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Iran News in Brief – September 18, 2023

Sedighe Shahrokhi

iran security forces september 2023

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS

UPDATE: 10:00 PM CET

Treasury Designates Former President of Iran

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran, for having provided material support to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), an entity concurrently designated by the Department of State. These actions are being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14078, “Bolstering Efforts to Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained U.S. Nationals Home,” which expands the tools available to deter and impose tangible consequences on those responsible for, or complicit in, hostage-taking or the wrongful detention of a United States national abroad.

“Today’s action targets Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for enabling the wrongful detention of our citizens, causing immeasurable pain and suffering for both the victims and their families,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “We remain strongly committed to the victims and their families, and are resolute in our efforts to hold accountable those who perpetrate these acts.”

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Iranian Regime Takes Action Against IAEA Nuclear Inspectors

In a recent move, Iran expelled a group of nuclear energy inspectors associated with the International Atomic Energy Agency. This decision follows the earlier expulsion of an inspector involved in examining Iranian nuclear facilities.

“These inspectors possess extensive expertise and unique knowledge in enrichment technology, making them among the most experienced experts in the Agency. They have played a crucial role in the verification of enrichment facilities in Iran, all of which fall under the Agency’s safeguards,” stated IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in an official statement.

For years, the IAEA has been monitoring Iran to ensure the country does not pursue nuclear weapons. This oversight comes after the lifting of EU and UN sanctions that were imposed on Iran during the Ahmadinejad government, a time when Iran sought to become a nuclear power.

UPDATE: 2:30 PM CET

Monday Protests in Iran

Today, September 17, a group of retired employees of the Iranian Telecommunications Company (ITC) in Ahvaz, Rasht, Arak, Sanandaj, Shiraz, Tehran, and Khorramabad protested against the authorities’ failure to address their demands by holding a protest rally and march in front of the ITC office in their respective cities.

The protesters chanted slogans such as “We want our rights,” “The government is not fulfilling its promises,” and “We will not give up until our demands are met.” They also carried banners with messages such as “We are tired of poverty and deprivation” and “We demand a dignified life.”

The protesters are demanding that the ITC pay their full pensions, provide them with adequate health care, and increase their retirement benefits.

This is not the first time that retired ITC employees have protested against the non-resolution of their demands. Several times a week, they are holding similar protests but their demands remain unmet.

The protests are a sign of the growing discontent among Iranian retirees. They are facing a number of challenges, including poverty, inflation, and poor health care. They are demanding that the government take action to address their concerns.

Contradictory Reports of Missile Test Explosion at the Regime’s Ministry of Defense in Northern Iran

Conflicting reports have emerged regarding an explosion during a missile test conducted by the regime’s Ministry of Defense in Gorgan, Golestans Province.

The IRGC-run Fars News Agency reported today that the Ministry of Defense’s missile test was the cause of the incident in Gorgan. An informed source told Fars News that the Gorgan incident occurred during the missile test conducted by the Ministry of Defense.

Fars added that during the test, the warhead of the missile veered off course and struck a location other than the designated target. However, the deputy political governor of Golestan province stated that two civilians were injured.

The state-run Aftab News website reported, “This morning, the sound of several terrifying explosions was heard in various parts of the city of Gorgan, causing damage and fear among the people.”

The commander of Golestan’s Law Enforcement announced that the fall of an unidentified object had been reported in eight locations in Gorgan. He claimed that further details are under investigation, and additional information will be provided.

But the Mashreq News website, affiliated with the IRGC Intelligence Organization came up with another narrative. The source reported, “The commander of the Law Enforcement in Golestan Province announced that the fall of an unidentified object had been reported in eight locations in Gorgan. He asserted that the police are investigating the details and will provide further information. The sound of the explosion resulting from the object’s fall was heard throughout the city of Gorgan.”

According to Mashreq News, Ali Mohajer added, “This drone crashed around 9 AM, and its fragments fell in various parts of Gorgan City. He denied the rumor of the crash of 8 drones and stated that these fragments belonged to one drone. Military and security forces are busy investigating the dimensions of this incident.”

Us Senators Urge Biden To Deny Visas for Iranian President Raisi and Delegation

A group of United States Senators, including Rick Scott, Tom Cotton, Katie Britt, Chuck Grassley, and Ted Budd, have written a letter to US President Joe Biden stating that Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian regime’s president, is a major supporter of terrorism and should not be allowed to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

The Senators wrote: “Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi leads the world’s largest state sponsor of terror. There are no excuses for his regime’s active involvement in terrorism and its threats against former US officials and the national security of the United States, Israel, and our allies. He and his delegation should not be permitted to attend the United Nations
General Assembly in New York City in September.

Just days ago, on August 18, 2023, President Raisi visited the home of Asadollah Assadi, the convicted terrorist responsible for attempting to target the large annual rally of the Iranian opposition in Paris. This is just one of the many actions he has taken both recently and in the past which make clear his unapologetic sympathy and support for the world’s most evil and dangerous monsters.”

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UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET

Maryam Rajavi Meets Atifete Jahjaga, the Former President of Kosovo

During her visit to Brussels to participate in the Iran Uprising Conference, Maryam Rajavi met with H.E. Atifete Yahjaga, who served as the President of Kosovo from 2011 to 2016. Mrs. Yahjaga was one of the speakers at the conference.

Ms. Yahjaga is immensely popular among the people of Kosovo and is the first woman to serve as president in the Balkans. She congratulated Mrs. Rajavi for her decades of unwavering commitment and efforts in the struggle to liberate her country. Ms. Yahjaga found Mrs. Rajavi’s steadfast focus on her primary goal, which is establishing democracy in Iran, genuinely inspiring. She voiced her confidence that Mrs. Rajavi and her movement would ultimately prevail and achieve the desirable outcome they have been tirelessly pursuing along their challenging and arduous journey.

Ms. Yahjaga also acknowledged the struggles of the people of Kosovo in their quest for freedom, drawing parallels with the Liberation Movement of Kosovo.

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Women and Youths in Hamedan Confront IRGC Repressive Forces

The city of Hamedan saw widespread confrontations between women and youths in Hamedan and the regime’s brutal security forces with chants of “death to Khamenei” and “death to the Republic of Executions” on Sunday, September 17, 2023. The clashes mark the anniversary of the murder of Mahsa Amini and the beginning of the nationwide uprising last year on these very days. Young women in Hamedan chanted, “We will kill whoever killed my sister,” in the face of security forces. The protests took place in District 13 of the city. In a shocking scene, dozens of security forces surrounded a lone young woman in the street to arrest her. Video footage from the city shows one-on-one clashes between youths and security forces as well as the sound of shooting.

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The Devastating Economic Conditions of Ph.D. in Iran

On September 10, during an interview with the state-run Etemad newspaper, Isa Kalantari, the former head of the Department of Environment of Iran, discussed several topics, including the situation of migration of specialists from Iran, a migration that can be appropriately described as a “migration tsunami.” This tsunami has intensified further in the wake of the recent wave of expulsion of university professors. In this conversation, Kalantari tried to alleviate public anger toward regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei and the entire regime. He pretended that the expulsion of professors was the work of an “infiltration group” within the country. He also referred to them as a radical spectrum that “passes restrictive laws and seeks like-minded individuals,” while disregarding the significance of expertise.

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Iran’s Oil Smuggling, Sanctions, and Ongoing Tensions: A Deep Dive

oil-workers

In the face of international sanctions, the Iranian regime has persistently engaged in oil smuggling, navigating a complex web of challenges and repercussions. Since the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 and the subsequent reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Iran’s oil industry, the regime has faced significant constraints on one of its main sources of revenue. The Iranian oil industry, from the start of this regime under the control of the Velayat-e Faqih, has been under immense pressure due to the sanctions. These sanctions have compelled the regime to seek alternative means to sell its oil.

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What The “Reduction” of Iran’s Gini Coefficient Says About the Economy

Although the latest report from the Statistical Center of Iran indicates a decreasing trend in Iran’s Gini coefficient, which reflects income inequality, studies show that without considering the uninterrupted increase in inflation and the decrease in purchasing power parity, the result of a fair distribution of wealth cannot be achieved. The Gini coefficient measures the distribution of income and wealth among different individuals in a specific period of time and indicates how the economic situation of individuals has changed. Persistent inflation and sudden inflationary spikes, especially in the past five years, have led, according to official regime statistics, to a significant decrease in purchasing power parity (PPP) for the people and nearly half of Iran’s population falling below the poverty line.

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Brussels-Grand Rally: Iranians Commemorate Uprising Anniversary, Advocating for Democratic Republic

Also, read Iran News in Brief – September 17, 2023

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