Iranian Daily Brands Russia Disloyal

On December 31, Khamenei was meeting with the family of former IRGC operative Qasem Soleimani, when he suddenly claimed that more than 20 years ago, he was in the company of a group of Revolutionary Guard officers when he started conveying an inspirational message to them.

"The Almighty God was speaking! In fact, it was my tongue, but it was God's words; it was a very extraordinary session,” Khamenei claimed, and added, “It had a significant impact.”

In Islamic theology, Khamenei's assertion that God spoke through him can be considered blasphemous. According to religious teachings, God communicated exclusively with Prophet Mohammed, as emphasized by some Iranian critics in the past two days. In Shiite oral traditions, there is no mention of any occasion where God spoke to Imam Ali, the revered figure in the faith, or to any other saint.

A well-known Iranian literary critic in exile and political commentator, Faraj Sarkouhi wrote on X, "Megalomania, self-centeredness, self-deification, claiming to be a prophet or the voice of God, a sense of exceptional wisdom, and extreme narcissism are considered characteristics of despots at the end of their reigns. Despots gradually fall into the trap of power, oblivious to the fragility of authoritarian power." 

Some social media users also considered Khamenei's statements blasphemous and in contradiction with Islamic teachings. An Iranian social media user commented that “According to the Islamic Penal Code, which is used to suppress anti-government dissent, Khamenei's statements are punishable.”

Another individual wrote on X that "If an ordinary person had uttered the same statement, they would have been executed on charges of blasphemy, insulting sanctities, insulting the Supreme Leader, blasphemy against the Imams, and more."

Iranian experts generally agree that after being selected as Supreme Leader in 1989, Khamenei kept a much lower profile for many years, appearing relatively rational and reasonable in domestic politics. However, as years progressed and he replaced top military and intelligence personnel, he became more authoritarian and even senior ayatollahs began showing reverence to him. He subdued influential figures of the revolutionary years and made Shiite seminaries subservient to him. Another social media user questioned the silence of senior ayatollahs in the face of Khamenei’s unprecedented statement.

With his growing authoritarianism and his regime’s readiness to kill thousands of protesters in the streets and in prisons, Khamenei’s legitimacy has seriously suffered since 2009.

During protests since 2019, he has been the target of angry chants and derogatory insults. People routinely call him a dictator and blame him for the ever-worsening economy and living conditions.

So far, the reaction of officials to the scandal has been limited. Tasnim news website, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, published a rebuttal on Tuesday. An official from Imam Khomeini’s foundation wrote in Tasnim that attacks against Khamenei are orchestrated by foreign-based Persian-language media networks. This refers to Iran International, BBC and Voice of America Persian services, Manoto TV based in London and others.

At the same time, Mehdi Fazaeli, a member of the office for the preservation and dissemination of Khamenei's works and one of his close associates, on January 1st, dismissed reports about the illness of the Supreme Leader, labeling it as "psychological operations by the enemies."

Muttaqi engaged in discussions with economic activists from both Iran and Afghanistan on Tuesday, encouraging Iranian traders “to seize the opportunities present in the Afghan market.”

Muttaqi emphasized Afghanistan's agricultural potential, fertile soil, clean water, and valuable mines, highlighting the mutual benefits of investments from neighboring countries like Iran.

Claiming that the Islamic Emirate swiftly improved security, Muttaqi cited a local trader's observation that before the Taliban, 20% of benefits were spent on security, which has significantly reduced under the new administration.

Expressing determination to transform Afghanistan into a regional transit hub, Muttaqi underscored the country's evolving role in transit and its growing economic centrality.

He also claimed that the government has an impartial stance on religious matters, asserting respect for all individuals, irrespective of Sunni or Shiite affiliations.

However, tensions persist between Iran and the Taliban, particularly regarding water issues. An Iranian parliamentary delegation visited Kabul in August to address concerns about the Taliban obstructing the Helmand River flow, impacting Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan region. The Taliban denies the allegations, intensifying the water crisis dispute.

Recently, critics of the Iranian government have cautioned against its open borders policy, expressing concerns about a potential hidden agenda. In response, hardliners accuse critics of fueling "Afghanophobia" amidst rising anti-Afghan sentiments on social media and instances of violence against immigrants.

Some critics speculate that authorities might be encouraging illegal Afghan immigration to address population decline or even to bolster the military by recruiting young Shiite Hazara Afghans. The situation reflects the complexities and challenges arising from the evolving relationship between Iran and Afghanistan.

This follows the circulation of images on social media depicting trucks on the desiccated lakebed. The Director of Environmental Protection in West Azarbaijan, Saeed Shahand, has claimed that the activities in question solely pertain to “salt extraction, not lithium.”

Earlier reports had said that Chinese companies were acquiring brine from Lake Urmia with the aim of obtaining valuable lithium, which can be used to support the country’s nuclear program. 

However, officials allege that the lake lacks lithium, underscoring the ongoing authorized extraction of salt from specific areas.

Shahand affirmed that the extraction of salt from Lake Urmia has been a long-standing practice, spanning years, claiming that it has not led to any adverse environmental consequences in authorized areas.

Researchers have sounded a cautionary note, warning about the potential repercussions of salt extraction and disturbance to the lakebed. Pertinent questions have been raised regarding research into the impact of salt compounds in Lake Urmia on plants, humans, and agricultural fields.

The ongoing drying of Lake Urmia, once the region’s largest lake, is causing growing concern among environmental experts who fear its far-reaching effects on various regions of Iran in terms of both environmental and human impacts.

Mohsen Armin, the front's vice chairman has quoted the results of an opinion poll conducted by ISPA of the government-owned Iranian Students New Agency (ISNA) and said 48 percent of Iranians support reforms and another 45 percent want far-reaching changes. In the context of Islamic Republic's political jargon, the latter group are possibly those who want a regime change.

Armin, speaking at a conference in Esfahan entitled "Iran, Reformists, and National Interests," stated that reforms in Iran are currently in a state of isolation. He elaborated that "The country is so disorganized that other political groups are also confused and do not know a way out of the current political impasse."

He said, "our mistake during the 1979 Islamic revolution was that we thought the Shah was the problem. But the real problem was the despotic regime. We thought that by replacing the Shah the problem will be solved. That is how we lost a precious opportunity to improve the political situation in Iran."

Armin emphasized that there has been a misconception in Iran that combating Western civilization is a prerequisite for Islamizing society. This belief has given rise to notions such as the imminent downfall of Western civilization, a stance that aligns with creating an Islamic society. Support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict and reluctance to finalize nuclear agreements with the West are byproducts of this ideology. Consequently, policies like the resistance economy and opposition to maintaining ties with advanced Western nations have emerged to promote Iran's development.

"Nonetheless, when survival becomes the regime's main objective, even ideology ceases to be a priority," Armin said, adding that the strategy of survival calls for barring all those who object to these policies by any form of political activity. He further said that the strategy of survival has led to the emergence of a system that is incapable of solving the country's problems and preventing systematic corruption. He also pointed out that the regime has failed to convince the public about its strategy while it also refuses to listen to reformist ideas that might help it.

Elsewhere, but along the same line, Iranian academic Bijan Abdolkarimi has warned that the underprivileged people in Iran are facing a death and life issue. He said in an interview with Etemad Online that there is a possibility for social upheavals in Iran. He explained that the middle class in Iran has been experiencing a process of decline and many middle-class citizens are now considered low-income as their purchasing power has shrunk.

Iran has been experiencing an annual inflation rate of at least 40 percent in the past three years, and the national currency has lost its value 12-fold since 2018.

Abdolkarimi pointed out that while the middle class has been losing its dreams and sees no bright prospect ahead, family members of some regime officials, who talk about confrontation with the United States, live in America. The latter group do not really believe in the revolutionary narrative but hypocritically defend the revolutionary "values," the academic added.

He pointed out that Iranians are not interested in taking part in the upcoming parliamentary elections because they believe their participation cannot change the country's situation. At the same time, a force from within the government has been exerting pressures on the regime to follow a strategy of political purification that is intended to lead to the creation an all-conservative ruling system.

He said the Islamic revolution has not been able to offer welfare to nation during the past four decades and it is not likely to find that capability anytime soon.

Meanwhile, former President Hassan Rouhani has said in a meeting with his former aides and cabinet minister that the country's only way out of the current political impasse is to start reforms. Rouhani further claimed that the people will take part in the election if they feel that it can make a difference. 

Many political figures in Iran, who are considered regime insiders, including former reformist President Mohammad Khatami have said that it appears the Iranian regime can no longer be reformed.

Abdollahi, imprisoned for 14 years, had been on a hunger strike since December 26 in protest at his being moved to solitary confinement for the execution.

Alongside six other Kurds – Qasem Abasteh, Ayoub Karimi, Anwar Khezri, Farhad Salimi, Kamran Sheikheh, and Khosrow Besharat – Abdollahi was detained in December 2009 on charges related to the murder of Abdolrahim Tina. Months of interrogation followed in the intelligence detention center in Urmia.

The charges against the seven individuals included "acts against national security," "propaganda against the system," "membership in Salafi groups," and "waging war against God and corruption on earth."

They were initially sentenced to death in 2017, but the Supreme Court overturned the verdict and referred the case to Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran for review. However, in June 2018, Branch 15 issued another death sentence for them.

The Supreme Court confirmed the death sentences in February 2020. Qasem Abasteh was executed on November 6, and Ayoub Karimi's death sentence was implemented on November 29. With the execution of Abdollahi, four others are currently at risk of execution.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the severe torture inflicted upon these prisoners and the extraction of forced confessions. Amnesty International warned in February 2021 that the seven Sunni Kurds were at risk of execution, stating that their trials were extremely unfair and based on confessions obtained under torture.

It is part of a massive execution wave in Iran. In the latest annual report, Human Rights Activists In Iran (HRANA) claimed the execution of 746 individuals, noting a 32 percent increase of executions from 2022 and death sentences issued rising by 68 percent.