After confidential documents of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament) were exposed by a dissident group, the regime declared that the Majlis is closed until March 4.
On February 14, the state-run Tabnak newspaper wrote, “As a result, the public sessions of the Majlis have been postponed until after the elections; however, the Speaker of the Majlis, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf emphasized that if there is a need to amend the resolutions of the budget bill, a public session will be held.”
The most important project of the Majlis every year is supposed to be the review and approval of the budget bill, and the current budget bill has been the main subject of the regime’s media and the focus of conflict between the Majlis and the government. Therefore, the closure of the Majlis amidst the heated discussions on the budget, and while the process of reviewing and approving this bill has not yet reached a conclusion, and the said bill should be approved before early March, could have significant implications.
The meaning of this closure is that neither the Majlis nor the budget bill have any meaningful implications. As evident from the disclosed documents, major decisions are communicated to the Majlis as government decrees from regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei and are implemented accordingly. Members of the Majlis may outwardly assume a critical stance, but in practice, they unquestioningly approve orders and obey Khamenei without questioning. In some cases, they even forego the pretense and without any hesitation or the need for voting, simply request payment by sending a letter to Ghalibaf.
This is a fact that is acknowledged by the media and government elements themselves.
On February 13, the state-run Etemad newspaper wrote, “What has recently been observed in the scene of the country’s elections regarding disqualification movements in the Guardian Council (The body that oversees the elections) and the Majlis goes beyond mere staging and emptying the concept of elections, only being satisfied with its superficial aspects. What is currently happening goes beyond superficial appearances and has reached the point of fragmenting that same hollow symbol. This process is taking place with a specific purpose that others have a lot to learn from.”
In the current regime ruling Iran, it is not just the elections and the Majlis that have been treated as a hollow entity. This phenomenon also encompasses the executive and judicial branches, and there is no remaining intact and cohesive structure. The judiciary has also become a tool for persecution and execution. The components of the government and ministries are essentially instruments of the Supreme Leader’s authority and operate as appendages of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Intelligence.
On November 4, regime foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, in a highly confidential urgent letter to Khamenei, wrote, “According to the regulations, the executive bodies of the country are required to carry out all their actions in the field of foreign relations in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, except for the armed forces, the Ministry of Intelligence, and the Atomic Energy Organization. This issue leads to inconsistency in the country’s foreign policy and reflects a message of weakening the authority and position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to other countries and international organizations. Please instruct all agencies to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in their foreign relations.”
On November 12, the head of the Office of the Supreme Leader, in a highly confidential letter, refers to the excessive demands of Amir Abdollahian, who had sought to “preserve his position” as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The letter directs him to Ghalibaf and the Majlis, effectively dismissing him, and essentially implies that Amir Abdollahian should not overstep his boundaries or extend his influence beyond what is appropriate.
The medieval regime ruling Iran has no other destiny but downfall, although it attempts to emulate the governing mechanisms of the present era to make the ruling institutions of Iran appear compatible with the current age. This regime is an outdate phenomenon that, with the will of the Iranian people and the most enlightened children of this land, will be overthrown by the rebellious youth and resistance units.