THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:30 PM CET
Iran Protests at a Glance
Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran
Wednesday, May According to reports by the Iranian opposition, Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), on Wednesday, people from different strata of Iran’s society continued protesting their economic woes.
Retirees and pensioners of the regime’s Social Security Organization in Ahvaz, southwest Iran protested and voiced their economic woes.
May 31 – Ahvaz, southwest #Iran
Retirees and pensioners of the regime's Social Security Organization protesting and voicing their economic woes.#IranProtests2023 pic.twitter.com/4MJ4aTYDca— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 31, 2023
In Mashhad, deaf individuals held a protest rally demanding regime authorities acknowledge their rights based on the state’s own laws.
Brave youths in different cities have been constantly targeting regime sites in their attacks. A state police station in Bushehr of southern Iran and a building of the regime’s so-called judiciary in Karaj are the latest targets.
May 31 – Mashhad, #Iran
Deaf individuals held a protest rally demanding regime authorities acknowledge their rights based on the state's own laws.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/gwiyZXC6fW— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 31, 2023
Three inmates in Rajaie Shahr Prison of Karaj, west of Tehran, were executed early Wednesday morning.
following a series of escalating global backing for the Iranian people, the majority of the Slovenian Parliament has issued a statement indicating their support for the ten-point plan of NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi and the Iranian people’s demand for a democratic republic.
UPDATE: 3:00 PM CET
In The Last Two Years, Ten Thousand Iranian Doctors Have Left The Country
The latest data published by the Health and Treatment Commission of the regime’s parliament reveals concerning statistics about the increasing trend of brain drain in Iran. Hossein Ali Shahriari, the head of the commission, has stated that in the past two years, nearly 10,000 doctors, a majority of whom were specialists and sub-specialists, have obtained certificates of good standing. According to state media, this trend is expected to result in a significant shortage of skilled professionals in various specialized and super-specialized fields in the years to come.
The state-run Farhikhtegan newspaper wrote on May 29: “Many of these people [physicians who leave the country] do not even think of immigrating to European countries due to the possibility of receiving very high salaries in the Persian Gulf countries They immigrate to countries such as Oman and the UAE. Hence, Arab countries have become the main destination for Iranian doctors.”
Iranian-Backed Militiaman Killed in Bombardment by “Al-Fath Al-Mubin” on Western Aleppo
SOHR sources have reported that a militiaman of the Iranian-backed militia of “Liwaa Al-Baqer” was killed in artillery fire by factions of “Al-Fath Al-Mubin” operations room in Al-Atareb frontline in the western countryside of Aleppo in the “de-escalation zone.” The killed militiaman was from the Al-Bakarah tribe in the Aleppo countryside. It is worth noting that the “de-escalation zone” experiences frequent gunfire, infiltration operations, and exchange of bombardment between regime forces and opposition factions.
Since early 2023, SOHR has documented 131 operations in the “de-escalation zone,” including attacks, gunfire by snipers, and bombardment, which left 216 combatants and civilians dead. In addition, these operations left over 116 combatants and 37 civilians, including three women and other children, injured.
MP Slams Raisi for Promising to Help Indonesian Healthcare System
A member of the regime’s parliament slammed Ebrahim Raisi for vowing to equip 12 hospitals in Indonesia while he was in Jakarta for a state visit.
As part of a desperate effort to mimic international acceptance, the regime’s president visited Indonesia on May 23 and promised to spend Iran’s scarce resources abroad instead of investing in the country’s deteriorating healthcare system.
Worrying about the social backlash, MP Moinuddin Saeedi said: “When cities like Qasrqand, Kanarak, Dashtiari, and Zarabad don’t even have a single hospital bed, how come that the president promises to equip 12 hospitals in Indonesia? Mr. Raisi, what is the urgency? You ought to be addressing the never-ending struggles of the people of Sistan and Baluchistan first and then consider the people of Indonesia.”
On April 11, the state-run website Eco Iran reported that 370 hospitals under the Ministry of Health are older than 25 years and have deteriorated in terms of patient safety and infrastructure. These include sanitary facilities, equipment, elevators, electrical panels, emergency power, and central sterilization, among other things, and they are in dire need of renovation.
The Ministry of Health has announced that an average of 50 billion Tomans is required for the reconstruction of each hospital. The same report also highlighted that the country, with a population of over 80 million, possesses only 35 specialized hospitals whereas 257 hospitals across Iran have fewer than 100 beds.
The current number of rehabilitation beds per 100,000 people in the country stands at 0,17%, which is a disaster when compared to the recommended number of rehabilitation beds (6 beds per 100,000 people).
UPDATE: 10:00 AM CET
108 Former World Leaders Support Regime Change in Iran
In a breakthrough that has rocked the tyrannical Iranian regime and fired a shot across the bows of Western appeasers, 108 former world leaders have signed a joint statement of solidarity with the people of Iran and shown their support for the main democratic opposition coalition the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its key constituent organization – the People’s Mojahedin of Iran/Mojahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK). Signatories to the letter include former US Vice President Mike Pence and 50 former Presidents, 47 former Prime Ministers, one former Chancellor, and nine other former Heads of State from across the world. Two former Presidents of the European Commission and three Nobel Peace Prize laureates are also among the signatories.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET
Iranian Dissidents Disrupt Regime Servers as Country Sees Protests Continue
An Iranian dissident group disrupted servers, websites, and applications affiliated with the regime’s presidency apparatus on Monday, leaking a long stream of top-secret documents. This is being described as yet another “embarrassing” security breach for the mullahs following a similar disruption earlier this month that targeted the regime’s Foreign Ministry that allowed the dissident to obtain over 50 terabytes of documents and information. Iran’s cities are also the scene of continued protests as retirees of the country’s telecom industry take to the streets to protest poor living conditions and low pensions while demanding their rights. People throughout Iran continue to specifically hold the mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responsible for their miseries, while also condemning the oppressive Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and paramilitary Basij units, alongside other security units that are on the ground suppressing the peaceful demonstrators.
MPs Sound the Alarm of Social Discontent in Iran
The public session of the Iranian regime’s majlis (parliament) on Sunday reflected the ruling theocracy’s increasing infightings and utter fear of a restive society. While acknowledging the country’s financial calamity and the regime’s ineptitude, MP Massoud Pezeshkian warned, “People are shouting, and we should hear their voices, not to ignore this warning and prevent people from protesting. We shouldn’t arrest protesters and accuse them of conspiracy against national security. We should take this alarm seriously.”
Previously, the state-run Did-e Ban-e Iran warned on May 16 that “The revolt of the poor is not like protests to the mandatory veiling. We cannot control those who starve.”
A History of Hostage-Taking Diplomacy
Iran’s regime has engaged in hostage-taking diplomacy for decades, with notable incidents that have garnered international attention. One of the most infamous cases was the seizure of the United States embassy in Tehran in 1979 when Iranian militants held 52 American diplomats and citizens hostage for 444 days. This act of aggression violated international law and clearly displayed the Iranian regime’s willingness to exploit hostages as bargaining chips. Since then, the regime has continued to employ hostage-taking as a tool of diplomacy, targeting individuals from various countries. “Hostage-taking diplomacy” is an expression that is often used to describe the regime’s foreign policy.
Executions in Iran: Instilling Fear or Inciting Uprising in 2023?
Recent executions in Iran, reaching a minimum of 123 individuals in the month of May 2023, indicate the serious intention of the Iranian regime’s religious leader to create fear within society and suppress rebellious spirits. However, have these executions truly achieved their intended goal, leaving society terrified and fearful as intended by Khamenei, or have they instead become a catalyst for uprising and revolt within the community? Executions in Iran in the current explosive circumstances of Iranian society, under the pretext of ordinary crimes while labeling prisoners as insurgents, serve a larger purpose: combating rebellious spirits within society and suppressing the uprising of 2023. However, contrary to Khamenei’s expectations and the massive apparatus of repression, these actions have transformed into a cause of unrest and upheaval.
Student Activist Sepideh Rashno Summoned to the Evin Courthouse
Student activist Sepideh Rashno has been summoned to the First Branch of the Prosecutor’s Office at Evin Courthouse.
According to the summons issued by the First Branch of the Prosecutor’s Office at Evin Courthouse, which was delivered to Sepideh Rashno on Sunday, May 28, 2023, she has been summoned to report to this branch within five days to defend the allegations attributed to her. Sepideh Rashno believes that the reasons for her summons to the courthouse are related to her posts on social media.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – May 30, 2023