THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:00 PM
2024: The Year Iran Will Go Nuclear If Western Powers Do Not Act
- If the US fails to remove Iran’s nuclear capability — and not just (literally) buy time to enable it — the catastrophes that follow will surely go down as US President Joe Biden’s legacy, as well as the legacy of those around him.
- From the Iranian regime’s perspective, the failure of the Western powers to counter its nuclear program serves as the most explicit endorsement one can provide that it should continue developing its nuclear weapons without any fear of negative consequences.
- Tehran evidently just uses these funds to expand its influence in various regions, including Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and South America.
- Considering Iran’s track record of failing to honor any commitments, efforts at diplomacy are destined to fail.
France’s Says Iran Must Stop Destabilising Activities
PARIS, Jan 6 (Reuters) – France’s foreign minister said on Saturday that she had told her Iranian counterpart that the risk of a Middle East regional conflagration had never been greater and that Tehran and its proxies needed to end their destabilising activities.
“Iran and its associates must immediately stop their destabilising actions,” Catherine Colonna said on social media X after speaking with Hossein Amirabdollahian.
UPDATE: 1:30 PM
Tehran Fears Full-scale War Might Trigger A Popular Uprising, MP Says
Today, during an interview with the state-run Ruydad24, Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a former member of the National Security Commission in the regime’s parliament, stated that the regime refrains from responding to foreign aggression out of fear that such actions may escalate into a full-scale war, potentially prompting a popular uprising.
Quoting the former MP, Ruydad24 wrote, “While Israel, the MEK, and ISIS form the main triangle of Iran’s enemies with close collaboration, Israel operates behind the scenes. After Ansarallah in Yemen created issues for ships owned by or bearing the Israeli flag, Israel attempted to attribute this problem to Iran. Israel wants to demonstrate its strength, suggesting that a small group cannot harm them, but a large country like Iran is behind these incidents, and Iran has conducted several operations in this regard.”
“Iran conducts its operations through the support of groups like Hezbollah, Ansarallah, and Hamas,” he added. “The Supreme Leader had previously mentioned our efforts to fortify the western borders, clarifying that Iran is not afraid to directly arm Ansarallah, Hamas, and Hezbollah. Moreover, Iran doesn’t have to engage directly in this conflict, as it supplies its allies with advanced technology and missiles.”
Continuing, he expressed, “Iran tends to be overly cautious; it seems to be concerned that if it seeks retaliation, there could be another response, potentially leading to a full-scale war. In such a scenario, there’s a possibility of Iranians flood the streets. There appears to be a genuine fear within the Islamic Republic.”
Raisi Government Depleted National Development, State-run Newspaper Says
In a recent report, the state-run Etemad newspaper highlighted the precarious financial situation of the National Development Fund, revealing that the $150 billion fund currently holds a mere $10 billion from its original resources.
Etemad’s findings underscore that the Ebrahim Raisi government has not only neglected to settle its approximately 25 trillion tomans ($500 million) debt to the National Development Fund for the fiscal year 1401 (March 2022-March 2023) but is also poised to increase this debt by around 170 trillion tomans ($3.4 billion). This increase resulted from the approval to withdraw 20% of the fund’s resources in the fiscal year 1402 (March 2023-March 2024).
The report clarified that the National Development Fund, initially a $150 billion fund, has experienced withdrawals of approximately $100 billion by various governments, with an additional $40 billion allocated to facilities. Consequently, only $10 billion remains in the fund’s reserves.
Etemad emphasized the alarming situation by stating that, considering the anticipated withdrawal and the existing debt, the government’s obligation to the National Development Fund is projected to skyrocket to 195 trillion tomans ($3.9 billion) by the end of the current fiscal year.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM
Iran: Further information: Man facing imminent protest-related execution: Mojahed Kourkouri
Amnesty International – Mojahed (Abbas) Kourkouri is at imminent risk of execution in relation to the September-December 2022 popular uprising. On 24 December, his family learned that Branch 39 of the Supreme Court upheld his conviction and death sentence. His sentence was sent for implementation, amid an ongoing spike in executions across the country. He is being held in solitary confinement and has been repeatedly subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, including severe beatings.
Iran’s Regime Plans to Further Tax the Poor in 2024
The Iranian regime has put a chokehold on every Iranian to fund its expenses of suppression and terrorism, and they extort the people with various excuses. One of their excuses is to cover the budget deficit through taxation.
One of the reasons for the opposition of the members of the Iranian Majlis (Parliament) in the first round of voting on the regime’s budget bill was their fear of the people’s reaction to the increased taxation by the regime, which they perceived as unjust. The state-run Mashregh news wrote on December 20, “The representatives cited high budget deficit, excessive tax burden, and lack of provisions for equalizing retired workers’ salaries as reasons for rejecting the overall bill.”
Farzaneh Barzekar Faces Sentence for Seeking Justice and Removing Her Veil
The First Branch of the Revolutionary Court and Branch 106 of the Penal Court No. 2 of Amol sentenced Farzaneh Barzekar to imprisonment, payment of a cash fine, and social deprivations. Farzaneh Barzekar is the mother of Erfan Rezaii, a 21-year-old who was slain at the hands of security forces in Amol, during protests on September 21, 2022.
She was arrested and detained in the Prison of Qaemshahr, on September 3, 2023, before the first anniversary of her son’s death. The clerical regime intimidated the families of slain protesters and made many arrests among their parents, siblings, and other relatives to prevent the outbreak of another uprising on the anniversary of their deaths.
The Air Pollution Crisis Intensifies in Iranian Cities
Since last fall, the air quality in numerous Iranian cities has degraded to hazardous levels, primarily attributed to the use of non-standard fuel in power plants and public transportation. Government statistics indicate a significant loss of lives among Iranian citizens due to these environmental challenges.
Cities grappling with persistent and severe air pollution include Tehran, Karaj, Arak, Yazd, Tabriz, Isfahan, Urmia, Ahvaz, and Semnan. Meteorology experts have predicted a further deterioration in the capital’s weather, urging citizens to stay indoors as much as possible. However, such an option proves impractical for most individuals. Skipping work could result in the loss of meager incomes and employment, exacerbating already challenging living conditions.
Iranian Rug Exports Declined by 98%
Iranian rugs, as one of the main symbols of Iranian culture and art, have faced a significant decline in global markets in recent years. This decline has been so severe that the exports of this product have decreased from $2 billion in 1994 to $50 million in 2022.
According to Iran’s media reports, Hossein Salah Varzi, the head of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, states that the negative impact of the country’s incorrect currency policies on the exports of various non-oil goods, including Iranian hand-woven rugs, has led to a 98% reduction in the exports of this product in 2022 compared to 1994.
In a report, the news website Ensafnews states, “In the 2000s, rug exports were considered one of the important pillars of the country’s foreign currency earnings. However, after 2012, Iranian rug exports steadily declined and reached their lowest level in 2015, when Iran only exported $290 million worth of rugs.
Lucerne, Switzerland: MEK Supporters Organized an Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution, Supporting #FreeIranTelethon
Lucerne, Switzerland:—January 4, 2024: On the second consecutive day, freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a book exhibition in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.
Paris—January 4, 2024: MEK Supporters Organized an Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution, Supporting #FreeIranTelethon
Paris, France—January 4, 2024: On the second consecutive day, freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a photo exhibition and book table in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – January 5, 2023