IRGC Servicemen Killed in Syria

IRGC announced today that eight Iranian servicemen were killed in the past 24 hours in Syria. Fars News Agency quoted Ramezan Sharif, a spokesman for the IRGC, as saying that IRGC members Abdollah Bagheri and Amin Karimi and six other unnamed servicemen were killed in Syria yesterday and today, without giving their ranks. Reports in social media had indicated that actually 15 IRGC serviceman were killed near Aleppo, but IRGC spokesman denied those reports, saying only eight were killed.

Abdollah Bagheri, 33, one of the IRGC servicemen killed in action, was identified as the former bodyguard of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The photos in social media show Ahmadinejad at the late Bagheri’s house saying condolences to his family.

Iran was reported to have deployed some 2,000 IRGC Ground Force troops to Syria after the start of the Russian involvement in the country’s civil war on 30 September. They have joined hundreds of Quds Force advisers and specialists already in Syria. The introduction of ground troops into the conflict has changed Iran’s strategy of maintaining a small footprint of advisers to a limited deployment of ground forces directly involved in the conflict.

15 servicemen killed in action, or eight as IRGC says, is the largest number of Iranian casualties in a 24-hour period in more than 4 years of conflict in Syria.

Photo credit: Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with the family of Abdollah Bagheri, his former bodyguard killed in action in Syria; Tehran, 23 October 2015

Former Ahmadinejad’s Top Deputy Convicted

Former Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, who served as Ahmadinejad’s senior deputy in 2009-2013, was convicted today on charges related to major government embezzlement. Judiciary spokesman, Qolam Hossein Mohseni Ejehie, made the announcement in Tehran, adding that the appeal process in the case is not yet finalized. (IRNA, 1 September)

File photo: Former Iranian VP Mohammad Reza Rahimi. (IRNA)

Khamenei Questions the Holocaust

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a Norouz address to the nation questioned the historical reality of the Holocaust. His official Twitter account has posted his Holocaust-related remark in English. Khamenei made the remark in Mashhad on Friday.

“Holocaust is an event whose reality is uncertain and if it has happened, it's uncertain how it has happened.” (Twitter/khamenei_ir, 21 March 2014)

In the past eight years, denying the Holocaust was the purview of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with Khamenei generally silent on the issue. With Ahmadinejad out as the spokesperson, Khamenei is now taking on the Holocaust personally. 

Last September, on the occasion of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif twitted that the days of Holocaust denial were gone, attributing them to Ahmadinejad.

“Iran never denied it (the Holocaust). The man who was perceived to be denying it is now gone. Happy New year.” (Twitter/@JZarif, 5 September 2013) 

But it is Ahmadinejad who is gone, not the urge to deny the Holocaust on part of the “revolutionaries” within the Islamic Republic. 

Photo credit: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Mashhad, 21 March 2014 (Twitter/khamenei_ir)

Ahmadinejad’s First VP Indicted for Bribery and Embezzlement

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi was indicted today for his alleged role in several high-profile bribery and embezzlement cases that also spill into Turkey, as well as Central and East Asia. Rahimi has denied all charges. (IRNA/Reuters, 17 March)

File photo: Former Iranian First VP Mohammad-Reza Rahimi (IRNA)

Stagflation ‘Very Worrying’ – Rouhani

Rouhani’s First Budget Amid Contraction in Economy and High Inflation 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani presented his first budget to parliament on Sunday. He told members of Majlis in a televised address that the country’s GDP had contracted by 6 percent over the past year, while inflation was running at 44 percent when he took office in August. Rouhani described the economic situation as “very worrying.”

“Employment is the most important future issue for the economy but now the biggest problem is (tackling) stagflation,” Rouhani said. “The combination of stagnation and inflation over the past two years was unprecedented,” he added. (IRIB/Reuters, 8 December)

The government has also racked up enormous debt after former president Ahmadinejad decided to spend significant part of the country’s oil revenues on monthly cash handouts to citizens and on housing projects.

The draft budget estimates oil exports at about 1.1 million barrels per day (bpd), oil ministry website Shana said on Tuesday. (Reuters, 8 December)

Rouhani cancels public housing construction program

 

Above: Modern residential blocks of low income public housing built in Borujerd, Iran

(Photo: Wikipedia Commons) 

 According to Tehran Times:

The transport and urban development minister announced [last] Wednesday that the Mehr housing plan will not continue in the new administration of Hassan Rouhani.

Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi said his ministry will “only complete” the unfinished Mehr housing projects.

The completion of 1.5 million houses in 17 new cities is a legacy of the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad administration for the new administration. The plan started in 2007.

The plan is a home construction promotion program in which the government offers developers free land in return for the construction of cheap residential units for first-time house buyers on 99-year leases. Under the scheme, the government commissions banks as agents to offer loans to the real estate developers.

The minister said the project has created problems for the government and the applicants and is not a “good plan” to be continued.

[...]

In late August Ali Tayebnia, the minister of economy and finance, blamed the Mehr housing plan for over-expanding money supply. He also blamed the Mehr housing policies for runaway inflation and serious budget problems.

Officials in the new administration had initially said that the Mehr houses serve as dormitories and it was better that these houses were being built in cities.

Not long ago Iran's media began running pictorials on public housing new construction deficiencies, so this announcement was expected.

With reduced government revenue as a result of U.S.-led economic sanctions against Iran, the public housing program couldn't be sustained.

Iran's media has been depicting this development as being in the interest of low income applicants but one has to imagine there are families in line for public housing that are disappointed with the cancelation of the program.

Ahmadinejad Administration’s Debts Amount to 1800 Trillion Rials - Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today that previous administration's debts to the banks, private sector and contractors amount to 1800 trillion rials ($150 billion in official exchange prices or $60 billion based on current free market rate).

“With the help of MPs, the government will be able to create a reasonable budget plan for the next calendar year (which starts March 21, 2014), to settle the debts,” Rouhani said (Mehr News Agency, 22 October)

Rouhani made the remarks during a gathering of Isfahan’s Majlis members.

“The government's performance is not perfect, but the huge amount of debts makes work difficult," Rouhani said. (Mehr News Agency/Trend, 22 October)

File photo: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (IRNA) 

Iran Cancels Anti-Israeli Conference

Rouhani administration has cancelled an anti-Israeli conference that was scheduled to take place in early October in Tehran. Ahmadinejad opened the first conference in 2005. The annual event, dubbed New Horizon, showcased former president’s vitriolic anti-Israeli rhetoric.

jahannews.com reported today that the Foreign Ministry scrapped the gathering because it was seen as undermining the government's policy of “interaction with the outside world.” (jahannews.com/AP, 10 October)

mashreghnews.ir quoted an organizer of the event, Nader Talebzadeh, as saying that, “Cancellation of the anti-Zionist New Horizon festival is a disaster. It was the most powerful anti-Zionist conference in Iran.” (mashreghnews.ir/AP, 10 October)

Talebzadeh said 63 foreign scholars and 50 Iranian speakers were expected to address the gathering. He added that he began inviting foreign speakers back in May, when Ahmadinejad was in office.

File photo: Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2010, IRNA)

Ahmadinejad Appointed To The Expediency Council

Phot Source: rnw.nl

The Supreme leader of Iran, Khamenei, has appointed, the now ex-president, Ahmadinejad to the Expediency Council (1) which is headed by Rafsanjani (2). 

References:

(1)http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8051750.stm

(2)http://www.jomhourieslami.com/1392/13920515/13920515_03_jomhori_islami_akhbar_dakheli_0009.html

‘Anyone Else? We’re Gone!’

Hassan Rouhani is set to officially replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran on Saturday after his election is certified by the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a ceremony in Tehran. Rouhani’s public inauguration will take place on Sunday.

Photo caption: “Anyone Else? We’re Gone?”
Photo credit: Ahmadinejad at control, surrounded by close advisors (Hamshahri Javan)

Ahmadinejad Holds Last Cabinet Session

Outgoing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday held the last cabinet meeting of his presidency. The meeting was held in the city of Mashhad.

Top photo: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad flanked by Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie (r), whose candidacy to replace Ahmadinejad was rejected by the Guardian Council, and First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi.

Bottom photo: the last cabinet session of Ahmadinejad’s presidency

Photo credit: Mohammad Mehdi Moazen/IRNA

Editor’s Note: Payvand was the first news site to run the story in English

Ahmadinejad to Build a Technical College

Outgoing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plans to establish a technical college in Tehran after leaving office on 3 August. Named the University of Iranians, the institution will specialize in nuclear engineering, nanotechnology and aerospace. Ahmadinejad received the permit for the college from the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, a government body overseeing higher education in Iran. (IRNA/UPI, 28 July)

Photo credit: Iran's outgoing president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) meets President-elect Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on June 18, 2013. (UPI) 

Ahmadinejad: Baghdad and Tehran have 'exceptional' security role to play in Mideast region

Ahmadinejad.

In a visit to Baghdad Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proclaimed that Tehran and Baghdad have an "exceptional" security role to play when it comes to the regions security.

"We carry a joint message, which is a message of progress and stability and security, and also a message of peace," he was quoted as saying after talks with the Vice President of Iraq Khudayr al-Khuzaie. (Middle East Online, July 19 2013)

He also stated that, “The prosperity, progress, and security of Iraq are also Iran’s prosperity, progress, and security." (Tehran Times, July 19 2013)

The red carpet was rolled out for his visit.

According to a statement on Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's website the Iraqi Prime Minister told Mr. Ahmadinejad that "Iraq supports peaceful solutions for all the problems in the region."

He went on to tell Ahmadinejad that Iranian companies are welcome to participate in the reconstruction of the Iraqi state.

Following these meetings Ahmadinejad visited the Shiite holy shrines in the Iraqi cities of Karbala and Najaf. (ABC News, July 19 2013)

Mr. Ahmadinejad's presidential term is due to end next month when he will be succeeded by President-elect Hasan Rouhani.

Rouhani Describes a Bleak Economy

Speaking in Majlis late on Sunday, Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani described a bleak economy.

“This is the first time that the country faces very high inflation - the highest in the region and perhaps in the world - coupled with negative economic growth,” Rouhani told the lawmakers. (Mehr News Agency, 15 July)

Rouhani said Iran’s economy actually contracted during the past two years, the first time since the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

Rouhani also reported that the country’s inflation rate is 42 percent, not the 32 percent claimed by Ahmadinejad’s administration.

Rouhani said he was concerned about the country’s unemployment rate, especially unemployment among the educated youths.

“According to our statistics,” Rouhani said, “we will have 4.5 million unemployed university graduates four years from now.”

Rouhani also accused Ahmadinejad’s administration of misrepresenting the unemployment picture. He said despite Ahmadinejad’s claims of creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, only an average of 14,000 were created annually over the 2006 to 2012 period.

“The country faces very difficult conditions, and some of these complexities are the result of domestic performance and some are the result of unjust foreign pressures,” Rouhani added.

Rouhani’s senior aide, Akbar Torkan, also told reporters in Tehran that that the economic state of the country was “much worse than expected.” Torkan acts as Rouhani’s liaison with Ahmadinejad’s administration during the transition period.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threw his support behind the outgoing president.

“The respected president (Ahmadinejad) and his colleagues faced enormous tasks and operated rapidly in comparison with all the other governments,” Ayatollah Khamenei said during a speech broadcast on Iran’s state radio. “We must consider their huge workload, tireless efforts. This cabinet avoided comfort and grants, whereas most officials in the world and in the country benefit from them.”