Nearly 2.5 Million Afghans Reside in Western Tehran
Almost two and a half million Afghans now live in the western part of Tehran, posing "a significant challenge" to the economy and dividing the government.
Almost two and a half million Afghans now live in the western part of Tehran, posing "a significant challenge" to the economy and dividing the government.
Abbas Johari from the Tehran governor's office said the issue "entails expenses, particularly in the realm of education."
Mohammad Taghi Naghdali, a parliament member from Khomeinishahr, said, "People are displeased with the increasing presence of foreign nationals in schools," referring to it as an "invasion".
Foreign nationals is a term commonly referring to Afghans, whose numbers have been steadily rising as they flow across borders in the wake of the Taliban takeover two years ago.
In January, the Director-General of Foreign Nationals and Foreign Migrants Affairs at the Ministry of Interior stated that there were five million Afghan citizens residing in the country.
Naghdali has called for an explanation from the parliament's speaker regarding the matter, while others have raised complaints.
Last month, it was revealed that plans are underway to grant many of the Afghan population citizenship. Announced by MP Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash, he said the regime wants to formalize the presence of one of the country's largest immigrant populations, a move dividing the establishment.
The issue of unauthorized entry of Afghans continues to trouble the country, both economically and demographically. While the Islamic Republic might be considering accepting more Afghan Hazaras, who share Shiite beliefs with Iranians, there is a concern that an influx of Sunni migrants could potentially alter the country's social balance. Currently, Sunni Muslims constitute around 10 percent of Iran's nearly 88-million population.
Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh told Didban Iran [Iran Monitor] website in Tehran that the country is facing a serious challenge as one of its gateways to Europe is threatened because of the military development in the Caucasus.
Falahatpisheh also pointed out that Iranian officials and military commanders who used to deliver passionate speeches about Iran's interests and authority in the region are silent in the face of threats to Tehran's interest.
During the past months, several Iranian military commanders and politicians warned Azerbaijan not to attack Armenia and avoid closing Iran's gateway to Europe at its borders with Armenia. As Azerbaijan expelled 120,000 Armenians from the enclave, it now threatens to enter and occupy the narrow strip of land connecting Iran via Armenia to Russia and Europe.
Iran has also long warned Azerbaijan about its close military relations with Israel, which is the Baku’s main arms supplier.
Mashregh News, a media outlet with close links to Iranian security and intelligence organizations on September 9, called an attack on Karabakh Iran's "red line" and maintained that such an action will entail consequences for Azerbaijan. The threat later proved to be hollow.
Iran's silence in the face of the development is apparently linked to a visit to Iran by Russia's Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu immediately before the attack. Meanwhile, Tehran's inaction was quite embarrassing for the regime and its military commanders considering months of bragging on IRGC media outlets and social media channels about Iran's swift reaction in case Azerbaijan attacked Karabakh.
Some Iranian social media users ridiculed the Iranian military and posted a photo of a smiling Iranian military attache' walking alongside victorious Azeri officers in Karabakh following the attack. One user wrote: "I wrongly thought that the Iranian regime's officials were trying to be strategically patient in the face of Azerbaijan's alliance with Israel."
Falahatpisheh told Didban Iran that "All this is an outcome of Iran's outdated foreign policy. At times we saw Iranian officials delivering irresponsible speeches at the borders with Azerbaijan. If what is happening now is Iran's real policy, those speakers should be accountable for agitating the society at the expense of Iran's national interests."
The former lawmaker said that the forced displacement of ethnic Armenians in Karabakh is not the end of the conflict. On the contrary, it marks the beginning of a new crisis in the region. Tens of thousands of Armenians have been displaced and their private and public rights poses a new challenge for the region's leaders. This is likely to turn into a chronic challenge not only for Azerbaijan and Armenia, but also for other players such as Turkey and Israel. Particularly because Iran will perceive Israel's presence at its borders as a true challenge.
He said: "Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan's stance during the conflict were more realistic that the other leaders involved. At least he acknowledged that Iranians are not going to like the closure of one of their key gateways to Europe and the outside world.
Meanwhile, Erdogan’s call for a meeting between the leaders of Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia to discuss the aftermaths and implications of the attack on Karabakh, without mentioning Iran.
Falahatpisheh pointed out that Iran's policy about the region dated back to three decades ago and Tehran was oblivious to the developments and dynamics that have been taking shape during the past thirty years in the region.
He argued that as a result of the current conflict, Azerbaijan will have to allocate a major part of its annual budget to military spending. He added that by inviting countries from beyond the region into this conflict, Azerbaijan has made a mistake. It could have solved its problems with Armenia in a different way.
Hossein Selahvarzi, the chairman of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture said Sunday that there is “unofficial news about the accession to the money-laundering watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the possibility of more serious economic negotiations.”
Iran’s previous government submitted four bills to parliament in 2017 to adopt laws to implement FATF’s standards. The parliament approved the bills, but the hardliner Guardian Council, which has the final say, rejected two of the bills: One about joining the UN’s Palermo convention to fight international organized crime and the other to join the CFT (Combat Financing Terrorism) convention.
As stated repeatedly by experts, Iran's international trade will continue to suffer without accession to the FATF, even if US sanctions are lifted. In June, FATF retained Iran on its blacklist along with North Korea as Tehran remains reluctant to comply with global regulations.
Experts say that even if sanctions imposed by Western countries on Iran are lifted, Tehran must adhere to FATF standards in banking and financial controls to be considered a safe business partner by international actors. Most important are measures to prevent money laundering and financing of terrorism.
Opponents argue that if Iran accedes to FATF demands it will not be able to provide financial help to allied groups in the region that are part of Tehran’s “axis of resistance”. These groups, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah and some Palestinian militant organizations, are designated as terrorists by the United States and others, and act as proxy forces to help the Islamic Republic spread its influence in the region.
Speaking at an event hosting representatives of the country’s chambers of commerce in Mashhad, he claimed that "News and rumors about removing barriers to foreign trade, the lifting of sanctions, and even the acceptance of FATF rules have emerged, which in reality are not accurate.” He cautioned against persisting with past foreign policies that have imposed significant limitations on economic activities, particularly on the private sector.
Most hardliners are of the opinion that abiding by the regulation of the FATF is too much transparency for the Islamic Republic, which has resorted to a repertoire of illegal tricks and loopholes to circumvent sanctions on its banking system for international trade and its secret financing of militant proxy groups.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf said Saturday that 'BricksPay system – a digital payments platform that is being jointly developed by the member countries of the BRICS -- can be a direct replacement for SWIFT (The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication). However, even the BRICS members are not looking at the platform as a replacement for other international networks.
Criticizing the government’s economic policies that have created obstacles in the path of international trade, Selahvarzi said that today numerous economic entities are targeted by state bodies under the guise of controlling the rising inflation rate. He argued that “Inflation is controlled when the inflation-inducing engine is turned off," he said, referring to Iran’s money printing to finance its deficit, which in turn leads to vicious cycle of more inflation due to high market liquidity.
He also criticized the government for sidelining private businesses people in the process of devising the budget plans for the country. “I should say that if the oppressive sanctions do not lead to the collapse of Iran's economy, these economic measures will ground the country’s economy."
The recently elected chairman of Iran's chamber of commerce, who is being challenged by hardliners and the government, had to deal with a hardliner heckler during the Sunday meeting. A man asked about Selahvarzi’s support for the Women, Life, Freedom protests, accusing him of not being trusted by the Islamic Republic.
