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UPDATE: 6:30 PM
Sunday Protests in Iran
In a significant display of solidarity, Iranians from various sectors flooded the streets in the last week of December 2023, collectively expressing their grievances against the clerical regime. The protests spanned retirees, steel industry workers, and oil and gas employees, each group demanding government attention.
Today, retirees from Social Security and steel industries in Mazandaran, Kermanshah, Khuzestan and Isfahan protested for improved living conditions and unmet demands. Placards bearing slogans like “Our rights are paid in rials, while the costs we bear are in dollars,” illustrated their frustrations.
December 31—Shush, southwest #Iran
Pensioners of the Social Security Organization resume protest rallies as regime authorities refrain from raising their pensions according to the costs of living.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/truRgXZzcr— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 31, 2023
In Aghajari, employees of the oil company recommenced their rallies, expressing frustration at the authorities’ silence regarding their demands for higher wages, experience bonuses, and fundamental necessities. The protests underscore the deepening dissatisfaction within the workforce.
Workers at the Middle East Sugar Cube Factory in Shush initiated a strike, staging a protest rally in front of the company CEO’s office. Their grievances stem from ignored demands for improved work conditions, highlighting the growing tension between labor and management.
In Borujerd, merchants from the gold bazaar persist in their strikes, protesting against new tax rules imposed by the regime. The ongoing demonstrations emphasize the economic challenges faced by business owners in the region.
December 31—Kermanshah, western #Iran
Retired government employees and pensioners of the Social Security Organization resume protests as the regime refrains from increasing their pensions according to the costs of living.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/SDODD8M0PX— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 31, 2023
Simultaneously, formal employees of the Flat Continent Oil Company and the Aghajari Oil and Gas Company rallied, demanding the removal of salary caps and resolution of financial disputes. Workers in Mahshahr’s petrochemical industry echoed similar sentiments, calling for fair wages and job equality.
Reserve teachers in Yazd gathered in front of the provincial governorate, protesting unpaid wages and the lack of job security. The rally highlights the struggles faced by educators who feel neglected by the authorities.
December 31—Shush, southwest #Iran
Workers of the Middle East Sugar Cube Factory go on strike and hold protest rally in front of the office of the company's CEO after their demands for better work conditions were ignored.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/6jajaLTaoU— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 31, 2023
Workers from the Iranian Offshore Oil Company on Siri Island continue their protests, emphasizing their demands for changes to wage determination policies and other essential needs. Despite ongoing demonstrations, authorities remain unresponsive to their pleas for improved working conditions.
December 31—Isfahan, central #Iran
Retirees of the steel industry hold protest rallies as regime authorities refrain from raising their pensions according to the rising costs of living.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/genUAqBqk6— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 31, 2023
Turner Calls for Tougher Action Against Houthis in Yemen Amid New Clashes
House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner, R-Ohio, called for the Biden administration to take tougher action against the Houthis after the U.S. Navy clashed with the Yemeni armed group in the Red Sea Sunday.
The Navy announced that it had killed multiple Houthi militants in clashes on Sunday after four ships attacked a merchant vessel that the military was assisting. Three of the ships were destroyed, and one fled.
“Well, what I think what’s significant is the administration continues to not respond to the Houthi escalation in the area and look really to the operations that are going on in Yemen,” Turner told “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
UPDATE: 4:00 PM
23 Pro-Iran Fighters Killed In East Syria Strikes: Monitor
AFP – Air strikes in eastern Syria, “likely” carried out by Israel, killed at least 23 pro-Iran fighters Saturday, a war monitor said, reporting four more dead in the country’s north.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said “23 pro-Iranian fighters”, including five Syrians, four from Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, six Iraqis, and eight Iranians, were killed in at least nine pre-dawn air strikes near the Iraqi border.
It said the raids were “likely carried out by Israel”, after earlier indicating they were “likely American”. A US military official, requesting anonymity, said the “US did not conduct any defensive strikes overnight”.
UPDATE: 1:00 PM
Khamenei’s Reps Beg for High Turnout in Upcoming Sham Elections
The Friday prayer leaders in various cities expressed concern about the economic downturn and public outrage against the clerical dictatorship, while also making efforts to encourage a high turnout in the upcoming parliamentary sham elections.
Referring to the 2009 uprising, Ahmad Alam al-Hoda, the Supreme Leader’s representative in Mashhad, stated on December 29, “During the 2009 sedition, troublemakers were tearing apart pictures of Imam Khomeini. At the same time, these troublemakers shouted slogans, claiming that elections were just a pretext, and their real aim was to target the state. Unfortunately, the uninformed elites failed to grasp.”
He added, “In the upcoming elections, we urge you to be insightful and aware. Unfortunately, the enemy has initiated a campaign to create discord among the people, and this discord is, regrettably, spreading. Some individuals, perhaps unintentionally or carelessly, are echoing the belief that this year’s voter turnout will be low due to the challenging economic situation. They continue to propagate this idea, but it’s important to recognize that the real source of this instigation is the enemy. If people are facing economic difficulties, it is precisely why they should actively participate in the elections, as involvement in the electoral process does not exacerbate the issue. However, the real danger lies in people relinquishing their right to shape their destiny. The enemy aims to instill the notion that economic challenges should lead to abstention from participating in the election.”
During the Friday prayer sermon in Tehran, Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari said, “Elections play a pivotal role in averting both dictatorship and chaos. Reflecting on the tumultuous events of the 2009 American and Zionist sedition, it is clear that what transpired was essentially an act of hostility orchestrated by adversaries who harbored deep-seated animosity towards the Iranian nation. These adversaries consistently stand against the democratic process, advocating for a boycott even before the election. Should their efforts to dissuade participation prove unsuccessful, they resort to questioning the legitimacy of the election results afterward—a tactic witnessed during the 2009 sedition involving infiltrators and unsuspecting elements. This particular incident stands out as the most perilous sedition post-revolution. The memory of this dangerous sedition should remain indelibly etched in the historical consciousness of the Iranian nation.”
US Forces Shoot Down Ballistic Missiles in Red Sea, Kill Gunmen in Attack by Yemen’s Houthi Rebels
BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. military said Sunday it shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired toward a container ship by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. Hours later, four boats tried to attack the same ship, but U.S. forces opened fire, killing several of the armed crews, the U.S. Central Command said. No one was injured on the ship.
The Singapore-flagged MAERSK HANZGHOU reported they had already been hit by a missile Saturday night while transiting the Southern Red Sea and requested assistance, CENTCOM said in a statement. The USS GRAVELY and USS LABOON responded to the call for help, and the Denmark-owned vessel was reportedly seaworthy and no injuries were noted, the statement added.
“This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19,” CENTCOM said.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM
Even Regime Insiders Mock Iran’s Sham Elections
Concepts such as “democracy” and “elections” are terms used by a democratic state to establish a civil and advanced society. Movements that advocate for elections believe in the people determining their fate. The rule of the mullahs in Iran, based on the theory of Velayat-e Faghih (Rule of the Guardian Jurist), fundamentally rejects the role of the people and popularly elected government. The concept of a Supreme Leader is equivalent to the rejection of the popular vote and rulers elected by the people.
According to the statements of Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, a member of the Assembly of Experts until his death in 2021 and one of the closest mullahs to regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei, “Not only is the legitimacy of the regime not dependent on the vote and consent of the people, but the people’s vote has no influence or interference in its credibility.”
Free in Captivity: The 15-Year Odyssey of Maryam Akbari Monfared
Maryam Akbari’s unbound courage, unfettered soul, and unbroken resolve keep her going amidst overwhelming adversity
On December 30, 2023, Maryam Akbari Monfared starts her 15th year in jail without a single day off even for badly needed medical treatment. Maryam Akbari Monfared was born on December 14, 1975, and is the mother of three daughters. She is one of the most resistant female political prisoners who has chosen to live free without bowing down to the mullahs.
She was taken to Evin prison “to provide some explanations” at midnight of December 29, 2009, without being able to say goodbye to her daughters. But she never returned home.
Iran’s Ballistic Missile Arsenal: A Growing Threat in the Middle East
Iran regime’s ballistic missile arsenal is the largest and most capable in the Middle East, with the ability to accurately strike anywhere in the region, including Israel and Eastern Europe. Despite decades of UN sanctions aimed at containing the regime’s industrial military capacity, Iran ranks sixth in the world for missile production, according to its own Ministry of Defense.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force is Iran’s strategic missile force, with an estimated 15,000 soldiers dedicated to missile operations. The force was founded in 1985, but its roots trace back to 1979 when Iran was reorganizing its military after the Iranian Revolution.
Iran’s ballistic missile development began in earnest during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) when Iraq launched an invasion targeting major Iranian urban areas with Scud ballistic missiles.
UN Condemns Executions in Iran, Calls for Moratorium on Death Penalty
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has described the execution of four more individuals in Iran without a fair trial as appalling.
The UN Office of Human Rights announced on Friday, December 29, through a post on the social media platform X that Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, characterized the execution of three men and one woman in Iran without a fair trial on alleged charges of “espionage” as appalling.
According to the Office of Human Rights, Volker Türk called for “an immediate halt to any further executions and an official moratorium on the use of the death penalty” in Iran.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – December 30, 2023