THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET
Iranian Oil Workers Protest in Khuzestan
Oil workers from offshore platforms of Behregansar, Resalat, Aboozar, and Khark Island, as well as employees of the Persian Gulf Refinery in Hoveyzeh, held a protest rally today, demanding higher wages, better working conditions, and improved safety. The workers also demanded full payment of insurance premiums and the provision of welfare and healthcare facilities.
September 25—Hoveyzeh, southwest #Iran
Protest rally by workers of Khalij-e Fars (Persian Gulf) oil refinery.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/MUSjZigX1T— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 25, 2023
UPDATE: 3:00 PM CET
Monday Protests in Iran
Today, a group of retired telecommunications employees gathered for protests in various cities including Rasht, Arak, Ardabil, Kermanshah, Khorramabad, Ahvaz, Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz. They protested the officials’ refusal to address their demands, such as the full implementation of the personnel and employment regulations from 2010 and the resolution of healthcare insurance issues.
September 25—Kermanshah, western #Iran
Retirees of the Telecommunication Company of Iran resume their protests, demanding higher pensions according to the costs of living.
"The incompetent minister is the enemy of retirees," protesters chant#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/Mf6aT3sw04— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 25, 2023
September 25—Rasht, northern #Iran
Retirees of the Telecommunication Company of Iran resume their protests in front of the provincial headquarters of the TCI as the regime ignores their demands.
The protesters are demanding that the regime implements a law that was passed in… pic.twitter.com/a1YnUG7hCW— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 25, 2023
MP Admits Hijab Bill Contains Provisions for Punishment of Minors
Gholamreza Nouri Ghazalcheh, a member of the clerical regime’s parliament, acknowledged the provisions regarding punishment for children and teenagers in the compulsory hijab bill.
As reported by state media, Ghazalcheh told the state-run news agency ILNA on September 23, “The ‘Hijab and Chastity Bill’ still contains clauses pertaining to dealing with and penalizing children and teenagers. Specifically, it outlines regulations for children aged 9 to 15 and 15 to 18, stating that if they violate this law, they should be subject to the punishments as per the relevant section in Islamic penal law.”
On August 13, after prolonged internal conflicts and concerns about the societal implications of intensified oppressive and misogynist measures, the regime’s parliament eventually ratified the repressive hijab and chastity bill during its session using Article 85 of its Constitution. This move directed the bill to the Guardian Council for final approval without discussion in the general session and bypassing the special commission. Last week, the parliament also provisionally approved the enforcement of this repressive bill for a trial period of three years.
Tehran Will Use Released Funds for Terrorism, Former US National Security Says
In an interview with CBS News that was aired on September 24, former US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien criticized the $6 billion dollar ransom that Washington paid to the clerical regime of Iran.
He told Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan, “I’m concerned that Americans traveling abroad are going to be targeted by countries like Russia and China and Iran, but also terrorist organizations who know that they can get a big ransom if we- if we pay these sorts of fees.”
“What is Iran going to do with that money?” O’Brien added. “We saw this with the JCPOA. They took that money and they spent it on terrorism and on ballistic missiles on nuclear programs. I’m afraid they’re gonna build more drones that kill Ukrainians with the money we just gave them.”
Referring to the regime’s use of the released funds, O’Brien also said, “The President of Iran came to the UNGA last week and said he’ll use the money the way he pleases. It’s the government money of the people of Iran, and he’ll use it however he wants. And we have to understand, Margaret, money is fungible. So the money that they’re spending now on children’s hospitals and on food, they’ll use that for the military, and for terrorism and take this money and replace it with the other program. So money is fungible, this money is going to the Iran regime. It’s a terrorist regime. It’s the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and it’s going to kill a lot of people, unfortunately.”
Iran Poses an Existential Threat to the West
On Tuesday, the Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, nicknamed “the Butcher of Tehran” for executing more than 30,000 political prisoners, was allowed to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Aside from Israel – its ambassador was bundled out after staging a one-man protest – no democracy spoke out. It was an ironic way to mark the anniversary of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, believed to have been killed by the regime’s morality police. The country remains in turmoil, with thousands of youngsters risking their lives by expressing their anger at her death and their desire for freedom. Hundreds have been killed.
The spectacle at the UN forms an apt metaphor for the West’s absurdly soft approach towards the Islamic Republic. Iran already holds one of the vice-presidencies of the UN General Assembly; unbelievably, in November, it will take up the chair of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum.
GOP Senator Slams Biden’s Iran Deal: ‘They Are Not Going To Use That Money To Feed the Poor’
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) heavily criticized President Biden’s recent hostage deal with Iran in a Sunday interview with radio host John Catsimatidis.
“We see Iran now emboldened because Joe Biden has released $6 billion to them,” Blackburn said on “The Cats Roundtable” on WABC 770 AM. “We know — you know, John, they are not going to use that money to feed the poor. They are not going to use it to better the lives of their people. They’re going to use it to push forward on uranium enrichment and nuclear proliferation.”
The recent prisoner swap deal with Iran for five American hostages’ freedom involved the transfer of $6 billion dollars of Iranian funds frozen in South Korea to a Qatari bank. The Americans arrived in the U.S. this week.
The Women of Iran Pave the Way to Freedom
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
A Closer Look at The Iranian Regime’s Controversial Plan to Sell Property
Iran is grappling with a long-standing issue of governmental corruption that has seeped into various aspects of its administration. From embezzlement scandals to opaque financial dealings, the nation has struggled to maintain transparency and accountability within its political structures. A recent revelation by Ahmad Tavakoli, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ‘Transparency and Justice Watch Institution,’ sheds light on a concerning instance of corruption tied to the so-called productivity of government assets. Judicial immunity and unchecked authority have allowed a seven-member committee to profit immensely from the sale of government assets, all while leaving the Iranian public to grapple with the soaring prices of housing and land.
Iranian MP Warns of New Protests Over Inflation
Mohammad-Hassan Asafri, a member of the Iranian regime’s parliament, warned of the consequences of inflation and the spark of public protests.
Asafari told the state-run Jamaran website on September 23, “I believe that with the increase in prices, popular protests will take on a new form. We should not be too optimistic that the people have no objections. The society is protesting against the economic situation. The government has faced numerous weaknesses in the economy. Inflation and economic problems are the basis for the start of protests.”
He added, “From the protests of December 2017 to November 2019, which had economic causes, and even in the protests of September 2022, in which some of the people’s slogans also raised economic problems, sociologists have repeatedly warned of the living conditions that can spark the next protests.”
Regime’s FM Pushes Sweden to Release Convicted Murderer
On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the clerical regime’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, met with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström in New York on Saturday, September 23, to push for the release of the regime’s convicted murderer Hamid Noury.
According to the official Iranian news agency, IRNA, Amir-Abdollahian, and Billström discussed the exchange of ambassadors between the two countries, which the Iranian regime claimed it had suspended after the burning of a Quran in Sweden. In fact, the regime has been using the suspension as leverage to pressure Sweden in the case of Hamid Noury, a former official who stood trial and was convicted in Sweden for war crimes and murder.
Pressuring Stockholm to intervene in the country’s justice system, Amir-Abdollahian told Billström that “There is no doubt that the hypocrites [the regime’s pejorative term to slander the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization] are behind the case of Mr. Noury. We expect the Swedish government to make a wise and courageous decision at the appeal stage and release him.”
According to IRNA, the Iranian foreign minister also expressed his readiness to make a deal with Sweden in this regard. He said that “the history of relations between Iran and Sweden is full of cooperation. We are ready for positive and constructive cooperation in various fields.”
Also, read Iran News in Brief – September 24, 2023