Activist In Iran Denied Court Presence For Refusing To Wear Hijab

Morteza Aghatehrani, the chairman of the Parliament's Cultural Committee, disclosed that as part of the population growth and childbirth support program, 200,000 cars have also been provided to eligible individuals. However, he did not specify the recipients of the allocations, raising questions about whether they were distributed fairly or exclusively to loyalists.

Amidst the widespread economic challenges that leave many struggling to make ends meet, Aghatehrani voiced apprehensions regarding the declining population trend, emphasizing that people frequently underestimate its importance.

Iran's population is shifting from a youthful demographic to an aging one, which poses challenges for the future. In recent decades, Iran has witnessed a steady decline in childbirth rates, with the population growth rate dropping from 4.8 percent in the early 1980s to below one percent in recent years.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei considers efforts to increase Iran's population as a top priority and essential policy for the Islamic Republic, given its position as a leading Shia country in the Muslim world.

Responding to Khamenei's call, the parliament, which is predominantly composed of hardliners, passed a law in March 2022 mandating state entities to actively promote marriage and childbirth. The law also banned public health services from providing family planning options.

Critics of the population increase policy argue that the Islamic Republic has failed to improve living standards, with figures indicating that nearly 50 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Many others continue to face increasing economic hardships despite holding multiple jobs.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian claimed that Washington sent a message calling for calm, in addition to claiming the US had made several offers following the death of Soleimani, suggesting that if the Islamic Republic did not react, some sanctions would be lifted.

However, it is unclear why the revelations are being made now since this has never been stated by Iranian officials before, and there have been no previous indications of it from either side to corroborate the latest claims.

Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in 2020 on the orders of then-President Donald Trump, who said that the top military commander was actively planning attacks on American diplomats and service members in the region in addition to members of the administration.

Five days after Soleimani's death, Iran launched ballistic missiles at the Iraqi base hosting US troops. While no Americans were killed, there were reports of dozens of servicemen suffering concussion due to the powerful explosions.Since then, the Islamic Republic has maintained its threats of revenge for Soleimani including at a recent speech given by the Iranian president at the United Nations General Assembly.

Plots were discovered in the United States aimed at assassinating former US National Security Advisor John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

In a bid to undermine the fact that regional countries are turning towards the Jewish state, he claimed on Tuesday that "The position of the Islamic Republic is that countries that make the gamble of normalization with Israel will lose. They are betting on a losing horse.”

The remarks come at a time when Saudi Arabia is hosting its second Israeli minister in the span of a week, and the United States is actively working towards the normalization of relations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv. In 2020, the US-brokered peace accords saw countries including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain solidify ties with Israel, with huge economic benefit.

Khamenei recalled the words of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, who characterized Israel as a “cancerous entity that would be eradicated by Palestinian and regional resistance forces,” though Israel had strong ties with Iran before the revolution, even helping Jews fleeing persecution in Iraq on their journey to Israel.

Last month, the Israeli foreign minister mentioned the possibility of a framework for establishing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, brokered by the US, being in place by early next year. This potential Israeli-Saudi normalization could significantly reshape the Middle East, aligning two major US allies against Iran.

While Iran re-established diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia earlier this year, Iranian officials have consistently criticized Riyadh's efforts to establish relations with Israel, viewing it as detrimental to the Palestinians.

Tehran supports militant Palestinian groups, including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, which have escalated their attacks against Israel and its civilians this year. The groups are part of Iran's network of proxy forces spanning from Iraq to Lebanon and Yemen, receiving both financial and military support from Tehran, which the Iranian government openly acknowledges.

Sarmayeh Bank, affiliated with the Teachers' Saving Fund, reported a net loss of over $160 million in the 12-month period ending in March. The cumulative loss of the bank totals over $960 million.

The bank has been embroiled in numerous corruption cases in recent years, involving 400 suspects, some of whom were family members of political officials in the Islamic Republic at various times.

Government interventions, excessive borrowing, and a lack of transparency and accountability in the banking sector are cited as other significant factors contributing to the bankruptcies.

The reports about the liquidation of the struggling banks have been circulating for a while. In August, the central bank officially warned of the risk of bankruptcy for Sarmayeh Bank, stating, "If the bank's board of directors and shareholders fail to take measures to increase the capital adequacy ratio, the bank will be subject to special penalties and restrictions, and it must present a clear plan to address its chronic imbalance."

However, similar to many other decisions in Iran, the liquidation never materialized, possibly to prevent causing widespread panic among the already distrustful population regarding the country's banking system.

Previously, Ayandeh (Future) Bank had been mentioned as one of the banks under consideration by the central bank for either dissolution or merger, which faced objections from central bank authorities.

On the one-year anniversary of the security forces' attack on Sharif University of Technology, students from the university, as well as those from Tehran University and AmirKabir University, were summonsed.

Also, in the wake of the widespread expulsion of university professors, two additional professors from AmirKabir University and Tehran University have faced suspension and expulsion.

Sharif Today, a Telegram channel that reports on university events, disclosed that during Sunday and Monday, alongside the anniversary of the security forces' assault on Sharif University, "some student activists" were called into the Ministry of Intelligence through anonymous phone calls.

Simultaneously, Amir Kabir University Newsletter reported that the roundup extended to several other universities, including AmirKabir University, and Tehran University.

The student newsletter confirmed that the summoning of students took place "less than a day after the Ministry of Intelligence had summoned certain professors."

"Although a week has passed since universities reopened, security pressures on the academic institutions to suppress and retaliate against the student movement have reached unprecedented levels over the past four decades," it added.

The latest crackdown is a continuation of the repression seen across universities which have been a hotbed of dissent since the unrest began last year.