Second Basij Member Shot In Iran Succumbs To Injuries

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson has Nasser Kanaani disclosed that two Iranians released in the United States will return to Iran, one individual will travel to another country, and two others will continue to reside in the United States.

One of the released prisoners who has decided to stay in the United States is Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi who was arrested in January 2021. He was charged with acting and conspiring to act as an unregistered agent of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (Fara).

The US Department of Justice said at the time that Afrasiabi has been secretly employed by the Iranian government and paid by Iranian diplomats assigned to the UN.

During a press conference, Kanaani remarked, "We have observed the freezing of a portion of Iran's assets in various countries, including South Korea. As part of our proactive foreign diplomacy, we are pleased to report that Iran's frozen assets in South Korea have been released. Today, these assets will begin to be fully under the control of the government and the nation."

He went on to say, "Regarding the prisoner exchange, it is scheduled to take place today, with five Iranian citizens set to be released from US prisons. Similarly, five imprisoned citizens who were in Iran will be handed over to the US side in a reciprocal manner, based on their own will. We anticipate that both of the agreements will be fully executed."

According to a Tehran newspaper, some lawmakers have reportedly been calling on Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to return the bill to the economic committee for further review. They told reporters that lawmakers have serious concerns about the plan's economic implications for the country.

Iran draws up multi-year economic development plans as a guide for both the executive branch and also for the parliament that must examine and approve annual budgets.

The lawmakers also said that Ghalibaf has told the "country's high officials," meaning Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the Islamic Republic's jargon, that although the budget committee has made some changes in the plan, it still cannot be approved because it is deficient. 

Earlier, former Minister of Economy Mehdi Karbasian had warned: "The 7th Development Plan cannot be implemented because of the inefficiency of the Raisi administration's officials. Also, Iranian economist Farshad Momeni had called the development plan drawn up by the Raisi's government as "strange and delirious." He had said that the plan lacked any clear logic. Another economist, Ali Ghanbari told Khabar Online website that the 7th Development Plan has been written in a perfunctory way.

Mohamad-Reza Pourebrahimi, the chairman of the parliament's Economic Committee told the daily, "We cannot approve parts of the plan. And we are not sure that all additions to the original text of the plan have been made by the Budget Committee." He added: "We are seriously critical of the plan and are preparing a letter to the Speaker of the Majles demanding another round of review by the committees before starting the final debate about it at the parliament. 

Asked about the problematic parts of the Development Plan, Pourebrahimi said, "It is not clear in the plan how the government will fund major parts of the plan from." He added, "The government has not provided us with information, and there are parts of the plan that contradict the Constitutional Law. All of this should have been made clear in the report presented by the Budget Committee." He further added: "In its current shape, the plan is illegal." 

Meanwhile, Mojtaba Yousefi, a lawmaker from Ahvaz and a member of the Majles Presidium explained to Donya-ye Eqtesad that "It is natural for the Majles to change parts of the plan presented by the government. But we see that changes have been made to the Budget Committee's attestations and we do not know who made the changes." He further explained that these changes should not impose further economic commitments on the government. 

Yousefi said: "Development plans are meant to determine the outlook for the country's development within the next five years and certain ministries are not supposed to change an existing law in order to serve demands by some." Yousefi's statement indicated that some of the "illegal" changes have been made by the government. He added that "most of what has been illegally added to the plan were done by the government after the initial review."

Rahim Zare, a member of the Budget Committee of the Majles suggested that part of the changes made by the government are meant to mend its annual budget in violation of the law. He added that in its current shape, the plan is not consistent with the situation of Iranian businesses and the economic difficulties they currently face. 

Zare said: "The government has failed to address the plan's serious shortcomings in the areas of finance, banking and matters relating to businesses, trade and economy."

Mohammad-Reza Farzin, the chairman of the Central Bank of Iran was quoted by the government's IRNA news website that the funds exchanged into euros totaled 5.73 billion and was transferred to six Iranian held accounts in two Qatari banks.

The United States and Iran announced a deal to release the blocked funds from South Korea in August in exchange for the release of five US citizens held hostage by the Islamic Republic.

Early on Monday, South Korea said it was doing everything to transfer the two full amount that had already been sent to Switzerland to be converted. Later, Iran's foreign ministry said the five prisoners were expected to be released on Monday.

The freed Americans will travel to Qatar and from there will be repatriated. Qatar has acted as mediator in the controversial deal, which has been dubbed by critics as the highest hostage ransom in history, amounting to $1.2 billion per individual.

Defense Ministry spokesperson said Monday, "In the process of testing defense and drone systems in a desert region, one of these systems suffered a technical defect and deviated from its main path."

He confirmed that debris fell in and around the city of Gorgan. No casualties have been reported, but several residential buildings have been damaged, according to videos sent to Iran International.

Various Iranian news outlets have disseminated photographs and videos showing a charred object on a street. The incident has also resulted in damage to nearby shops and vehicles, including shattered windows. In response, the local police have established a secure perimeter around the affected area.

Chief of Police for Golestan province, Mohammad Saeed Fazel Dadgar, claimed in an interview with the semi-official Tasnim news agency that the situation is under control. He additionally noted that some debris from the object had fallen in various parts of the city.

Furthermore, the IRNA state news agency reported that "the sound of the explosion resulting from the drone's impact resonated throughout the entire city."

In February, Iran attributed a drone attack on a military workshop in its central city of Esfahan to Israel. Israel has conducted a series of strikes targeting Iran's nuclear program and other facilities since the collapse of Tehran's 2015 nuclear agreement with the West, marking a protracted covert conflict between the two Middle Eastern adversaries.

While Israeli authorities seldom confirm actions undertaken by the nation's covert military units or its Mossad intelligence agency, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently regarded Iran as the most significant threat to his country's security.

The report by the reformist newspaper Ham-Mihan states that out of every five prescriptions issued, one is for antidepressants or sleep-inducing medications.

The report also links the mental health of Iranians to social issues, including protests.

Following the recent uprisings, numerous experts, including university professors, mental health specialists, and sociologists, expressed concerns about the state of Iran's society. Four mental health associations also voiced their concerns about the mental well-being of citizens in a statement.

The newspaper emphasizes that since last year, many individuals have been contemplating migration as a way out of their current situation.

Earlier this year, Saeed Moeedfar, the president of the Sociological Association, warned that Iran is on the brink of a "severe wave of migration" and described a "terrifying despair" gripping society, particularly its youth and intellectuals.

These predictions of an impending massive migration wave come at a time when estimates suggest that roughly one-tenth of the country's population, equivalent to 8.5 million Iranians, currently live abroad as migrants.

Ham-Mihan, citing mental health experts, notes that anxiety and depression, as two of the most prominent psychological disorders, have manifested in various forms in the past year, including an increased desire to migrate, alcohol consumption, substance abuse, and suicide.