#Iran — Are We Wrong to Hope?

Arseh Sevom — Can you excuse us for hoping for change even though we know that political prisoners and prisoners of conscience face malicious neglect and execution to this day? Like many in Iran, we were hoping for a quick positive outcome to the nuclear negotiations. Like others, we are enjoying the fashion spread in Fashionable, Sexy, Haute and Naughty Magazine. We enjoy hearing more of Iran’s political figures call for the filtering of social networking to end and look forward to the day that the most interesting news out of Iran is what a friend ate for lunch. 

by Peyman Majidzadeh

Nuclear Talks: Hopes for Agreement

Nuclear talks are one of the most important priorities of Iran’s new government that, if accomplished successfully, could result in the lifting of sanctions and new economic development. The new round of Geneva talks that begun on Thursday November 7, with cautious optimism expressed from both sides [en], nearly missed ending in an agreement.

Before the new round of talks, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the country is trying to eliminate any justification for the sanctions [en].

Iranian society wants the same. Gallup polls [en] show that 85% of Iranians say international sanctions have hurt their own livelihoods. Although 68% of Iranians say the country should continue to develop nuclear power, there is no doubt that nearly everyone would appreciate an end to sanctions.

The talks were a real nail-biter that ended without an agreement. Official reports were that the French negotiator Laurent Fabius was the last hold-out. On Monday, November 11, journalists and netizens are speculating on the reasons no agreement was signed. The Times of Israel states the a French parliamentarian and friend of Israel’s prime minister called Fabius to tell him, “You have to toughen your positions in order to prevent war.”  

In a post on Facebook, the Iranian-American essayist Setareh Sabety wrote:

Wow, if our good people got this angry, as they are at #Fabius, each time an innocent was imprisoned or executed we may have had ourselves a more decent regime by now. Having said that, there is something excruciatingly annoying about the Saudi’s, who have the most anachronistic regime in the world and the Israeli’s who are lying to this day about their nuclear capability, being able to hinder the negotiations through the nefarious mediation of a European government that has most benefited from the Islamic Republic since its inception!

Iran Active in Oil and Gas Trade

The past eight years have not been promising for Iran’s oil and gas sector. Recent hopes for a nuclear agreement that has not yet materialized, and the attendant lifting of sanctions, has led to a mini revival in the sector. According to Fars News Agency [en], energy ministers of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) member states held a meeting in Tehran in which they elected Iran’s Seyed Mohammad Hossein Adeli as their next secretary-general. Fars News also reported that:

–          Iran is now exporting gas to Iraq’s Basra Power Plant [en]

–          India increased oil imports from Iran in September [en]

Reuters [en] also reported that Japan’s oil imports from Iran in September have increased by 35% compared to last year.

Iran Demands Pakistan Action on Border Attack

A terrorist attack in Saravan border region in Sistan and Baluchistan province took 14 lives [en] and led to the retaliatory execution of 16 prisoners. The border guards were Iranian youth serving their compulsory military service. The terrorists, who were reportedly members of Jeish Al-Adl group, fled to Pakistan after the attack. Iran is planning to send a delegation to hold a meeting in Pakistan and discuss the security issues.

Supreme Leader Demands Larger Families

Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei warned against the consequences of an aging population and a low birth rate, and requested that scholars find ways to encourage families to have more children, Tehran Times [en] reported. In Iran’s current economic structure, more babies means more subsidies.

This is a challenge with Iran struggling with international sanctions. The new government, just like the former one, finds it difficult to make funds required to pay subsidies. Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani said this week that the current method of paying targeted subsidies [fa] is ineffective, since it creates inflation and hinders production at the same time. When giving the speech, he seemed quite angry with Iran’s former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

First Ever Fashion Editorial Shot in Iran

Fashionable, Sexy, Haute and Naughty Magazine (FSHN) [en] published the first ever fashion editorial completely shot in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The project was completed with a team of ten, including model, designer, makeup artists, and the photographer Afra Pourdad. Photos were taken in the Tajrish Bazaar, Tehran, and at the Manouchehri House in Kashan. “Slowly, slowly Spring arrives,” wrote one commenter on the article, quoting the poet Ferydoon Moshiri.

Heavy Lifting

Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Ali Jannati was the most recent person to bring up the issue of social networks [en]. Rouhani’s cabinet members have their own Facebook and Twitter accounts and yet social networks are filtered for the rest of the country. Someone has to stop the contradiction! And who is better than the Culture and Islamic Guidance minister? Jannati said: “Not only Facebook, but other social networks should be accessible and the illegal qualification should be removed.”