THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 7:00 PM CET
Scammed Customers of Rezayat Khodro Gather for Protest
Today, August 4, the defrauded customers of Rezayat Khodro Taravat-e Novin gathered for a protest demonstration in Takstan’s Friday Prayer Mosque to voice their demands. The protesters, who have suffered financial losses due to their dealings with the company, expressed their grievances and demands during the gathering. The demonstration aimed to bring attention to their plight and seek a resolution for the issues they have faced.
August 4—Takestan, northwest #Iran
Protest rally by defrauded customers of the state-run Rezayat Khodro car manufacturer. The company refrained from delivering their purchases, for which they had made down payments.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/OySscc0iug— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 4, 2023
Economic Performance Under President Raisi Criticized Ahead of Second Anniversary
As Iran approaches the second anniversary of Ebrahim Raisi’s inauguration as the clerical regime’s president, criticisms regarding the economic performance of his government have become a major flashpoint for numerous former and current state officials.
Abdulnasir Hemati, the former head of the Central Bank during Hassan Rouhani’s presidency and a rival candidate to Raisi in the 2021 elections, has shed light on what he calls the disastrous economic record of the Raisi administration.
According to Hemati, during the first two years of President Raisi’s term:
- Money printing increased by 83%.
- Liquidity surged by 73%.
- The value of the Iranian Rial against the US Dollar fell by 95%.
- The price of gold coins soared by 162%.
- The overall price index witnessed a staggering 114% increase.
Addressing Raisi directly, Hemati emphasized that these statistics are based on publicly available data and estimates, and they paint a grim picture of the government’s economic policies over the past two years.
Us Republican Congress Members Call for Sanctions Against Lebanese Political Class
BEIRUT — Several US Republican members of Congress asked on Thursday the Biden Administration to adopt a tougher policy against the Lebanese political class — including sanctions —notably Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Al-Monitor reported. Ahead of the third commemoration of the August 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion on Friday, Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), who is the top Republican on the US Foreign Relations Committee, said in a letter to President Joe Biden that the US “must take a more assertive role in shaping Lebanon’s trajectory or risk losing Lebanon entirely as an Iranian client state.”
UPDATE: 1:00 PM CET
Regime is Heading Towards Economic Collapse, Economist Warns
Hossein Raghfar, a state-affiliated economist, expressed concerns, stating that the growing class gap in Iran poses the most dangerous potential for psychological, emotional, and social harm. Warning that there is no hopeful outlook for the country’s future, he said that the regime is heading towards a steeper decline and economic collapse.
“Unfortunately, all governments try to conceal the realities and present manipulated statistics to the public,” Raghfar said in an interview on August 2. “However, today, more than ever, people do not accept false information because they can observe the accuracy of official claims in their daily lives.”
The state-affiliated economist warned that one must not forget the uprisings in some countries that began with self-immolation, known as the “Arab Spring” and argued that similar events might happen to Iran as well.
Bread Price Hike Extends to 13 Provinces in Iran
In an effort to address the budget deficit, the Iranian government under President Ebrahim Raisi has implemented a significant increase in bread prices, an initiative that started in Mashhad and has now been extended to 13 other provinces across the country. The bread price hike has sparked concerns among citizens and has now become a nationwide issue.
The state-run Dideban website reported on August 2 that the price of bread has remained unchanged for the past two years. However, the rising costs for bakeries have forced some to resort to measures like reduced sales and increasing bread prices to cope with financial strains.
Shiraz’s Governor acknowledged the recent price surge, revealing that Lavash bread, which used to cost 450 tomans, has now spiked to 600 tomans. Similar price increases have been observed in other types of bread, such as Sangak, Taftoon, and Barbari, further exacerbating the situation.
Gholamhossein Eslami Sadar, the acting Governor of Qazvin, echoed the concerns, stating that the province has witnessed a considerable increase in the prices of various bread types, amounting to around 20 to 25 percent.
Furthermore, the state-affiliated website Aftab News on August 3, under the title “Bread Price Soars to Golestan Province,” reported that while bread prices have recently surged in some provinces of the country, the Minister of Interior claimed yesterday that the government has no plans to increase bread prices! However, contrary to the Minister’s claim, bread prices have indeed risen in certain cities in recent days.
Clerical Regime Threatens Political Prisoner
According to sources from inside Iran, Mehran Qarebaghi, a political prisoner at Shiban Ahvaz prison, has been threatened by the prison guards that they will transfer him to a ward housing dangerous inmates.
Mehran Qarabaghi, who supports the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization, has been subjected to severe pressure. Notably, during his detention at Ahvaz Intelligence Detention Center in August 2021, Mehran Qarebaghi was warned by interrogators they will keep him in prison until he goes mad. Born in 1992 and hailing from Sarhad Agha village in Behbahan, Mehran Qarebaghi was arrested in January 2018. He faces allegations such as “insulting Khamenei, spreading propaganda against the state, property destruction and arson, disrupting public order, engaging in the production of ammunition, being a member of an opposition group, and corruption on earth”, as charged by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the so-called Revolutionary Court of Behbahan city.
Syrian Detained in Germany on Suspicion of Crimes Against Humanity
BERLIN, Aug 3 (Reuters) – A Syrian national accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes through torture and enslavement between 2012 and 2015 has been arrested in Germany, prosecutors said on Friday.
The suspect, named only as Ahmad H, was a leader of a so-called Shabiha militia that assisted the government of President Bashar al-Assad in its deadly crackdown in the wake of a popular uprising in 2011, the prosecutors said.
The state-sponsored militia’s campaign of intimidation allegedly included arbitrary arrests, extortion, looting, forced labour and torture.
UPDATE: 10:00 AM CET
Security Forces Killed Mother and Child in Sistan and Baluchestan Province
On Thursday, August 3, during the brutal attack by state security forces of the clerical regime on a house in Jigur Village, on the outskirts of the city of Rask, a pregnant Baluch woman, and a 6-year-old child tragically lost their lives.
The Quds Base of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported the arrest of a four-member team affiliated with “global arrogance groups in the southeast region of the country”, without mentioning the details of the raid and the confrontation.
According to a local human rights organization, military and security forces raided a residential house in the Ashar district. The house had been recently rented by a family from the village of Patkan. During the raid, which apparently happened based on previous planning by security forces, heavy and light weapons were used.
Local sources also suggest that four of the security forces were injured during clashes with the local people
August 3—Rask, southeast #Iran
This morning, security forces surrounded a house and opened fire on its residents. According to reports, a woman and a six-year-old child were killed during the attack by the regime's repressive forces. pic.twitter.com/rVPQelx4G2— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 3, 2023
US Military May Put Armed Troops on Commercial Ships in Strait of Hormuz To Stop Iran Seizures
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military is considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, in what would be an unheard-of action aimed at stopping Iran from seizing and harassing civilian vessels, American officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Since 2019, Iran has seized a series of ships in the strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, as part of its efforts to pressure the West over negotiations regarding its collapsed nuclear deal with world powers. Putting U.S. troops on commercial ships could further deter Iran from seizing vessels — or escalate tensions further.
The contemplated move also would represent an extraordinary commitment in the Mideast by U.S. forces as the Pentagon tries to focus on Russia and China. America didn’t even take the step during the so-called “Tanker War,” which culminated with the U.S. Navy and Iran fighting a one-day naval battle in 1988 that was the Navy’s largest since World War II.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CET
Iran’s Water Crisis Might Trigger the Next Social Explosion Against the Regime
After the spread of the water crisis in the provinces of Khuzestan and Gilan and the cities where thirsty people poured into the streets in temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius, on the evening of Monday, July 31, the people of Divandarreh gathered and demonstrated in front of governor office and city water department, protesting several days of water shortage. Protesters lit fires and blocked streets and shouted slogans against the regime. Repressive security forces clashed with protesters and fired tear gas at the demonstrators who wanted drinking water. Several civilians were injured by the security forces. On July 22, Reza Arianpur, a member of the Majlis (parliament) referred to the explosive conditions of the society in the waterless summer and said, “Golestan province is currently in the worst drinking water situation, and every day we witness the reports and protests of people from different urban and rural areas of the province, especially the eastern cities of the province. We have been cut off from drinking water for several days”.
How Iran’s Housing Crisis Turned Into a Political Tumor
Iranian regime president Ebrahim Raisi made his debut by announcing that he is going to build on million housing units per year, promising to address one of the serious challenges of Iran. Under the rule of the mullahs, state-run news agencies play a safeguarding role to serve the Iranian regime instead of the people and make sure to avoid going too far in revealing the role that the regime plays in the miseries of tens of millions of Iranians. These outlets write about “endless inflation”, “the most basic food needs disappearing from the people’s tables,” and “the issue of water and electricity and dust,” about “transferring the budget deficit to the stock market” and “the massive release of securities.” They keep on writing but never tell or write about the main source and causes of these problems.
Republican Lawmakers Warn of Iran Regime’s Malign Activities in the United States
US Republican lawmakers have issued a scathing letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of the US National Security and Intelligence Agency, April Haynes, expressing grave concerns about the infiltration of the Iranian regime’s ‘terrorist ideology’ into at least four mosques and cultural centers within the United States. According to the exclusive three-page letter obtained by Fox News, the cases raised against these mosques and centers located in Maryland, Texas, Michigan, and Virginia have been detailed extensively. The ‘Islamic Education Center’ in Potomac, Maryland, is reported to receive funding from the Alavi Foundation, an organization controlled by the regime.
Hasty Transfer of Political Prisoners From Gohardasht Prison to Evin and Qezel Hessar Prison in Karaj
The Iranian Judiciary published a video clip announcing the closure of Gohardasht (Rajai Shahr) Prison in Karaj and the transfer of its inmates to other prisons. Since Monday night, July 31, 2023, at least 300 inmates, including many political prisoners, have been transferred to other prisons without prior notice. On Tuesday, August 1, 2023, detainees of the nationwide protests, including Mohammad Baroughani and eight others accused in the Ekbatan case, were transferred from Gohardasht prison to Qezel Hessar prison in Karaj. All these detainees were held without trial and are charged with Moharebeh (waging war on God). Mohammad Baroughani, Milad Armon, Alireza Kafa’i, Amir Mohammad Khosh Eghabal, Alireza Barmarzpournak, Seyed Mohammad Mehdi Hosseini, Hossein Nemati, Mehdi Imani, and Navid Najjaran were transferred to Ward 3 of Qezel Hessar.
15 Percent of Iranian Children Are in The Labor Market
According to a report by the research center of the Iranian regime’s parliament, due to “poverty among families,” the number of child laborers has increased to 15 percent of the population of children, and at least “10% of child laborers” do not have the opportunity to study or go to school. The report, titled “Effective Monitoring Challenges to Prevent Child Labor,” emphasizes that “child labor affects approximately eight percent and, considering children who are housekeeper, about 15 percent of Iranian children.” Accurate statistics on the number of child laborers in Iran are not available. According to a report by the Strategic Statistics and Information Center of the Ministry of Labor, in 2017, out of about 9 million Iranian children, around 499,000 children were “active” in the workforce.
2250 Cases Filed Against Women Defying Compulsory Hijab
The spokesperson of the Iranian judiciary recently reported a concerning trend in the first four months of the Persian year (March 21 to July 22). During this period, a total of 2,251 cases were filed against women removing their Hijabs. Out of these cases, 825 resulted in convictions, according to Massoud Setayeshi, who responded to the state-run Fars news agency. Setayeshi explained the consequences of such actions based on Article 638 of the Islamic Penal Code. He stated that those who remove their headscarves would be directly taken to court. A first-time offense would lead to a fine of 15 million Rials, while repeat offenders would face additional punishments along with the fine. Notably, if the accused is a famous person or a celebrity, they may be subjected to supplementary penalties, which are also publicly reported through media channels.
Washington, DC, and Berkeley: Rallies in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution, Demanding Ashraf-3 Protection—August 2, 2023
Washington, DC, and Berkeley—August 2, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally outside the US Department of State to call for the protection of Ashraf3 residents in accordance with 1951 Geneva Convention and applicable European Human Rights regulations. Also on August 2, in Berkeley, California, MEK supporters held the same rally and demanded Ashraf-3 protection be secured by the USA.
Berlin: Rally in Support of the MEK, Calling for the Trial of the Leaders of the Mullahs’ Regime Ruling Iran
Berlin, Germany—August 2, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in support of the nationwide Iranian people’s uprising against the mullahs’ regime. They expressed full support for the MEK and called for the trial of the mullahs’ regime leader for crimes against humanity.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – August 3, 2023