PHOTO: Iranian students applaud a speech by President Rouhani, December 2013

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In an open letter to President Rouhani, 92 student groups have criticized the “atmosphere of intimidation and threat” in Iran’s universities.

The groups wrote of their concern:

Leading into this year’s presidential elections the atmosphere of Iran’s universities is extremely worrying….Unfortunately, it appears that the university and the student have become neglected issues in the decision-making of the President and his administration.

Rouhani said in his 2013 Presidential campaign that he wanted to lift the “atmosphere of security” on campuses. For decades, students have been detained, expelled, or “starred” — put under suspicion — threatening their futures. The repression was stepped up amid the protests after the disputed 2009 Presidential elections, with more imprisonments, dismissals of students, and firing of professors and other faculty.

The President has continued to declare the importance of protecting free speech, relaxing security restrictions, and providing a wide-ranging curriculum. However, hardliners — including the Supreme Leader — have checked Rouhani’s efforts. Some have maintained the need to “Islamicize” curricula, with Ayatollah Khamenei even challenging any learning of the English language in schools and on university campuses.

Some student leaders like Majid Tavakoli, who served 5 1/2 years in prison after a rousing speech during December 2009 protests, have been released. However, others such as Bahareh Hedayat are still held.

Last month, Rouhani launched another implicit challenge to the Supreme Leader, urging officials to avoid “looking at universities and students through a security lens”. He asked, “How do we not trust universities and then want them to trust us afterwards?”

The speech came days after Ayatollah Khamenei told academics that universities must remain “revolutionary”, invoking the threat of a “soft war” by Western countries against the Islamic Republic:

Do not allow universities to foment opposition to the Revolution….Anyone who challenges the system at every opportunity, like the elections, is unreliable and does not have the qualifications to be in a university.

See Iran Daily, June 23: Rouhani Challenges Supreme Leader Over “Revolutionary” Universities

Oil Sales to Asia Continue to Rise, Now at 4 1/2-Year High

Iran’s oil sales to Asian customers rose again in June, reaching their highest level in 4 1/2 years.

Tehran exported 1.72 million barrels per day to China, India, Japan, and South Korea — a 47.1% increase from June 2015. Japan’s purchase almost tripled.

Since January’s implementation of the July 2015 nuclear deal, Iran has increased total oil sales by about 40% from 1.4 million bpd to nearly 2 million bpd.

Before the imposition of sweeping US and European sanctions in July 2012, Iran’s exports reached 2.5 million bpd.

Central Bank: Inflation Down to 9.2%

The Central Bank says the rate of inflation was 9.2% between June 21 and July 21, a 0.5% decrease from the previous month.

The falling rate is a success for the Rouhani Government amid economic difficulties. The President inherited a rate of more than 40% from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in August 2013, and pledged to bring this into single digits.

The rate is now at its lowest point since laate 2009.