On April 27, Dideban Iran news website quoted Mohammad Hossein Azimi, the Secretary-General of “Islamic Iran Front”, as saying, “We have many people similar to Kazem Sediqi, but their issue has only become a media sensation. There are members within mafia groups, government forces, Hezbollah, and others whom I cannot elaborate on further.” Azimi was referring to Sediqi, a high-profile cleric in the regime who was recently involved in a major land embezzlement scandal in Ozgol.
This is just the latest admission from an Iranian official that indicates that all kinds of corrupt and criminal elements exist in the power structure of this regime, whose leaders pretend to be devoid of any sin.
As Azimi said in his interview, “The worst plague of the Islamic revolution in the past 45 years has been the issue of pretense, and this pretense has damaged of the nation and the country.”
Azimi then highlights several examples of the monopolistic tendencies and corruption of regime agents: “Ali Reza Panahian’s (a Shia Scholar) remarks have proven that purification was underway, and their circle is intended to become narrower… If they want to adjust the entire country according to their desires and claim that the country belongs to them, the people will hold them accountable. Let’s talk about Ayatollah Sediqi. In the end, we have many of these individuals, many of them, and [Sediqi] happened to be the unlucky one… The phenomenon of ‘son-in-law-ism’ has spread among the forces of the revolution, which we can call ‘thousand-hands.’ These ‘thousand-handed’ individuals have thousands of shared interests…”
Then he mentioned the names of several individuals close to the office of the regime supreme leader who have brought their relatives, uncles, and aunts into positions of power and money.
“Corruption has become deeply rooted in our country, and if it becomes systemic, there will be nothing left of the revolution.”
He then discussed the sale of oil and the hidden hands of the privileged individuals who have taken out $10 billion from the country. He further discussed the allocation of half-priced foreign currency, which “has created a large market for opportunistic and lazy individuals who don’t try and only make huge profits through intermediation and such activities. Companies like Persian Gulf Holding, steel companies, National Copper Company, IMIDRO and its affiliate companies such as Mobarakeh Steel and Golgohar and Chadormalu, are among these large companies that I believe their half-priced currency is at least 50 to 60 billion dollars per year.”
His revelations were very detailed. He discussed deliberate price manipulation, circumvention of sanctions, and the embezzlement of billions of dollars. “If they come to light, they will be worse than Babak Zanjani,” he said, a regime-linked business magnate that was involved in a massive embezzlement case related to circumventing oil sanctions. The regime has mafia circles for meat, foreign currency, gold coins, and so on. Azimi didn’t spare the regime’s municipalities and said, “All municipalities are full of corruption. Corruption in the Tehran municipality and astronomically valued properties, in my opinion, has been a grand scheme; the level of corruption is unimaginable.”
This is just a glimpse of the large-scale regime corruption that has been exposed in factional conflicts within the regime. A recent study by Stanford University emphasized the negative impact of political and international tensions on the economy. This issue takes on a new level in Iran’s economy, which is under the influence of the regime’s corruption and warmongering policies.
Referring to the regime’s warmongering as “foreign policy,” economist Hossein Raghfar told the state-run Sharq newspaper on April 25, “Unfortunately, throughout these years, the main burden of foreign policy has been on the shoulders of the economy. It means that during all these years, the market, livelihood, and people’s table have been directly and seriously affected by the destructive effects of this foreign policy strategy. During these years, we have witnessed the emergence of various forms of strange and unusual corruption. Now, a class of powerful individuals has practically monopolized all economic and commercial opportunities and national resources, ensuring their own gains by perpetuating the current policies and preserving unequal opportunities and resources for themselves.”
The effects of the regime’s devastating warmongering in the Middle East can clearly be seen in several sectors of Iran’s economy.
On April 18, Eghtesad News website reported, “Due to increased political risk, 36 trillion rials in cash was withdrawn from the Iranian stock market.”
On April 27, the state-run Eghtesad 24 news website wrote, “Additionally, during those days, the exchange rate reached 700,000 rials per dollar, and the price of the new gold coin exceeded 450 million rials. The head of Mehrabad Airport had also mentioned that all flights at the airport had been cancelled.”
The journal “Transportation Security” reported that the closure of an airport for more than 24 hours results in financial losses ranging from six to 61 million dollars for the airport and airlines. Additionally, many airlines had canceled their flights to Iran. The financial losses incurred by online businesses are also difficult to quantify.
The clerical regime of Iran, like its dictatorial predecessors, is not sustainable. Every corruption case will only fuel the determination of the Iranian people to overthrow this regime and establish a democratic republic.
It is evident that the damages caused by the ruling regime in Iran and its warmongering activities are reflected in empty tables spread across the streets of Iran, where unpaid workers, impoverished retirees, teachers, nurses, and hardworking members of society raise their voices in protest and declare their readiness to overthrow religious fascism.
