Lawmaker Puts Iran’s Inflation At 120 Percent

Former Iranian diplomat, Fereydoun Majlesi told Rouydad24 website in Tehran that "Iran can either accept the West's solution or follow its own path and be prepared for its consequences."

Referring to higher oil exports by Iran, he said: It is true that the restrictions imposed on Iran by the United States are getting weaker on a daily basis, but this should give no reason to Iran to continue its hostile behavior." 

He explained that "In fact, Iran has restricted itself." 

He also touched upon another aspect of Iran's approach to negotiations. Majlesi said: "Raisi administration's negotiators do not wish to fight the West, but at the same time, they refuse to accept the rules of negotiations. They do not know what to do and that has led to a halt."

"The three European countries in the JCPOA have declared that Iran has violated the agreement. The West believes that Iran's missile development was against the terms of the JCPOA. Some even believe that Iran is potentially very close to producing a nuclear bomb. Therefore, the minimum precondition by the West is returning to the JCPOA as it was under President Hassan Rouhani," Majlesi maintained. 

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He added: "The point is that a country which is under serious pressures and its case is going to be referred to the UN Security Council can hardly set a precondition for negotiations." He added that Iranian officials should realize that the people are suffering under these pressures, so the government has only two solutions ahead: Accept the West's terms or pay for their own final solution.

Etemad Online in Tehran quoted Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani as saying that Tehran's space and missile programs and regional issues do not fall within the scope of UN Resolution 2231, adding that "We are prepared to resume the negotiations to return to the JCPOA as soon as possible and to ensure its full compliance by all parties involved." 

Resolution 2231 was related to the JCPOA nuclear agreement and restricted Iranian weapons capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Western powers are lately arguing that Iran is in violation of the agreement, among other things, by delivering drones to Russia.

Meanwhile, Iravani expressed strong objections to the participation of Ukraine's UN ambassador in the July 6 meeting about non-proliferation and the JCPOA. "We strongly protest to the UN Security Council Chief for inviting a country that has nothing to do directly or indirectly to the meeting's agenda. This was neither constructive nor indicative of goodwill," he said.

He described inviting Ukraine's representative to the meeting, "an attempt to divert attentions from the agenda which was discussing implementing the JCPOA and Western side's non-compliance to the agreement particularly the United States' withdrawal from the deal." 

He further insisted that Washington should be recognized as the party responsible for the current situation as it has withdrawn from the 2015 deal. Iravani added that the three European partners of the JCPOA have neglected their commitments under the deal and Resolution 2231. He said the United States has arrogantly forced other UN members to violate Resolution 2231. "this is unprecedented," Iravani said. 

Under the circumstances, Iravani said, Iran has no choice other than adopting countermeasures to restore its rights under paragraphs 26 and 36 of the JCPOA. "It was the United States and not Iran that left the agreement," he said, adding that whatever Iran has done as her reaction is revocable once the agreement is restored. 

According to this report, published June 5, Iran has managed to attract only 1.5 billion dollars of foreign direct investment in 2022.

In 2017, and after the lifting of international sanctions, Iran attracted more than five billion dollars in foreign direct investments, but in 2018, this was halved, and after that, the annual amount fluctuated around 1.5 billion dollars.

The United States imposed oil export and banking sanction on Iran in 2018, making a series of demands including a stronger agreement to restrict Tehran's nuclear and missile programs. Thes sanctions have triggered an economic crisis, driving annual inflation to 70 percent and reducing the value of Iran's currency 12-fold.

Among Iran's neighboring countries, the UAE has attracted the most foreign investment.

In total, the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf region have attracted about 37 billion dollars in foreign direct investment in 2022, of which the UAE's share is 60%. Last year, Turkey attracted $13 billion.

The United States attracted the highest amount of foreign direct investment in the world with $285 billion, followed by China, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The US is also at the top in terms of investment in foreign countries with 269 billion dollars.

Figures by the UNCTAD show that a total of 1.3 trillion dollars of direct investment was made last year, which is 12% less than in 2021. The reason for the drop was the decrease in investments by advanced countries abroad.

Iran International first reported June 29 that Malley has been absent for a considerable time, his security clearance has been suspended and he is under investigation related to his handling of classified documents. The Involvement of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was also reported, although until now no official details have been announced, except that Malley is on “unpaid leave.”

Semafor, however, confirmed Friday that the FBI is investigating Malley, according to a source briefed on the matter within the State Department.

The State Department has only confirmed that Malley is on leave and his deputy Abrams Paley is serving as acting special envoy for Iran. The department did not offer any more information to Semafor either.

Congressional leaders and lawmakers however have been demanding explanations from the Biden administration, since they were never informed about Malley’s long absence.

Soon after the news broke about Malley’s status, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Michael McCaul demanded answers referring to reports that Malley was placed on unpaid leave the same day that Iran International reported about the investigation.

“These reports raise serious concerns both regarding Malley’s conduct and whether the State Department misled Congress and the American public,” McCaul wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Semafor quoted a senior US official as saying that “government agencies would not suspend a clearance independently unless a law enforcement agency has an open investigation.” It also said that although details still remain unclear, “But the involvement of the FBI is significant in that it indicates there could be suspicion of criminal wrongdoing.”

Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) also tweeted on the matter June 30, raising a series of questions. “When did the investigation that led to the suspension of Malley’s clearance begin?”, asked Sen Hagerty, and added, “When were Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden informed of it?”

The senator further asked, “Why did they allow Malley to continue in his diplomatic role while under investigation?” He went further questioning Malley’s appointment in the first place, mentioning that his “contacts with Hamas and other extremist groups raised concern in the past.”

After Fox News also reported on Malley’s situation, Sen. Hagerty tweeted June 6, “This scrutiny of the Biden Admin is warranted given Iran's history of supporting terrorism & pursuing nuclear ambitions. The Admin must take a firm stance in dealing with this regime, & anyone mishandling classified information must be held accountable.”

Many Iranian American activists, who always saw Malley as biased in favor of the Iranian regime, are also asking questions.

Reza Behrouz, a neurologist and professor in Texas tweeted, “We as members of the Iranian American community who initially cautioned about his [Malley’s] appointment…deserve to know what is at stake here. To what extent his egregious conduct adversely affected the national uprising in Iran?”

Meanwhile, other officials are continuing talks with Iran as the administration

Academic and former hostage in Iran Xiyue Wang also tweeted, “In light of Rob Malley’s mishandling of classified information, Biden should suspend all negotiations with Iran at least until the investigation is concluded.”

Her arrest occurred after security agents from the intelligence ministry raided her home last week and ordered her to appear at the prosecutor's office.

In a tweet, she shared the details of the government agents' invasion of her home to conduct a search and confiscate her personal belongings. She emphasized that despite Iranian citizens being deprived of safety even within their own homes, they should persevere and not surrender.

Maaroufian was previously employed by the moderate Iranian news website Rouydad 24, which had been a reliable source of news about developments in Iran.

However, in March, the Iranian regime blocked access to the website after it published an interview with Amjad Amini, the father of Mahsa (Zina) Amini.

Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish Iranian woman, died in the custody of the "hijab police," sparking the current wave of anti-regime protests, which are the largest the Islamic Republic has faced since its establishment in 1979.

Nazila Maroufian and Marzieh Amiri, journalists from the outlet, were imprisoned due to the interview and their reports on the protests.

After 72 days of detention, Maroufian was temporarily released from Gharchak Varamin prison on a bail of six billion rials. However, she was later sentenced to two years in prison on charges of "propaganda and publication of lies."

A moderate conservative figure has branded the members of ultraconservative party Paydari [steadfastness] “political businessmen” out to secure power and make money.

Mohammad Mohajeri, a former hardline conservative figure turned “moderate” who was once one of the editors of hardline daily Kushan, says the ideological games being played by Paydari are nothing but moves to secure the interests of ultraconservative politicians.

Mohajeri said in an interview widely covered by the Iranian press this week that moves to expand power and influence have spread to the state television, where leading Paydari member Vahid Jalili, a brother of former nuclear negotiator and Khamenei confidant Saeed Jalili, has been placing likeminded individuals on key posts ahead of the elections.

Exerting influence on the state TV is key to electioneering in Iran because it is the only broadcaster in the country. It targets regime supporters and promotes Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s hardline political views. However, it has lost its reach and influence among the middle class to a great extent after the disputed presidential election in 2009.

Mohajeri charged that state TV chief Payman Jebelli has put the national broadcaster totally at the disposal of hardliners by appointing Jalili as his deputy. He said that the television with its exclusive right to broadcasting in Iran has already been promoting the electoral agenda of the hardliners and paving the way for a landslide victory for Paydari.

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However, he pointed out that polls conducted in Iran show that the state TV has lost three quarters of its viewership in a decade and the ideological management is hurting its popularity even more.

Mohajeri pointed out that there are four major groups of conservatives in the Iranian political landscape: Paydari, the neo-cons around Majles Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, traditional conservatives close to former Majles Speaker Gholamreza Ali Haddad Adel, and another group that calls itself “moderate and rational.” From among these four groups, Paydari currently has the upper hand among regime insiders.

Mohajeri had said in another interview last week that “Paydari is President Ebrahim Raisi’s strategic ally,” and are most likely to give all their support to Raisi and the candidates he picks for the Majles election in March. He added that Paydari is working on a plan to minimize the turnout next March so that mostly regime supporters come out to vote and most of them cast their ballots for its candidates.

Furthermore, Gholamreza Ali Jafarzadeh Imanabadi, a former lawmaker from Rasht in northern Iran, revealed that Paydari has been reaching out to ultraconservative figures who they believe can secure votes, encouraging them to run as representatives of the party in the upcoming elections.

Reformist politician Mohammad Reza Javadi Hesar told Etemad Online on Wednesday that Paydari has been exploiting state television in a manner that has even frustrated other conservatives. He may have been referring to a report on the website of the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency, which stated that Jalili's actions at state TV have deeply annoyed individuals devoted to the ideology of the Islamic Republic.

In response to criticism, Jalili argued that he possesses the appropriate background for the position of deputy director at state TV, stating that some of his predecessors came from the IRGC and were experts on missiles rather than having a background in a cultural organization such as the Art Bureau of the Islamic Propagation Organization, where he previously worked before being appointed as deputy state TV director.