{"id":323446,"date":"2024-08-23T06:34:34","date_gmt":"2024-08-23T05:34:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=323446"},"modified":"2024-08-23T09:03:39","modified_gmt":"2024-08-23T08:03:39","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-august-23-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-august-23-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 August 23, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

UPDATE: 10:00 AM CEST<\/span><\/p>\n

Sen. Rick Scott & Colleagues Call on President Biden to Deny Evil Dictators\u2019 Visa Requests for UN General Assembly<\/h3>\n

\"senatorWASHINGTON, D.C.<\/b>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Today, 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.<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 7:00 AM CEST<\/span><\/p>\n

Continuity in Iran\u2019s Theocratic Rule: Pezeshkian\u2019s Cabinet Affirms Supreme Leader\u2019s Influence<\/h3>\n

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In a recent development that underscores the unchanging nature of Iran\u2019s theocratic governance, newly appointed President Masoud Pezeshkian has made startling revelations about the formation of his cabinet. Pezeshkian\u2019s statements have shed light on the extent of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei\u2019s influence in shaping the country\u2019s executive branch.\u00a0On Wednesday, August 21, Iran\u2019s parliament granted a vote of confidence to Pezeshkian\u2019s proposed ministers, officially forming the 14th government of the Islamic Republic. However, Pezeshkian\u2019s subsequent comments have raised eyebrows and confirmed suspicions about the true nature of power dynamics within the Iranian political system.<\/p>\n

Pezeshkian openly admitted that he had secured approval from the \u201chighest levels of the system\u201d for all his ministerial nominees. He went further to clarify that his government\u2019s agenda is essentially to implement and follow up on the \u201cgeneral policies of the system\u201d as dictated by Khamenei.<\/p>\n

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

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Desertification Crisis in Iran: A Growing Environmental Threat<\/h3>\n

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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.\u00a0According to current statistics, 22 out of Iran\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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

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89 People Convicted for Participating in Iran\u2019s November 2019 Protests<\/h3>\n

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Five years after Iran\u2019s November 2019 protests, in which\u00a0security forces killed 1,500 civilians<\/a>, the Iranian regime\u2019s judiciary convicted 89 residents of the city of Likak, located in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, for participating in these protests.\u00a0According 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\u2019s Office, and their case has been sent to court.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran: Nationwide Protests of Nurses Reach Tehran<\/h3>\n

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The nationwide protests of nurses over harsh working conditions and unaddressed demands have reached the capital of Iran after more than two weeks.\u00a0According 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.\u00a0At this gathering, nurses chanted slogans such as \u201cOvertime pay of 200,000 rials (approximately $0.33), shame, shame,\u201d \u201cPromises are just slogans, poor nurses,\u201d and \u201cWithout nurses, the system will collapse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simultaneously, other\u00a0protest gatherings<\/a>\u00a0were held in cities like Isfahan, Tabriz, Rasht, Ahvaz, Marivan, Dehdasht, and Kermanshah.<\/p>\n

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

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All Cabinet Ministers Are Appointed by the Leader of the Iranian Regime<\/h3>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

Although the Majlis representatives approved all of Pezeshkian\u2019s 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\u2019s leader. It was already evident that in the dictatorship of the Iranian regime,\u00a0elections<\/a> and votes had no impact on the final outcome.<\/p>\n

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

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Tehran\u2019s Air Has Become More Polluted Than Last Year, Agency Reports<\/h3>\n

\"iran-tehran-air-pollution-19022021\"<\/p>\n

The Tehran Air Quality Control Company has released new statistics indicating that the air quality in the capital has been \u201cmore polluted\u201d since the beginning of the current Iranian year (starting March 21) compared to last year.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The air quality in three areas of Tehran was also declared \u201cred\u201d 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\u00a0unhealthy for sensitive groups<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

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Sudden Transfer of Political Prisoner Mohammad Ashtiani to Greater Tehran Prison<\/h3>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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

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Southampton Book Exhibition Condemns Human Rights Violations and Supports Iranian Revolution<\/h3>\n
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Southampton Book Exhibition Condemns Human Rights Violations and Supports Iranian Revolution-Aug 20<\/div><\/div>
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