Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, July 24, 2021—After more than a week of intense protests in Khuzestan, regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei shed crocodile tears and made a failed attempt at expressing sympathy with the people of Khuzestan on Friday.
“In the past seven-to-eight days, one of our main concerns was the problems of Khuzestan and the people’s water problem. It is really painful for anyone to see Khuzestan province—with all its loyal people, with all the facilities and natural resources it has, with all the factories it has—to see the people living in such conditions that they become upset,” Khamenei said in televised remarks.
It is worth noting that the resources of Khuzestan have been mostly drained by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the military body that controls a vast portion of the country’s economy and reports to none other than Khamenei.
In his remarks, Khamenei again avoided taking any responsibility for the situation in Khuzestan and tried to lay all the blame on the outgoing government of regime president Hassan Rouhani.
“If the recommendations regarding Khuzestan’s water and sewage… were listened to, we would not have these problems. Now the people are upset and they are expressing their dissatisfaction. We can’t complain about the people. They have water problems, and this is not small matter, especially in Khuzestan’s weather,” Khamenei said.
Khamenei then tried to give false hope that Khuzestan’s problems will be solved by the government of incoming president Ebrahim Raisi, notoriously renowned for his lack of economic knowledge and his human rights abuses.
“The problems of the people must be solved. If the problems were solved in time, this situation would not occur. And now, governmental and non-governmental institutions must pursue this issue seriously. The new government will start its work and will, God-willing, handle this issue seriously,” Khamenei said.
Interestingly, the one thing that has remained consistent in the government’s response in the past week has been the dispatching of an increasing number of repressive forces to quell the protests. The regime has cut off internet access and its security forces are opening fire on protesters with wild abandon. According to numerous reports, dozens of civilians have been killed and many others have been injured.
In his remarks, Khamenei could not hide his fear from the growing tension and protests that are calling for the overthrow of his regime.
“The people must be wary of the enemy, who wants to take advantage of every small matter and use it against the state, against the Islamic Republic, against public interest. The people must be careful not to give the enemy any excuses,” Khamenei said.
Khuzestan is faced with a severe water crisis, mainly due to the regime’s destructive policies. In recent weeks, reports from Khuzestan show the Hur ol-Azim marsh drying up and livestock dying due to lack of water.
At the same time, the province’s inhabitants are facing additional problems due to electricity outages. Last week, the people have held protests over power blackouts.
The unjustified creation of dams on the Karun river in the region is the main reason the people are facing water shortages. Khuzestan is one of several provinces that are faced with water shortages due to government policies. In May, the Arman newspaper published a column about the water shortage crisis and wrote, “This is a struggle that, according to some, is rooted in the inefficiency of government officials in managing water sources and has resulted in the destruction of the lives of many citizens who rely on these water sources to make a living.”
In the past years, the people of Khuzestan and provinces have been constantly protesting the regime’s policies that are negatively affecting their lives. Absent a government response to the situation, they have taken to the streets as their last resort, knowing that the regime will not solve their problems. In recent days, the common slogans of all protesters has been “Down with Khamenei,” “Down with dictator,” “And the people want regime change.”
