Biden Criticized As Hamas Declares Israel's ‘Isolation’ in Tehran

Morteza Mahmoudvand, a parliament member from Khorram Abad, informed reporters that most of Iran's problems stem from this corrupt faction within the government. He pledged to substantiate this claim with documents and evidence for the public.

He emphasized, "Despite the efforts of the current parliament to assist the government, certain deviant elements within the Raisi administration obstructed constructive measures, leading to a feeble government." He reiterated his statement as a seasoned political and security expert.

Mahmoudvand accused this deviant group of having connections to foreign entities, although he refrained from disclosing the identities of these individuals or the involved foreign countries. He asserted that these infiltrators have permeated the government and are responsible for the failures of the Raisi administration.

He revealed that he had informed President Ebrahim Raisi multiple times about these infiltrators but observed no action taken by the Iranian president. Mahmoudvand added that when Raisi formed his government, he lacked a cohesive team, allowing foreign-backed infiltrators to join his administration, potentially leading to a significant crisis for the nation.

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Similarly, former lawmaker Gholam Ali Jafarzadeh Imanabadi told reporters on Monday that individuals like Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi, lacking prior administrative experience, were suddenly promoted to cabinet positions. He expressed regret, saying, "I wish Raisi had never become Iran's President."

Imanabadi lamented the loss of the European market due to the inefficiency of government ministers and officials. He criticized the parliament, citing members who lack understanding of the country's realities and economic illiteracy.

He remarked, "There isn't a single economist among the members of the new parliament." He criticized the prevalence of populist radicals in the current parliament.

Iranian hardliners loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei barred hundreds of candidates from running for the March 1 parliamentary elections, paving the way for a relatively small circle of ultraconservatives to win many seats amid a low-turnout event.

Imanabadi said: "I am not happy about the government's failure. It is regrettable that as a result of the government's inefficiency the rate of exchange for the US dollar is now more than 600,000 rials. In the meantime, we have lost the European market as the government has shown more interest in transactions with regional countries. Our trade balance for the first nine months of the Iranian Year (late March to late December 2023) has been negative.”

He pointed out: "We have lost so many of our military men in Syria, but we hold only four percent of that country's market” This comes while more than 70 percent of the Syrian market belongs to Turkey, he said and added, "At the same time, the International Monetary Fund has acknowledged the sharp drop in the value of Iranian currency. This is the outcome of assigning big jobs to radical populists who do not understand the realities.

Pointing out the weakness of the parliament, Imanabadi said that only 7 percent of legislation by the current parliament have something to do with the country's economic situation.

The former commander of the IRGC's Khatamolanbia Headquarters Saeed Mohammad has in a recent interview highlighted the lack of coordination among the members of Raisi's economic team as one of the reasons for his administration’s economic failures. He asked: "Why the government does not ask itself for what reasons its economic slogans have not materialized?"

He questioned the administration's failure to fulfill its economic promises despite Khamenei's repeated emphasis on production growth.

Speaking at a forum on international relations, Majedi stated that the FATF issue transcends geopolitics, emphasizing, "It's not about the US; it's about international regulations."

He pointed out that Iran's inclusion on the FATF blacklist poses hurdles to its economic activities and international relations.

FATF is a Paris-based inter-state financial watchdog that has penalized Iran for not adhering to international conventions on money laundering and financing of terrorism. In 2017, Iran's presidential administration proposed legislation to address FATF's concerns but hardliners have blocked its approval.

Regarding Iran's foreign policy challenges, Majedi cautioned against ineffective diplomatic approaches. He was referring to the dispute over Iran's nuclear program and relations with the West.

He criticized the current government's foreign policy team, labeling it as one of the weakest in history. Drawing parallels with past administrations, he highlighted the need for a technocratic approach to effectively advance Iran's foreign policy goals. Majedi emphasized the need for a competent negotiation team and strategic diplomatic maneuvering.

Iran finds itself increasingly isolated in the international arena due to a combination of factors, including its strained relations with the West, ongoing regional conflicts, and concerns over its nuclear program.

Despite efforts to engage diplomatically, Tehran's confrontational rhetoric and actions have exacerbated tensions with Western countries and Persian Gulf Arab states alike. The reimposition of sanctions by the United States, coupled with Iran's defiance, have further isolated the country economically and diplomatically.

Additionally, Iran's support for militant groups in the Middle East has fueled regional instability, leading to growing distrust and apprehension among its neighbors and the broader international community.

Among the victims are a one-year-old baby and a law enforcement officer, with three civilians sustaining injuries.

The Baluch Activists Campaign reported that armed men initiated gunfire at two law enforcement vehicles on Monday evening, resulting in the death of a law enforcement officer.

“In response, military forces retaliated by firing at the car of a Baluch citizen, resulting in the death of one-year-old Fatemeh Bameri and injuries to three others,” it added.

The Sistan-Baluchestan Law Enforcement Information Center presented the child's death as a consequence of armed men targeting her family's vehicle and identified the officer as Mohammad Zakhireh.

The incident adds to a concerning trend of increased armed attacks leading to deaths among regime forces in the largely Sunni province. Just a day prior, Iranian media reported the killing of border guard Mohammad Mehdi Nejatinia by unidentified assailants.

Furthermore, the event echoes past instances where innocent children have lost their lives due to direct fire from regime forces.

Kian Pirfalak, a nine-year-old child, was fatally shot by government forces during nationwide protests on November 16, 2022 highlighting the impact of such confrontations on civilian lives.

Following this action, ArvanCloud filed a complaint with the European Court of Justice and simultaneously pressured European governments through political channels to revoke this decision.

At the same time, ArvanCloud announced the termination of its contract with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

A source close to European authorities informed Iran International that ArvanCloud's overseas supporters claimed to have played a significant role in providing millions of Iranian citizens with access to a free internet during the Woman, Life Freedom protests in 2022-2023. This claim appears to be one of the reasons for the EU's decision to lift sanctions on ArvanCloud.

Iran has been blocking tens of thousands of websites since 2002, and as social media emerged, it began also blocking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter (X) and You Tube. Traditional media is also heavily censored, as are books and films, both from the perspective of Islamic beliefs and political content.

The European Union and ArvanCloud have not responded to Iran International's request for clarification about this information at the time of publication.

The European Union annually reviews its list of individuals and entities violating human rights in Iran and decides whether to renew the sanctions or not. The outcome of this decision is announced in the official EU newspaper one or two days later.

In June 2023, the US Treasury Department labeled ArvanCloud as a key partner of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran in developing the national information network and disconnecting Iranians from the global internet, based on which, two founders of this company were sanctioned along with one of its branches in the UAE.

A source close to decision makers in the EU told Iran International: "The 'Anonymous' hacking group previously exposed documents from the Islamic Republic's internet filtering committee server, showing that ArvanCloud had blocked various websites at the committee's request."

In one case, ArvanCloud officials went beyond the given orders and not only blocked a website but also its server's IP address.

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Documents released by Nariman Gharib, an internet researcher, in 2022 also showed that Issa Zarepour, the Minister of Communications, had asked President Ebrahim Raisi to take action through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the European countries to remove ArvanCloud from the sanctions list.

In the same letter, Raisi was asked to agree that law firms associated with the embassies of the Islamic Republic undertake the defense of ArvanCloud at the government's expense.

ArvanCloud controls 49% of Iran's cloud space market and continues to host many of the Islamic Republic's most important websites, including the Presidency, IRNA news agency, and the Ministry of Islamic Guidance.

One of the information centers of this company is installed at Payam Airport, belonging to the Ministry of Communications.

With Iran's longstanding support, the Houthis have fortified their position in Yemen's decade-long civil conflict, seizing control over vast territories with extensive financial and military backing.

Most recently the group has imposed a blockade on one of the world’s primary sea trade and logistics routes. Multiple attacks have been carried out on global shipping including multiple deaths of seamen earlier this month.

The latest sanctions, imposed on six entities, one individual, and two tankers spanning Liberia, India, Vietnam, Lebanon, and Kuwait, aim to disrupt illicit commodity shipments and financial transactions, according to the US Treasury Department.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "We will continue to use the tools at our disposal to target those who ship illicit cargo to benefit terrorist groups."

However, as Iran’s proxy activity continues, many in Washington say sanctions are failing, not least in deterring Iran’s nuclear program which has continued to grow beyond peaceful limits.

In a parallel move, the Treasury Department sanctioned 11 individuals and entities accused of bolstering Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's regime through illicit financial transfers and drug trafficking.

Iran's extensive backing extends beyond the Houthis, encompassing several other designated terrorist organizations in the region including Hamas in Gaza which waged war on Israel in October 7.