{"id":326042,"date":"2024-11-24T10:21:13","date_gmt":"2024-11-24T09:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=326042"},"modified":"2024-11-24T22:24:15","modified_gmt":"2024-11-24T21:24:15","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-november-24-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-november-24-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 November 24, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

Quad Joint Statement on the IAEA Board of Governors Resolution on Iran<\/h3>\r\n

\"united<\/p>\r\n

We, the Governments of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States welcome the IAEA Board of Governors\u2019 adoption of a resolution on Iran. The resolution responds to Iran\u2019s continued failure to provide the IAEA the information and cooperation needed to clarify long outstanding issues relating to undeclared nuclear material detected at multiple locations in Iran. These issues are central to the Agency\u2019s ability to provide assurance of the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran\u2019s nuclear programme. Iran is legally obligated under its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement to cooperate fully with the IAEA and account for all nuclear material and activities.<\/p>\r\n

In its last resolution in June, the Board stated that if Iran failed to provide the necessary, full and unambiguous cooperation with the Agency to resolve all outstanding safeguards issues and implement the safeguards obligations stemming from its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, further action would be necessary.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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

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UPDATE: 6:30 PM CET<\/span><\/p>\r\n

We Call for The Immediate Release of Maryam Akbari Monfared and All Prisoners of Conscience in The Islamic Republic of Iran<\/h3>\r\n

\"Le-Monde-30112020\"<\/p>\r\n

A group of intellectuals, human rights, and women’s rights activists, and elected officials, including Elisabeth Badinter, Ingrid Betancourt, and Laurence Tubiana, are outraged by Iran’s treatment of opposition politician Maryam Akbari Monfared, who has just been transferred to one of the country’s worst prisons.<\/p>\r\n

We are appalled by the fate that the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves for its political prisoners, especially women, and in particular Maryam Akbari Monfared, one of the longest-serving detainees in Iran. We call on France and European states to demand his immediate release. For fifteen years, the mother of three daughters has been serving a sentence in Iran’s most sinister prisons, becoming a symbol of courage.<\/p>\r\n

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

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

Iran\u2019s Regime Reacts to IAEA Resolution Against its Nuclear Program<\/h3>\r\n

\"Grossy-IAEA\"<\/p>\r\n

On November 21, 2024, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors adopted a resolution condemning Iran\u2019s regime for its lack of cooperation with the agency and providing a comprehensive report on its nuclear activities. This resolution, proposed by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States, was approved with 19 votes in favor, 3 against, and 12 abstentions.<\/p>\r\n

In an effort to prevent the adoption of the resolution, which could activate snapback sanctions, Iran mobilized all available lobbying resources. Despite these efforts, the major European powers ultimately introduced the resolution, which was then approved by the Board of Governors.<\/p>\r\n

According to The New York Times, Abbas Araghchi, the regime\u2019s foreign minister, contacted officials from member states of the Board of Governors, including Brazil, South Africa, Bangladesh, Algeria, Burkina Faso, and Pakistan, asking them to oppose the resolution.<\/p>\r\n

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Iran\u2019s Energy and Livelihood Crises Are Testament to The Regime\u2019s Moral Collapse<\/h3>\r\n

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The solutions proposed by Iranian regime officials and analysts to address economic and livelihood crises are not only astonishingly absurd to the point of surreal comedy but also indicate the death of shame and morality within them.<\/p>\r\n

The spread of lies, vulgarity, and their constant repetition to destroy motivation and hope is a consistent and deliberate policy devised by the regime, led by presidents from all factions of the system.<\/p>\r\n

Consider this statement by Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian during a meeting on November 16, with managers from the Ministries of Energy and Oil, as reported by Mehr News Agency: \u201cI insist that the current situation and the imbalance in the energy sector must be honestly communicated to the people.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

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

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Air Pollution in Iran: A Growing Public Health and Environmental Crisis<\/h3>\r\n

\"Air<\/p>\r\n

Air pollution in Iran has reached alarming levels, posing a serious threat to public health and economic stability. Mohammad Sadegh Hasanvand, head of the Air Pollution Research Center at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, recently revealed that air pollution accounts for approximately 12% of deaths in the country. With 450,000 deaths reported annually in Iran, 50,000 are directly attributed to this environmental hazard.<\/p>\r\n

In an interview with IRNA on November 23, Hasanvand highlighted that air pollution ranks as the fourth\u2014and occasionally the third\u2014leading risk factor contributing to mortality in Iran. He described it as the most significant environmental risk factor, endangering the health of millions across the country. The primary pollutant of concern is suspended particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5), which has been monitored in Iran since 2010.<\/p>\r\n

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

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Diesel Mismanagement and Iran\u2019s Looming Energy Crisis<\/h3>\r\n

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On November 17, Abbas Kazemi, the former CEO of Iran Oil Products Refining and Distribution Company, disclosed a troubling case of mismanagement that is exacerbating Iran\u2019s energy crisis. According to Kazemi, the Abadan Refinery, instead of allocating 450 million liters of diesel for winter reserves to power plants, sold it on the stock market at free-market prices. This decision, while not illegal, has had far-reaching implications for the country\u2019s power generation capacity and energy security.<\/p>\r\n

Data from Iran\u2019s Ministry of Energy reveals a stark trend: since September 2024, the process of filling liquid fuel reserves for power plants has stalled. These reserves have dwindled to just one-third of their normal levels, exposing the government\u2019s claim of reducing mazut (a heavy fuel oil) usage for environmental reasons as a fa\u00e7ade. The decline in reserves, coupled with a 30% reduction in gas supply to power plants compared to 2023, has pushed Iran into a precarious energy situation.<\/p>\r\n

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Leila Hossein-Zadeh: Sentenced to Imprisonment for Appearing Without a Hijab in Public<\/h3>\r\n

\"Leila-Hosseinzadeh\"<\/p>\r\n

Leila Hossein-Zadeh, a former political prisoner and student activist, has been sentenced in absentia to imprisonment for appearing without a hijab at the\u00a0University of Tehran<\/a>\u00a0while defending her thesis.\u00a0In a post on her personal social media page, Leila Hossein-Zadeh announced that Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court recently issued the sentence in absentia. She was accused of appearing in public spaces without a hijab and engaging in anti-regime propaganda. She stated, \u201cI neither have hope for an appeal nor trust in legal proceedings. I will wait for the case to be referred to the enforcement of sentences.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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

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The Intensifying Brain Drain Crisis in Iran: A Look at Academic, Economic, and Healthcare Challenges<\/h3>\r\n

\"Iran<\/p>\r\n

Amid growing concerns over the intensifying brain drain crisis in Iran, and as statistics point to the departure or desire to leave among a large portion of the country\u2019s skilled workforce, Hossein Simayee Sarraf, the Iranian regime\u2019s Minister of Science, has admitted that in recent years, \u201c25% of university professors\u201d have emigrated. On Friday, November 22, Sarraf described this figure as \u201cworrying\u201d and a factor contributing to the \u201cdecline of universities and academic performance of students.\u201d He added that if this trend continues, \u201ctheir replacements may be of a weaker caliber.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

This regime official also highlighted various factors contributing to migration from Iran\u2014including \u201cjob-related, economic, and socio-political\u201d reasons\u2014and identified economic problems as the primary driver behind the emigration of professors. He added, \u201cSome of them don\u2019t even plan to return.\u201d Referring to the income levels of university professors in \u201cour neighboring countries across the water,\u201d he stated that \u201cthe salary of our full professors with 50 pay grades barely reaches $1,000.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

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Iran\u2019s Judiciary Upholds Harsh Sentences for Evin Prison Fire Defendants<\/h3>\r\n

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In a closed appeals session on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, Iran\u2019s judiciary upheld the sentences of 40 prisoners accused of involvement in the October 2022 fire at Evin Prison. These individuals, informed only through their lawyers, now face additional prison terms, lashes, and fines. The verdicts, initially issued on June 18, 2024, were imposed without due process, drawing widespread condemnation.<\/p>\r\n

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Confirmed Sentences for Political Prisoners<\/strong>
The judiciary also finalized sentences for four political prisoners accused in connection with the fire. Sentences include:<\/p>\r\n