{"id":310648,"date":"2023-08-13T08:41:09","date_gmt":"2023-08-13T07:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=310648"},"modified":"2023-08-13T20:13:49","modified_gmt":"2023-08-13T19:13:49","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-august-13-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-august-13-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 August 13, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

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THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h2>\n

UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n

Attack on Shrine in Central Fars Province Leaves Several Killed and Wounded<\/h3>\n

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This afternoon, state media in Iran have been widely reporting an armed attack on the Shahcheragh shrine in Shiraz.<\/p>\n

The official news agency IRNA<\/a> reported, “According to an informed source, as a result of a terrorist attack by two armed assailants on Shahcheragh, four people have been killed so far.”<\/p>\n

The state-run Entekhab<\/a> website quoted the Governor of Fars Province as saying that the attack resulted in one fatality and five injuries.<\/p>\n

So far, reports from official accounts on this matter remain contradictory and unreliable.<\/p>\n

On 26 October 2022, in the midst of the nationwide uprising that sparked following the state murder of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish girl by the morality police patrol, a terror attack at the Shahcheragh\u00a0mosque, a\u00a0Shia\u00a0pilgrimage\u00a0site in\u00a0Shiraz in southern Iran, took place that claimed the lives of 13 people. Hours after the attack<\/a>, while the regime was trying to drive attention toward terror threats and blamed protesters for weakening the security forces, people on the streets started chanting slogans, pointing fingers at the clerical regime which has a record for orchestrating similar incidents.<\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 7:30 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iranian Official Acknowledges Fuel Depletion Amid Gas Station Closures<\/h3>\n

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Reflecting on reports about the closure of many gas stations, Ali-Akbar Nejadali, the head of the regime’s Oil Products Distribution Company, admitted to fuel shortages, explaining, “Our aim is to prevent gas station shutdowns due to fuel depletion by using the fuel reserves stored in our tanks.”<\/p>\n

He indirectly acknowledged the scarcity of gasoline, mentioning that a plan to implement fuel rationing is being put into action to “avert running out of gasoline at gas stations.”<\/p>\n

Today, the semi-official ISNA news agency quoted<\/a> the spokesperson of the fuel station owners’ guild as stating, “Starting from 12 days ago, with the aim of better fuel distribution management and adhering to the legal resolution of the parliament, the fuel purchasing limit has been revised for personal fuel cards and emergency fuel station cards.”<\/p>\n

In recent days, numerous reports and videos from different cities in Iran have spread across social media, showing the closure of certain gas stations and the formation of long queues in front of fuel stations.<\/p>\n

Recent statements from a member of the Industries and Mines Commission of the regime’s parliament about a potential increase in gasoline prices seem to have triggered a public rush to fuel stations. On Saturday, August 12, Shafaqna News Agency quoted Mostafa Reza Hosseini Qotbabad indicating the government might be getting ready to raise fuel prices, suggesting possible preparations within society for such an increase.<\/p>\n

In November 2019, sudden gas price hikes triggered a significant wave of protests that swept across the country. The demonstrations quickly escalated into large-scale anti-government protests, with citizens demanding the ousting of the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The regime responded with a brutal crackdown, killing at least 1,500 protesters, numerous casualties, and arrests.<\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 3:00 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n

U.S.-Led Naval Group Warns Ships To Avoid Iranian Waters To Avoid Seizure<\/h3>\n

DUBAI, Aug 13 (Reuters) – A U.S.-led naval coalition in the Gulf has warned ships in the region to stay away from Iranian waters to avoid possible seizure, the U.S. Navy said.<\/p>\n

The warning shows tensions remain high in and around the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran seized tankers in late April and early May, while Washington and Tehran\u00a0finalise a deal<\/a>\u00a0to free five U.S. citizens detained in Iran and the U.S. allows $6 billion in Iranian funds held in South Korea to be unfrozen.<\/p>\n

“The International Maritime Security Construct is notifying regional mariners of appropriate precautions to minimise the risk of seizure based on current regional tensions, which we seek to de-escalate,” Commander Timothy Hawkins, spokesman for the Bahrain-based U.S. Fifth Fleet, said late on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 12:00 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regime’s Friday Prayer Leader in Kerman Warns Against MEK’s Influence in Iran’s Society<\/h3>\n

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Mehdi Arabpour, the Friday Prayer Leader of the regime in Kerman, issued a warning regarding the influence of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MEK\/PMOI) in Iran’s society.<\/p>\n

Speaking during the Friday prayer sermon on August 11, he stated, “They (MEK) promote alluring slogans and deceptive words. They say things that, on the surface, seem very appealing to people. The Imam (the former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini) had warned us about them.”<\/p>\n

“In gatherings, we see these very hypocrites (a term the regime uses to demonize the MEK), who apparently were revolutionary before the revolution and initiated armed conflicts at the beginning of the revolution,” Arabpour added, “You can see that they are still active. In a recent announcement from one of the security organizations, it was stated that they are using social media platforms to manipulate minds, create chaotic thoughts, and spread lies. They fabricate and spread rumors. They’ve formed a cyber army where thousands of them daily disseminate multiple lies. They spread rumors to sow discord. Therefore, we must recognize this group. We should never trust them. Our dear youth, both girls and boys, who are not too old, should study. They should read some books, and learn about certain historical events in our country from the 1980s.”<\/p>\n

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Regime’s Parliament Moves on With Hijab Law<\/h3>\n

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During the parliament’s session today,<\/a> August 12, members of the parliament used Article 85 of the regime’s Constitution to approve the submission of the repressive “hijab and modesty” bill to the Guardian Council for final approval. This decision bypasses the need for a parliamentary review. The approval was backed by 175 affirmative votes, while 49 members voted against it, and 5 members abstained, out of a total of 238 present members.<\/p>\n

This bill, which had previously gained the endorsement of the Raisi administration as well as the authorities of the Judiciary, underscores the regime’s misogynist views toward women. The regime’s authoritarian leaders seem to harbor the illusion that such bills can quell the popular uprising where women play a leading role.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the parliamentary move, Abbas Abdi, a former intelligence interrogator and an ex-official, tweeted<\/a>: “The fear of society led to the removal of the veiling bill’s discussion from the parliament. The foreseeable outcome for forces that dread their own society and enact secretive legislation is already evident.”<\/p>\n

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Sunday Protests in Iran<\/h3>\n
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On Sunday, August 12, retirees of the Social Security Organization gathered once again in Ahvaz, Kermanshah, Alborz, and Shush to protest against inadequate living conditions and the lack of response to their demands.<\/p>\n

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August 13\u2014Shush, southwest #Iran<\/a>
Retirees of the regime's Social Security Organization from Shush, Karkheh, and Haft Tappeh resume their protest rallies.
"[The regime] looted the Social Security [fund] and ruined our lives!" protesters are chanting.pic.twitter.com\/Cd6McEgkok<\/a><\/p>\n

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 13, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n