Former General Reveals IRGC’s Role In US Embassy Takeover

Through a statement posted on the X platform (formerly Twitter), Pahlavi expressed his concern over the dire situation faced by the Iranian people due to the corrupt practices and "criminal incompetence" of the Islamic Republic.

He emphasized that the people of Iran are being denied the benefits of their country's abundant natural resources, leading to their ongoing suffering.

Pahlavi remarked, "Unfortunately, the reported billions of dollars that the Biden administration plans to release to the regime as part of a ransom for five hostages will not alleviate the hardships experienced by my fellow countrymen."

Alongside his message, he shared a graph prepared by the National Union for Democracy in Iran, which highlighted the potential uses of the $6 billion released to the regime.

The graph indicated that with this funding, the regime could acquire 316 million tear gas canisters, 60 million batons, 18 million shotguns, and a staggering 12 billion bullets, ostensibly for suppressing protesters.

Pahlavi's message continued, "This windfall will only serve to fuel the regime's illicit activities, providing further incentive for its hostage-taking and blackmailing tactics, akin to previous ransom payments."

Pahlavi pointed out the distressing timing of this financial infusion, which coincides with the anniversary of the tragic death of Mahsa Amini and numerous other courageous Iranians. He referred to the situation as an additional, painful insult to the memory of those who have suffered under the regime's rule.

The editorial in Jomhuriye Eslami (Isalmic Republic) daily highlights the urgency for political leaders and intelligence officials to address the escalating issue of "foreign national" entering the country.

The term foreign nationals was used to describe those involved in the attack on the Shahcheragh shrine in Shiraz August 13, calling for the attention of political and security authorities, added the daily.

The editorial notes that while the primary perpetrator holds Tajik citizenship, other detainees have different nationalities, prompting reflection on the presence of foreign nationals in Iran and the mounting adverse effects in society. Afghans are the largest group of migrants arriving in Iran by thousands daily.

The article emphasized the need “to uphold legal frameworks and rigorous oversight concerning foreign nationals' presence.” Key considerations include robust monitoring to prevent criminal activities, which significantly impact national security, the daily noted.

Drawing insights from recent events, the article underscored several points. It questioned how foreign nationals conducted an attack exposing a lack of oversight that raises concerns about more serious future crimes. It also highlighted the risk of adversaries using foreign nationals to destabilize Iran.

Meanwhile, former chairman of Iran's national security and foreign policy committee, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, underscores the potential security challenge of Afghan migrants. With approximately 10,000 arriving daily, Falahatpisheh highlights potential systemic facilitation and the need for robust oversight.

Local media reported the disclosure by the Iranian parliament’s research center on Friday, illustrating that as stringent international sanctions struck Iran during 2011-2012, the administration of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad initiated withdrawals from the National Development Fund (NDF).

The NDF, designed to save up to 30 percent of oil revenues for future generations, saw withdrawals totaling $13.6 billion from 2010-2013, a period when global oil prices remained above $100 per barrel. Nonetheless, during Ahmadinejad's tenure, more funds were retained in the NDF than withdrawn.

The UN-imposed international sanctions, as well most US and EU economic sanctions ended in mid-2015 when Iran and the world powers concluded the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions (JCPOA) nuclear accord, curbing Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for removing most sanctions.

Despite this, withdrawals persisted throughout President Hassan Rouhani's two terms (2013-2021). In his initial presidential tenure, $30 billion was withdrawn. However, as former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA and imposed crippling sanctions, Iran increasingly relied on its reserves, resulting in a negative cash flow in the NDF.

During Rouhani’s second term (2107-2021) the government withdrew $37 billion, to maintain fiscal stability. contravening the NDF charter that bars using it for day-to-day government operations. Such withdrawals required Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's approval, who reluctantly endorsed the JCPOA but refused further nuclear concessions or negotiations over US demands.

In the third annual gathering of officials to discuss the NDF, the chairman of the National General Inspection Organization, Zabiollah Khodayan also cited the $100 billion figure in withdrawals but he also stated that successive governments "borrowed" another $40 billion from the fund, leaving a fraction of the original $150 billion.

The Trump administration's contentious decision to exit the JCPOA aimed to pressure Iran into curtailing its ballistic missile program and halting its destabilizing activities in the Middle East. During this period, Iran's involvement in conflicts in Syria and Yemen intensified, while it also organized Shiite proxy forces in Iraq and other regions.

The pace of withdrawing funds from the NDF accelerated further under the hardliner president Ebrahim Raisi’s first 18 months in office starting from August 2021. Not only US sanctions continued to impede Iran’s oil revenues and commerce, but the new administration came to be quickly labeled as incapable of managing the economy.

According to Parliament’s research center, in this period Raisi’s government withdrew $20 billion, which by now could have easily exceeded $25 billion.

President Joe Biden’s administration began nuclear talks with Tehran in April 2021, but as Raisi became president, hardliners procrastinated in making a deal to revive the JCPOA. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the talks came to an end in March 2022, and a final compromise plan by the European Union failed to achieve success in August of that year.

Based on the disclosed figures, during Ahmadinejad’s second term (2009-2013) the pace of withdrawals from NDF was $453 million a month. During Rouhani’s two terms in office it accelerated to $700 million and in the Raisi administration it has reached $1.12 billion a month.

This shows the initial calculation in 2018 that US sanctions alone could put Iran’s economy under tremendous pressure was correct, although with the coming of the Biden administration, Khamenei continued to refuse any compromise, while Iran succeeded in exporting more oil despite the sanctions.

It also accelerated its nuclear program as talks began in early 2021 and increased uranium enrichment first to 20 percent and quickly expanded to 60-percent. Now, Tehran is essentially a nuclear threshold power and has enough fissile material to build at least two nuclear bombs.

The sentence in question, "Putin's bombing of Ukraine," was allegedly censored, shedding light on a wider discussion about regime influence on literary and scientific content.

Asadollah Amrayi, a famous translator and journalist, revealed the alarming development, stating that the ministry has demanded the removal of the sentence related to Ukraine's from the translated book.

Taking to the social platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Amrayi expressed his astonishment: "Can you believe that in a motivational psychology book, the Culture Ministry has demanded the removal of [such a sentence?]” The incident has sparked conversations on social media, with some interpreting the ministry’s actions as a reflection of a "Russophile" stance, hinting at a government bias towards Russia.

Interestingly, the media landscape in Iran presents a skewed view of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, often favoring Moscow's perspective. This episode has also given rise to comparisons with George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, with some users likening the Ministry of Culture to the infamous Ministry of Truth. This fictional institution altered historical events to suit the regime's narrative.

Censorship of books in Iran has a long history, but it has intensified under the influence of the Islamic Republic. In a recent report, Foreign Policy highlighted the mounting apprehension and control within cultural domains over the past two years. Various artistic fields have been hampered by the conservative policies of President Ebrahim Raisi's government, leading to challenges for independent artists working within an atmosphere of fear and restraint.

In the latest incident, a video surfaced on a Telegram channel showing a sexual encounter purportedly involving Mohammad Masoudianfar, a high-ranking state broadcaster (IRIB) official. The video is said to have been recorded secretly in his office.

It has been reported that both individuals featured in the video are married and have children. Intriguingly, both figures are associated with the Basij forces. Additionally, Masoudianfar holds a senior role within the state Television department dedicated to promoting hijab.

Notably, the state-run broadcasting organization operates under the oversight of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In recent weeks, a Telegram channel named Radio Gilan, administered by Payman Behboudi, a journalist based in Germany, has released a series of videos that have ignited significant controversy within Persian social media circles.

The unfolding controversy initially gained attention with the release of a video allegedly depicting Reza Seqati, a director from Iran's Ministry of Culture, engaged in a sexual act with a young man. Subsequently, Seqati was dismissed from his position after the video of his explicit encounter was leaked online.

Iran's sharia-based penal code prescribes severe punishments for various forms of sexual acts. Penetrative same-sex relations between adult men can lead to the death penalty.

Furthermore, sexual acts categorized as Zena, involving married men and women, are subject to stoning and death penalties under the prevailing legal framework.