Week of August 19, 2024 | Iran Unfiltered is a digest monitoring Iranian politics & society by the National Iranian American Council
Iran’s Parliament has granted a vote of confidence to all ministers proposed by the 14th authorities underneath President Masoud Pezeshkian. In a speech delivered earlier than the vote, Pezeshkian emphasised that the listing of ministers was ready in full coordination with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Pezeshkian assured the Parliament that no nominee was offered with out prior session and approval from the Supreme Leader. He revealed that Abbas Saleh Shariati (Seyed Abbas Salehi) and Farzaneh Sadegh, the nominees for the Ministries of Culture and Islamic Guidance and Roads and Urban Development, respectively, have been personally chosen by Ayatollah Khamenei. Typically, Khamenei’s strategy has been to privately endorse sure people, however since Pezeshkian selected to publicly reveal his settlement with the Supreme Leader, the Parliament was able the place it was compelled to approve your entire cupboard regardless of majority oppositions to the proposed Ministers of Culture, Health, and Labor.
Farzaneh Sadegh’s appointment is historic, making her the primary feminine Minister of Roads and Urban Development and the second girl to serve in a ministerial place because the Islamic Revolution. Pezeshkian additionally famous that Abbas Araghchi, the nominee for Foreign Minister, was the primary candidate authorised by Ayatollah Khamenei, even earlier than the listing was formally submitted.
Pezeshkian’s remarks obtained applause from Members of Parliament twice throughout his speech. He admitted that he had compromised on his beliefs to make sure unity, highlighting his agreements with the intelligence and safety companies, together with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The President urged Members of Parliament to approve his cupboard swiftly, stating, “Let us type the federal government as quickly as doable.” He emphasised that his “staff” ought to stay intact, reiterating that each one nominees had been coordinated “on the highest ranges.” Pezeshkian additionally defended his selection of Mohammadreza Zafarghandi because the Minister of Health, noting that he had been endorsed by ministers from each the left and proper of the earlier authorities.
Despite the dominance of conservatives and hardliners within the twelfth Parliament, all 19 of Pezeshkian’s nominees obtained the required votes, with 288 Members of Parliament current. Six of the proposed ministers, together with these for Education, Communications, Intelligence, Justice, Culture and Islamic Guidance, and Defense, obtained over 90% approval from the Parliament.
Azizi Nasirzadeh, the nominee for Defense Minister, garnered the best approval ranking, with over 97% of Members of Parliament voting in his favor. However, not all nominees obtained such robust help. Two ministers secured lower than 60% of the vote; Mohammadreza Zafarghandi, the nominee for Health Minister, solely obtained 56% approval, or 163 votes, and Reza Salehi Amiri solely obtained 168 votes. Ahmed Meydari, the nominee for Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, additionally fell in need of 70% approval.
Before the vote, the Independent Faction in Parliament referred to as for a unified vote of confidence for all nominees, a stance that drew criticism from different Members of Parliament. Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolution Faction, the most important faction within the twelfth Parliament near the hardliners, held an inner vote through which 4 ministers perceived as near reformists – Zafarghandi, Salehi Amiri, Hemmati, and Meydari – did not safe majority help. Evidently, Ayatollah Khamenei’s endorsement of the ministers performed a vital position in finally swaying opinions.
Nonetheless, the approval of all of Pezeshkian’s ministers in Parliament, backed by Ayatollah Khamenei, marks a big victory for Pezeshkian and means that varied branches of the federal government have accepted his imaginative and prescient for resolving conflicts and demonstrating unity. However, this victory was notably achieved by means of reliance on the help of Ayatollah Khamenei. As Pezeshkian explicitly acknowledged in Parliament, each minister was chosen with the Supreme Leader’s approval. However, this strategy might probably additional diminish the powers of the President in the long run.
However, one of the crucial vital criticisms of Pezeshkian’s cupboard has been the absence of Sunni illustration, regardless of his earlier guarantees to incorporate certified people from all backgrounds in his administration to type a “National Unity Government.” The announcement of Pezeshkian’s cupboard listing sank hopes for Sunni inclusion, resulting in protests from spiritual leaders and Sunni Members of Parliament. In a Friday sermon in Zahedan, Molavi Abdolhamid, a distinguished Sunni chief, expressed disappointment, saying, “The expectations of the folks weren’t met at step one, and many citizens and those that inspired participation at the moment are anxious.”
While Ayatollah Khamenei has often accused the West of sowing discord between Shia and Sunni Muslims within the area, the continued exclusion of Sunnis from governance inside Iran seems to be sowing seeds of division domestically.
Moreover, Pezeshkian additionally appointed Shina Ansari and Majid Ansari as two new members of his cupboard in separate decrees. Shina Ansari turns into the third girl to affix Pezeshkian’s cupboard as the top of the Department of Environmental Protection, whereas Majid Ansari has been appointed because the President’s Parliamentary Deputy. President Pezeshkian acknowledged that he appointed each Shina Ansari and Majid Ansari to their respective positions because of their “confirmed {qualifications}, precious administration expertise, and govt background.”
Shina Ansari is an environmental activist who holds a PhD in Environmental Management from the Science and Research Branch of Tehran. She started her profession in environmental administration as the top of the Environmental Protection Department in Ray County in 2002. She has additionally served as the top of this identical division in Tehran, the Deputy Director General of the Environmental Protection Department of Tehran Province, the Deputy Director General of Alborz Province’s Environmental Protection Department, and the Director General of the Comprehensive Pollution Monitoring Office on the Department of Environmental Protection.
Majid Ansari is a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, the Executive Secretary of the Combatant Clergy Association, and a well known determine within the Islamic Republic of Iran, with expertise in all three branches of presidency: govt, legislative, and judicial. He beforehand served because the Parliamentary Deputy and Legal Deputy within the eleventh and twelfth administrations underneath former President Hassan Rouhani. He additionally held the positions of Legal and Parliamentary Deputy underneath President Mohammad Khatami in the course of the Reform Era.
Nurses and healthcare staff throughout Iran proceed to protest and strike, citing financial hardships, lack of presidency help, and systemic points throughout the healthcare system. The Khorasan Razavi Nurses’ Association has pointed particularly to “flawed insurance policies, narrow-minded views, discriminatory practices, and physician-dominated administration” as the basis causes of the continuing unrest.
The Khorasan Razavi Nurses’ Association has referred to as for the total implementation of the legislation permitting early retirement for these in demanding and dangerous jobs after 20 years of service with full pay. Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam, Secretary-General of the National Nurses’ Association, additionally urged the elimination of necessary additional time and the institution of a correct tariff system for nursing providers. “Globally, the wage hole between medical doctors and nurses is 2 to a few occasions, however in Iran’s healthcare system, the hole is considerably wider, inflicting misery amongst nurses,” he stated.
On Wednesday, August twenty first, for the second consecutive week, nurses held protests in a number of cities, together with Tehran, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Tabriz, Ahvaz, Rasht, Marivan, and Dehdasht. Protesters gathered exterior key places such because the Ministry of Health in Tehran, the central constructing of Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz, and the Governor’s Office in Isfahan. Their chants included: “Empty guarantees, our tables are naked,” “One much less embezzlement might pay our dues,” and “Without nurses, the system collapses.”
On August twentieth, simultaneous protests had taken place in Mashhad hospitals, the place nurses demanded the enforcement of the tariff legislation, decision of pay disparities, elimination of necessary additional time, and an finish to lengthy shifts. Reports on social media indicated that in Kermanshah, safety personnel from the University of Medical Sciences confiscated the cellphones of protesting nurses and issued threats. Despite these actions, the Ministry of Health has but to handle the nurses’ calls for.
A well-recognized sample, authorities officers have resorted to threats and stress after failing to placate the nurses with repeated however unfulfilled guarantees. The “Mashhad and Surrounding Areas Nurses’ Association Board” issued an announcement warning in opposition to “any hostile actions or inappropriate conduct in direction of nurses that might escalate their protests.”
The Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations has additionally come out in help of the nurses, issuing an announcement backing their calls for. The assertion highlighted that “Iranian nurses have protested in opposition to their financial {and professional} circumstances, resulting in strikes and demonstrations.” It famous that the protests, which started in Shiraz and have since unfold nationwide, mirror a collective dedication to safe their rights. The nurses are demanding job safety and an finish to necessary additional time, which has led to vital burnout. They are additionally in search of to regularize their employment standing, as job instability and exploitation have induced substantial hurt.
This disaster is additional deepened by the alarming fee of emigration amongst nurses. According to the National Nursing Organization, round 3,000 nurses yearly apply for “good standing” certificates to facilitate emigration, whereas the whole variety of nursing college students is round 10,000. The Vice President of the group’s High Council warned that “the migration of those professionals has reached a vital level,” with many nurses studying German to be able to depart the nation. Newly constructed hospitals in Tehran’s University of Medical Sciences have struggled to function totally because of a scarcity of nurses, highlighting the extreme workforce disaster tied to diminishing hope amongst healthcare professionals.
Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group against the Iranian authorities, has claimed accountability for the assassination of the top of the Criminal Investigation Department in Khash, positioned in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. The group made the announcement by way of an announcement on their Telegram channel.
Iranian state information companies confirmed that on Friday, August 23th, Second Lieutenant Hossein Ali Piri, Deputy Chief of the Intelligence and Security Police in Khash, was shot and killed whereas returning house in civilian garments after finishing his duties at Friday prayers.
Jaish al-Adl has a infamous historical past of launching assaults and finishing up kidnappings concentrating on safety personnel in southeastern Iran. These actions, together with high-profile kidnappings of border guards, have typically provoked robust public outcry throughout the nation.
The group identifies itself because the “Army of Justice and Equality,” however the Iranian authorities has labeled it a terrorist group, accusing it of being supported by Saudi and American intelligence companies. Iranian officers disparagingly seek advice from the group as “Jaish al-Zolm” (Army of Injustice). The United States, Japan, and New Zealand have additionally formally designated Jaish al-Adl as a terrorist group.
Public reactions to Jaish al-Adl’s killings and kidnappings have often been adverse, with widespread condemnation of the group’s actions. Many Iranians have expressed solidarity with the victims, demanding their instant launch.
Iran’s Judiciary information company, Mizan, reported that the closures have been as a result of institute’s alleged unlawful actions and monetary violations. Mizan additionally famous that investigations into different German-affiliated facilities within the nation are ongoing. Reports on social media recommend that the institute was shut down throughout ongoing exams, with pictures exhibiting police autos exterior one of many buildings and officers eradicating the institute’s signal.
The Goethe German language examination, a global take a look at carried out by the non-profit Goethe Institute, is crucial for college kids and immigrants planning to maneuver to German-speaking international locations corresponding to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
According to the Telegram channel Nournews, the closures have been a “reciprocal measure” in response to the shutdown of cultural and Islamic facilities in Germany. In a associated transfer, the Austrian Cultural Forum in Tehran introduced it could droop in-person providers till September 26.
These cases come after Abdulreza Davari, a conservative media activist, had referred to as for the closure of the Goethe Institute in Tehran. In a put up on X, Davari argued that Iran ought to reply to Germany’s current actions in opposition to the Islamic Center of Hamburg, which is affiliated with the Islamic Republic.
On July 24, Germany’s Interior Ministry banned the Islamic Center of Hamburg and its affiliated establishments, accusing them of selling extremist Islamist objectives. The Center had been underneath the scrutiny of Germany’s intelligence and home safety companies for 3 many years. Reuters reported that the Islamic Center of Hamburg, one in every of Germany’s oldest mosques with a well known turquoise facade, together with its subgroups in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin, have been banned as a part of this crackdown, ensuing within the closure of 4 Shia mosques complete in Germany.
In response to those developments, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador, condemning what it described as Germany’s “hostile motion opposite to basic human rights rules.” The official IRNA information company reported that Iran expressed its robust protest over the closures.
The German newspaper Der Spiegel had reported in July that Interior Minister Nancy Faeser made the choice to ban the Islamic Center of Hamburg. According to the report, the ministry’s suspicions have been confirmed after evaluating proof that the middle had allegedly promoted Islamist-totalitarian concepts, anti-semitism, and hostility towards Israel, and supported the terrorist group Hezbollah, which is banned in Germany. The Interior Ministry acknowledged that the actions of the Islamic Center of Hamburg violated Germany’s structure, resulting in the ban on the middle and its associates, together with the Islamic Association of Bavaria.
Iran’s inhabitants has formally exceeded 91 million, based on the newest figures from Worldometer, a globally acknowledged statistics platform that updates inhabitants knowledge in real-time primarily based on United Nations knowledge. As of Monday, August 19, 2024, the inhabitants of Iran reached 91,681,315, marking a big demographic milestone.
While official censuses in Iran are carried out each 5 years, Worldometer and different world databases have grow to be important instruments for monitoring inhabitants adjustments in actual time. According to those sources, Iran’s inhabitants surpassed the 91 million mark a number of months in the past, a improvement that has not been broadly publicized.
This speedy inhabitants progress is shocking, on condition that earlier estimates from the Statistical Center of Iran urged the nation wouldn’t attain a inhabitants of 91 million till 2036. Concerns over declining start charges and marriage numbers had beforehand led policymakers to fret that the inhabitants would possibly stabilize at round 80 million. Between 2018 and 2021, Iran’s inhabitants progress fee dropped from 1.12% to 0.77%, with projections indicating it might additional decline to 0.36% by 2036—the bottom in over 4 many years.
Despite these earlier developments and expectations, Iran’s inhabitants has nonetheless managed to develop. Global statistics reveal that the fertility fee amongst Iranian ladies is at present 1.7 youngsters per girl, under the alternative stage of two.1 required to take care of the inhabitants measurement. Initial projections estimated that Iran would attain 91.87 million folks by 2029, however the milestone was achieved a lot sooner. The United Nations means that Iran’s fertility fee is barely under 2.1.
Migration has possible performed a vital position on this sudden inhabitants surge. Iran has skilled a big inflow of migrants from neighboring international locations corresponding to Afghanistan and Iraq because of safety considerations. This migration has contributed to the speedy enhance in inhabitants, based on some analysts. Despite the present progress, Deputy Health Minister Fatemeh Rakhshani has projected that Iran’s inhabitants might start to say no by 2101.
Life expectancy in Iran is at present 77.85 years, with ladies having a barely decrease life expectancy of 76 years. Infant mortality is reported at 9.1 deaths per 1,000 dwell births, and the under-five mortality fee is 10.9 per 1,000.
Looking forward, projections recommend that Iran’s inhabitants might peak at 105.23 million by 2061 earlier than regularly declining to round 98.83 million by the top of the century. The inhabitants is anticipated to succeed in 100 million by 2043. However, the inhabitants progress fee has slowed to roughly 1.1%, and by 2050, the proportion of younger folks in Iran is anticipated to lower to 14% of the whole inhabitants.
Tehran, the capital of Iran, has an estimated inhabitants of 8.4 million, although some sources recommend it might be as little as 7 million. The larger metropolitan space of Tehran is house to roughly 14 million folks, making it the most important metropolis in West Asia and one of many three largest cities within the Middle East, alongside Cairo and Istanbul. Tehran’s inhabitants density is notably excessive, with 11,887 folks per sq. kilometer.
Bread costs in 10 Iranian provinces have elevated by roughly 25%, a transfer reportedly aimed toward compensating for the rising operational prices confronted by bakeries, together with power and wages. Khabar Online stories that comparable worth changes are being thought-about in different provinces, although no official selections have been finalized.
According to Tabnak News Agency, there have been unconfirmed stories of bread worth hikes in Tehran, although no official bulletins have been made. Bakery union officers within the capital haven’t confirmed these adjustments. However, Nour News, affiliated with the Supreme National Security Council, has corroborated these stories, noting that bread costs in sure elements of Tehran have elevated quietly. For occasion, the worth of Barbari bread in some areas has risen from 5,000 to 7,000 tomans, and Taftoon bread has jumped from 700 to 1,500 tomans.
Economic consultants predict that bread costs will proceed to rise in additional provinces within the coming days, with the federal government prone to approve comparable will increase in Tehran. Recent media stories affirm that the considerations raised up to now two weeks have grow to be a actuality, with bread costs already up in 10 provinces. Hamshahri newspaper was the primary to report this improvement on Thursday, August 15, confirming a 25% enhance in bread costs in these areas.
The Raisi administration had been rolling out a “Smart Subsidy for Flour and Bread” initiative since final 12 months. In December 2023, Economy Minister Ehsan Khandoozi claimed that the plan would save roughly 1.5 million tons of backed flour, equal to 27 trillion tomans, inside its first two years. However, the plan has confronted criticism, with Hossein Yazdjerdi, head of the Iranian Flour Industries Association, telling Tabnak that the initiative “was ineffective and has induced vital hurt to the flour and bread business.”
Currently, the Market Regulation Headquarters has set the worth of a easy Barbari bread with a 600-gram dough weight at 2,500 tomans, and a easy Sangak bread with a 650-gram dough weight at 3,000 tomans. Traditional Taftoon bread with a 250-gram dough weight is priced at 1,200 tomans.
In response to the current worth hikes, the “Retirees Council” Telegram channel remarked, “We say our salaries are too low, after which the worth of bread goes up. We shout that the price of dwelling has exceeded 45 million tomans, however nobody is listening.”
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