Twenty-one Nobel laureates from around the world wrote a letter to Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres in which they expressed their utmost concern about the Iranian regime and its negligent and horrific cover-up of the Coronavirus outbreak that has led to thousands upon thousands of Iranians dying.

The situation inside Iraq is currently very similar to the domestic situation in Iran. The people in both countries are hugely troubled by the political events and the corruption that is so present in Iran and Iraq.

The deadly coronavirus has been declared a global pandemic, with more than 31,000 confirmed cases in 28 countries and 638 deaths as of February 7th, according to the reference website worldometers.info. Governments around the world are taking precautions to fight the spread of the highly contagious airborne disease, but the Iranian regime has neglected to take even basic steps to safeguard the wellbeing of its citizens or share information about possible coronavirus infections inside Iran.

The Iranian regime announced on January 5 that it was taking the fifth and final step to reduce its commitments to the 2015 international nuclear deal, otherwise known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and stated that it would no longer abide by any JCPOA obligations.

On Wednesday, the workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugar Factory entered the 17th consecutive day of strikes, and the Ahvez Steel Factory workers entered their 12th consecutive day of strikes. The striking workers have drawn widespread domestic and international support as the protests have gained momentum.

#Iran: Massive Demonstration of Workers
Angry workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane mill and the Ahvaz Steel factory rallied on Monday, November 19th, in protest at the arrest of a large number of sugar cane mill workers. https://t.co/aWD639j5LY #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/QtNw5pc27L

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) November 20, 2018

In a show of support, political prisoners in Gohardasht prison wrote an open letter declaring their solidarity with the striking workers who are protesting for their rights.

The prisoners wrote: “The glorious resistance and persistence of the hardworking workers of Haft Tapeh sugar mill and Ahvaz steel factory is the echo of enraged shouts of the workers and oppressed people who are fed up from the plundering and tyranny of a regime that is engulfed in corruption and thievery.”

#Iran opposition NCRI issues a statement on protests in Shush & Ahvaz, southwest Iran.#IranProtestshttps://t.co/ibNHSxS3Rv

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 21, 2018

The Haft Tapeh factory workers and Ahvez steel workers are both striking in protest of unpaid wages and poor working conditions. Unfortunately, this situation is not unique. Similar protests are taking place across Iran and have been for months. The MEK and its resistance units are working to organize and lead workers’ protests across all trades and professions.

Haft Tapeh is the largest sugar cane factory in Iran. Thousands of workers depend on the factory as their main source of income. In 2015, the factory was privatized in a controversial deal, and now the company is close to bankruptcy. Many workers have not been paid in months, and the new owners are discussing plans to reduce the workforce. Factory workers blame the problems at Haft Tappeh on local national government officials’ misman and dishonesty.

The political prisoners continued in their letter: “The people [of Iran] who have been witness to the plundering of their possessions and labor on a daily basis, and whose wealth and assets are being spent on warmongering and suppressing their protests are now fully aware of who the real enemy is.”

The Iranian regime has attempted to blame the economic crisis facing the country on U.S. sanctions. The nationwide uprisings began last December, though, long before U.S. sanctions were re-imposed, and protesters have been clear from the beginning that Iran’s problems lie with the ruling regime and its warmongering and corruption. The anti-regime protests have repeatedly called attention to the billions of dollars spent on wars in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Iranian people carry banners at home proclaiming, “Workers of Haft Tappeh are hungry!”

The letter concluded with a call for other communities in Iran to join the striking workers. The prisoners wrote: “While stressing our support for the noble workers of Haft Tapeh and Ahvaz Steel, we the political prisoners of Gohardasht hail their commitment and call on all other suppressed communities to unite with them. We believe that the only solution against the tyranny is uprisings and protests. The national unity of all walks of life and suppressed communities will eventually defeat the tyrants.”

Staff Writer

On Monday, August 13th, regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei finally broke his silence about the free fall of the rial and the swell of protests that have taken place across Iran since July 31st. His remarks made it clear that he has no solutions to the problems facing Iran.

 

Khamenei attempted to address growing concerns that the rank-and-file of the regime has become dissatisfied, saying, “Some wickedly propagate that the country is at an impasse and that there is no way out other than reaching out to some Satan or the Great Satan. Whoever says we have reached an impasse is either ignorant or his remarks are treasonous.”

Khamenei blamed the corruption in his regime on a few rogue agencies or people, refusing to acknowledge that the corruption extends to the regime as a whole, adding, “Some go too far in their remarks, calling all as corrupt, by referring to the term systematic corruption… Some are careless in their remarks and writings. One cannot extend corruption in some agencies or among some people to the country as a whole.”

 

Khamenei blamed his own regime’s president, Hassan Rouhani, for the catastrophic economic situation in Iran, confirming rumors of infighting among the highest levels of the regime. Khamenei feigned ignorance about his own regime’s decision to  plunder Iran’s wealth on nuclear missile programs and warmongering in the region. blaming these actions on Rouhani.

 

 

He also blamed Rouhani for failing to prepare for U.S. sanctions, saying, “Most of the recent economic problems are due to the measures taken within the country. If actions are taken more efficiently, more prudently, more swiftly and more firmly, sanctions cannot have much effect.”

 

Khamenei indirectly blamed his government for plundering “18 billion dollars of the country’s existing currency,” warning that the judiciary would deal with “those who caused the fall in the value of the national currency.”

 

Khamenei personally oversaw nuclear negotiations with P5+1 and was fully aware of the situation, but he passed on the blame to Rouhani and Javad Zarif, saying, “On the issue of the negotiations, I made a mistake and because of the officials’ [Rouhani and Javad Zarif] insistence I allowed to test this. But the specified red lines were crossed.”

Despite these attacks on his own government, Khamenei then backtracked, fearful that any change to the regime would weaken the already faltering regime further. He said, “Those who say the government must be dismissed are playing into the enemy’s plans. The government must remain in place and carry out its duties in resolving the difficulties with strength.”

Khamenei has a history of blaming others for his own failures. Khamenei spoke against protesters in June, blaming the MEK for anti-government sentiment, saying, ““Since day one after the revolution, hypocrite groups [the derogatory name regime uses doe MEK] have existed, making a stance against our Islamic state and… creating problems for us”.

Khamenei spoke out once again on Monday about the recent protests that have shaken the regime to its core, breaking his silence for the first time since the newest wave of protests began on July 31st. He described the widespread protests as “August incidents, which despite enormous financial and political investment by the enemy turned out to be very limited.” The week-long protests, which took place in a number of cities in Iran, including Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan and Mashhad, were widely attended by people from all walks of life. Chants of “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to Khamenei!” were heard on streets all over Iran.

 

Khamenei acknowledged that the regime is currently in a vulnerable state, saying, “We will not negotiate with America.” He went on to say, “We can enter into the dangerous gambit of negotiating with America only when we have reached the economic, political and cultural prowess which we envision…. But, negotiating now will certainly be to our detriment and is prohibited…. Even if we were to negotiate with the Americans, this being an impossible assumption itself, we would for sure never negotiate with the current (U.S.) government.”

With these words Khamenei made it clear that any change to the regime would lead to regime change.

 

Khamenei completely rejected the possibility of war, disappointing those who would would deny the people of Iran the power to take power back into their own hands, saying, “They raise the specter of a war. But there will be no war. There will definitely be no war.”

The people of Iran have made it clear they are tired of the regime’s meddling in the affairs of other countries. Protesters in recent demonstrations chanted, “Leave Syria alone, think of us!”  Despite the people’s opposition to the regime’s warmongering, Khamenei said, “We have helped the two friendly countries, Syria and Iraq in the face of threats by America and the Saudis.”

 

Khamenei’s remarks proved once again how little regard he has for the will of the people. And his willingness to publicly blame his own government show that the regime is crumbling from the inside.

Staff Writer

Iran has a population of more than 80 million people and is the 18th most populous country in the world. It has the second largest landmass in the Middle East. Yet 40% of Iranians currently live below the poverty line, and 90% of the population struggles with poverty in one way or another, from water shortages, lack of access to economic opportunities, unpaid wages, and poor living conditions.

We believe it is possible to eradicate poverty, unemployment, shanty dwelling, water shortage and environmental calamities. But, before anything else, the trampled political rights, specifically the right to sovereignty of the Iranian people, must be restored and revived#Iran pic.twitter.com/R6nQVBlS16

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 18, 2018

In the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), only Saudi Arabia has a larger economy than Iran, with an estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016 of $412.2 billion. According to an October 2017 report by the World Bank, Iran has the second largest natural gas reserves in the world and the fourth largest crude oil reserve.Dr. Hossein Raghfar, a professor of Economics at Alzahra University in Tehran told the state-run Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) in an April 7th interview that a family of four living in an urban area with a monthly income of fewer than forty million rials (approximately $1000) is living in poverty.

Iran is the only country in the world that allows its citizens to legally sell their organs. Desperate Iranians sell organs at the dozens of organ supply units spread throughout the country to provide for their families’ basic needs. The regime regulates the practice, with a government foundation set up to register and match buyers and sellers and to set prices on each organ for sale. Some organs fetch higher prices than others, and different prices are given for kidneys, livers, blood, corneas, bone marrow, etc.

It is common to find signs attached to walls in the cities of Iran advertising the sale of organs. This is while the criminal mullah’s who are ruling the oil-rich country has dedicated the resources to prop up Assad’s dictatorship in Syria, support terrorism in the region, and to develop nuclear weapon’s program, while a large portion of the country’s income fill’s regime official’s coffers due to vast corruption.

Some Iranians are driven to even more desperate measures by poverty. Social media is filled with videos and images of unemployment, suicide, and self-immolation on the streets of Iran.

Stories abound of Iranians who have been driven to suicide by poverty. In Abadan, a 12-year-old boy named Maysam hanged himself a day after his mother sold his mobile phone and bike in order to pay the rent on their home.

An elderly woman in Varamin, in Tehran Province, threw herself in front of a bulldozer to prevent the destruction of her home by the municipality.

The middle class has largely disappeared in Iran, a phenomenon which some sociologists refer to as

‘proletarianization.’ In essence, poverty has spread so much that the middle class has been pushed into the lower classes.

The widespread uprising that began last December started because of dissatisfaction with economic conditions in Iran. Joblessness, poverty, and corruption by the regime led the people to take to the streets, and protests soon turned to cries for regime change. The solution to ending the bizarre economic condition in Iran is to end the corrupt clerical regime, which has caused the current epidemic of widespread poverty through their corruption and looting of the country’s resources.

Staff Writer

The Iranian regime unleashed a wave of violence against prisoners in Iran this week. The regime brutally executed 19 prisoners across the nation’s prisons, with eight of the 19 hung in a mass execution at Gohardasht Prison in Karaj province.

On April 17^th, the wave of violence began with the execution of a prisoner in Tabriz. The next day, the hanging of the eight martyrs took place in Gohardasht Prison. On the same day, Bahman Varmazyar, a sports coach imprisoned in Hamadan, was executed by the regime. Five days later, on April 23^rd, five prisoners from Urmia Prison were hanged, three from Kermanshah and one prisoner interned in Ilam were also sent to the gallows.

It was not just those that the regime executed that met their end this week. Mohsen Parvas took his own life on the 21^st of April. He committed suicide in protest at the appalling conditions and overwhelming pressures on him in prison. Another 31-year-old, Nasir Zoraghi, died following restrictions on his access to medical assistance. He collapsed following a stroke in Zahedan Central Prison.

Many of those executed had endured show trials and arbitrary suspension of their human rights. They were prisoners like Ramin Hossein Panahi, a Kurdish political prisoner who had his death sentence upheld this week by the Iranian Supreme Court. His trial lasted less than an hour.

His lawyer described his illegal treatment at the hands of the Iranian authorities. There was no evidence pointing to Panahi’s charge of “taking up arms against the state”. He was unarmed when he was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

While in prison, Panahi has been subject to torture, apparent from the marks and bruises on his skin. He was also only permitted to speak to his legal counsel on one occasion. On that occasion, the meeting took place under the watch of Iranian security agents.

These show trials and brutal executions are a violation of international law. It represents the Iranian regime attempting to maintain its weakening grip on power through the brutal administration of violent reprisals towards its critics.

The rise in executions is a desperate attempt to intimidate the public, who are taking to the streets to express their discontent, given the growing protests in objection to the reign of terror and corruption and the growing poverty.

The authorities wave of executions is unacceptable. It is time to put an end to these arbitrary executions, show trails, torturous interrogations, and illegal imprisonments. The Iranian people must mobilize and throw off the shackles of the regime.

Staff Writer

The latest round of protests shows the determination of the Iranian people to secure regime change. With the government in distress, a Nowruz could be on the horizon in Iran’s political sphere.

 

As the Iranian calendar year draws to a close, citizens honor the occasion with fires and fireworks. But this year is different. The festivities ahead of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, are not just inflammatory in their choice of incendiaries to mark the occasion.

The Iranian government tried to stop the public from celebrating Chaharshanbe Suri, the pre-Islamic tradition of jumping over a fire to symbolize purification and a new beginning. In a move of defiance, the Iranian people used these celebrations of a new beginning, to ignite a fresh round of protests nationwide.

Nowruz translates as “new day”. This is precisely what the Iran opposition wants. Iran’s opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) called on the Iranian population to rise up again in search of freedom.

These protests ahead of Nowruz have been the latest in a long string of uprisings from the Iran opposition movement. Previous protest movements included the general strike of Baneh, the protests from steelworkers in Isfahan, protests from workers in a sugarcane factory in Khuzistan and a farmer’s protest in east Isfahan.

The hope from the opposition (MEK) is that this Nowruz represents a new dawn in Iran. It hopes to build on the momentum of the protests movement and trigger regime change in the coming year.

There are already indications that the coming year could be MEK and the opposition’s most promising yet. According to Maryam Rajavi, the Iranian government faces some stiff challenges in the year ahead. There is an internal fight over Khamenei’s heir and an impending financial crisis. There have also been defections from the government’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGG). Trump in the US has distanced himself from the policy of appeasement pursued by his predecessor, Obama. The US has continued to impose sanctions targeting Iran’s repressive IRGC. Also, the international community seems to be realizing Iran’s destructive role in the region and may be turning against Tehran, as it insists on its Ballistic Missile program. Therefore the government looks to be in trouble.

No threat is greater for the regime than the gathering momentum on the protest movement. The latest protests ahead of Nowruz show the determination in the country to oppose the government’s tyranny. The last round of intense protest took place in December and January. The government responded with a bloody crackdown on dissenters. It arrested more than 8,000. Over 50 protestors died in custody. But this has not deterred protestors.

This determination is the single biggest threat to the Iranian regime. Young, determined Iranians are the people who make history. They are the ones who can usher in a new dawn, a Nowruz, in Iranian politics. And if they can carry this momentum forward, it is only a matter of time before Tehran finds it cannot defy the people any longer.