Why Is Mojtaba Khamenei Stepping Out of the Shadows?

-
Image
  Why Is Mojtaba Khamenei Stepping Out of the Shadows? Anatomy of a Rushed Succession in the Shadow of War and Uprising By: Reza Hoseani Abstract During the first week of Aban 1404 (October 21-28, 2025), a series of official and semi-official reports emerged concerning meetings and messages involving Mojtaba Khamenei — including meetings with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, a message to academic and athletic elites, and responses to letters from university students. This unprecedented flurry comes as the Islamic Republic faces a triple crisis: the imminent threat of external war, a deep domestic legitimacy crisis, and an unprecedented rift at the very top of the regime. By examining the sequence of these developments, this article argues that Mojtaba’s increased visibility is not a sign of consolidated power. Rather, it is a defensive maneuver driven by fear of losing control and an attempt to avoid being erased from the post-Khamenei equation. Introduction...
Post a Comment

Iran: 15 Protesters Sentenced to Flogging and Prison

-
By Mohammad Sadat Khansari
The Iranian Regime has sentenced 15 workers at the Heavy Equipment Production Company (HEPCO) to prison and flogging for taking part in peaceful protests to demand their unpaid wages and learn the fate of the company in May.


Each HEPCO worker was sentenced to one to two years in prison and 74 lashes for “disrupting public order” and “instigating workers via the internet to demonstrate and riot” by the 106th Branch of the Arak Penal Court, according to the ILNA state-run News Agency.
The 15 workers have been identified by human rights groups as Majid Latifi, Behrouz Hasanvand, Hamidreza Ahmadi, Amir Houshang Pour Farzanegan, Morteza Azizi, Hadi Fazeli, Abolfazl Karimi, Farid Kodani, Majid Yahyaie, Amir Fatahpour, Yaser Gholi, Amir Farid Afshar, Mehdi Abedi, Ali Maleki, and Berouz Valashajardi.
Labour rights activists say that the plight of workers began after HEPCO, a company that makes road construction equipment, was privatized last year.
Iran’s Free Trade Union reported via Telegram: “8,000 workers used to work at the HEPCO industrial complex before its privatization. Now, only 1,000 of them are left.”
Labour rights in Iran
Workers in Iran who choose to hold protests and strikes, for whatever reason, are in severe danger of persecution, as Iran’s Labour Code doesn’t grant citizens the right to form independent unions, even though Iran has ratified the UN’s International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and is a member of the International Labor Organization.
Amnesty International reports: “Independent unions in Iran are banned, workers have few legal rights or protections, and union activists are regularly beaten, arrested, jailed and tortured.”
Earlier this month, a court in Qazvin Province called for 17 striking truck drivers to face the death penalty, something strongly condemned by five major labour unions, including the International Transport Federation (ITF). The ITF wrote a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to advise that they were “shocked” at the prospect of execution for the truckers.
The Iranian truckers’ strike over low pay and the high costs lasted more than 20 days. Over 250 truck drivers were detained and government officials threatened all of them with the death penalty.
Other recent strikes in Iran, include about 6,500 railway workers, who launched their third round of protests on Saturday to demand three months’ worth of delayed wages.
They released a statement that read: “We have not received our demands and pensions at a time when we are facing an increase in prices of ordinary goods on a daily basis and we literally lack the ability to provide for our basic needs.”
ncr-iran

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

International Dignitaries Rally for a New Iran Policy, Support NCRI as Democratic Alternative

-
Image
  Written by Shamsi Saadati Paris, France  – On Saturday, May 17, 2025, an influential international conference convened in Paris, uniting parliamentarians and prominent political figures from a wide array of countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Malta, Switzerland, Romania, Portugal, and the Netherlands. The central theme of the gathering was the urgent need for a new, decisive international policy towards Iran, with a strong emphasis on supporting democratic change and recognizing the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) as a viable alternative to the current regime. The event served as a significant platform for global lawmakers to voice their concerns over the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, the regime’s escalating domestic repression, its destabilizing regional activities, and its persistent pursuit of a nuclear program. A recurring call throughout the conference was for Western governments to adopt a firmer stance, including the ...
Read more

When War Becomes an Excuse: How Economic Pressure Is Being Shifted Onto Ordinary People

-
Image
  By Reza Hoseani Iran’s economic crisis is no longer just a headline — it has become part of everyday life. Skyrocketing prices, the continuous collapse of the national currency, and shrinking household purchasing power are now affecting nearly every segment of society. But an important question remains: Are these hardships truly the direct result of war and external pressure, or are they rooted in domestic economic policies and political decisions? While state media repeatedly blame regional tensions and foreign conflicts for inflation and market instability, many economists argue that the current crisis is driven far more by internal policymaking than by war itself.   War as a Cover for Internal Economic Failure For years, whenever Iran’s economy entered a deeper phase of crisis, official narratives pointed to external enemies and international tensions. However, economic experts say the immediate impact of war rarely causes inflation on this scale in such a sho...
Read more

NCRI, British parliamentary committee host online event in support of Iranian women

-
Image
  Author:Zolal Habibi March 7, 2021— A global online  conference  held on Monday, March 8, marking International Women’s Day co-hosted by the Women’s Committee of the Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), The International Committee for a Democratic Iran, and the British Committee for Iran Freedom discussed the plight of Iranian women in their struggle for freedom and equal rights. The event featured speeches by politicians, women’s rights activists, and members of the Iranian opposition. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the NCRI and the keynote speaker of the event. “The outcome of the significant gender gap in Iran is the imposition of extreme poverty on women and the denial of many of their most basic rights,” Madam Rajavi said. “The misogynous regime wants to preserve its rule through repression. However, Iranian women play critical roles in challenging the regime and pushing the situation towards overthrowing the mullahs.” Madam ...
Read more