone which was targeting merchant shipping in the Red Sea. One Sea Viper missile was fired and successfully destroyed the target.
“The ship recently arrived in the region to bolster international efforts to maintain maritime security. The recent spate of illegal attacks represents a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security in the Red Sea.
UPDATE: 3:00 PM CET
Iranian MP: Sabotage Possible Cause of Recent Refinery Fires
A member of the Iranian regime’s parliament’s energy commission has said that sabotage is a possible cause of the recent fires at several refineries and oil facilities in the country.
“Some people may be driven to sabotage by dissatisfaction,” said Fereydoun Abbasi, the regime’s former nuclear program chief and a current member of the Iranian parliament’s energy commission, in an interview with the Iranian news agency ILNA. “Others may do it because of family problems, and still others may be influenced by the propaganda of others.”
Abbasi said that industrial accidents are “inevitable” in some cases, but that sabotage is also a possibility. He pointed out that “human error, management error, and sabotage” could all be factors in the recent fires.
“It’s possible that everything is going well, but then sabotage happens,” Abbasi said. “Can we say that everything is fine and security is always in place? No, we can’t say that.”
In recent months, Iran has seen a series of fires and explosions at refineries and oil facilities. These include fires at the Petrochemical Ghadir in Mahshahr, the Ashtian Oil and Hydrocarbon Refinery, the Kangan Oil Refinery, the Isfahan Refinery, and the Birjand Oil Refinery. There have also been explosions in several oil and gas pipelines in different provinces of Iran.
Iran’s Food Security at Risk as Imports and Production Decline
Iran’s food security is at risk as imports and production of basic goods decline, according to reports.
Imports of basic goods, such as wheat, rice, sugar, chicken, and red meat, have fallen by an average of 50% in the past eight months, according to data from Iran’s Customs Administration. In addition, the output of red meat in Iran fell by 30% in November 2023 compared to the same month last year, according to the Iranian Statistical Center.
The decline in food imports and production is already having an impact on the Iranian market. Prices for basic goods have been rising, and there are concerns about shortages.
Iranian Military Sukhoi Jet Crashes in Fars Province
A Sukhoi SU-25 military jet belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force crashed in a military area in western Fars Province, near Lake Parishan in Kazerun, on Saturday, December 16.
According to Iranian state media, the jet crashed due to a technical fault. It is reported that no one on board died in the crash.
This incident comes amidst a string of aviation accidents in Iran in recent years. In 2018, a Boeing 737 airliner belonging to Aseman Airlines crashed near Tehran, killing all 176 people on board. In 2023, a Ukrainian passenger plane flying from Tehran to Kyiv was shot down by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, killing all 176 people on board.
These incidents have raised concerns about the safety of Iran’s aviation industry. Experts say these accidents have been caused by a variety of factors, including the aging of Iran’s fleet of aircraft, a lack of training and equipment, and non-compliance with safety standards.
Surge in Stroke Cases Raises Concerns About Public Health in Iran
In a startling revelation on Friday, December 16, Hossein Pakdaman, the head of the state-run Neurology Association, announced that the incidence of strokes in Iran has surged from 3.2 to 11.6. Additionally, the age at which strokes occur has decreased, prompting concerns about the overall health of the Iranian population. Pakdaman emphasized the need to investigate various factors such as genetics, climate, and other potential contributors to understand the reasons behind the increased occurrence of strokes.
Addressing the audience at the inauguration of the 15th Iranian Stroke Congress, Pakdaman discussed the treatment of strokes, stating that engaging in physical activities and undergoing physiotherapy can assist individuals who have suffered a stroke in reclaiming their lives. This insight was shared during a session dedicated to exploring methods to address and manage stroke cases in the country.
The rising incidence of strokes in Iran has raised alarms among health professionals, calling attention to the urgent need for comprehensive research and public health initiatives. As the population grapples with the challenges of a demanding lifestyle, increased stress levels, and numerous economic difficulties, the overall health of the Iranian people appears to be deteriorating.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
How the Appeasement Policy Toward Iran’s Regime Enables Its Human Rights Violations
Environmentalist Warns About the Critical Conditions of Isfahan
Over the past decade, the alarm bells signaling the acceleration of the climate crisis in Iran have rung incessantly. Environmental experts warn that in central regions, the confluence of water scarcity, air pollution, and land subsidence is pushing some major cities, like Isfahan, to the brink of uninhabitability in the near future.
Amidst days when heightened air pollution, resulting from increased pollutants, afflicts Iran’s urban populace, environmental experts issue warnings that industries in these cities are wreaking havoc on the environment through pollution and excessive water extraction.
In an interview with the Entekhabe news website on Saturday, December 9, Mohammad Darvish, an environmental expert, expressed his concerns regarding the recent pollution, particularly targeting the development plans of iron smelters such as Mobarakeh Steel and Isfahan Refinery.
Monthly Income of the Middle Class in Iran is Decreasing
Morteza Afghah, an economist and university professor, has stated that claims about the “reduction in the poverty rate” in Iran have been reversed due to the increase in subsidies, and the “high inflation rate” will swallow up all indicators. Afghah criticized the latest report from the Majlis (parliament) Research Center, which claimed a “one percent reduction in the poverty rate” in the past two years coinciding with the inauguration of the government of Ebrahim Raisi, considering it incorrect.
He has added that these government institutions set the “poverty rate measurement criteria” at the minimum subsistence and poverty line, stating that if the poverty rate is calculated based on this criterion, it was conceivable that “low-income individuals,” who usually have larger households, would receive “more subsidies” after the elimination of preferential currency allocation.
Student Activist Armita Paveer Is Sentenced to 1 Year and 10 Months in Jail
Student activist Armita Paveer has been sentenced to one year, ten months, and 17 days of imprisonment. The Revolutionary Court of Azarshahr sentenced Armita Paveer to one year three months and one day of imprisonment for insulting Khamenei in cyberspace. She was also sentenced to seven months and 16 days of imprisonment for “propaganda activities against the state.”
According to the regime’s punishment law, she would have to serve one year and three months in jail if her verdict is upheld by the Revision Court.
Virginia Pishbin Dedicates Her 2023 Feminas Award to the Iranian Opposition Leader, Maryam Rajavi
At a ceremony held in the capital of Sardinia (island) Province, Italy, on November 28, 2023, the annual women’s award was dedicated to nine influential women making the province’s name honorable and noble. Each of them has served in different fields.
One of the nine active and influential women was Dr. Virginia Pishbin, who received this award for her efforts, services, and commitment to defending the rights of the lowest class and women, especially Iranian women.
When receiving the award, Virginia Pishbin said, “I am not used to receiving awards. I am their voice. The award actually belongs to the girls who are in Iran’s prisons. The young people fighting in the streets.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – December 15, 2023
