Iran news in brief, January 7, 2019

Iran news in brief, January 7, 2019

1- Iran MP in Unprecedented Speech Calls for Major Change in Foreign Policy

A member of Iran Regime’s parliament says the country’s foreign policy has “a lot of unneeded costs” and these can “leave us paralyzed on the streets of Tehran”.

Such words, uttered in parliament are extremely interesting, but it is hard to judge how the MP took the liberty to contradict the country's foreign policy, set by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Rahimi Jahanabadi added, “Although our influence in the region is important, but one point should not be forgotten, and that is, sometimes it is possible that unneeded costs can cripple us on Tehran streets”.

2- Quake Hits Western Iran, About 75 Injured

An earthquake hit an area in western Iran near the Iraqi border on Sunday, injuring about 75 people.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initially put the magnitude of the quake at 5.9 but revised this later to 5.5.

In November, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook western Iran, injuring more than 700 people, with most suffering minor wounds.

3- Iranian Student Groups Challenge Intelligence Minister to a Debate on Torture

The complaint of a labor activist that he was tortured in prison have led to members of parliament pursuing the case and student groups demanding a debate with Iran Regime's intelligence minister.

Esmail Bakhshi a labor leader in the largest Iranian sugar mill at Haft Tapeh in southwestern Iran was arrested November 18, 2018 during weeks-long labor protests at the sugar mill and released in December. At the time, labor rights groups raised alarm that Bakhshi had been badly tortured in detention.

4- Official Says Iran's Main Oil Customers Not Buying 'Even One Additional Barrel'

Iranian Regime oil minister’s deputy for international trade says the eight countries which have received U.S. sanctions' waivers to continue buying Iranian oil are not willing to buy even one additional barrel.

Amir-Hossein Zamaninia, in an interview with the oil ministry’s news agency on Saturday, in reference to main buyers of Iranian oil; such as South Korea, China, India and Japan, said “Because of U.S. pressures and financial clout these countries are not willing to buy even one additional barrel of oil beyond their waiver”.

5- Iranian MP Says Corruption Convicts 'Must Be Executed in Public Squares'

The head of an Iranian Regime parliament committee to combat economic corruption, Amir Khojasteh, has called for the public execution of those found guilty of corruption.

Khojasteh said: “Thirty-one people have been identified as behind Iran’s economic corruption and must be executed in public squares,”.

“The death penalty has been handed out to four of them and the rest must also receive the same punishment,” Khojasteh said, not naming those who have been accused or convicted of corruption.

In recent months, Iran Regime has executed three people found guilty of economic corruption.

6- 12,261 Road Accident Deaths in Eight Months in Iran

Iranian Legal Medicine Organization announced that 12,261 people were killed in car accidents in the first eight months of Persian year beginning since March 21, the state-run ISNA news agency reported on January 5.

This includes 9,587 men and 2,674 women.

The figure increased 0.9% compared to last year (1396). The number of injured people also rose by 9.5%.

Iran suffers from a high rate of traffic accidents, with an estimated 17,000 casualties every year. The toll is widely blamed on poor safety, the presence of older vehicles and the inadequacy of emergency services.

Iran’s road accidents and the high number of resulting deaths and injuries in recent years have rendered intense disputes in the regime’s media and discussions among senior officials