THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 10:00 AM CEST
Sen. Rick Scott & Colleagues Call on President Biden to Deny Evil Dictators’ Visa Requests for UN General Assembly
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, ahead of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York next month, Senator Rick Scott led Senators Tom Cotton, Joni Ernst, Marco Rubio and Markwayne Mullin in a letter to President Biden urging him to deny visas to evil dictators from Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. In their letter, the Senators note that the United States must prevent the UN General Assembly from becoming a stage for the most evil leaders on Earth to gain credibility and promote their dangerous views that pose significant threats to the national security of the United States and our allies.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CEST
Continuity in Iran’s Theocratic Rule: Pezeshkian’s Cabinet Affirms Supreme Leader’s Influence
In a recent development that underscores the unchanging nature of Iran’s theocratic governance, newly appointed President Masoud Pezeshkian has made startling revelations about the formation of his cabinet. Pezeshkian’s statements have shed light on the extent of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s influence in shaping the country’s executive branch. On Wednesday, August 21, Iran’s parliament granted a vote of confidence to Pezeshkian’s proposed ministers, officially forming the 14th government of the Islamic Republic. However, Pezeshkian’s subsequent comments have raised eyebrows and confirmed suspicions about the true nature of power dynamics within the Iranian political system.
Pezeshkian openly admitted that he had secured approval from the “highest levels of the system” for all his ministerial nominees. He went further to clarify that his government’s agenda is essentially to implement and follow up on the “general policies of the system” as dictated by Khamenei.
Desertification Crisis in Iran: A Growing Environmental Threat
Iran is facing a severe environmental crisis as desertification and wind erosion continue to ravage large swaths of the country. Recent research data paints a grim picture of the situation, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive action to address this escalating problem. According to current statistics, 22 out of Iran’s 31 provinces are affected by wind erosion, with 233 regions becoming supercritical centers. These areas have transformed into significant sources of dust production, causing extensive damage to surrounding environments. The consequences range from endangering public health to destroying agricultural lands and industrial facilities.
Vahid Jafarian, the former Director General of the Office of Desert Affairs of the Natural Resources and Watershed Organization, reports that crisis centers in Iran currently cover an area of 14 million hectares. Alarmingly, this figure is estimated to increase by one million hectares annually due to wind erosion.
89 People Convicted for Participating in Iran’s November 2019 Protests
Five years after Iran’s November 2019 protests, in which security forces killed 1,500 civilians, the Iranian regime’s judiciary convicted 89 residents of the city of Likak, located in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, for participating in these protests. According to the HRANA website, these 89 individuals, who were arrested during the November 2019 protests and later released on bail, were convicted nearly five years later in a joint case by the First Branch of the Likak Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office, and their case has been sent to court.
The November 2019 protests in Iran initially erupted in response to a sudden and steep increase in fuel prices, but they quickly took on an anti-regime nature, with protest gatherings against the Iranian regime spreading across 29 provinces and hundreds of cities within a week.
Iran: Nationwide Protests of Nurses Reach Tehran
The nationwide protests of nurses over harsh working conditions and unaddressed demands have reached the capital of Iran after more than two weeks. According to images shared on social media, nurses in Tehran gathered in front of the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education on Wednesday, August 21. At this gathering, nurses chanted slogans such as “Overtime pay of 200,000 rials (approximately $0.33), shame, shame,” “Promises are just slogans, poor nurses,” and “Without nurses, the system will collapse.”
Simultaneously, other protest gatherings were held in cities like Isfahan, Tabriz, Rasht, Ahvaz, Marivan, Dehdasht, and Kermanshah.
All Cabinet Ministers Are Appointed by the Leader of the Iranian Regime
Unprecedented remarks by Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of the Iranian regime, in the open session of the Majlis (Parliament) about coordinating his cabinet with the leader of the regime have sparked a wave of criticism.
Although the Majlis representatives approved all of Pezeshkian’s proposed ministers after these statements, some social media users have commented that in the history of the Iranian regime, no president has ever so openly demonstrated that they have accepted the role of a puppet under the regime’s leader. It was already evident that in the dictatorship of the Iranian regime, elections and votes had no impact on the final outcome.
Tehran’s Air Has Become More Polluted Than Last Year, Agency Reports
The Tehran Air Quality Control Company has released new statistics indicating that the air quality in the capital has been “more polluted” since the beginning of the current Iranian year (starting March 21) compared to last year.
The report states that in the 154 days since June 19, the air in the capital has been polluted 33% of the time, whereas last year, it was polluted 25% of the time.
The air quality in three areas of Tehran was also declared “red” on Wednesday, August 21. According to the Tehran Air Quality Control Company, the air quality index (AQI) in the capital is currently at 109, making the air unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Sudden Transfer of Political Prisoner Mohammad Ashtiani to Greater Tehran Prison
Mohammad Ashtiani, a political prisoner who has long completed his sentence, was abruptly transferred from Ward 8 of Evin Prison to Greater Tehran Prison on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. The move occurred without prior notification to either Ashtiani or his family, and the reasons behind this unexpected transfer remain unknown. Reports from inside the prison, confirmed on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, highlight that Ashtiani has been held in custody beyond his original sentence. Although his prison term ended months ago, he remains incarcerated due to new, unsubstantiated financial charges. These charges lack a complainant, and the judge in the case has provided no legal basis for continuing his detention.
Southampton Book Exhibition Condemns Human Rights Violations and Supports Iranian Revolution
Southampton—August 20, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and academics residing in England, who support the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), organized a book exhibition to condemn human rights violations in Iran and express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.