THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 10:00 PM CET
The Iranian Regime Has Reached Its End – Former Official
As the threat of the next uprising approaches and the fear of regime change intensifies among Iranian state officials, a former insider has admitted that the regime has reached its end.
In an interview with the state-run Didar News on August 31, Mehdi Nasiri, the former editor-in-chief of the Kayhan newspaper, stated, “How long can this system last? Officials currently claim we can hold on for another year or two with the current situation. What narrative do you plan to create afterward?”
In response to the interviewer’s question about what he meant by the end of the Islamic Republic, he replied, “Officials claim we have reached the peaks [of achievements]. Which peaks? One of your peaks is emigration. A significant portion of the population is leaving this country. The elite students are leaving. The non-elites are leaving. Everyone wants to escape from this country. Yes, it has come to an end.”
Friday Protests in Zahedan, Southeast Iran
Today, people in Zahedan City and Mehrestan County in southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan staged protest rallies. They demanded the release of political prisoners, including Molavi Fathi Mohammad Naqashbandi, the father of an outspoken Sunni cleric who has refused to remain silent and cave into the regime’s brutal dictatorship.
September 1—Zahedan, southeast #Iran
Locals hold protest rally after Friday prayers, calling for the release of political prisoners detained by regime authorities.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/dYvsimNUee— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 1, 2023
UPDATE: 3:30 PM CET
State-run Website Slams Raisi for Soaring Inflation
Amidst escalating internal conflicts within the clerical regime, the state-affiliated Ruydad 24 website published an article on August 31 with the headline “How Did the Raisi Administration Achieve a Record in Banknote Printing?”
The column read, “The method of printing banknotes and generating currency has become the governments’ go-to solution in recent years to compensate for their deficits. Ultimately, this results in us grappling with the monster of inflation every year.”
“One of the main roots of inflation in Iran is the growth of liquidity,” the source added. “In the 2010s, inflation shook the foundations of Iran’s economy and significantly eroded the purchasing power of the population. In fact, what has imposed this deep crisis on the country is the result of financial mismanagement, budgetary shortcomings, and also the instability in the banking system that has exacerbated the ongoing economic issues in Iran. The budget, which is meant to be allocated for the endless expenses of numerous parallel institutions, increases each year, without any consideration for the financial indiscipline of these institutions. Ultimately, this mismanagement leads to extensive money printing by the government, a budget that neither goes into investments nor infrastructure!”
UPDATE: 1:30 PM CET
Growing Tensions in Iran as Regime Handles Inmate’s Murder and Funeral
Following the death of the political prisoner Javad Rouhi in prison, the clerical regime has taken extraordinary security measures to bury his body secretly in a village near Amol. Revealing the motive behind the regime’s inhuman treatment of the victim’s family members, the state-run Tasnim news agency acknowledged concerns about a new wave of uprisings.
Responding to social media reports about the arrest of Javad Rouhi’s parents, along with friends and acquaintances, for attending their son’s burial, the source, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, wrote this morning, “Some individuals had planned to disrupt Javad Rouhi’s funeral by chanting provocative slogans to incite clashes.”
Simultaneously, some of the regime insiders disguised as inspectors, including prosecutors, prison officials, and physicians known for their involvement in torture, visited Nowshahr Prison to prevent any public outcry or uprising. Their aim was to divert public attention towards a narrative of suicide. It is worth noting that the regime had canceled all prison visits as reported on social media.
September 1—Amol, northern #Iran
Burial ceremony of Javad Rouhi, political prisoner killed by the regime in a prison in Nowshahr. Rouhi was subjected to severe torture and was sentenced to death for taking part in anti-regime protests.pic.twitter.com/f94ZaMewaE— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 1, 2023
Tasnim also released a pre-fabricated statement regarding Javad Rouhi’s medical history for his burial. According to this statement, “Javad Rouhi had a history of methadone use due to past addiction, prescribed by a doctor. However, the deceased had been trying to quit methadone and reduce his consumption in recent months. His medical records showed a history of seizures and hospitalization prior to his detention, and he had previously described these events as suicide attempts.”
US Republican Congress Members Call for Secret Briefing on Iran’s Alleged Assassination Attempts
Several Republican members of the United States House of Representatives have penned a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, the Director of the FBI Christopher Wray, and the head of the National Counterterrorism Center Christine Abizaid. In their letter, the representatives urged for a confidential session to address the Iranian regime’s attempts to assassinate former American officials on US soil. The US representatives also stated that the regime’s brazen activities extend beyond plots that have been made public, encompassing Tehran’s endeavors to quell individuals who openly criticize the regime both on U.S. soil and in various parts of the world.
The letter reads in part, “We write to request additional information about the persistent threats posed by Iran’s campaign to direct operations against U.S. persons or other targets in the U.S. homeland. These brazen activities have continued for some time now. We seek information about how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) are working together to stay ahead of these threats and take preventative actions.”
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Deepest Condolences on the Loss of Professor Eric David, Belgium’s Distinguished Scholar in International Law
It is with a profound sense of loss and the highest respect that I extend my condolences on the passing of Professor Eric David, a pre-eminent authority in the realm of international law, to his family and colleagues. He was especially esteemed for his expertise in international humanitarian law, standing as an unwavering advocate for the Iranian Resistance and PMOI members in Ashraf-3.
Professor David’s unparalleled legal acumen was brought to life through the comprehensive and impactful legal opinions he drafted on the legal status and the need to protect PMOI members. His commitment to justice was more than theoretical; it was manifested in the critical field visit he made to Ashraf-1 in Iraq in 2008, and in spearheading numerous transformative legal initiatives.
Iran’s Regime Is Purging Universities of Dissidents and Critics
At the cusp of the reopening of universities and on the anniversary of the 2022 nationwide uprising, Iran’s regime has intensified its attacks on the university from different directions. On the one hand, the mass dismissal of “critical” professors and replacing them with aligned elements, or as one academician put it, “mechanical injection of fake professors” and on the other hand, the expulsion of a large number of students from universities and filling the vacancies with regime loyalists. On August 27, the state-run Roydad newspaper wrote, “The expulsion of professors is taking on a fast pace, and all professors who are officially considered as critics will be expelled on various pretexts, including retirement and lack of scientific potency.”
Professor Dismissals and Gender Segregation in Iran’s Universities
In the heart of Iran’s academic landscape, two concerning narratives are emerging, each casting a shadow on the realm of higher education. As the wave of professor dismissals grows, a simultaneous push for gender segregation policies is unfolding, prompting scrutiny and igniting debates within the nation’s universities. The reverberations of the ongoing dismissals of university professors have reached Shiraz University, where Aziz Shafiei Zarkani, a respected professor in the Materials Engineering Department, recently found himself dismissed. Zarkani’s support for protests following the tragic demise of Mahsa Amini while in police custody seemed to have incurred the government’s ire, leading to his abrupt termination.
Iran’s BRICS Membership in 2024: Navigating Economic Hopes Amid Political Realities
In the midst of economic challenges and political uncertainty, Iran is now turning its gaze towards a potential source of relief – its prospective inclusion in the BRICS agreement. The government led by Ebrahim Raisi has wasted no time in highlighting this anticipated membership as a remarkable achievement, with the promise of economic revitalization.
Dashiri, a Friday prayer preacher in the city of Ardestan, praised it and emphasized that joining the BRICS agreement, which is an emerging agreement, is one of the successes of the government and the Islamic Republic, and the goal of this agreement is to stand against emerging sanctions, and we hope to witness other successes.
According to Yahya Lotfi Nia, an expert in foreign trades, Iran’s permanent membership in BRICS is expected to help neutralize sanctions by defining new roles for Iran in the global economy and re-creating our traditional roles as an energy supplier.
Commemorating the Leading Women of Ashraf Slain on September 1, 2013
The struggle by the Iranian opposition movement is being led by selfless women who have sacrificed everything in their own lives to bring freedom and democracy to their people in Iran. Over the years, these leading women have become indispensable to the Iranian opposition in its struggle for regime change and democracy. So, at every crucial juncture, Iran’s leading women are seen playing a crucial role in the movement. One such watershed moment took place on September 1, 2013, in Ashraf.
Ashraf represented the spirit and symbol of the democratic struggle for regime change in Iran. On September 1, 2013, as the Iranian regime was preparing to sit at the negotiating table in Geneva over its nuclear program, hitmen raided the unarmed, innocent, and legally protected civilians at Camp Ashraf, the 30-year seat of the Iranian opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), in Iraq.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – August 31, 2023