Hacked Documents Reveal Iran’s Strategies To Bypass Sanctions

In fact, Iran’s election watchdog, the Guardian Council, packed with hardliners, has banned almost all Reformists from running in the March 1 parliamentary vote, leaving little choice to a coalition of parties known as the Reformists.

The February 10 statement by the Reform Front is effectively a call for boycotting the elections, although it states that it is only in Tehran that "Reformists find it impossible to take part and present a list of candidates" as none of their nominees had their qualifications endorsed by the Guardian Council. This way of putting their protest forward, acquits the Reform Camp of possible accusations of defying the regime.

Although the Reform Front’s statement stops short of outright boycotting the March 1 parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections, a group of 110 self-proclaimed reform-minded intellectuals, civil, political, and media activists issued a call for reformists to participate. They argue that participation could provide a small avenue for reform-minded individuals to voice their concerns in parliament.

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Citing extensive monitoring and evaluation of political developments, the Reformist Front emphasized the need for meaningful, competitive, and fair elections. They condemned arbitrary vetting and disqualification of candidates, which they believe undermines the people's choices and contributes to political, economic, social, and cultural crises. "We cannot take part in a meaningless, non-competitive, unfair election which is not going to have an impact on the way the country is governed."

The Front said that it has already "warned the government about the consequences of limiting the people's choices through arbitrary vetting and disqualification of the candidates," adding that "The discretionary supervision by the Guardian Council that limits the people's choices is one of the main reasons for the inefficiency of the Iranian government and has led to many political, economic, social, and cultural crises."

The Reforms Front further warned that "The officials and institutions that have made the polling box useless in Iran shall be responsible for the low turnout in the elections and its consequences" for the regime’s legitimacy. The Reformist Front further pointed out that "The only way to solve the country's problems is establishing a powerful and independent parliament and government by holding free and fair and competitive elections."

Announcing that this was a collective decision made by all the reformist parties in Iran, the front also expressed concern that measures including biased vetting that limits the voters' choices have been constantly on the rise during the past years.

Meanwhile, a statement issued on February 12 by a group of around 100 activists, including former Reformist lawmakers and media owners, urged people to participate in the elections and support a coalition of moderate and reform-minded candidates endorsed by the Guardian Council. Despite acknowledging the lack of fairness in Iran's elections, they advocated for participation to counter political purification efforts by the ruling conservatives.

The move dividing the Reformists could have well been encouraged by hardliners, as their media outlets jumped on the news to highlight that not all reformists have boycotted the elections.

Regardless of their all-out support for the government the activists in their statement acknowledged that "Like all of the elections in Iran's contemporary history, the upcoming plebiscite is totally far from free and fair and its organizers have been working hard to implement the idea of political purification" which means monopolizing political power in Iran in the interest of the ruling conservatives.

Social media users have accused the group of opportunism and looking for a weak and useless minority in the parliament. One social media user said: "They would take part in any Saddam Hussain-style election Khamenei may hold."

The Justice Department said Monday that the US-built plane had been brought to Florida and would be disposed of.

"The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that the full force of U.S. laws deny hostile state actors the means to engage in malign activities that threaten our national security," Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the head of the department's national security division, said in a statement.

Argentina grounded the 747 plane after its unannounced arrival from Mexico to an airport in Buenos Aires on June 8, 2022. The plane originally belonged to Iran’s Mahan airline affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and sanctioned by the US for transporting arms to Syria and supporting terrorism.

The plane had arrived in Argentina with a crew of 19 people, including five Iranians, some with clear ties to the IRGC. Venezuela’s Conviasa national carier had bought or leased the plane from Mahan airlines in early 2022 and christened it ‘Louisa Caceres Arismendi.’

The United States accused the captain of the plane, Gholamreza Ghasemi of being an Revolutionary Guard office. Ghasemi claimed that he was a instructor, teaching the Venezuelan crew how to operate the 747.

Gerardo Milman, an Argentine lawmaker, told Iran International in June 2022 that Iranians aboard the Venezuelan plane planned “attacks on human targets.” Milman also alleged that Captain Ghasemi was a senior official of Qods (Quds) force.

Gholamreza Zarifian, a prominent political activist, underscored in an interview with Rouydad24 website that this authoritarian minority poses a significant political challenge by promoting radical agendas, ultimately undermining the government's social capital.

Zarifian asserted that four decades post the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian conservatives persist in disregarding historical lessons. They cling to the belief that they are divinely ordained to dictate the course of Iran's destiny. This mindset instills a sense of inferiority among the populace, shifting Iran from a nation that propelled the constitutional Revolution in 1905 to one devoid of influence over its own future, largely due to the conservative elite's monopolization of power.

As parliamentary election approach on March 1, there is general apathy among the population, especially after hundreds of regime loyalist candidates were banned from running for no clear reason. In the absence of real competition at least among regime politicians, everyone is aware that hardliners will win the vote.

Zarifian argued that the public mood resembles the same feeling of inferiority among the people that led to the downfall of monarchy and the coming to power of the Islamic Republic in Iran in 1979. He explained: Under the monarchy, the appearance of a modern society existed in Iran as the three powers of the government had been separated from each other, but the people's vote were ignored in furthering the political dynamics of the society. At that time, a minority undermined the interests of the nation and a chosen few imposed their will on the whole society.

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Forty-five years after the revolution, the Iranian nation is once again back to the same situation, Zarifian said, adding that the difference is that this time the ruling class of the Islamic Republic uphold none of the rights of the society.

Addressing the flawed electoral process, another reformist figure, Rasoul Montajabnia, urged the government to either ensure free and fair elections or rename the Islamic Republic to reflect its religious governance. He criticized the biased vetting of candidates, emphasizing the stark disparity between the people's expectations and the government's archaic election practices.

He said that Iranians are way ahead of their government and laugh at the backward way the elections are being held. Referring to the lies officials have told the people during the past 45 years. "We have treated the people in a way that if we tell them it is daylight, they would become convinced that it is definitely the nighttime," he said. The cleric said that the arbitrary vetting of candidates by the Guardian Council has left no trace of democracy in Iran.

Montajabnia argued that in some of the constituencies there is no competition as the number of candidates endorsed by the Guardian Council is exactly the same as the number of seats in that constituency.

As an example of how this method of governance affected individuals in the Iranian society, Tehran City Councillor Zahra Nezhad Bahram told the press that some 67 percent of highly educated personnel of the country's knowledge-based companies are planning to leave Iran for good and have already started their emigration process.

This systemic flaw exacerbates frustrations among Iran's educated populace, as evidenced by the significant exodus of skilled professionals seeking opportunities abroad. She emphasized the urgent need for policy reforms to retain and harness the potential of Iran's intellectual capital for sustainable progress.

Demonstrations took place in Belgium, Sweden, Australia, Germany, France, the United States, Britain, and Denmark.

In Belgium, a group of Iranians gathered in Antwerp, chanting slogans demanding justice. Similar rallies took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, and in front of Iran's embassy in Brussels. Protesters in Brussels displayed banners featuring images of Toomaj Salehi, a jailed dissident rapper.

Meanwhile, Iranians and Israelis in Sydney called for designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization by Australia. Iranians in Cyprus also held a demonstration in front of Iran's embassy in Nicosia. In Bern, Switzerland, protesters gathered in front of the Iranian embassy to denounce human rights violations.

In the United States, a rally was held in Washington DC, on Saturday, protesting against the anniversary of the revolution. In Paris, France, Iranians marched towards Iran's embassy, demanding justice for Mahsa Amini and chanting slogans for women's rights and freedom.

Reports from Iran indicated limited participation in government-organized rallies on February 11, despite relaxing enforcement of compulsory hijab and providing recreational activities on the streets.

This surge in exaggeration and falsehoods appears directly correlated with the regime's mounting desperation to achieve its short-term objectives. As the engineered parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections draw near, the regime has intensified its assertions of remarkable achievements, inflated claims of popularity reaching as high as 97 percent, and exaggerated portrayals of economic and scientific advancements.

Mass production of nonsense

During election season, an abundance of superlatives and claims of "firsts" flood the discourse:: Iran is the most independent country in the world, Iran is the first in the production of science, and Iran is the most important global power. Facing a serious economic crisis and lack of popularity, authorities are turning to such statements on a daily basis.

"Today, Iran is among the top 20 countries in the world in terms of economy, and according to statistics, the people of Iran today have good purchasing power," said the Interior Minister.

"More than 97 percent of the people accept the regime and the revolution and will never abandon it," said the Judiciary Minister.

"The people still adhere to the ideals of the regime and the revolution after 45 years," said the Sports Minister.

"Islamic Iran is the most independent country in the world and the whole world accepts this," said the Fars Province governor.

"The Islamic revolution after the Prophet's mission... was the most important event in the history of mankind... the enemies know that no country is as important as Iran," said the deputy commander of IRGC.

These are clear signs of self-aggrandizement, delusion, and living in a self-made bubble in these statements. According to a Goman Institute poll, in response to the question if a free referendum was held today with the inquiry "Islamic Republic: Yes or No?", %75 answered "No to the Islamic Republic" and only 16% said that their answer was positive.

These statements are indicative of self-aggrandizement, delusion, and a detachment from reality. According to a Gamaan Institute poll published on Sunday, when asked in a hypothetical free referendum whether they support the Islamic Republic, 75 percent of respondents answered "No," while only 16 percent expressed support for it.

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Heating the election oven

To draw parallels with the 1979 revolution, officials invited people to come to the rooftops on Saturday evening, which was the anniversary of the revolution and chant “Allahu Akbar.” Also, on this night, they set off fireworks all over the country, which met with a cold reaction from the people.

Seizing the moment, many people took to the balconies and behind the windows to shout slogans of the Mahsa movement. Notably, the voices of women and young girls resonated prominently among these chants, underscoring their active participation in the opposition's message.

Despite relentless calls for public participation in the anniversary march, the photos and videos circulated depict a significantly limited turnout. Figures ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of attendees are exaggerated to portray figures in the millions or tens of millions. But evidently, even the use of Qasem Soleimani’s name to bring out a million people did not succeed.

For the 86 seats in the Assembly of Experts elections, only 144 candidates have been allowed to run. It is clear that the elections are a sham and people are aware of this fact. 

Nihilist regime

Waiving the hijab requirement during the anniversary march was a surprising deviation also observed last year during the anniversary of the occupation of the American embassy. This move was even reported by hardline media as a good initiative. Additionally, earlier this month and American adult film actress was allowed to visit the country and tour important landmarks. As the founder of the Islamic Republic Ruhollah Khomeini famously stated, "To protect the regime, even Islamic rulings could be suspended."