Dissidents chide Iran for gaslighting student who stripped on campus

Manouchehr Bakhtiari was sentenced to 18 years and 74 lashes in January for his calls for accountability after his son Pouya, 27, was killed during the anti-government protests of November 2019.

His family has reported that he is being denied medical leave for serious health issues, including the need for hernia and prostate surgeries, despite forensic recommendations supporting his request.

Bakhtiari’s son, Pouya, sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head in Karaj amid security forces’ crackdown on protests, during which hundreds of demonstrators were killed.

Since Pouya’s death, Bakhtiari and his family have called for investigations into what they say is state-sanctioned violence against citizens.

Bakhtiari’s daughter, Mona, recently took to social media to express the family’s alarm over her father’s worsening health. According to her statement, Bakhtiari “collapsed inside the prison, but authorities refused to transfer him to an outside hospital, only moving him to the prison infirmary.”

In her post, she appealed to human rights organizations, activists, and the Iranian public to stand up for her father. The Bakhtiari family has called for his immediate release.

Before starting his hunger strike eight days ago, Bakhtiari sent an audio message from prison, saying, “From October 28 until my release from prison, I will be on hunger strike, and the Islamic Republic is responsible for whatever happens to me.”

Many prisoners in Iran are forced to resort to hunger strikes as a last resort to achieve their demands, including delays in case processing and violations of their rights as prisoners, often putting their lives at risk.

Bakhtiari’s wife, Nahid Shirpisheh, who has also publicly advocated for accountability, is currently serving a five-year sentence in Zanjan Prison. Her charges likewise stem from efforts to seek justice for their son Pouya.

“The official stance of Iran in rejecting weapons of mass destruction and regarding the peaceful nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program is clear," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei.

"As emphasized in the recent speech by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, we will equip ourselves to the extent necessary for the defense of Iran," he added.

For weeks, Iranian officials have ramped up their narrative that Tehran possesses the capability to produce nuclear weapons, asserting that only Khamenei's religious fatwa prevents it from doing so.

Baghaei also claimed that the country will use all its "material and spiritual resources to respond to the recent aggressions by the Zionist regime."

This statement comes as Iran’s leadership intensifies its stance amid escalating tensions with the United States and Israel.

Khamenei has called on officials to make every necessary preparation to defend the country against the US and Israel.

"We are fully committed to preparing the Iranian nation in every necessary way to confront arrogance," Khamenei said on Saturday.

He added that both military readiness and political efforts are integral to this approach.

On October 1, Iran launched more than 180 ballistic missiles in two waves, targeting sites within Israel. The attack was presented as a response to the recent assassinations of several key figures allied with Iran, including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. While Israel reported intercepting most of the missiles, the strikes have led to further deterioration in already fraught relations between the two arch enemies.

Israel’s October 26 retaliation included airstrikes on Iranian missile facilities and air defense systems, resulting in the deaths of four Iranian soldiers and one civilian, according to Iranian sources. While Iran has not disclosed details of potential further responses, its leadership has said it will give a harsh response.

Experts have noted that Iran's strategic defense capabilities have been severely compromised by Israel, casting doubt on the credibility of Khamenei’s promised responses.

In response to the attacks between Israel and Iran, the country has experienced further economic turmoil, with the US dollar now trading at 710,000 rials—the steepest decline in the value of the national currency to date.

On Monday, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian drawn attention to the economic pressures facing the nation, saying the country faced an economic war rather than a purely military one.

Pezeshkian warned that economic hardships could pose a more significant threat to Iran than external military aggression, suggesting that economic resilience is now a primary focus of his administration.

“Today, we are facing an all-out economic war. What can bring us to our knees are economic problems, and our enemies are pursuing this goal, but we must not be defeated,” he said.

According to Pezeshkian, Iran’s missile capabilities are to deter aggression rather than provoke it. He explained that these weapons serve as a warning, ensuring that no nation could launch an attack on Iran without facing serious consequences.

"We developed missiles so that, like Gaza, Israel cannot bomb anywhere, anyone, at any time it wishes," Pezeshkian added.

On October 7 last year, Iran-backed Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israeli border areas, killing hundreds of civilians and taking scores hostage. Israel responded with extensive airstrikes targeting Gaza.

The spokesman for the parliament's health committee Salman Es’haghi confirmed that the deaths of at least 70 dialysis patients were due to aluminum-contaminated medication.

In June, Iran International reported that Samen Pharmaceutical Company, a subsidiary of the influential Astan Quds Razavi, is the sole producer of the medication.

Without revealing the manufacturer's identity, Es’haghi added that production of the medication has not been halted and while suggesting that a legal case was filed at the time, said the judiciary has yet to initiate serious legal action for accountability.

The Ministry of Health said Monday that the deaths were cases from the previous year, and that there is no cause for concern today.

The contamination surfaced in early 2024, initially with reports of fatalities among dialysis patients in Mashhad and Isfahan.

Early estimates cited 10 to 12 deaths, but as investigations progressed, the toll quickly climbed to 50, eventually reaching 70 confirmed deaths.

Symptoms included brain dysfunction, seizures, infections, and coma - all consistent with aluminum toxicity.

Es’haghi said that the initial assumption was low-quality production, but later findings suggested contamination with aluminum, leading to severe complications.

Criticizing the judiciary's slow response, Es'haghi said that months have passed without any significant action.

“If the judiciary continues to neglect its responsibilities,” he warned, “the Health Committee will disclose the name of the company and escalate the matter through other channels.”

Dialysis drug maker linked to sanctioned group

Headquartered in Mashhad and directly overseen by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Astan Quds Razavi - the parent company of the drug producer Samen - has a long and complex history of influence over Iran’s pharmaceutical sector.

Former President Ebrahim Raisi previously served as the head of Astan Quds Razavi, a conglomerate with extensive holdings across Iran’s economy.

Astan Quds Razavi was sanctioned by the US primarily for being owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by Iran’s Supreme Leader. Raisi’s successor as custodian, Ahmad Marvi, was also sanctioned under this designation.

The Iranian Food and Drug Administration first acknowledged issues with the dialysis solution in June, citing reports of adverse reactions linked to the product manufactured by Samen Pharmaceutical Company.

The Food and Drug Administration temporarily halted production, distribution, and use of the company’s peritoneal dialysis solution until further testing could be conducted; however, it remains unclear why production has resumed without confirmed safety improvements.

Samen Pharmaceutical Company, founded in 1984, holds a dominant position in Iran’s pharmaceutical industry as the sole producer of peritoneal dialysis solutions. Its shareholders include Astan Quds Razavi, which controls a 70% stake, along with the Iranian Retirement Fund and Hakim Pharmaceuticals.

Es’haghi said that the company's head admitted a lack of oversight on raw materials used in manufacturing, with aluminum-contaminated ingredients apparently slipping through quality control.

Iran’s dialysis patients, estimated at around 800,000, rely heavily on peritoneal dialysis solutions like those produced by Samen Pharmaceutical. Peritoneal dialysis involves using the abdominal lining as a membrane for filtering blood, and contamination of the solution can have severe, even fatal, consequences. Patients affected by the contaminated batch, distributed between December 2023 and May 2024, suffered irreversible damage.

Efforts to uncover details of the contamination have faced obstacles.

In June, when deaths were first reported, Samen Pharmaceutical reportedly informed journalists it was barred from commenting on the matter by a superior organization, believed to be Astan Quds Razavi.

This restriction has fueled public concern, as Astan Quds Razavi has previously been implicated in various allegations of corruption and misconduct.

An Israeli security source, speaking exclusively to Iran International on condition of anonymity, said: “That’s not a standard procedure for everyone, only those with a threat on them such as the chief of staff, the Air Force chief, but now they put security on him and his family as he was exposed.”

It was revealed that he was one of the targets of an Iran-backed cell of Azeri-Israelis, arrested last month after a years-long relationship with Iranian agents gathering intelligence on military sites, strategic targets, and key personnel.

“Usually these guys have a security assessment made on them, to also see how exposed the family is on the internet," explained the source, who works under strict security conditions.

Nevatim was one of the targets of last month’s almost 200 ballistic missile barrage, with multiple strike sites revealed from satellite imagery, including damage to the roof of a hangar.

“The commander is a very wanted target because Nevatim is in itself so strong a target for Iran. It’s not just fighters, it’s intelligence, it’s multi-disciplinary and a strategic base,” the source explained.

It is not the first time the Iranians have reportedly sought out figures for assassination in Israel’s security establishment. In September, plots were foiled on the highest profile targets to date; the prime minister, the head of internal intelligence agency Shin Bet, and the defense minister.

Last month, seven Azerbaijani immigrants to Israel were accused of working for Iran for two years, carrying out 600 operations, including sharing information on the air bases targeted in the ballistic missile barrage from Iran.

They were also accused of sharing information about Israel’s air defense system, the Iron Dome, and the Hadera power plant, sharing intelligence directly with Iran.

The cell, who lived in northern Israel, had been paid thousands of dollars, also in crypto, according to Israel’s Shin Bet.

Israel Police named the Jewish suspects as Aziz Nisanov, Alexander Sedikov, Vyacheslav Goshchin, Yevgeny Yufa, Yigal Nisan and two minors.

Israel Police said the investigation revealed that for over two years, "the suspects had been carrying out a series of different security missions for the Iranian intelligence agencies, under the direction of two agents from the Iranian intelligence”.

Other plots foiled by Israel in recent weeks by Iran-backed cells inside Israel include the assassination of a nuclear scientist.

The IMF states that for Iran to avoid a budget deficit next year, global oil prices would need to reach above $124 per barrel—a figure 70% higher than the current Brent crude prices on international markets. According to the report, Iran needed oil prices above $121 this year to prevent a budget shortfall, which did not materialize, leading the government to engage in substantial borrowing.

Since 2018, when the US imposed stringent sanctions on the Islamic Republic, the Iranian government has faced substantial budget deficits, compelling it to resort to extensive borrowing. Data from the IMF's database reveals that Iran's net government debt will reach 59,000 trillion rials this year, nearly double the amount in 2018, and is projected to quadruple again by 2029.

In US dollar terms, the IMF data shows Iran's gross government debt will reach around $150 billion this year, an increase of $26 billion from the previous year, and will peak at $162 billion next year, amounting to nearly 35% of the country’s GDP.

To offset budget deficits and secure loans from financial institutions, the Iranian government has pressured the Central Bank to print unsupported currency. According to IMF figures, liquidity in Iran has surged annually by 25-40% in recent years, with projected increases above 27% this year and next.

This increased liquidity has fueled runaway inflation. Over the past several years, Iran has consistently ranked among the top 10 countries with the highest inflation rates, and next year it is expected to have the sixth-highest inflation globally.

However, the IMF’s figures about inflation are based on data provided by Iran's Statistical Center, which tends to underestimate market inflation rates. For example, while the Statistical Center reported October inflation at 34%, the head of Iran's Central Bank announced in early November that inflation was actually at 38%. Reports from domestic media suggest the real inflation rate is even higher than that estimated by the head of Central Bank.

Another key point in the IMF report is the anticipated deceleration of Iran's economic growth. Economic growth has dropped from 5% last year to 3.7% this year, and it is expected to decrease each year, reaching only 2% by 2029. However, these growth forecasts assume Iran avoids a conflict with Israel. Most of Iran’s economic growth in 2023 was due to higher oil exports to China.

Earlier this year, the IMF warned that if Iran were to engage in even a limited regional conflict, its economy could shrink by around 5% in 2024. The IMF has also cautioned that any direct involvement in conflicts could push Iran's inflation rate above 100%, with accessible foreign exchange reserves falling to zero by the end of 2024.

According to the IMF, Iran’s accessible foreign exchange reserves stand at $26 billion this year, a sharp drop from the average of approximately $68 billion over the past two decades. Iran has twice targeted Israel with hundreds of missiles and drones this year, but Israel’s response has been limited to attacks on specific military targets within Iran. However, the Islamic government is threatening to attack Israel again, and the United States has warned Iran that in such a case it cannot moderate Israel’s response.