Discrimination is one of the prominent characteristics of Mullahs’ regime.

The mullahs of Iran are the masters of hypocrisy and throughout history never practiced what they preached. They easily do and justify what they proclaim sinful for others and punish others for it.  

Before entering Iran, Khomeini, while in Paris, spoke of freedom and well-being of the people and that in Islam, freedom is one of the most fundamental principles. He promised free water and electricity for the people. He said that after coming to Iran, he would go to the city of Qom as a simple cleric and would not interfere in politics. However, when he grabbed the power, he consciously and selectively gave up all his promises and established a religious dictatorship called Velayat-e-Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) under the pretext of establishing an Islamic state.  

He did his best to eliminate all his opponents by either killing them or locking them up. He did not even show mercy to those who helped bring him to power, such as Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, who was his foreign minister, and executed him and Bani-Sadr, who became Iran’s first president, but was forced to flee Iran for fear of having a similar fate as Ghotbzadeh. 

Khomeini legitimized all forms of torture, even to the point of death in prisons. He executed thousands of teenage girls and boys just because they opposed his ideas and demanded freedom. 

He allowed the rape of girls in prisons and sent tens of thousands of schoolboys to their death in minefields during the eight years war with Iraq to fulfill his desire to conquer Iraq. 

Discrimination is one of the prominent characteristics of Mullahs’ regime. That is why we see that while the majority of Iranians now live below the poverty line, the affiliates of the regime’s leaders have millions of dollars in wealth, and their children live like kings and queens in the United States and Europe.

With this introduction, it is very clear that the treatment of the regime’s elites is not the same as ordinary people. While most Iranians are deprived of basic medical treatment and many small towns do not have hospitals and specialist doctors, regime leaders and their affiliates go to Europe for medical treatments when needed. For example, Mojtaba, son of Ali Khamenei, and his wife went to London accompanied by his mother-in-law and 20 bodyguards, rented a floor of an expensive hotel, and stayed there for two months for treatment of his wife. 

This was a glimpse at the major discrimination in the treatment of ordinary people and the regime’s officials and affiliates. 

The deprived people on the outskirts of cities and ethnic minorities such as Balochs, Kurds, and Arabs, whose provinces are among the poorest in Iran are doubly oppressed compared to other provinces in terms of medical facilities and care.  

For example, according to Moinuddin Saeedi, a member of parliament from the city of Chabahar in the province of Sistan and Baluchistan, with a population of more than 800,000, there is only one hospital with 196 beds, which also lacks the requirements to treating coronavirus. Or, according to Malek Fazeli, a representative of the city of Saravan, this city of 480,000 people has only one hospital and does not have any ward for treatment of coronavirus. 

The same situation prevails in many of these deprived areas while regime leaders brag about social justice! 

With the outbreak of coronavirus, all Iranians fell victim to the anti-human policies of the mullahs. The pandemic coincided with the parliamentary elections in Iran. Although several people in the city of Qom had contracted the disease before the election, and some doctors had warned about an imminent outbreak of the virus, on Khamenei’s behest, (since he wanted to fill up the parliament with his direct affiliates in an engineered election and defeat the opposition and did not want any interruption in his plan), regime officials, including the Ministry of Health, denied the existence of any coronavirus patient in Iran and took no action to quarantine Qom or ban flights from China that caused the outbreak. As a result, the disease spread throughout the country at a rapid rate.  

Furthermore, when the disease was taking heavy casualties all over Iran, Khamenei banned the import of vaccines from the US, France, and Britain. They did not even accept the help offered by other countries and did not allow entry to a team of Doctors Without Borders from France that brought a field hospital with them. They return them to France. Because they knew that with their presence, the catastrophic situation of the disease in Iran would become public and they could no longer hide it.  

This led to the killing of many people in Iran. According to reliable statistics obtained by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) from its sources inside Iran, the actual number of victims has reached over 460,000. But Khamenei, fearing a backlash from the people, always put the figure at a quarter of the actual number, threatening to silence the doctors and those who challenged the figures or provided real figures  

In essence, Khamenei’s intention was to keep the people of Iran occupied with the coronavirus and forget about the social and economic challenges they were dealing with. Khamenei was fearful that because of people’s discontent with its regime, another widespread uprising, similar to the November 2019 uprising, might take place. At the same time, he banned any gathering under the pretext of fighting the disease. To achieve his goal, Khamenei used the network of Friday prayer Imams to blame all the shortages of vaccine – medicine and equipment on the United States and sanctions. While the United States has repeatedly stated that imports of medication and medical equipment were never among the sanctioned items.  

Meanwhile, the mafia in control of the drug supply, instead of buying vaccines from the countries that succeeded in producing them, looted more than $120 million, with the promise that Iran itself is producing vaccines. But after two years, under various excuses, they broke their promises to produce a domestic vaccine. Meanwhile, their fraudulent action inflicted heavy casualties on the people who paid a big price for it. 

But now, after nearly two years of the outbreak, while many Iranians have lost one or more family members to this disease, everyone blames Khamenei for this situation. It is quite clear to the Iranian that the main culprit is Khamenei, and this can be seen in the statements of people on social media who want Khamenei and the regime leaders held accountable for this massacre. 

Cyrus Yaqubi is a Research Analyst and Iranian Foreign Affairs Commentator investigating the social issues and economy of the Middle East countries in general and Iran in particular.

The city of Zahedan has transformed into a ghost town.

Iran has faced a new wave of the COVID-19 epidemic with the mutated virus known as the Delta, killing at an alarming rate, especially in Sistan Baluchestan province.

Most countries worldwide have managed to control the spread of the virus with widespread vaccination and have decreased the number of deaths to a minimum. The news worldwide also suggests the easing of the restrictions and gradual return to everyday life.

According to reliable sources, the death toll from the COVID-19 in Iran has reached 323,000 so far, but the government, covering the actual death toll, has announced that less than a quarter of this number, i.e. about 85,000 people.

However, in an interview with Arman Melli newspaper on June 28, Mohammad Reza Mahboubfar, one of the regime’s health experts, admitted that more than 300,000 people have died of the virus so far.

Moinuddin Saeedi, a member of Iran’s parliament from the city of Chahar Bahar in Sistan Baluchestan province (one of the poorest and under-developed provinces in Iran), told ILNA (State–run media) that a catastrophe would be felt in every sense of the word if measures were not taken to curb the virus in the province.

He said there was only one 196-bed hospital in the region for a population of more than 800,000. The hospital lacks the requirements to fight the disease.

Malek Fazeli, a representative of the city of Saravan in the parliament, also said that Saravan, with a population of 480,000, has only one hospital and no ward for COVID-19 patients.

He added, “The city has only one infectious disease specialist, who is also the head of the hospital”.

According to the Sunni Friday Imam of Saravan, “the city’s hospital does not have an infectious disease doctor. The Nurses are visiting the Coronavirus patients. The hospital is not ventilated, and 8 out of 10 Corona tests are positive”.

10 cities of this province do not have hospitals at all. Due to the far distances between cities, it is very difficult to transfer patients to even the nearest hospital.

Although there are many suspected cases of Coronavirus in this province, the government does not reveal the real numbers and the numbers announced are unrealistic, because many patients in rural areas die from this disease without being included in the statistics.

The Delgan city hospital does not have a CT scan machine. If someone wants to have a lung CT, they have to travel about 150 kilometres to the city of Iranshahr, which is very difficult considering the conditions of this province and the cost involved.

The people of this province are advised not to leave their homes, and the banks and offices have been closed. However, the people of many areas, such as Chabahar and even the capital of Zahedan province, have to buy water and other essential food items from the market and have to leave their homes.

About 25% of the people of Zahedan do not have access to clean water. More than 400 villages in Chabahar do not have drinking water. In the whole province, more than 2500 villages do not have a water supply network at all.

The city of Zahedan has transformed into a ghost town.

Murad Ghasemi, an employee of a medical center in Zahedan, lost his wife some time ago due to the pandemic. “There are no vacant hospital beds in the city of Takht. Everyone is confused and frustrated. There is a severe shortage of equipment, from latex gloves to injectable serums. For example, in Imam Ali (AS) Hospital in Zahedan, there are no latex gloves and 5 cc sampling and injection syringes. Surgical gloves are sold for 15,000 Tomans (Iran’s currency) in pharmacies. Remedicor medicine could not be found at all, and hospitals have no access to any medicine. My wife’s symptoms started with fever and diarrhea.

“At first, we thought she had heat exhaustion, but her symptoms got worse. By the day when she arrived at the hospital, a CT scan revealed that more than 80 percent of her lungs were infected. Now I am left with a 40-day-old baby”.

Brahui, another resident of Zahedan, says that provincial officials have not paid the slightest attention to the working class. Whether they go to work or not, the government officials are paid a fixed salary per month. Still, they never think about what I and others like me should do, waiting for a full day in the heat and returning home empty-handed and embarrassed from the family at the end of the day.

“The main custodian and responsible for controlling COVID-19 in Iran is the government”, said Naji, a member of the COVID-19 scientific committee.

During these 16 months, the Khamenei government and the Ministry of Health failed in their duties and did not succeed in controlling the disease. In my opinion, with the continuation of such behaviors, it seems this has been intentional. So far, no proper quarantine has been applied in the country.

Lack of follow-up and control of the epidemic in the country has taken a deliberate form. The people cannot wait for the mass production of domestic vaccines, and the government must provide a reliable and trustworthy vaccine as soon as possible. “Otherwise, we will lose many people”.

It should be noted that while most of the Gulf States have vaccinated more than 60% of their population and Turkey, which has a population equivalent to Iran, has vaccinated more than 55% of its population.

Due to the widespread corruption of the ruling regime, which only cares about its own survival and does not care about the lives of the people, Khamenei banned import of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines into Iran, and now only about 5% of the population has been vaccinated (most of them have received only the first dose). Meanwhile, the Iranian regime claims that two types of Iranian vaccines have passed the testing phase and entered mass production, and will soon be exported to other countries.

Cyrus Yaqubi is a Research Analyst and Iranian Foreign Affairs Commentator investigating the social issues and economy of the middle east countries in general and Iran in particular.

The urgent shipment from Kingdom’s eastern province Dammam to Mundra port in Gujarat state of India, is being undertaken in coordination with India’s Adani group and Linde company.

Indian Embassy in Riyadh tweeted, “Embassy of India is proud to partner with Adani group and M/s Linde in shipping much needed 80MT liquid oxygen to India. Our heartfelt thanks to the Ministry of Health Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for all their help, support and cooperation”.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Adani Group Gautam Adani, hailed Saudi Arabia’s support and said, “Indeed, actions speak louder than words”.

Adani also thanked Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dr. Ausaf Saeed for promptly acting, and coordinating between the two countries.

Due to the sudden surge in coronavirus cases in India by 349,691 in the past 24 hours, the hospitals in the capital city of Delhi, and across the country are running out of beds and the life-saving gas. Patients have to wait in the queue, while some of the them are made to rest on the floor.

In order to fill the gap, the Indian government has started diverting oxygen supplies from industrial uses to hospitals. Even this move does not fulfill the requirement.

Besides Saudi Arabia, India has also received oxygen from Singapore.

Max Healthcare, which runs a network of hospitals in north India, tweeted that it had less than two hours of oxygen left while Fortis Healthcare, another big chain, said it was suspending new admissions in Delhi.

“We are running on backup, waiting for supplies since morning,” Fortis said.

India is in the grip of a rampaging second wave of the pandemic, hitting a rate of one COVID-19 death in just under every four minutes in Delhi as the capital’s underfunded health system buckles.

The government has deployed military planes and trains to get oxygen to Delhi from the far corners of the country and overseas including Singapore.

The number of cases across the country of around 1.3 billion rose overnight by 346,786, the Health Ministry said, for a total of 16.6 million cases, including 189,544 deaths.

COVID-19 deaths rose by 2,624 over the past 24 hours, the highest daily rate for the country so far. Crematoriums across Delhi said they were full up and asked grieving families to wait.

Hospitals in Delhi have gone to the city’s high court this week seeking it to order the state and federal governments to make emergency arrangements for medical supplies, mainly oxygen.

“It’s a tsunami. How are we trying to build capacity?” the Delhi high court asked the state and federal governments in response to this plea.

Television showed families tending to the sick in hospital corridors and streets as they waited for medical attention.

One man identified as Amit who was grieving for his brother at Delhi’s Jaipur Golden hospital said he had seen families running around with oxygen cylinders trying to get them refilled.

“You can’t leave me in the lurch,” a lawyer appearing for the Jaipur Golden hospital told the high court on Saturday, seeking its intervention.

The court asked the government to ensure supplies, as well to make security arrangements for medical centres amid people’s desperation.

“We know how people react, let’s not have a law and order situation,” the court said in its direction to the authorities.

India surpassed the U.S. record of 297,430 single-day infections anywhere in the world on Thursday, making it the global epicentre of a pandemic that is waning in many other countries.

Winter Easing

The federal government had declared it had beaten back the coronavirus in February.

Health experts said India became complacent in the winter, when new cases were running at about 10,000 a day and seemed to be under control. Authorities lifted restrictions, allowing for the resumption of big gatherings.

Others said that it could also be a more dangerous variant of the virus coursing through India. It is the world’s second most populous country and people live in close proximity, often six to a room.

“While complacency in adhering to masks and physical distancing might have played a role, it seems increasingly likely that this second wave has been fuelled by a much more virulent strain,” wrote Vikram Patel, Professor of Global Health at Harvard Medical School, in the Indian Express.

Experts say the only way India can turn the tide is to ramp up vaccinations and impose strict lockdowns in the so-called red zones of high infection. It has opened up the immunisation programme to all adults but faces a shortage.

India is currently using the AstraZeneca shot and homegrown Covaxin. It has also approved Russia’s Sputnik V and has urged Pfizer Moderna and Johnson and Johnson to provide it with vaccines.

On Thursday Kumar cremated his mother, who died of COVID-19, in a makeshift, mass cremation facility in a parking lot adjoining a crematorium in Seemapuri in northeast Delhi.

“I ran pillar to post but every crematorium had some reason … one said it had run out of wood,” said Kumar, wearing a mask and squinting his eyes that were stinging from the smoke blowing from the burning pyres.

India recorded the world’s highest daily tally of 314,835 coronavirus infections on Thursday, with the second wave of the pandemic crushing its weak health infrastructure. In Delhi alone, where hospitals are running out of medical oxygen supplies, the daily rise is over 26,000.

People losing loved ones in the Indian capital, where 306 people have died of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, are turning to makeshift facilities that are undertaking mass burials and cremations as crematoriums come under pressure.

Jitender Singh Shunty who runs a non-profit medical service, the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal, said as of Thursday afternoon 60 bodies had been cremated at the makeshift facility in the parking lot and 15 others were still waiting.

“No one in Delhi would have ever witnessed such a scene. Children who were 5 years old, 15 years old, 25 years old are being cremated. Newlyweds are being cremated. It’s difficult to watch,” said a teary-eyed Shunty.

Shunty, dressed in protective gear and a bright yellow turban, said last year during the peak of the first wave the maximum number of bodies he helped cremate in a single day was 18, while the average was eight to 10 a day.

On Tuesday, 78 bodies were cremated in that one place alone, he said.

Kumar said when his mother, a government healthcare worker, tested positive 10 days ago, the authorities could not find a hospital bed for her.

“The government is not doing anything. Only you can save your family. You are on your own,” he said.

“The situation is very critical, worrying. Oxygen is in short supply,” said chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, adding that almost one in four tests for the virus were giving a positive result.

“Beds equipped with oxygen supplies, and for critical care, are filling fast,” he added.

New Delhi, which has imposed a weekend curfew, is among the worst hit cities in India, where a second major wave of coronavirus infections is straining health infrastructure.

In recent weeks, criticism has mounted over how the federal government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has handled the health crisis, as religious festivals and election rallies continue despite reports of shortages of hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and vaccination doses.

India reported 234,692 COVID-19 infections over the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to nearly 14.5 million, second only to the United States. Deaths from the disease rose by 1,341 to 175,649.

After imposing one of the world’s strictest lockdowns for nearly three months last year, India’s government relaxed almost all curbs by the beginning of 2021, although many regions like New Delhi and state of Maharashtra have introduced localised restrictions.

“This is Narendra Modi’s biggest crisis yet. It is bigger than any security threat, external or internal, or even the economic attrition of 2020,” political commentator Shekhar Gupta wrote in a column on Saturday.

Vaccination, Drug Supplies

As complaints rise about slow vaccination rollout and shortages, Federal Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday said 125 million doses have already been administered and 11.6 million doses would be made available in a week.

Some local governments – including in the New Delhi city – have raised concerns over shortages and hoarding of anti-viral drug Remdesivir.

Nawab Malik, a minister from Maharashtra, accused Modi’s federal government on Twitter for restricting Remdesivir supplies to the state. A minister in Modi’s cabinet, Mansukh Mandaviya, denied the allegation, saying adequate supplies were being arranged.

Mandaviya said on Twitter the government had intervened and prices of Remdesivir injections have been significantly reduced.

Religious Festival, Election Rallies

After hundreds of thousands of ascetics and devout Hindus gathered for several days along the banks of the Ganges for a religious festival Kumbh Mela, Modi on Saturday called for restraint, saying on Twitter the festival should now be kept “symbolic”.

Responding to Modi’s appeal, one of the religious leaders Swami Avdheshanand urged devotees to not gather in large numbers. Devout Hindus believe bathing in the holy Ganges absolves people of sins, and during the Kumbh Mela, brings salvation from the cycle of life and death.

Those returning to Mumbai from the Kumbh Mela will have to quarantine, the city mayor said.

Experts have warned about the spread of more contagious variants of the disease, especially during large-scale gatherings for religious festivals and political rallies.

On Saturday, Modi was scheduled to hold two rallies in eastern state of West Bengal where state polls are ongoing. In recent weeks, such rallies have attracted thousands of people, few of whom follow COVID-19 safety protocols.

“Stop spreader rallies,” the Times of India said in an editorial on Saturday, adding: “Business as usual is an unaffordable luxury until this virus is conclusively tamed.”

Khamenei’s ruling apparatus is deeply concerned about losing its sovereignty…

While the COVID-19 epidemic still plagues the world and most countries have devoted almost all their energy, effort, and resources to fight the virus by vaccinating or quarantining all or parts of their country and population, Iran’s situation is quite different.

Most countries have even abandoned political considerations to obtain the vaccine from wherever possible and give priority to the welfare of their people. For example, Germany and Austria, while members of the European Union, are independently negotiating the purchase of the Russian vaccine, and Italy has signed a contract to produce the Russian vaccine in its own country. While, in Iran, with a population of nearly 83 million people, fewer than one percent of the population has been able to receive even the first dose of a vaccine.

Some countries have largely succeeded in promoting general vaccination in their own country. For example, the UAE has vaccinated 80%, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia between 40% and 50% of their population. In Turkey, with a population similar to Iran, according to Iranian regime officials, the first dose of the vaccine has reached 8,711,271 people and 6,731,876 people have received both doses. That is, 10.4% of people have received the first dose, and 8% the second.

In comparison, many fewer than one million people have received the first dose of the vaccine in Iran. Nevertheless, despite these alarming statistics, Iran continues to postpone vaccine imports. Khamenei has banned the import of the reputable American Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which provide the highest degree of immunity.

The question is, why is Iran not able, or willing to vaccinate its population, and what are the obstacles? To answer this question, we must understand Khamenei’s mindset regarding the Coronavirus. Khamenei, who has an iron grasp on all the internal and international affairs of Iran, is well aware of the dire economic and living conditions of the people, the rampant inflation, government’s corruption, poverty, high unemployment and the ever-increasing dissatisfaction of the people towards the regime. By disallowing the vaccine’s purchase, Khamenei is trying to create a defensive shield against popular uprisings and preserve the regime’s survival.

On the other hand, by signing a secret and non-transparent contract with Cuba, Hassan Rouhani’s government has started to vaccinate 30,000 municipal workers, who are among the country’s most deprived members of society, with the Cuban vaccine which is still in a pilot phase. Meanwhile, the country’s medical staff, who are at the highest risk of contracting the disease, and many of whom have died due to the disease, have not yet been vaccinated.

Of course, the reason is clear; the medical staff know about the different kinds of injectable vaccines, their safety and effectiveness. Unlike the medical staff, the deprived members of society are typically not aware of the reality that in fact the human testing phase of this vaccine is being performed on them.

The ignoring of the medical staff by the government does not end here, many nurses do not even receive their monthly salaries on time, and this has led to many of them protesting and being subject to harsh treatment and arrest in response. Many also have left the country searching for work in other countries that recognize and appreciate the value and important role of their medical staff.

Meanwhile, according to reliable sources, more than 240,000 people in Iran have fallen victim to this disease and lost their lives. But the regime has blatantly lied by announcing the number of deaths to be about a quarter of the real number. It is almost shocking to see that, despite the fact that in the past few months several hundred ordinary people have been victims of this disease every day, none of the high-ranking officials of the country have been infected, let alone died as a result of it.

Khamenei and Rouhani spent months in quarantine. On rare occasions, Khamenei was seen performing religious ceremonies alone, without anyone else in attendance, which the people ridiculed. Similarly, Rouhani held cabinet meetings online and did not meet even with any of his ministers in person. Recently, they have both been appearing in public quite often, without even wearing a mask. This is clear evidence of them having been vaccinated, but they do not confess to that.

Of course, one of the reasons for this catastrophic situation of the outbreak of Corona in Iran, which is one of the wealthiest countries in the world with the largest oil and gas reserves and other underground resources, is the colossal government corruption. Iran’s leaders’ intentions are to become richer and fund their expansionist intentions by supporting proxy groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.

Furthermore, the government is talking about privatizing some of the vaccine imports. This will facilitate the regime’s affiliates acquiring funding from the government, importing vaccines from abroad, and selling them to ordinary people and hospitals at much higher prices. Khamenei’s ruling apparatus is deeply concerned about losing its sovereignty. He plans to oust the incumbent president in June in a show of force and to consolidate his rule. As a result, he wants to make the most of this disease. He wants to continue to expose the people to the virus until the elections are held and use this as a pretext for preventing any large-scale protests and rallies .

Khamenei understands fully that any controversy regarding the upcoming presidential election in Iran could be instrumental in forming widespread demonstrations throughout Iran, similar to the ones in 2019, and this could lead to the overthrow of the mullahs’ regime, hence his cynical use of the virus situation for his own ends. 

Cyrus Yaqubi is a Research Analyst and Iranian Foreign Affairs Commentator investigating the social issues and economy of the middle east countries in general and Iran in particular.

Foragers are most likely to pick up infections, but they interact less with other ants…

Do you wish your coughing, sneezing colleagues would stay away from the office? Unlike some humans, ants seem to understand the importance of avoiding others when they are infected. When foraging ants are exposed to a fungal pathogen, they reduce their contact with workers inside the nest.

Nathalie Stroeymeyt at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and colleagues studied colonies of Lasius niger ants using an automated ant-tracking system.

Workers in these colonies are split into nurses, which work inside the nest caring for the brood, and foragers, which collect food outside the nest. Foragers are most likely to pick up infections, but they interact less with other ants, and come into contact with those inside the nest infrequently.

Killer fungus

The researchers exposed some of the foragers to spores of Metarhizium brunneum fungus. The spores attach to an ant’s cuticle and after a day or two, the fungus gets inside the ant and kills it.

Within one day of exposure to the pathogen — before ants became sick — the separation between work groups was reinforced. Exposed foragers changed their behaviour, spending even more time outside the nest and decreasing their contact with other workers. Foragers that were not exposed to the pathogen also took steps to isolate themselves, and nurses moved the brood deeper inside the nest.

It’s not clear how the ants recognise the infection, but they may be able to detect the spores on other ants as well as on their own bodies.

Simulations show that these changes in behaviour reduce the spread of infections and protect healthy workers and the queen from disease.

Responses like this are to be expected in social insects, since only the queen reproduces, so evolution favours individual behaviour that benefits the whole colony.

“I think we could learn from the social insects about ways to decrease transmission of disease at the scale of the population,” says Stroeymeyt. Although she concedes that the ants are good role models only up to a point. “We can’t really ask sick people to sacrifice themselves by dying in isolation like the ants do.”

Article first published on NewScientist.

Sam Wong is a digital reporter at New Scientist. His favourite subjects to write about are food, drugs and animals.

The massive gray clouds of air pollution have become a terrifying concern for people…

On Sunday, January 3, 2021, for the fifth consecutive day, the air quality in Tehran was reported to be very unhealthy. The regime’s meteorological organization also announced severe air pollution in seven major cities, including Tehran, Tabriz, Mashhad, Isfahan, Arak, Qom, and Karaj, until next Thursday.

The air pollution index in some parts of Tehran on Saturday, January 2exceeded 200, which means very unhealthy, in other areas it reached more than 186, and the Tehran Health Emergency Department is on high alert all days of next week.

 Alireza Raessi, Deputy Minister of Health said, “33,000 people die annually in the country due to air pollution.” In the span of the past 10 months, since spring 2020, only 15 days of clean air have been recorded in Tehran.  This is even though  the coronavirus epidemic has caused a significant reduction in traffic in Tehran, with the closure of schools and universities.

Alireza Zali, head of the Coronavirus task force in Tehran said, ” Air pollution damages parts of the respiratory system and this condition makes a person weaker against coronavirus.”

What is the cause of air pollution?

On December 31, 2020, Abbas Shahsavani, head of the Air Health and Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Health said, ” The use of Mazut in power plants have caused excessive pollution in the weather conditions of Tehran and other metropolises.”.

Massoud Tajrishi, deputy director of the Environmental Protection Agency, on Saturday, January 2 said, “There is no will to eliminate air pollution in Tehran. “In addition to power plants, in recent days some foundry units in Tehran have also used Mazut.”

The Mazut produced by Iranian refineries is very polluting because it has a high sulfur content.

The Environmental Protection Agency also stated that the use of Mazut in power plants is the main cause of air pollution in Tehran.

The massive gray clouds of air pollution have become a terrifying concern for people. Now the question is:

Why has Mazut replaced natural gas?

The government has ordered the use of Mazut by Iran’s power plants and industries and has cut off natural gas in order to generate revenue from the sale of natural gas.

To address the government’s budget deficit, Rouhani has ordered gas exports to the neighboring countries, including Iraq and Pakistan, as an important source of funding for Iran. He has no regard for the health of Iranians and he exports natural gas to Iraq and finances his government from Iranians’ pockets. The government has ordered the use of Mazut and diesel fuel instead of natural gas for power plants as well as foundry plants and has closed the natural gas valves on them.

The Iranian National Gas Company announced that 80% of Iran’s power plants now use Mazut and diesel fuel instead of natural gas. This has greatly increased air pollution in cities

A spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity on Tuesday, December 29, 2020 said that Iran has agreed to resume normal gas exports to Iraq on Wednesday in exchange for receiving a portion($ 700,000) of its $ 6 billion funds from the Iraqi government.

The mullahs’ regime needs to use this Mazut because of reaching its refinery capacity. Power plants are the priority for consumption of Mazut and its use has greatly increased the cities’ pollution.

Alireza Zali, head of the coronavirus task force in Tehran on January 2 said,  “In temperature Inversion and Air Pollution Conditions, the coronavirus is more persistent in the air, and air pollution damages part of the respiratory system, making it more vulnerable to coronavirus. People with asthma will have a worse condition if they contract coronavirus.”.

With a government that does not care for the health of its citizens, it is only natural that underground gas resources are used just to finance the state’s corruption. Such an approach is reflected in the words of citizens who write on social media: “We are all dying silently in this smoky and suffocating city. We have been suffocating for years under this gray umbrella of the sky.”

Hassan Mahmoudi is a Europe-based social analyst, researcher, independent observer, and commentator of Middle Eastern and Iranian Politics. He tweets under @hassan_mahmou1. 

Khamenei’s refusal to allow the vaccine’s entry is another clear sign of its concern for possible social unrests and uprisings.

In his speech on Friday, January 8, 2021, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, pointed to a few matters’ worth elaborating on. Throughout his speech, he made it clear that in Iran, the foremost decision-making authority is himself and the government, the president, and the parliament are not allowed to decide on major issues. In other words, the people’s will and whatever other officials may express are unimportant to him. Listening to his speech, one would clearly comprehend that Iran is, in fact, a dictatorial country ruled by a dictator named Ali Khamenei and that other government agencies have virtually no power to make important decisions.

But one of the important points that Khamenei addressed in his speech was the possible purchase of the Corona vaccine from American and British companies. Last week, a massive campaign #buy vaccine was launched by the Iranian people on social media platforms. Khamenei called the vaccines from the United States and Britain unreliable and not trustworthy for ridiculous reasons. Khamenei’s unscientific and dangerous assumptions contradict the World Health Organization and almost all countries of the world that have approved the use of these vaccines in their countries.

In his speech, Khamenei stated: “Allowing the American and British vaccines into the country is prohibited. I also told this to the Iranian government officials, and I will say it publicly now”. He said the vaccines should not be bought. In other words, it does not matter to him that thousands of Iranians will lose their lives because of the unavailability of the vaccines. He encouraged people to wait for the vaccine that is supposed to be produced in Iran. He intentionally did not mention in his speech that in the most optimistic case, it will take at least one year to avail the vaccine to the people.

Khamenei’s decision to disallow the import and use of the Corona vaccine into Iran indicates that contrary to the regime’s rhetoric and propaganda, Iran was never sanctioned on food and medicine and the Iranian authority’s claims that because of sanctions, Iran was unable to import the vaccines.  Throughout its life, the Iranian regime has always been fearful of possible social unrests and uprisings. It has employed every possible apparatus in its disposal to suppress any gathering and demonstrations by the people. Khamenei’s refusal to allow the vaccine’s entry is another clear sign of its concern for possible social unrests and uprisings.

Another important point that Khamenei mentioned in his speech was the issue of the US sanctions. While calling for the immediate lifting of sanctions by the United States, he explicitly confirmed that Iran no longer adheres to some of its JCPOA obligations, including enriching 20% uranium. He stressed if other countries do not implement their shares of JCPOA, Iran will not either.

Of course, the actions of the Iranian regime over the past year, the start of 20% Uranium enrichment, and expressing its intentions for higher Uranium enrichment prove that Iran has never given up on its desire to build an atomic bomb. Khamenei intends to exploit the transition of power in the United States by blackmailing and extorting, forcing foreign parties to lift sanctions, renounce Iran’s missile programs and export of terrorism and the regime’s criminal interventions in the region.

In his speech, Khamenei intends to pressure Biden to lift the sanctions as soon as possible; otherwise, Iran will no longer abide by the JPCOA agreement and will enrich uranium with high percentages, which is used to build nuclear weapons and blame the American president. He also pointed out that the United States’ return to JPCOA is not important for Iran, and he only demands the lifting of sanctions by the United States. It is clear that Biden will not rejoin the old JPCOA and will want a new agreement to be discussed. In addition to the nuclear issue, the new agreement will address other topics such as the regime’s provocative interventions in the region and support for terrorist groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria, and Iran’s expansion of missile power.

Khamenei also referred to these two issues and said, “First of all, Iran has a duty to act in such a way that its friends and supporters in the region are strengthened, it is our duty. Our presence in the region means strengthening our friends and strengthening our supporters. We should not weaken the friends of the Islamic Republic and those loyal to the regime. So, this is a definite regional presence that must exist and will exist. ». This means that Iran will continue to spend a large portion of its budget on helping proxy groups in other countries, despite the dire internal economic situation and the Iranian people’s dissatisfaction. It is worth mentioning that the majority of the Iranian people live below the poverty line. This of course will continue destabilizing the region.

Regarding the Iranian missile program, Khamenei said, “Today, our defense power is such that our enemies have to take into account Iran’s capabilities in their calculations.” “We must not leave our country defenseless; it is our duty; we must not bow to the enemy’s demands.” In his speech, Khamenei also talked about Iran’s next presidential election that is scheduled to be held in June 2021. Khamenei is pursuing a contractionary policy. He has installed two of his close associates as head of the Judiciary and the parliament’s head. Khamenei is considering making sure the next president and his ministers are also completely aligned with his policies.

To this end, in his speeches, he referred to his preference for a radical government modelled by Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds terrorist force. It should be noted that after raising this issue, several Revolutionary Guards commanders have prepared themselves to participate in the showy presidential elections. Thus, Khamenei wants to seize all the levers of power and government and eliminate any possible opposition to him and his decisions.

However, given the dire economic/social situation in Iran and the corruption in the government apparatus, which has caused dissatisfaction among more than 90% of the people, it remains to be seen whether Khamenei’s plans can save his government and prevent its overthrow by popular uprisings. We have seen it in previous years, especially in the November 2019 uprising. This is something that will be answered in the coming months.

Cyrus Yaqubi is a Research Analyst and Iranian Foreign Affairs Commentator investigating the social issues and economy of the middle east countries in general and Iran in particular.