Shayan Ghajar
On July 25, one of Iran’s most prominent dissident clerics, Grand Ayatollah Ali-Mohammad Dastgheib, issued a lengthy statement condemning the current political atmosphere in Iran and urging non-participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The Grand Ayatollah, known for his outspoken criticism of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, also called for oversight of Khamenei’s position, as stipulated in the Iranian Constitution. On July 26, another prominent dissident cleric, Grand Ayatollah Bayat-Zanjani, spoke out against political detentions, deeming them prohibited according to Islamic law. more»
Shayan Ghajar
On July 19 Iran’s highest authority, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, published a “General Employment Policy” consisting of 13 goals or strategies to improve employment in Iran. The plan was an indirect but telling acknowledgement of Iran’s massive unemployment problem–it follows just a week after statements by Khamenei to Iran’s Chamber of Commerce in which the Supreme Leader urged economic optimism and restraint in publishing discouraging items regarding the economy. The statement was published to virtually every state-owned or affiliated news agency in Farsi, as well as the the Supreme Leader’s website. more»
Staff
The Chairman of the Assembly of Experts, tasked with oversight of the Supreme Leader, made a speech on July 20 widely reported in Iranian state-owned or affiliated media. Chairman Ayatollah Mahdavi-Kani, who won the seat from Ayatollah Rafsanjani in early March, cautioned against public infighting between officials in the government and urged adherence to the Supreme Leader’s edicts in his speech during a convening of the Assembly. more»
Shayan Ghajar
Iran’s Central Bank faces criticism on July 13 surrounding two separate announcements regarding the nation’s fiscal situation and policy. The first announcement, made by Yahya Al-Ishaq, head of Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce, was the declaration that the central bank would not be releasing any statistical information on Iran’s economy for the previous month for the first time in decades. The second surprise announcement by the Central Bank consisted of a statement of intention to knock four zeros off of Iran’s rial to combat inflation.
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Shayan Ghajar
Controversy continues to plague the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as Iran’s elites debate the extent to which the IRGC can involve itself in domestic politics. more»
