Social and Political

VOA – The United States said Monday that the low turnout in Iran’s election came as no surprise and was a new sign of discontent in the cleric-run state. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that there’s discontent about the regime’s rule,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters. “We did not assess that these elections would be free and …

gatestoneinstitute.org – History is filled with the terrible retribution inflicted on America’s foes when those enemies underestimate the United States. Consider Imperial Japan, which totally underestimated the United States. Hitler thought we could manufacture cars but never have the ability to produce tanks, an air force, a two-ocean navy and the willpower to fight and win. The Soviets told the …

Al-Arabia – A quarterly meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog’s main policy-making body began on Monday with Western powers again choosing not to seriously confront Iran over its failure to cooperate with the agency on a range of issues, diplomats said. It is more than a year since the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution ordering Iran …

iranintl – While the Iranian Foreign Ministry teased Iranians with “good news” of an LA-based singer’s potential return from exile, the government abruptly halted a beloved 10-day music festival in Bushehr. Like most decisions made by Iranian officials, these decisions were also contradictory and controversial. On the one hand the government is trying to trumpet good mood among Iranians ahead …

iranintl – With only 17 days remaining in the current Iranian year, the country’s Supreme Labor Council has yet to convene a session to establish next year’s workers’ wages. Within Iran’s state-controlled economy, the government sets wages for public sector workers, including thousands of companies and factories, which also determines salaries of ordinary workers in the private sector. According to …

iranintl – Two significant trends mark the orchestrated 2024 elections in Iran: the notable significance of invalid or blank votes and the strife among winning factions loyal to Khamenei. Despite the objections of Khamenei’s confidant, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, the ultraconservatives fielded six lists for Tehran, whose representatives will wield considerable influence in parliament’s management. Internal conflicts between pro-Khamenei factions are exacerbated …

VOA – Iranian conservatives secured the bulk of seats in elections for a key clerical body and the national legislature, local media reported Sunday, estimating a record low turnout. Authorities were still counting ballots two days after Friday’s vote for members of parliament and for the Assembly of Experts, which selects the Islamic republic’s supreme leader. The vote was the …

VOA – Iran’s judiciary has executed a “terrorist” over a drone attack that targeted a defense ministry site in central Iran last year, state media reported Sunday. According to state TV, the person “planned to explode the workshop complex of the Ministry of Defense in Isfahan under guidance of the intelligence officer of Mossad,” Israel’s spy agency. The date of …

gatestoneinstitute.org – Lawmakers in an Indian state… have approved landmark legislation to… [ban] discrimination against women based on Islamic sharia law… personal laws that would be common for all citizens, regardless of religion. Replacing sharia law with a universal civil code across all of India would vastly ensure more rights for women and children and secure gender equality, and would …

iranintl – Several top politicians in Iran warned ahead of the lackluster elections on March 1 that popular rejection of the highly manipulated electoral system could prove costly for the regime. Alongside these warnings, they have offered roadmaps and guidelines aimed at navigating the potential challenges arising from the political impasse. Despite the government’s claim of a 40-percent turnout, scattered …