Iran’s Supreme Leader intervened personally to prevent any reforms by the regime during nationwide protests for rights, reforms, and gender equality.
Amwaj Media details how Ayatollah Khamenei refused to give any ground in meetings with senior officials and military commanders.
The protests were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, three days after she was detained and reportedly beaten by “morality police” for her “inappropriate attire”. The demonstrations rapidly spread across the country, in the biggest challenge to the regime since the disputed 2009 Presidential election.
A senior military commander persuaded Iran’s police chief, Hossein Ashtari to issue a public statement expressing remorse, apologizing to the public, and considering resignation as a gesture of accountability for Amini’s death.
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, a former senior Revolutionary Guards, told Ashtari to stay in his post. Vahidi said stepping down would be seen as a retreat and embolden opposition to the regime.
But Vahidi’s intransigence only heightened the concern of a group of senior military commanders. A few weeks later, they told the Supreme Leader of their dissatisfaction and called for the Interior Minister’s dismissal.
Khamenei rejected the appeal. Declaring that the situation would be resolved in due course, he told the commanders that they could be sacked if they did not carry out their duties.
Vahidi remained as Interior Ministry. In January, Ashtari was replaced by Ahmad Reza Radan, an advocate of tough enforcement to maintain compulsory hijab.
Another Rejection of Reform
In the spring, a group of commanders — including the former head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Navy, Hossein Alaei — tried again to move Khamenei.
When they approached a senior military commander to convey concerns, he said that did not want to jeopardize his position. So the commanders went to the Expediency Council, which can advise the Supreme Leader.
The Council’s chair, former judiciary head Sadeq Larijani, initially said the issue would be discussed at the body’s next meeting. But when the 35 members gathered, he dismissed the agenda item, claiming that it did not fall within the council’s terms of reference.
Mahdi Nasiri, the former Khamenei-appointed chief editor of the hardline Kayhan daily, said last month that the Supreme Leader nominally accepted reforms may be made. However, he restricted this with red lines. They include the retention of compulsory hijab and the maintenance of the 12-year, 5-month house arrests of the leaders of the opposition Green Movement, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard.
Iran formally becomes full member of SCO, PM Modi conveys best wishes to President Ebrahim Raisi: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sco-summit-live-updates-july-4/liveblog/101473995.cms
Raisi has said that “de-dollarization” is his government’s top priority: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/07/04/706437/Iran-India-SCO-Shanghai-Raeisi-dollar-Qur-an-
[Editor’s Note: Commenter ignores the central point of the analysis to distort its message.
“In Iran, the gap between each surge and decline is getting shorter. The regime knows this is only a momentary reprieve. It has been trying to buy time and stability, making minor compromises while instilling more fear and resorting to diplomacy to regain some legitimacy. The regime’s key concern is ensuring a smooth succession to the 84-year-old supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, when the time comes.”
And, in the passage he cites, he cuts off the remainder of the passage:
“The demise of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been predicted often, but its staying power for 44 years has defied all expectations.
Yet something is irremediably broken. Iran feels febrile, every wave of protests building on the previous one. And the first anniversary of Amini’s death is fast approaching. Which elements will align for the next surge of dissent?”]
Iran’s protesters are in retreat, but for how long? https://www.ft.com/content/e1fe40ca-f119-493c-8389-e56a229fbe71
“Away from the headlines, the war of attrition against the regime continues….Scattered protests in distant provinces. But the momentum is gone, for now. This is the typical cycle of[ ebb and flow in protest movements around the world…..The demise of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been predicted often, but its staying power for 44 years has defied all expectations.”
Many Ask Why Iran Appointed A Midwife As Ambassador To Helsinki
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202307034055
“Referring to Abad’s career record and her diplomatic mission, Majlesi said that the Islamic Republic has no serious presence in the international arena, so it does not need a professional diplomat for such a mission.””
[Editor’s Note: This is factually distorted. There has been no “mass pardon” of those detained during the nationwide protests. While enforcement of compulsory hijab appears to have been relaxed in some areas of Iran, Parliament is considering legislation which would toughen the punishments.]
The fact is that the enforcement of hijab has ceased and Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, adviser and confidante to the Leader, went on state TV to greet all women with “weak hejab”: https://www.khabaronline.ir/news/1716860/
Police are not stopping women who do not cover their hair. Instead, those identified by CCTV are being cautioned by text and risk paying a fine. In extreme cases, they can have their accounts frozen or car seized. The law is being reviewed for hejab observance and also for the right to protest. It is not coming from reformists but from the Raisi administration.
Khamenei has recently stated that all “legitimate freedoms” should be respected: https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/486284/All-legitimate-freedoms-should-be-ensured-Leader
The mass pardoning of those arrested/detained shows also that the Leader has taken a soft line to assuage the section of the population supportive of the protests.
It is certainly not being enforced in Sadatabad, North Tehran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQYImDl4zqE
The police have been given orders by both Raisi and Khamenei not to physically confront women over the observance of hejab.
I could fill this page with references to counter your bullshit, but as the saying goes a picture worth a thousand words.
Here is your luxurious islamic state, each photograph has a story:
https://tinyurl.com/yufmv2c3
Iran remembers the shooting down of Iranair 655: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/07/03/706371/Iran-commemorate-anniversary-downing-passenger-plane-Nasser-Kan-ani-Iranian-nation-US-crimes
The U.S initially blamed Iran for the downing of the civilian airliner but later admitted 4 years after the incident that the USS Vincennes had been in Iranian waters and that the plane was on a routine flight and ascending, not descending. The crew of USS Vincennes thought the airbus was an F-14 on a dive raid. The U.S took 8 years to pay compensation to Iran. Some Iranians think the attack was a deliberate act of terrorism to get Iran to accept a ceasefire with Iraq that was agreed upon 3 weeks later.
khamenei has cornered himself quite badly with no place to run. He sees if he soften his position on any of top issues he’ll be seen weak, and the affairs will spin out of his control even further. On the other hand, if he goes all out to harden his position it’ll play in the hands of irgc, which, it is weakening his position in a different way, he can become irrelevant….