Iran Denies Banning IAEA Inspectors Ahead Of Grossi Visit

Like most other developments in Tehran, the battle over the Speaker's seat is seen as a crucial aspect of the broader preparation for the post-Khamenei era. Yet, no one knows for sure why Iranian conservatives are so confident that Khamenei's days are numbered.

On one hand, conservative politicians vie fiercely for leadership, yet individual Iranians show apathy towards Majles leadership, evident in their lack of participation in the March 1 election, indicating their distrust in the system. However, the outcome is crucial for Ali Khamenei, who risks losing control if a dissenting figure like ultra hardliner Hamid Rasaei replaces incumbent Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is a relative of the Supreme Leader.

Among the candidates for the seat, Ghalibaf, Paydari Party leaders Morteza Agha-Tehrani and Sadeq Mahsouli, as well as outspoken Hamid Rasaei have been pushing their own campaign for the election of the Speaker in the Majles (parliament)

Paysari and Rasaei's camp, a radical offshoot of Paydari, have revealed that Ghalibaf has been holding meetings with those who have influence the next parliament, promising them posts in the Majles committees and presidium provided that they vote for Ghalibaf as the Speaker.

Social media users have said that Rasaei's statements are part of his campaign to win the Speaker's seat. This comes while some conservatives have said they are adamant to reject Rasaei's credential and bar him from continuing his career as a member of the p[parliament. 

On the other hand, Entekhab News in Tehran has quoted Rasaei as promising free housing, cars and offices to new lawmakers, if he is elected to be the Speaker of the Majles. Critics argue Rasaei and his allies prioritize personal gain over voters' interests.

The challenging situation created by the ultra-hardliners dominating the new parliament is the making of Khamenei’s engineered elections, in which his Guardian Council barred hundreds of ‘reformists’ and traditional conservatives from running as candidates.

While the competition is fierce, Gholamreza Nouri Ghezelcheh, the chairman of the independent MPs' faction at the outgoing parliament has pointed out that "support for Ghalibaf's speakership will come from outside the Majles," meaning that similar to the previous round in 2020, whatever the internal mood, Khamenei will exercise his unquestionable authority to push his relative and confidant Ghalibaf into the Speaker's seat.

Khamenei is likely to lose his grip on the legislative body, if Ghalibaf is replaced by someone like Rasaei who has proven that he has no respect for Khamenei's leadership. He did not obey Khamenei when the Supreme Leader called on new MPs to stop infighting and continued levelling accusations on Ghalibaf immediately after the March election.

According to conservative politician Hamid Reza Taraqqi, "Ghalibaf's position in both the current and upcoming parliaments is precarious. He lacks sufficient support among lawmakers and faces numerous opponents in the new Majles."

Taraqqi believes Ghalibaf is unlikely to garner support from more than 80 of the 290 representatives in the next Majles. However, like Ghezelcheh, Taraqqi suggests that support for Ghalibaf may come from outside the Majles, possibly from Khamenei's household.

From Khamenei's perspective, this presents a lose-lose scenario. If Ghalibaf secures the post, as in the current Majles, he's unlikely to be an effective Speaker, forcing Khamenei into open intervention in legislative affairs, inviting criticism. On the other hand, if Ghalibaf loses, Khamenei risks being at the mercy of "young revolutionary" lawmakers who may not heed him as readily as the old guard.

The associations also called for the expansion of a charter advocating for the minimum demands of Iran's trade and civil associations.

The groups include the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Associations, the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, and the Free Union of Iranian Workers.

The Women, Life, Freedom movement began in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody for “improper” hijab. Subsequent protests resulted in over 500 deaths at the hands of the Iranian regime.

The groups also voiced strong opposition to the enforced hijab policy under Iran's Noor Plan, which they labeled a "declaration of war against the people," affirming women's rights to choose their lifestyle freely.

Since April 13, the initiation of Noor plan has led to numerous incidents of violent interactions between law enforcement and plainclothes officers with women opposing the mandatory hijab.

The statement comes amid restrictions on independent labor gatherings in Iran, where only regime-affiliated group assemblies are permitted. The signatories condemned what they described as "double oppression" faced by Iranian women.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, a group of retirees and pensioners held a protest in front of the Social Security Organization buildings in the cities of Arak, Kermanshah, Mashhad, and Tehran.

One of the main demands of the retirees is an increase in pensions in line with inflation, a request that has been made during numerous protests in previous years, but so far, the Islamic Republic authorities have not taken any action in this regard.

Workers of the Haft-Tappeh Sugarcane complex also marked the occasion by holding a gathering titled "Unity, Solidarity, and Struggle".

Workers in Iran are currently facing economic difficulties, with the minimum cost of living in Tehran estimated at 300 million rials (about $500) and in other cities at 200 million rials (about $350), while the minimum wage for the current year has been set at about 110 million rials (about $190).

Various cities in Iran have witnessed labor protests in recent months, facing crackdowns by security forces and arrests of labor activists.

“Mr Malley and his colleagues negotiated the release of several Americans last summer and, without explanation, excluded my father. Our family asked why in hell would we leave the one American hostage in Iran on death row defenselessly in the hands of his kidnappers and tormentors; there was zero response,” she said on Tuesday.

“Our family has been disappointed by our State Department officials, particularly the former Iran Envoy Robert Malley, whose tenure has failed to address my father's critical situation for three years,” Sharmahd told lawmakers at the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation.

Malley was quietly removed from his duties last April as first reported by Iran International, apparently for mishandling restricted information, but the Biden administration has so far refused to disclose any details.

A 69-year-old California resident, Jamsjid Sharmahd was abducted by Iranian agents in 2020 while visiting the United Arab Emirates. He was sentenced to death by the Iranian judiciary on charges of endangering national security in February 2023, a verdict that was upheld by the Supreme Court of Iran.

The defendant was convicted of leading a pro-monarchist group known as Tondar that was responsible for a deadly bombing incident that occurred in 2008 at a religious center in Shiraz, killing 14 and injuring 215 others. For the bombing, however, suspects had already been arrested and convicted years before.

The charges are, however, denied by Sharmahd and his family, and Iran provides no evidence to back up its accusations. Amnesty International has blasted the trial as a sham.

“When the Islamic regime showcased the international kidnapping of an American by parading my father on their National TV blindfolded with a swollen face forced to confessions, there was zero response from the US,” Sharmahd told the House subcommittee.

In an interview with Iran International on Tuesday, Sharmahd blamed the State Department’s Iran team for enabling the Iranian regime after last year saw five hostages released for a total of $6bn in released Iranian funds from South Korea. “The regime is putting price tags on people’s lives,” she told Iran International host Fardad Farahzad.

Sharmahd claimed that the regime, “instead of asking the [western] governments directly, talks to the families of hostages and tells them what they want, so they don't have to admit officially they're hostage takers.”

She added, “For my father's release, they sought talks with German authorities, the release of Asadollah Assadi [an Iranian diplomat convicted of terrorism], and billions of dollars.” In March, Iran demanded $2.5 billion for his release.

Since coming to power, the Biden administration has been accused of enabling the Iranian regime in its emboldened hostage taking policy which has seen the likes of European diplomats taken hostage on false allegations. Its soft approach has also seen Iran only enhance nuclear enrichment in the face of international sanctions and maritime seizures continue, as the US refuses to take direct action against the regime. 

‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ refers to the nationwide anti-regime protest that erupted in Iran following the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in the custody of the so-called morality police in 2022.

Experts have noted that the months-long protests presented the greatest challenge to the Islamic Republic since its inception 45 years ago. At least 550 protesters were murdered by the security forces during the demonstrations, including dozens of children.

Workers are among the groups that have been scrutinized more closely since the protests.

Criticizing the "religious rule" in the Islamic Republic, the statement noted: "The regime is based on a violent ideology that exploits and loots people to feed a market in which torture, blood, and death are normalized."

The statement further emphasized that the “only way to end this tyranny is to continue the Woman, Life, Freedom [movement]".

"We, teachers, workers, retirees, and oppressed people, believe a free world is possible through the will of free people," they added.

The Free Union of Iranian Workers, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Cultural Associations, and the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company are among the signatories of this statement, which was released on the former's Telegram channel.

Despite Iran's constitution permitting the formation of independent trade union organizations, the Labor Law specifies certain organizations that workers are allowed to join, such as the Islamic Labor Council.

Thus, Iran has no labor organization in the conventional international sense. The existing unions, such as the ones signing the statement, face pressure and accusations for political and security reasons.

Still, workers and retirees from several industries, including Haft-Tappeh Sugarcane Complex, Construction Workers Association of Kamyaran, and Iran's Social Security Organization, rallied on May 1st to protest the government's lack of response to mounting demands.

The Iranian diaspora also joined the rallies in several cities, including Milan, Stockholm, Hamburg, and Paris, on this day, to represent the workers at home.

During the past few years, there has been a rise in the number of protests by workers in Iran, primarily due to monthly wages being refused and workers’ insurance claims being ignored. Some claimed that their salaries were not paid for the last 30 months.

By voicing their concerns, many workers have faced being targeted by authorities and imprisonment.

According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 51 workers and labor activists have been detained during the last twelve months. The arrests include at least 32 miners in the two gold and stone mines of Agh-Darreh in August and several contractors of the South Pars oil and gas field located in Bushehr.

A sluggish economy and persistent inflation have substantially reduced the purchasing power of ordinary Iranians, causing tens of millions of Iranians to fall into the "working poor" category. According to experts, the poverty line for Tehran residents is approximately 300,000,000 rials (roughly $600) per month, three times the current minimum wage.

The strikes are a direct response to amendments in the tax legislation debated in the parliament, which mandates gold retailers to pay taxes on gold assets exceeding 150 grams.

Many shops have either completely closed or are operating at reduced capacity as part of a growing nationwide movement that began on Sunday.

According to Donya-e-Eqtesad, many Tehran merchants are even holding off on selling their assets, fearing losses due to the current downward trends in currency and gold rates.

Nader Bazrafshan, head of the Tehran Gold, Coin, and Jewelry Union, highlighted that the reimplementation of the comprehensive trade system has been met with opposition from the sector due to its impracticality and concerns over potential future capital gains taxes.

In December, following a week-long strike, Ehsan Khandouzi, the Minister of Economy, acknowledged the industry's grievances and announced a step back from enforcing the registration of jewelers' information in the comprehensive trade system.

As the regime gears up to impose new tax schemes on various markets, including gold, currency, housing, and automobiles, tensions remain high, with significant impacts on the gold market already being felt.

It is the latest industry to go on strike amid Iran's collapsing economy and skyrocketing inflation as at least one third of the country is now living below the poverty line.