Welcome again to The Farda Briefing, a brand new RFE/RL e-newsletter that tracks the important thing points in Iran and explains why they matter.
I’m RFE/RL senior correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here’s what I’ve been following through the previous week and what I’m watching out for within the days forward.
The Big Issue
Residents of Iran’s southwestern metropolis of Abadan have staged nightly protests since a 10-story constructing collapsed on May 23, killing not less than 37 folks. It was one of many nation’s deadliest disasters lately. Demonstrations have additionally been held in main cities like Isfahan. Authorities have blamed the collapse on poor security and native corruption and stated a dozen folks, together with the present mayor, have been arrested. But the protesters have put the blame on authorities negligence and endemic corruption. The authorities’ sluggish response has added to public anger. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei solely supplied his condolences to the victims three days after the disaster. The authorities, in the meantime, solely declared a day of nationwide mourning every week after the collapse.
Why It Matters. The constructing collapse has uncovered rising anger at Iran’s institution. Protesters initially directed their fury at native authorities. But the goal of their protests rapidly turned the clerical regime, with demonstrators chanting “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to the dictator,” additionally a reference to the supreme chief. Anti-government protests have elevated in Iran lately. The economic system has been crippled by U.S. sanctions and authorities mismanagement, with poverty and unemployment hovering. Before the protests over the constructing collapse, authorities had confronted weeks of protests in not less than seven provinces over the skyrocketing costs of fundamental meals objects.
What’s Next. The protests in Abadan, positioned in Khuzestan Province, are more likely to proceed not less than for the brief time period. In current days, authorities have disrupted the Internet and used tear gasoline to quell the rallies. A video uploaded on-line appeared to indicate a safety officer firing a weapon as police cleared the streets of protesters. Eventually, the protests will finish however the anger at authorities is not going to subside. Residents of Khuzestan, one in every of Iran’s poorest areas, have lengthy complained that they don’t profit from the province’s huge pure sources. The province, the place a lot of the inhabitants is from the Arab minority, was the scene of violent anti-government protests in 2019 and 2021.
Stories You Might Have Missed
RFE/RL’s Radio Farda produced a video concerning the dramatic rise in meals costs in Iran. Shot in Tehran, the footage exhibits that many Iranians have grown more and more hopeless as they wrestle to make ends meet. The price of bread, cooking oil, and eggs greater than doubled after the federal government reduce subsidies for fundamental meals objects. Protests over hyperinflation have largely been quelled by the authorities however Iranian shoppers stay indignant and determined.
Jailed Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi has accused authorities of hypocrisy after Iran’s international minister took half within the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In an open letter, Namazi stated he had been jailed by Iran for attending the identical discussion board. In the previous, authorities have accused the occasion’s organizers of working to overthrow the Iranian regime. In 2015, Namazi was sentenced to 10 years in jail on what the United States and United Nations say had been trumped-up spying expenses. He is one in every of 4 Americans held in Iran.
What We’re Watching
Iran seized two Greek oil tankers within the Persian Gulf on May 27 in obvious retaliation for Athens impounding an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in April. The United States confiscated the oil cargo from the Iranian-flagged vessel attributable to U.S. sanctions on the acquisition of Iranian oil. The tanker was later launched. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) accused the Greek tankers of unspecified “violations” and launched a video of its naval forces seizing the vessels. Washington has called on Iran to instantly launch the tankers.
Why It Matters. Tehran’s seizure of the Greek vessels seems to be a present of power as transport seizures mount amid rising worldwide tensions with Iran and within the Gulf area. Those tensions have elevated as Tehran and Washington stay deadlocked in talks over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. By seizing the Greek tankers, Tehran has additionally issued a warning to different nations to not cooperate with the United States and confiscate Tehran’s oil. Despite U.S. sanctions, Iran has continued to promote restricted quantities of its oil.
That’s all from me for now. Don’t hesitate to ship us any questions, feedback, or tips that you’ve got by responding to this e-mail or individually to newsletters@rferl.org.
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Until subsequent time,
Golnaz Esfandiari
