Three Iranian Nurses Die from Overwork

The latest manifestation of their internal squabbles is serious allegations of fraud and money laundering against the controversial ultra-hardliner politician Ali-Akbar Raefipour. The accusations were made public ahead of Friday’s run-off parliamentary elections and appear to have affected the results in Tehran.

The early tally for over half of the 30 seats of the capital indicates that the three candidates exclusively listed in Raefipour’s electoral list have all failed. Many on social media attribute the failure to the recent allegations of financial improprieties.

An overwhelming majority of eligible voters in Tehran, around 92 percent, shunned Friday’s vote, making it the most lackluster elections the capital has ever seen.

The allegations against Raefipour, leader of a newly established ultra-hardliner political “front” called Jebhe-ye Sobh-e Iran (Iran Morning Front), were brought by Jalil Mohebi, an ally of Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf. The allegations come amid pressures by ultra-hardliners on Ghalibaf, himself a conservative politician and former high-ranking general in the Revolutionary Guard.

Former Minister of Communications Mohammad-Javad Azari-Jahromi said in a Telegram post, the groups claiming to be revolutionaries have now reached the stage of competing for the status of “who has stolen less”. “God bless the father of the person who said this is a time of vulgarity politics,” he wrote. The rivalry erupted after hardliners purged ‘reformists’ and even traditional conservatives from the parliament, government and even university teaching positions.

Mohebi has released documents that indicate Raefipour used the equivalent of over half a million dollars donated to his Masaf Institute, formally a cultural entity with the status of a charity, for payments to other organizations. The funds were then paid out to him, his family members, and his allies. The leaked evidence was apparently provided by an opponent in security-intelligence bodies.

Mohebi, the former secretary of the state-run Islamic morality enforcement entity, says Raefipour’s should be sentenced to up to five years in prison for money laundering according to the Islamic Penal Code.

Raeifipour’s political organization, Iran Morning Front, was established in late February, ahead of the first round of the parliamentary elections, and published its own list of 30 candidates for the elections.

The lists in both the first and the second rounds had much in common with other lists put out by ultra-hardliners.

But accusations of financial wrongdoing is a two-way street. Raefipour and his supporters often accuse Ghalibaf and his allies on social media of corruption, including before the elections, but the allegations initiated by the Ghalibaf camp were crucially timed.

Supporters of Raefipour have consistently hailed him as a "champion of transparency and anti-corruption," citing his confrontations with Ghalibaf and his team as evidence.

After Mohebi’s revelations, Raefipour tried to defend himself in a video clip posted on social media. His supporters have also taken to social media and are passionately defending him.

Raefipour, a 30-year-old politician and conspiracy theorist, has gained a rather large, cult-like following in the past few years among the younger generation of pro-regime youth and teenagers who call themselves Hezbollahi and refer to him affectionately as Ostad (The Teacher).

He is often given a platform to deliver his speeches in universities on invitation of die-hard regime devotees in the academia and invited to the state television programs.

Raefipour's speeches and accusations against other politicians consistently generate significant reactions on social media, even among supporters of other regime insiders. His followers are often instrumental in popularizing pro-regime hashtags in Persian on the platform X, including those related to the late IRGC Qods Force commander Qasem Soleimani.

Raefipour’s ideology, as articulated in his fiery speeches and writings, blends apocalyptic Shiism, pseudoscience, and the cult of Mahdi, the twelfth imam. This messianic figure, believed to have been hidden by divine will since 941 CE, is known as the Imam of Ages who is prophesied to emerge at the end of times to purify the world of sin and evil.

Additionally, Raefipour is notorious for his vehement speeches against Israel, freemasonry, and Satanism. He gained further notoriety by hosting Mark Weber, director of the California-based Institute for Historical Review, which is known for denying the Holocaust and promoting theories of a Jewish conspiracy to dominate the world, during his 2012 visit to Tehran.

A'rafi claimed that the sentiment has been consistently shared by Iran's past leader Ruhollah Khomeini and the current Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

His comments underline Iran’s strategic interest in Africa, portraying it as more than mere diplomatic outreach. "Africa will play a significant role in the future global equations," A'rafi stated.

Iran is actively increasing its presence in Africa through religious, educational, and political channels, aiming to cement its influence there. The latest outreach coincides with Iran’s efforts to support pro-Palestinian student movements in the US and Europe, part of a broader attempt to enhance its international stature.

A'rafi also voiced hope for a rise in academic and religious opposition to Israel in Africa, signaling Iran’s intent to foster anti-Israeli sentiment among African nations.

However, Iran's actions in Africa have sparked controversy. Omar Hilal, Morocco’s ambassador to the United Nations, expressed concern in March last year about the potential for Iran's destabilizing activities in the Middle East to spill over into Africa.

Compounding the concerns, the US State Department reported in October that Iran had breached a UN Security Council resolution by sending armed drones to Ethiopia in the summer of 2021.

“Why Did We Import?” the banners and billboards in the streets and metro stations read in large letters and give a list of reasons for the purchase of electric buses, taxis and surveillance equipment from China. The list includes reduction of gasoline use, better air quality and the capital’s urgent and vital need for a new public transport fleet.

They also imply that domestically produced counterparts are inferior to the Chinese-made products, citing higher production costs and labeling domestic automakers—many of which, like Iran Khodro, are primarily owned by government-affiliated entities—as "tortoises" in terms of production speed.

The municipality has withheld the details of the controversial agreement not only from the public but also from city councilors. The agreement was signed by ultra-hardline Mayor Alireza Zakani during a visit to China in January.

If the foreign policy decisionmakers are using the agreement as a solution to repatriation of Iran's money from illicit oil sales to Chinese refineries, it would be more acceptable to tell the truth to Iranian producers, workers, and ordinary people, the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) argued in an editorial entitled “Self-Humiliation of Municipality’s Billboards Against Iranian Production and Workers”.

The money referred to by ILNA, the mouthpiece of the Workers’ House (Khaneh-ye Kargar), has accrued in Chinese banks over the past few years and cannot be accessed due to international banking sanctions that came into effect after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The Workers’ House, which is Iran's largest government-endorsed and legal workers’ union, has reformist leanings like the Islamic Labor Party to which it is affiliated.

“But the automaking industry and labor relations analysts believe that the arguments and attitude [of municipality officials] is some sort of deprecation of domestic production,” the editorial added.

“Denigration of domestic production … by a public institution close to the government that voices revolutionary slogans, is strange for many and has raised the question of how much the conditions of the Iranian workforce and the fruits of their labor matters to various officials,” ILNA wrote.

The editorial also highlighted what it perceived as disrespect for the Iranian workforce and domestic production, particularly during years emphasized by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for their significance in promoting domestic manufacturing.

Khamenei has established a tradition of giving names to each Iranian calendar year in his New Year speeches (usually March 21). This year it was “Surge in production through people's participation”. He also dubbed the past two years as years of "Inflation Control, and Growth in Production” and “Production: Knowledge-Based Job-Creation”.

Speaking to ILNA, an official of the Iranian Auto Parts Producers’ Association, Bahram Shahriyari, refuted the claims of inefficiency of domestic producers and insisted that bad government management, which has monopolized the industry, are to blame for the problems of domestic automakers. He also claimed that big fluctuations in exchange rates and other issues such as higher taxes levied on producers have run car manufacturers and auto parts makers to the ground.

During a routine Shiraz City Council meeting on Sunday, proceedings were abruptly adjourned upon the breaking news of Masoudi's death.

Colonel Hamid Aframon from the Fars province police said the body of the mayor was found in his home under suspicious circumstances.

"The cause for Mayor Masoudi's death will be determined following the completion of ongoing investigations," Colonel Aframon noted. The Fars province police chief has already issued directives to follow up on the high-profile case.

Further details provided by Afshin Mohammadi, Deputy Prosecutor of Shiraz, confirmed his murder revealing that initial crime scene investigations pointed to signs of conflict.

"The examination of the body and the scene indicates that the incident occurred around midday on Sunday," said Mohammadi.

He also highlighted that the specialized murder investigation and crime scene teams from Fars province are actively working on the case to uncover more details regarding the mayor of district 5.

Shariatmadari’s piece pushed for "the suspension of all Iran’s commitments under UN Security Council resolutions, including those concerning the nuclear dossier, and the expulsion of IAEA inspectors." His statement comes amid heightened rhetoric following the IAEA chief’s recent visit to Iran, which seems to have emboldened Iranian officials’ nuclear ambitions.

“This is the undeniable and legal right of our country. Do not trample on this undeniable right,” said Shariatmadari.

Meanwhile, Kamal Kharrazi, the Supreme Leader’s foreign policy advisor and former Iranian foreign minister, threatened a shift to nuclear deterrence if Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear facilities. The statement has been met with minimal reaction from the international community, with the US State Department merely labeling it "irresponsible."

“We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb but should Iran's existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine,” Kharrazi said.

During his visit, Grossi noted that although there was “no specific timeframe or deadline” for Iran to address its nuclear issues, he underscored the expectation for Iran to act quickly.

The escalatory dialogue follows the February 2024 announcement by former Iranian Atomic Energy Chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, who claimed Iran’s readiness to quickly produce sufficient fissile material for nuclear armament.

Grossi, recently warned that Iran is alarmingly close to achieving nuclear weapons capability, suggesting that the development of a nuclear bomb could be weeks away, should Khamenei decide to proceed.