Let's talk Iran - May 27, 2021
Iran elections 2021: The regime’s battle for survival
Iran’s elections are “a travesty, a selection process, by a supreme leader who is himself unelected,” Mohammad Mohaddessin, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said in an online conference on Wednesday, May 26. LINK
Close ally of supreme leader is favorite to win Iran election
Iran's presidential election on June 18 is “fixed” in favor of an unpopular candidate whose support from regime dictator Ali Khamenei has made him the front runner.
The danger of a low turnout at the polls could prove highly embarrassing for Khamenei. LINK
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1865726/middle-east
Iran 'to continue nuke scheme and exporting terror after sham elections', claim exiles
Iran opposition coalition NCRI says regime will "continue nuke scheme and exporting terror after sham elections." In the past 40 years, elections in Iran have never been about an expression of popular choice in a democratic, fair and transparent process. LINK
Harassment of journalists intensified ahead of Iran’s presidential election
Numerous reports indicate Iran's IRGC intel agents have contacted several social media activists, threatening them not to post content that criticizes regime's Chief Justice and presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi, otherwise they will be in “trouble”. LINK
Iran’s hard bargaining tactics raise stakes at Vienna nuclear talks
Escalation of nuclear activity, other moves seen as part of strategy to get US sanctions removed. Experts warn a return to 2015 deal could give Iran a path to developing atomic weapons. LINK
The Biden Administration Must Hold Iran Accountable for Support of Hamas
Hamas and Islamic Jihad, designated terrorist orgs are funded by Iran's regime. Hamas and PIJ have received Iranian missiles capable of hitting Jerusalem, as wells as drones, anti-tank missiles, anti-ship missiles and radar systems for guided missiles. LINK
Mass execution of six Baluch men in Birjand prison on drug charges
Six prisoners from Iran’s Baluchi ethnic minority were executed on drug charges in Birjand Prison at dawn on Tuesday. Iran has the highest number of executions per capita. LINK
Kurdish political prisoner Sakineh Parvaneh’s hunger strike
Kurdish political prisoner Sakineh Parvaneh has been on a hunger strike since May 22 as part of her protest against being denied medical treatment in Mashhad Vakilabad Prison. Iran has a history of denying medical treatment as means of pressure/torture. LINK
Why Are Medical Interns Committing Suicide?
In May, a state-run news outlet in Iran reported the “suicide of young medical interns”, following the suicides of three interns in just 10 days, being the direct consequence of pressure due to the authorities’ failure to control the pandemic. LINK
Iran’s oil workers protest low wages in oil-rich southern cities
Hundreds of employees and workers of the National Iranian Oil Company gathered today to protest and strike in at least five cities and southern oil ports in Iran. The protests were an organized effort by Iran’s oil workers to demand higher wages. LINK
