Iran News Round Up

Mike Saidi demonstrates how the recent protests highlighted weaknesses in the readiness of Iranian security forces in a dataset using videos submitted by Iranian protesters. View the dataset here and the graphics here.

Marie Donovan discusses the political background of Iran’s newly-sanctioned Judiciary Head Sadegh Amoli Larijani in, “Why Did the U.S. Sanction Iran’s Sadegh Amoli Larijani?”

President Hassan Rouhani stated that “governments need to listen well to the sound of its people’s advice, requests, demands, criticisms and complaints” during a visit to late Supreme Leader and founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s Mausoleum on January 31. Rouhani made his comments in explicit reference to Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi’s government before the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Rouhani noted that the Shah thought that his governance was “eternal” but said that the Shah lost it all because he did not “listen to the sound of critics.” Rouhani’s comments, however, come after weeks of widespread and deadly anti-regime protests where Iranians voiced economic and political grievances. Rouhani made similar comments following the peak of the anti-regime protests on January 8 where he stated that the “people have the right to supervise and criticize [government officials’] work.” (President.ir) (President.ir)

Parliament voted on January 31 to pass a general outline of the revised budget bill with 182 in favor, 73 against, and 6 abstentions. Key provisions in the proposed revised bill include rejection of a 50 percent hike in fuel prices, a 42.8 percent increase in cash subsidies, and extension of subsidies to an additional 10 -12 million people. The Rouhani administration’s proposed budget eliminated cash and non-cash subsidies for households by approximately 25 percent from last year’s final authorized budget, reportedly cutting subsidy payments for 30 million Iranians. The bill also permits the Central Bank to allocate half of the country’s foreign currency reserves to the Rouhani government if oil revenues dip below $460.1 billion for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Parliament will discuss the details of the bill in coming weeks before a final vote and sending it to the Guardian Council for approval. (Asriran) (Radio Farda) (ICANA) (IRIB)

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli reported that fewer than 300 individuals arrested during the recent nationwide anti-regime protests remain in prison. Rahmani Fazli maintained that prison authorities are treating the prisoners well. Fazli also said that nine protesters remain in custody in Tehran. Parliamentary Judicial Committee head Allahyar Malekshahi said that only four detained protesters still remain in prison on January 30 after a parliamentary delegation’s visit to Evin Prison in Tehran. Iranian officials have given varying numbers on detained protesters. The Judiciary claimed that security officials arrested 622 individuals during the first three days of the protests, whereas a reformist parliamentarian put the total number of arrests at 3,700. (IRNA) (Press TV) (E) (Radio Farda) (Alef) (Business Insider) (E)