![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/06\/editorial.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Japan\u2019s capacity for mediating between Iran and America<\/strong><\/span> A tough path ahead for Iran\u2019s \u201creformists\u201d<\/strong><\/span> Widespread poverty<\/strong><\/span> Significance of Zarif\u2019s trip to Pakistan<\/strong><\/span> Students protest against \u201cforeign sanctions\u201d and \u201cdomestic suppression\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Fatemiyoun Division: Iran exploits the poverty of Afghan immigrants<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Iran\u2019s frightening image: Unemployment, poverty, and suicide<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Japan\u2019s capacity for mediating between Iran and America The editorial of Aftab Yazd deals with Japan\u2019s willingness to mediate between Iran and America to de-escalate the tensions that have been on the rise in recent weeks. Iran\u2019s diplomacy is looking towards the east so it can compensate for the troubles caused by the United States […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":6281,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[1032,2884,3119,3120,1637,3121,3122,554],"class_list":["post-6630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-iran-in-a-week","tag-islamic-republic","tag-domestic","tag-explosions","tag-fujairah","tag-iran-in-a-week","tag-islamic-republic-blamed","tag-slogans","tag-war"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6630"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9336,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6630\/revisions\/9336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe editorial of Aftab Yazd deals with Japan\u2019s willingness to mediate between Iran and America to de-escalate the tensions that have been on the rise in recent weeks.
\nIran\u2019s diplomacy is looking towards the east so it can compensate for the troubles caused by the United States in the region and the international community. A new wave of actions has started to create an international consensus against Iran.
\nWith the escalation of tensions between Tehran and Washington during the past weeks, Zarif started a new round of trips to New York, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, China, Japan, India, and Russia to change the current atmosphere against Iran.
\nOne of the most important achievements of Zarif\u2019s trips is that the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed his willingness to go to Iran \u2013 the first trip of any Japanese Prime Ministers after the Iranian Revolution. Even after Trump\u2019s trip to Japan, Abe\u2019s decision to go to Iran has not changed.
\nAs such, Abe\u2019s trip to Iran, apart from indicating Japan\u2019s seriousness in expanding its relationship with Iran, it also shows that he is concerned about the current conditions between Iran and America. The Japanese are worried that tensions between Tehran and Washington might result in an increase in the price of oil, which will inflict severe financial losses on Tokyo as it is a big importer of oil.
\nThe Japanese Prime Minister goes to Tehran with two goals: expanding special economic relations with Iran and creating a compromise between Tehran and Washington. In addition to Japan, other countries have announced readiness for mediation in this regard.
\nHowever, given Japan\u2019s desirable relationship with Iran under the late Hashemi Rafsanjani, it has more capacity than any other country in resolving the issues and expanding its relationship with Iran.
\n Aftab Yazd \u2013 May 29<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe editorial of Ebtekar focuses on the challenges the Iranian \u201creformists\u201d have to face in the upcoming elections.
\nIt seems that the Iranian \u201creformists\u201d are more than ever concerned about the upcoming elections, in particular, the parliamentary elections this year and the presidential elections in 2021. With reformist members of parliament losing one of their seats in the parliament\u2019s board of directors, these concerns have further increased.
\nThere is no doubt that since 2013, the \u201creformists\u201d have had relative success in elections, particularly in large cities. As a result, a considerable part of the country sees the \u201creformists\u201d as responsible for the performance of the executive and legislative branches, considering them accountable for the mistakes and failures of these branches.
\nOn the other hand, for years the \u201creformists\u201d have complained about the government\u2019s lack of attention to their ideas and programs. Analyses and assessments show that at least a part of the government, particularly the 12th government, has not been sympathetic towards the \u201creformists\u201d.
\nStill, the \u201creformists\u201d haven\u2019t performed well in the parliament. Even though the \u201creformists\u201d were able to get elected 100 members of parliament in 2015 in 2015, they failed in gaining the relative majority.
\nIranian society sees the current problems \u2013 particularly livelihood issues \u2013 as the outcome of the \u201creformists\u2019\u201d inability in making the right decisions, while the \u201creformists\u201d claim that they have had a minimum role in such decisions.
\nMeanwhile, the \u201creformists\u201d have unknowingly entered another dispute with the domestic \u201chardliners\u201d and the opposition forces. As an outcome of this dispute, the \u201creformists\u201d are facing a dangerous situation.
\nAs such, the conditions within the \u201creformists\u2019\u201d camp are not favorable. It seems that because of certain differences of opinion, they are unable to adopt a reliable strategic plan for getting out of the current situation.
\n Ebtekar \u2013 May 28<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe editorial of Ebtekar deals with the issue of widespread poverty in Iranian cities and its possible repercussions.
\nPoverty\u2019s terrible and unimaginable attack against the people is an unfortunate issue that has targeted the foundation of Iranian families, culture, and morality, as well as religion in Iran. During the past decades, one of the centers of poverty was the slums of Tehran and other centers of poverty existed in provinces such as Mashhad, Isfahan, Ahvaz, and Shiraz. Now it has spread to all cities and towns.
\nNot only are welfare, education, and health facilities non-existent but signs of malnutrition, improper housing, unemployment, and even poor clothing are quite visible. Nevertheless, many satellite dishes as you can imagine are visible in these poor places!
\nThere is no need to do research to prove this claim. What is surprising is that more than 90% of the residents belonging to villages and neighboring cities have migrated. The demographic, psychological, and sociological reasons for the phenomenon are not yet known.
\nIf you have ever observed field studies from cities such as Zabul in Sistan and Baluchistan, Shahrud in Semnan, Shahryar and Robat Karim in Tehran, and other cities, you will see for yourselves the proof of this point. The concentration of a considerable number of people \u2013 who have common economic and social problems and are connected with each other through poverty and pain \u2013 can be dangerous.
\nThese people might reach the conclusion: that no one is thinking about them and they are neglected; the class differences between the center and periphery might reach the point of no return.
\nThen the social explosion comes, endangering security in society. At that time, the explosion due to collusion and inattention to the poor will take our sleep away!
\n Ebtekar \u2013 May 26<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe editorial of Jahan Sanat focuses on the importance of Zarif\u2019s recent trip to Pakistan and how this trip can play a key role in the relationship between Tehran and Riyadh.
\nIran\u2019s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif went to Pakistan, following Imran Khan\u2019s trip to Tehran in April. Even though Islamabad\u2019s officials tried to consider Zarif\u2019s trip as an effort to expand bilateral relations, such a trip can be very significant, given the conditions in the region.
\nIts significance mostly lies in the Riyadh-Islamabad strategic relationship. The truth is Islamabad is in absolute alignment with Riyadh and is moving away from Tehran. Such conditions have resulted in an increase in the diplomatic crisis between Tehran and Riyadh, and between Tehran and Islamabad.
\nUnder such circumstances, Zarif\u2019s trip was aiming to consolidate bilateral relations to reduce the tension in the Tehran-Islamabad relationship. What can make Zarif\u2019s trip to Pakistan more significant is that Tehran can use the Islamabad-Riyadh relationship to alleviate the tensions and to even normalize its relationship with Riyadh.
\nCurrently, Riyadh is a part of Washington\u2019s maximum pressure strategy on Tehran. So if Riyadh turns to alleviate tensions and to normalize relations with Tehran, Washington\u2019s pressures on Tehran will subsequently reduce. It seems that preparing the ground for normalizing the Riyadh-Tehran relationship is the most natural and evident scenario to be expected from Zarif\u2019s trip to Islamabad.
\nThis can give a more prominent role to Islamabad in regional developments.
\n Jahan Sanat \u2013 May 25<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/06\/news.jpg\")
\n Bolton blames Iran for the explosions at Fujairah<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/05\/1030992053.jpg\")
\nThe US National Security Advisor John Bolton attributed the explosions targeting four ships in the Gulf to Iran. Whilst speaking to journalists in Abu Dhabi, ahead of his meeting with Emirati officials, Bolton accused Iran of playing a key role in sabotaging four ships off the coast of the UAE.
\nOn May 12, there were explosions targeting two Saudi ships, one Emirati ship, and one Norwegian ship in Port of Fujairah, UAE\u2019s main oil terminal. The ships were damaged, but there were no human casualties or oil leaks.
\nBolton further said that Iran violating the nuclear deal cannot mean anything other than Tehran moving towards making a nuclear bomb.
\nThe Atomic Energy Organization of Iran recently announced that while preserving the low level of uranium enrichment, it has quadrupled the amount of uranium production.
\nBolton added that if Iran continues this process, it is a serious issue, urging that \u201cthis is just more graphic evidence that it hasn\u2019t constrained their continuing desire to have nuclear weapons.\u201d
\nThe US National Security advisor also stated that Washington is \u201cvery concerned\u201d that the Quds Force and its commander Qassem Soleimani might use Iraqi militias against US forces in this country.
\nThe Spokesperson of Iranian Foreign Ministry, Abbas Mousavi, denied the claims of the US National Security Advisor as to Iran\u2019s role in the sabotage of four ships off the coast of the UAE.
\nMeanwhile, as the tensions keep mounting between Iran and America, the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, \u201cif America stops the sanctions and returns to the nuclear deal, the doors to negotiations will be open.\u201d
\nThe Spokesperson for the US Secretary of State Morgan Ortagus, however, stressed that Iran must accept the 12 conditions for negotiations set by the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. She urged that if Iranian leaders take the 12 conditions set by Mike Pompeo seriously, \u201cwe are ready to negotiate.\u201d She added that the sanctions and maximum pressure campaign against Iran will continue.
\nAbbas Mousavi had earlier emphasized that Iran doesn\u2019t intend to have any negotiations with US officials. Concerning the 12 conditions set by Mike Pompeo for negotiating with Iran, Mousavi said that Iran doesn\u2019t accept them.
\nThe 12 conditions include: halting uranium enrichment, ending support for terrorist groups in the Middle East, withdrawing all Iranian-backed forces from Syria, and abandoning threatening behavior against its neighboring countries, many of which are US allies.
\n BBC Persian<\/a>
\n Radio Farda<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/05\/sa.jpg\")
\nThe students of Allameh Tabatabaei University in Tehran held an assembly, voicing their criticism of sanctions imposed by foreign countries and the suppression that they face from Iran\u2019s establishment.
\nHolding pictures of jailed teachers and workers and environmental activists, the students said the Iranian people are caught between \u201cforeign and domestic bullies\u201d and do not want to surrender to any of them.
\nThe students of Allameh Tabatabaei University also held placards on which they wrote: \u201cNeither warships nor batons; only people\u2019s vote\u201d, \u201cPoverty and misery: outcomes of sanctions\u201d and \u201cNational security without freedom and justice.\u201d
\nAt the end of their assembly, these students read a statement in which they expressed their opposition to \u201cwar\u201d, \u201csanctions\u201d, and \u201cauthoritarianism.\u201d
\n\u201cWe warn those who rule this country that you do not have the right to gamble with people and their livelihoods,\u201d said the statement, \u201cyou do not have the right to sacrifice people\u2019s interests for your dangerous policies.\u201d
\nThe statement added that foreign intervention has become an excuse for silencing domestic critics and anyone who objects to the situation. Today there are many who cover up the authoritarianism inside the country while justifying the status quo.
\nAround 90% of the workforce in Iran, the statement went on to say, is temporary. As a result of the establishment\u2019s policy, systematic corruption and discrimination have become institutionalized, while poverty and unemployment have significantly increased. Today almost 19 million live in slums and are deprived of any services.
\nThe students emphasized that the current conditions are not just the outcome of sanctions. Despite the effectiveness of sanctions, the current situation is the result of the establishment\u2019s policies and they must be resisted. While sanctions and foreign pressures continue, people inside Iran are facing a brutal attack against their livelihood and are losing all their educational, health, and welfare services.
\n Radio Zamaneh<\/a>
\n Deutche Welle<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/05\/Fatimyoun-2.jpg\")
\nIRGC officials have taken Afghan immigrants to war against ISIS, by making promises to them that were never fulfilled. The Fatemiyoun Division was formed in 2013 by Qassem Soleimani, the IRGC Quds commander, to fight against ISIS. This group had played a key role in fighting ISIS under Iran\u2019s flag.
\nEven though this group was formed in the name of defending shrines in Syria and serving Shiism, the alluring promises made by IRGC officials to Afghan immigrants — who had left their countries because of poverty and hunger — were the main factors in mobilizing the Fatemiyoun Division in the Syrian war. Among the promises made to Afghan immigrants were to give them Iranian birth certificates, and monthly salaries, as well as permanent support for the families of those killed in the war. These promises resulting in thousands of Afghan immigrants going to the war front during the past 6 years.
\nInternational institutes defending human rights and the Afghanistan government have repeatedly criticized the Iranian regime for using immigrants in the war in Syria and Iraq, calling it an explicit violation of international laws regarding immigrants. However, disregarding the criticisms, the Iranian regime organized this large army from Afghan immigrants.
\nNow that the war the in Syria against ISIS has come to an end and thousands of fighters belonging to the Fatemiyoun Division have returned to Iran and Afghanistan, many members of the division say they have been abused by the Iranian regime.
\nEven Afghan child immigrants were not excluded from Iran\u2019s recruitment. The Human Rights Watch Organization announced in 2016 that the IRGC has deployed children under the age of 18 from among Afghan immigrants in the Syrian war. This organization identified the graves of 8 Afghan child immigrants who were killed in the Syrian war, calling this act of the Iranian regime an example of a war crime.
\nThese children, under economic pressure, had to join the Fatemiyoun Division, as Afghan workers faced a drop in wages in the Iranian market.
\n Radio Zamaneh<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/05\/af.jpg\")
\nNo exact statistics are offered regarding the poverty line in Iran. Government organizations still emphasize that 12% of the population are under the poverty line, while some Iranian lawmakers say 55 million people are under the poverty line. The Misery Index — which combines poverty and unemployment — has indicated that 38%, more than 24 Iranian provinces do not have food security. The indexes released by government entities portray a very frightening future for the country.
\nMeanwhile, the rate of suicides due to poverty and unemployment has increased in the cities of Iran. These two phenomena, poverty, and unemployment are correlated, as unemployment ends in poverty. Statistics Center of Iran still insists on announcing the rate of unemployment at 12%.
\nStill, during the past month, 1,000 workers reportedly lost their jobs. With the widespread recession, particularly in the oil and gas sector, the ground has been prepared for laying off a large number of workers.
\nWhile workers are losing their jobs, the rate of inflation shows a 50% increase compared to last year. The rate of inflation for food and drink is more than 80%. The Misery Index for 2018 was 45% for the provinces of Charmahal and Bakhtiari, Kermanshah, Kurdistan, Lorestan, and Sistan and Baluchistan. For Tehran, Khuzestan, Ilam, and West Azerbaijan, this Index was between 35 to 40 percent.
\nIn the meantime, the price of medical equipment has risen four to five times in the past months in Iran. No low-rate foreign currency [US dollar at 4200 tomans] has been allocated by the government to purchase laboratory equipment and its spare parts.
\nThe lack of laboratory diagnostic test kits as the most commonly used medical equipment is another problem which has prompted worry among lab technicians.
\nMeanwhile, it was reported that some medical centers have to provide for their needs via purchasing smuggled products. The police chief of the Sistan and Baluchistan province lately said his forces discovered smuggled medical equipment worth more than 1 billion tomans while inspecting a trucking company in the city of Zahedan.
\n Radio Zammaneh<\/a>
\n Radio Farda<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"