THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 11:00 PM CET
MP Calls for More Nuclear Extortion
In a recent statement reported by state media, Mahmoud Nabavian, a member of the Iranian regime’s parliament, emphasized the need to increase the level of enrichment as a means to strengthen the regime’s position and initiate negotiations for the lifting of sanctions, along with gaining concessions.
“We must increase the level of enrichment in order to be in a stronger position and enter negotiations for the lifting of sanctions and secure concessions,” he said.
Nabavian highlighted that the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should be limited to monitoring cases directly related to nuclear particles. He asserted that activities such as centrifuge production, assembly, and other matters fall outside the agency’s jurisdiction. He further argued that if such monitoring were to occur, it would exceed the boundaries set by the Additional Protocol and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). According to parliamentary law, the government is not authorized to engage in these activities, including full cooperation with the IAEA, until the unjust sanctions are lifted, he argued.
Nabavian’s remarks shed light on the regime’s stance regarding its enrichment activities and using nuclear ambitions merely to extort concessions from world powers.
UPDATE: 8:30 PM CET
Iran Protests at a Glance
Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran
Sunday, June 18, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1
Pensioners and retirees affiliated with Iran’s Social Security Organization staged protest rallies in several cities on Sunday, including Kermanshah, Ahvaz, Shushtar, and Shush. These individuals voiced their grievances against the authorities and institutions of the regime, whom they hold responsible for the worsening of their living conditions.
June 18 – Ahvaz, southwest #Iran
Retirees and pensioners of the regime's Social Security Organization resume protests over poor living conditions and economic woes.#IranProtests2023 pic.twitter.com/xWUaP5fQdh— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 18, 2023
During the protests in Ahvaz, participants displayed placards bearing messages such as “We will only get our rights in the streets” and “Neither the government nor the parliament care about the people.” These expressions reflect the frustration of the pensioners with the regime’s ongoing denial of their demands and rights.
June 18 – Shush, southwest #Iran
More footage of protest rally by retirees and pensioners of the regime's Social Security Organization.
Protesters chanting: "The government and parliament do not care about the people"#IranProtests2023pic.twitter.com/Pq4U8GCCfn— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 18, 2023
In Shush, demonstrators chanted slogans like “Pensioners’ wages are only enough for one week!” They also directed their criticism toward the regime’s state-run broadcasting organization, which censors news related to protests and disseminates false information about the regime’s economic policies.
June 18 – Kermanshah, western #Iran
Retirees and pensioners of the regime's Social Security Organization resume protests over poor living conditions and economic woes.
Protesters chanting: "We will not stop until we get our rights!"#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/LkmZAP8lZo— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 18, 2023
Retirees in Kermanshah joined the cause by organizing a similar rally where they chanted, “We will not stop until we get our rights.” The protesters demanded the regime abide by its own laws regarding pension adjustments based on inflation. Their rallying cry emphasized the need for implementation, declaring, “No more promises and games, implement the adjustment law!”
In Shushtar, pensioners gathered in front of the local offices of the Social Security Organization, reiterating their demands. Their chants echoed their determination:
- “Retirees will die but won’t give in to disgrace!”
- “If we remain silent, we won’t get our rights!”
June 18 – Shushtar, southwest #Iran
Protests by pensioners of the regime's Social Security Organization. Protesters chanting:
"Retirees will die but won't give in to disgrace!"
"If we remain silent, we won't get our rights!"#IranProtests2023pic.twitter.com/u8lbcVjVFW— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 18, 2023
In Tehran, nightly protests took place in one district, specifically Chitgar, on Saturday. The locals, defying the regime’s efforts to create an environment of terror, chanted, “Down with Khamenei!” This chant demonstrated their resistance and refusal to be silenced despite the regime’s oppressive tactics.
Keane: Another Iran Nuclear Deal Not in US ‘National Interest’
Retired Army Gen. Jack Keane said on Sunday that another nuclear deal with Iran would not be in the United States’ “national interest.”
“To give them another windfall of cash like we did as a result of the 2015 nuclear deal, which led to an expansion of their proxy wars in the Middle East, it doesn’t make any sense. It’s not in our national interest,” he told Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday.”
Bream asked Keane about reports that Biden administration officials may be engaging in an “informal conversation” regarding a new nuclear deal with Iran. She also pointed to skepticism from Wall Street Journal editors about the reported talks.
UPDATE: 11:30 AM CET
People Are Fed Up with The State, Former Official Warns
Hossein Mar’ashi, the former Chief of Staff to the Iranian regime’s president warned that the people are fed up with the state.
On June 16, the state-run Fararu website quoted Mar’ashi as saying: “Currently, we are witnessing an inflation rate exceeding 50%, which has broken the back of the people for five consecutive years and disrupted the balance of life, serving as the source of many pressures and instabilities.”
Referring to the rebellious young generation in Iran, the former official added: “The youth have no belief in the state and they have shown their reactions to the influence of misguided policies of the country.”
Acknowledging Khamenei’s failure in controlling the country by consolidating the regime, Mar’ashi said: “Despite the failure of a unified and cohesive rule, it seems that the necessity of change is still not being addressed in the realm of domestic politics.”
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CET
Security Forces Crack Down on Student Protests in Tehran
Protests continued in several cities in Iran on Saturday, as the regime continues to ratchet up repressive measures and executions to stifle the uprising that began in September. In Tehran, the students of Tehran Art University continued their protest rallies following a new wave of restrictions and repressive rules implemented by the regime. According to activists, plainclothes agents attacked the students’ rally and arrested at least 10 students. The arrestees were carried away in a van without a license plate. Special forces were also present at the scene. Security forces also barred other students from entering the campus to prevent the protests from expanding. Videos from around the campus show security forces lined up to counter student protests.
The Disturbing Plight of Female Teachers and Teachers’ Poverty in Iran
The Disturbing Plight of Female Teachers and Teachers’ Poverty in Iran. Five ministers and four caretakers have run the Iranian Ministry of Education in the last ten years. Even Khamenei acknowledged the chaotic situation in that ministry. This situation results from the miserable 40-year management of a ministry training and educating children in Iran. Public schools are characterized by the lack of facilities and equipment and the corrosion of the infrastructure. At the same time, thousands of students in underprivileged areas are deprived of facilities.
Iran: State-Sanctioned Fact-Finding Committee Tries To Downplay Poison Attacks Against Schoolgirls
Months have passed since a series of chemical attacks targeted schools in Iran. In a shocking move, the regime’s fact-finding committee has claimed that the poisoning of students was merely a result of “mischief,” drawing widespread concern both domestically and internationally. The chemical attacks on girls’ schools have ignited significant apprehension throughout the country and beyond. In response to protests from the families of affected students, public opinion, and international organizations like Amnesty International, the regime established a so-called “fact-finding committee” to investigate these heinous incidents.
Mother and Family of Abolfazl Adinehzadeh, a Victim of Iran Protests, Arrested
Security forces continue to put pressure on the families of the victims slain during the 2022-2023 nationwide protests in Iran. On Friday, June 16, 2023, security forces arrest Ali Adinehzadeh, the father, Marzieh Adinehzadeh, the sister, and Reza Adinehzadeh, the uncle of Abolfazl Adinehzadeh. On the same night, they attacked the village where this family resides near Farooj in North Khorasan. They detained the mother and all relatives of Abolfazl Adinehzadeh, transferring them to an unknown location. According to reports on social media networks, Goldasteh Hosseini, the mother of Abolfazl Adinehzadeh, along with all aunts, uncles, nieces, and cousins, have been detained through beatings and assaults. So far, no information about the detainees’ condition and whereabouts is available.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – June 17, 2023
