Iran is facing a growing internal crisis; a new revolution is beginning in the country
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Iran is currently grappling with a severe internal crisis characterized by simultaneous power and water shortages, soaring living costs, increased repression, and a deteriorating economy that analysts fear could be as dangerous for authorities as external pressures. The energy sector faces an acute emergency where regular blackouts in industrial areas are expected to persist for months, effectively shutting down businesses, reducing production capacity, and placing immense strain on the national economy. Compounding this issue is a dire water situation where some cities receive supply only sporadically throughout the week, leading to significant threats against agriculture with farmers warning of impending crop failures that could jeopardize food security across the nation.
The standard of living for the population continues to decline as families are forced to spend a large portion of their income on basic necessities following the reduction of government subsidies. This economic hardship has triggered sharp increases in prices for essential goods such as food, medicine, and education, while many businesses report months-long delays in wage payments that further destabilize households. Amidst this growing discontent, state authorities are tightening their grip on society by inspecting and closing popular cafes in Tehran under various pretexts ranging from dress code violations to administrative charges, signaling a broader crackdown intended to suppress public dissent before it escalates into wider unrest.
Despite these repressive measures, protest activity remains persistent across different regions of the country, with reports of armed clashes between security forces and anti-government groups emerging in several areas. Underground organizations are reportedly attempting to expand their reach and acquire weapons, while human rights activists note a disturbing rise in death sentences and executions targeting protesters and those accused of crimes against state security. This volatile environment is further complicated by rumors surrounding the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, particularly after President Masoud Pezeshkian allegedly met him under extremely unusual circumstances that contradicted his previous public statements about a warm and friendly interaction.
The secrecy surrounding these high-level political maneuvers has fueled speculation among opposition media regarding the lack of any official photos, videos, or audio messages from Mojtaba Khamenei since his appointment. State media have attempted to justify this silence by suggesting that publishing recordings could allow foreign intelligence agencies to determine the leader's location or learn about his health status, yet these explanations do little to quell public suspicion given the president's confusion over whether he had indeed spoken with a new Supreme Leader during their brief encounter in complete darkness. As rumors mount and official activity remains non-existent, the combination of economic collapse, resource scarcity, and political uncertainty suggests that Iran is standing on a precipice where internal instability could rapidly escalate into a full-scale revolution if not addressed soon.
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Iran is facing a growing internal
crisis, which, according to some
analysts, could become no less dangerous
for the authorities than external
pressure. The country is simultaneously
experiencing power and water shortages,
a sharp rise in the cost of living,
increased repression, and a
deteriorating economic situation. Mariv
writes about this. The energy crisis
remains one of the most pressing issues.
Authorities have already imposed regular
power cuts in industrial areas, and
planned outages are expected to continue
for several months.
>> [music]
>> The outages are shutting down
businesses, reducing production, and
increasing pressure on the economy. The
water supply situation is no less dire.
In some cities, residents receive water
only for a few hours a week. Drought has
already hit agriculture. Farmers are
warning of crop failure, and water
shortages are threatening food
production. At the same time, the
population's standard of living
continues to deteriorate. According to
estimates, a significant portion of
family income is spent on purchasing
basic necessities. Following the
reduction of government subsidies,
[music] prices for food, medicine, and
education have risen significantly, and
some businesses are reporting
months-long delays in wage payments. At
the same time, the authorities [music]
are tightening their grip on society. In
Tehran, popular cafes, long a popular
hangout for young people, are being
inspected and closed for various
violations, ranging from non-compliance
with dress codes to administrative
charges, amid growing discontent. The
regime is also tightening its repressive
measures. Human rights activists report
a sharp increase in the number [music]
of death sentences and executions,
including against protesters and those
accused of crimes against state
security. Meanwhile, protest activity
continues unabated. Discontent continues
in various regions of the country, and
armed clashes between security forces
and anti-government groups have been
reported in some areas. According to
foreign media reports, some underground
organizations are attempting to expand
their reach and obtain weapons. In this
case, rumors surrounding Supreme Leader
Mojtaba Khamenei continue to mount in
Iran. According to sources at the
opposition publication Iran
International, President Masoud
Peseshkian first met with him under
extremely unusual circumstances, after
which he allegedly could not say with
certainty whether he had indeed spoken
with the new leader of the Islamic
Republic. According to the publication's
sources, the president had long sought a
personal meeting with the Supreme
Leader. It is claimed that after several
refusals and threats to resign, he was
finally granted an audience, although
not at the official residence. Sources
claim that presidential security was
sent to a secret location in Tehran,
where Peseshkian was transferred to a
car with completely tinted windows.
According to them, the entire
conversation took place in complete
darkness, without eye contact, and
security allegedly did not even allow
the two men to shake hands. The meeting
lasted only a few minutes. Afterward,
the president was allegedly so surprised
by what had happened that he asked his
aids whether the voice he had heard
really belonged to Mojtaba Khamenei.
[music]
Sources did not specify whether this was
a sign of disbelief or irritation. This
information, however, contradicts
Peseshkian's previous public statements.
He previously said he held a lengthy
meeting with the new Supreme Leader in a
warm and friendly atmosphere. However,
according to Iran International, the
president's subsequent requests for
another official meeting were rejected.
The new supreme leader's lack of public
activity also raises further questions.
According to opposition media, not a
single official photo, video, or audio
message from Mojtaba Khamenei has been
published in the months [music] since
his appointment. Against this backdrop,
various explanations for this secrecy
have emerged in Iran. In particular,
state media have suggested that the
publication of the audio recordings
could allow foreign intelligence
agencies [music] to determine the
leader's location or obtain information
about his health.