Former Iranian Culture Minister Blames Government For ‘Hungry Masses’

Amnesty International Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Diana Eltahawy, said, "Iran’s authorities are terrorizing women and girls by subjecting them to constant surveillance and policing, disrupting their daily lives and causing them immense mental distress. Their draconian tactics span from stopping women drivers on the road…to imposing inhumane flogging and prison sentences."

According to testimonies collected by Amnesty International, tens of thousands of women have had their cars confiscated arbitrarily, while others have faced prosecution, flogging, imprisonment, fines, or forced attendance of "morality" classes for defying hijab laws.

Furthermore, unjust prosecutions and sentencing are rampant, with women and girls facing legal action for appearing without headscarves or wearing "inappropriate" hijab. Prosecution orders often mandate participation in morality classes or impose fines.

The aftermath of Mahsa Amini's death in police custody in September 2022 has posed significant challenges for the clerical regime in enforcing the mandatory Islamic dress code. The emergence of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement has emboldened tens of thousands of girls and women to discard their compulsory hijab. In spite of banning unveiled women from the likes of public places, workplaces and education, the rebellion has left the regime with an existential crisis on an epic scale.

In a statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, the US emphasized the need for Iran to down-blend its entire 60-percent uranium stockpile and cease production of uranium enriched to 60 percent.

This call comes after the head of the UN nuclear watchdog informed the Board that his agency has lost crucial "continuity of knowledge" regarding Tehran’s activities.

While Iran has failed to cooperate with the IAEA on multiple issues since 2021 – recent points of friction between Tehran and the agency are piling up.

During the agency's regular meeting in Vienna, IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi highlighted concerns, including the deactivation of surveillance devices, barring of senior inspectors, and refusal to disclose new nuclear facilities.

These actions have heightened fears of clandestine nuclear expansion.

Yet, Grossi maintained that he does not have any information that Iran is making a nuclear weapon.

"What I would say is that Iran is the only country that does not have a nuclear weapon that is enriching at 60% and is accumulating uranium enriched at 60%," Grossi said in the same breath.

US refuses to back censure resolution

While Wednesday's statement from the US called on the IAEA Board to be ready for further action if Iran's cooperation does not significantly improve, Iran avoided censure for its non-compliance.

Reports suggest that since President Joe Biden took office, the US advanced a censure resolution on Iran, on one occasion.

On the sidelines of the IAEA meeting, an EU diplomat told Iran International that there hasn't been any discussion about issuing a resolution against Iran for its non-compliance.

Andrea Stricker, Deputy Director of the FDD’s Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program, characterized this as policy paralysis, highlighting the lack of US leadership.

The nuclear expert from a Washington DC-based nonpartisan research institute points out that European leaders aim to retain the option of reimposing all UN sanctions if Iran reaches 90% enriched uranium, considered nuclear weapons-grade.

However, she says, by producing 60% highly enriched uranium, Iran has already completed most of the process to obtain weapons-grade uranium.

Therefore, the European red line is effectively meaningless, Stricker told Iran International.

Meanwhile, Director-General Grossi says there are no talks with Iran – and none are scheduled.

"I hope I will have an opportunity to talk to them in person, as soon as possible. I cannot go if they don't invite me. So whenever they feel that they are ready to talk to me, I will be more than happy to return," he said.

But, so far, Tehran has indicated that nuclear compliance will only come when the US lifts sanctions on the country.

Republican Senators push for action

Leading up to the IAEA meeting this week, several Republican Senators penned a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging for a comprehensive review of Iran’s nuclear program by the UN’s Security Council.

They emphasized the importance of US leadership in maintaining global non-proliferation standards, writing that the “stakes could not be higher”.

“The US must be active in deterring the Iranian regime’s rapid nuclear arms advancement under the Biden Administration,” Senator Rubio wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Complicating matters further for the US and the West is the ongoing conflict in Gaza, sparked by an attack on Israel by Hamas, an Iranian proxy and designated terrorist organization.

According to the latest reports, Western leaders do not want to risk further diplomatic escalation with Tehran.

Iran could ‘contemplate nuclear breakout’

Stricker, along with other nuclear experts, advocates for the IAEA Board of Governors to enforce measures outlined in its statute, including sanctions or other punitive actions.

She points out that during the pre-nuclear deal era, multilateral pressure and sanctions effectively slowed Iran's advances.

Failure for Tehran to meet these demands for compliance, on a deadline, should then “result in referring Iran's case to the UN Security Council”.

But, Stricker does not foresee the West mounting massive international pressure on Iran – or levying a credible threat of military force in retaliation.

“I do not see that happening under Biden, and we should expect Tehran to try to reap the benefits of Biden's remaining time in office in case it faces a second Trump administration and the return of maximum economic pressure,” she said.

With that Stricker says, Tehran knows that next year could prove to be opportune for it to contemplate a nuclear breakout.

“The regime may decide that now is the time, and this is the weakest American leadership it can hope for, to secure its future hold on power with the ultimate deterrent,” she said.

Yahya Rahim-Safavi emphasized on Wednesday the importance of naval and aerospace forces of the Revolutionary Guards concentrating on the vital points, stating that future wars are likely to be sea-based and air-based.

Rahim-Safavi said, "We have no solution other than deepening the defense and security of the country. Our strategic defense depth is in the Mediterranean Sea, and we must increase our strategic depth by 5,000 kilometers."

The Red Sea has been effectively closed off by Iran-backed Houthi militants through a series of missile and drone strikes targeting commercial vessels. 

Despite their assertion of acting in solidarity with Palestinians and targeting ships associated with Israel, the US, or Britain, few shipping companies are willing to risk traversing the region.

Iran's clerical regime has long provided substantial support to the Houthis, including funding, arms, and training, enabling them to establish and maintain control over significant areas of Yemen. Despite mounting international pressure, Iran persists in its backing of the group.

In November, the Houthis initiated attacks on Israeli ships in the Red Sea, concentrating British and US for supporting Israel’s right to defend itself in the wake of October 7.

The resulting disruptions to global maritime trade have compelled major shipping operators to divert their vessels, leading to increased shipping expenses and affecting consumer goods prices.

Zarif said that "The era of permanent alliances is gradually coming to an end, and if it weren't for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NATO would have faced an identity crisis."

He highlighted the dilemma of contradictory loyalties faced by Iran, noting that “viewing the world in polar terms often results in unfulfilled expectations.”

He highlighted instances where Iran anticipated support from Russia and China in vetoing nuclear resolutions, only to be disappointed.

Talking about Iran’s nuclear activities, he said the complexities surrounding the Iranian nuclear dossier could be addressed through “wise negotiations.”

It is not the first time Zarif has criticized Iran's approach to its relations with Russia. Last year, he remarked on Tehran's flawed understanding of its ties with Moscow, cautioning against expecting unwavering support from Russia, which prioritizes its own interests.

Zarif's comments came after escalating tensions between Iran and Russia, exemplified by a joint Russia-GCC statement expressing support for the United Arab Emirates' demand concerning three Iranian islands, further straining relations between the two nations.

Last year, Zarif speculated on the emergence of a new dominating power, suggesting that China's strength lies in its trade and technology prowess. He proposed a move towards a global network rather than a bipolar or unipolar world order.

Dozens of villages have been affected with citizens independently working to reopen roads to deliver aid. Frustration mounts among local residents as governmental aid remains scarce. "Not even a helicopter has been sent for aid to the flood victims of Sistan and Baluchestan; only provincial and national officials flew over once and left!" remarked a local official.

Finally, after over a week of silence, government authorities have acknowledged the crisis. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei admitted on Tuesday that the floods have inflicted significant damage on the people of Sistan and Baluchestan in a nod to the disaster facing the population.

President Ebrahim Raisi started a tour of the region on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Sepehr Khalaji, Raisi’s chief publicity man, reacted to the criticism about the government’s handling of the situation, saying that although the Interior Ministry was busy with the elections, rescue and relief teams were dispatched and the minister himself visited the flood-affected areas. “All necessary work has been done... people are not abandoned.”

On Tuesday, Ali Akbar Mehrabian, the Minister of Energy, traveled to Sistan-Baluchestan to assess the extent of damage to infrastructure, according to reports from media affiliated with the government in Iran.

Despite claims from government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi that relief efforts were initiated promptly, access roads to 46 flood-affected villages remain blocked, and 31 villages are still grappling with water shortages.

Since the floods began on February 25, more than 10,000 people have been affected. Official reports indicate the destruction of at least 300 homes and damage to over 1,500 others. Agricultural land, orchards, wells, greenhouses, livestock units, and historical sites have also suffered extensive damage.

Mojtaba Saadatian, the deputy for cultural heritage, handicrafts, and tourism of Sistan and Baluchestan, stated that due to the extreme weather, 37 historical sites in the province have been damaged.

The crisis looks set to continue over the coming days as the Meteorological Organization forecasts intensifying rainfall. An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 further rattled the province, highlighting the vulnerability of the affected areas.

Criticism mounts against governmental priorities, with citizens accusing authorities of neglecting flood victims in favor of political pursuits. Reports emerged of ballot boxes for Friday's elections being dispatched to flood-affected areas amidst the ongoing crisis, fueling public outrage.

Mowlavi Abdolhamid, the outspoken Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, has condemned the government's failure to plan and provide infrastructure to mitigate floods. Calls for assistance persist, with appeals for heating appliances, blankets, mattresses, hygiene items, food supplies, mineral water, and tents to support flood victims.

He was banned from visiting the affected areas this week, his convoy intercepted by security forces at a police checkpoint along the Zahedan-Khash road, with two of his teenage sons detained. 

Mohammad Mehdi Sajjadi, CEO of the Red Crescent, said on Saturday that water levels had risen up to half a meter and even more in many flood-affected villages.

"The floods are severe to the extent that even rescue operations are challenging, and teams sent to deliver supplies to areas besieged by floods could not return and are trapped in the region," he said.

However, many of the stranded victims have been reluctant to leave their homes, he explained, "complicating relief efforts".

It is unclear how many people have lost their lives amid the crisis. Official statistics claim there have as yet been no deaths, but Baluch sources say at least five have died.