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Irans rial hit its lowest point in one month on Monday, falling by 10 percent against the US dollar, as sanctions remain in place and the economy is in crisis.

The rial hit a low of 550,000 against the US dollar for the first time since April 1, when an apparent intervention by the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) had brought the rate down to around 500,000 rial for each dollar.

In early 2018, the rial was trading at around 40,000 when former US President Donald Trump decided to pull out of the JCPOA nuclear agreement and impose crippling sanctions on Iran. Since then, the rial has fallen by almost 14-fold.

A series of worker strikes have been underway since April 22, affecting energy, petrochemical, steel and other sectors, as the rial falls and inflation spikes.

Monthly salaries for ordinary workers that were equivalent to $220 one year ago are now around $120 in purchasing power.

An Iranian official said Sunday that workers pay covers expenses for just nine days of the month for a small family.

Negotiations in 2021 and 2022 to reach a new nuclear agreement reached a deadline last September, prompting markets to sell off rials. Since then, the currency has lost half its value.

In addition to the nuclear issue, Irans supply of weapons to Russia and its brutal and deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters in recent months have made further talks more difficult as the United States demands Iranian policy changes at multiple levels.

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Irans Currency Falls By 10% In One Month Amid Strikes -

Iran International can reveal that political prisoners in Ward 15 of Karaj Central Prison are in dire conditions.

Insiders say political prisoners are being deprived of the minimum rights and have not been able to contact their families for two weeks.

In addition, prisoners do not have beds to sleep in and no place to heat their food. The inmates have access to just one telephone line which is tied up most of the time.

Informed sources say there is no canteen for them to buy snacks or essential items.

The prison food is of a very low quality and as a result inmates suffered stomachache and many other problems, the source said.

Sources say there are no training courses and gyms, and the detainees routinely take pills to fall asleep.

Political prisoners have been threatened that if they protest, they will be sent to other wards where prisoners of crimes related to drugs, robbery, or murder are locked up. All phone conversations are also being tapped to exert more pressure.

The reason for these pressure tactics can be of a deterrent nature, to intimidate activists and would be protesters from engaging in anti-regime activities. It could also have coercive purpose to extract confessions or cooperation from prisoners.

Prison authorities refuse to provide medicine and proper treatment to political prisoners and seek to make the conditions more difficult by creating psychological stress.

They also harass the political prisoners of Ward 15 refusing to allow them to have face-to-face visits, and the inmates can visit their families every two to three months.

Some of the prisoners in the ward are those arrested in the case of the killing of Basij agent Ruhollah Ajamian in November.

Some prisoners arrested in the case of the killing of Basij agent Ruhollah Ajamian

Ruhollah Ajamian was killed in Karaj, near Tehran, a group of men the regime called rioters. The member of the Basij militia of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) was stabbed, beaten, and stripped naked by a group of men and died of his injuries later.

The Islamic Republic has already executed Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hossein over Ajamians death.

14 protesters were also jailedin connection with the killing, with five of them receiving long-term prison terms of 10 and 15 years earlier this month.

Jurists and human rights activists have described the trials as unfair and questioned the verdicts.

The judiciary of Alborz provinceclaimed that the charges leading to the verdict were not "intentional murder" but "corruption of the earth" and "moharebeh", or waging war against God.

Among the defendants, Hamid Qarahasanlou, who was previously sentenced to death, received the longest prison term and was given 15 years in prison. He and his wife Farzaneh Qarahasanlou are set to serve their sentence in the religious city of Mashhad in the northeast.

These are only some of the lengthy sentences handed down by the Iranian regime to countless protesters in the widespread demonstrations that followed the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last September.

Protests broke out in scores of cities across Iran, with crowds demanding justice for Mahsa and calling for an end to the regimes oppressive policies.

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Political Detainees In Irans Karaj Prison In 'Dire' Conditions: Exclusive -

With no prospect of controlling Irans economic crisis, even high-ranking clerics representing Supreme the Leader have begun speaking out and demanding solutions.

Friday Prayers Imams in some major cities expressed their unhappiness over the government's performance, similar to criticism by many conservatives who backed President Ebrahim Raisis election less than two years ago.

Hashem Hosseini Bushehri, the Friday Prayers Imam of Qom, the venue of the country's most important seminary said in his sermon on Friday: "State officials spend most of their time in meetings with unknown results." He suggested that "Decisions made in those meetings should be followed up seriously by executive officials."

Referring to the declining value of Irans currency, he said, "The government's monetary policies should not change constantly. Some investors say they cannot count on the government's monetary regulations even for one day as things might change."

Hashem Hosseini Bushehri, the Friday Prayers Imam of Qom

Bushehri also echoed Ali Khameneis recent remarks criticizing discord among the executive, legislative and judiciary bodies.

Friday Prayer Imams are appointees of the Supreme Leader and often reinforce his messages. Their demand for economic improvement can be seen as a sign that Khameneis patience is running out, as high inflation can trigger more protests.

Without mentioning the ongoing strikes and protests in the country's industrial centers, Bushehri called on the government on the occasion of Labor Day to find legal ways to help Iranian workers.

While inflation has topped 50 percent and the rial has halved in value, workers monthly salaries hover around $120-150. In the past ten days workers at more than 100 companies and plants went on strike.

Bushehri also called for "a competitive parliamentary election, so that the enemies will not be able to talk sarcastically about low turnout in Iranian elections."

The temporary Friday Prayers Imam of Mashhad, another religious city in Iran, Mohammad Bagher Farzaneh, who was standing in for the firebrand cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda criticized the government for the worsening situation and said: "Economic problems cannot be concealed."

The temporary Friday Prayers Imam of Mashhad, Mohammad Bagher Farzaneh

He said more than 51 percent of Iranians in big cities do not own a home and inflation has impoverished ordinary people.

However, also echoing Khamenei he said that the "economic problems can be solved if officials stand united, obey the Supreme Leader and have sympathy for each other." He added that it was a shame that 43 years after the Islamic revolution, the country's leader has to point out discords among the heads of the three powers of the government.

Recently, Ghasem Saedi, a senior lawmaker from Khouzestan Province had said that "The government has ruined the country's economic security," and warned the government that it cannot protect its credibility by chanting meaningless slogans.

In another part of his sermons, Farzaneh said: "Today, no one can claim that the United States does not have any infiltrators in Iran." He said that infiltrators are the main element behind the discord among the country's officials, without saying which high-ranking official in the government is a US infiltrator.

Meanwhile, the Friday Prayer Imam of Tehran, Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard, the only Imam with some executive experience under former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also criticized the government for making economic decisions without thinking about the consequences and without considering the financial resources needed for implementing those decisions.

Aboutorabi-Fard warned the country's "rulers and managers" that their performance will inevitably affect all aspects of peoples life.

The Friday Prayers of Tehran on April 28, 2023

However, it was interesting that he also warned the government that measures to enforce hijab should be taken in a way to boost national unity rather than creating discord among the people and the government.

In recent weeks, as more women have defied the regimes dress code and appear in public without a veil, hardliners in the government have been pushing for more enforcement measures.

Already, harsh policies against women triggered major nationwide protests leading to more than 500 deaths.

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Friday Imams In Iran Demand An End To Economic Crisis -

State Department is concurrently designating Russian and Iranian entities for wrongful detention of U.S. nationals

WASHINGTON Today, the Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four senior officials of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization (IRGC-IO), an entity that is being concurrently designated by the State Department for its role in the hostage-taking or wrongful detention of U.S. nationals in Iran. The IRGC-IO frequently holds and interrogates detainees in the notorious Evin Prison, in addition to the IRGC-IOs direct role in the repression of protests and arrest of dissidents, including dual nationals. Todays action is the first under Executive Order (E.O.) 14078, Bolstering Efforts to Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained U.S. Nationals Home, which reaffirms the fundamental commitment of the U.S. government to bring home those U.S. nationals held hostage and wrongfully detained abroad.

Concurrent with this action, OFAC implemented the Department of States designation of Russias Federal Security Service, in addition to the IRGC-IO, for their involvement in the wrongful detention of U.S. nationals abroad.

Todays action targets senior officials and security services in Iran and Russia that are responsible for the hostage-taking or wrongful detention of U.S. nationals abroad, said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. We are committed to bringing home wrongfully detained U.S. nationals and acting against foreign threats to the safety of U.S. nationals abroad.

The E.O. draws on the authority of the 2020 Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage Taking Accountability Act, which is a credit to the perseverance of the Levinson family and others who have worked to turn their familys extraordinary hardships into constructive and meaningful action.

Ruhollah Bazghandi is the IRGC-IO Counterintelligence official. In this role, Bazghandi has been involved with the detention of foreign prisoners held in Iran. Bazghandi has worked on behalf of the IRGC-IO in several capacities, including involvement in IRGC-IOs operations in Syria, and assassination plots against journalists, Israeli citizens, and others deemed enemies of Iran.

Mohammad Kazemi became the commander of the IRGC-IO in June 2022. Kazemi oversees the IRGC-IOs operations suppressing civil society in Iran and arresting Iranian dissidents, including dual nationals. He has also overseen the regimes brutal crackdown against protests across the country in response to the killing of Mahsa Amini. Kazemi was previously designated by OFAC on October 26, 2022, for having acted for or on behalf of the IRGC.

Mohamad Mehdi Sayyari is the IRGC-IO Co-Deputy Chief. Sayyari has been directly involved in arranging logistics for prisoners in Iran.

Mohammad Hasan Mohagheghi, the IRGC-IO Co-Deputy Chief Brigadier General, has reported to several of the senior most IRGC Commanders on RGC-IO operations. Mohagheghi served as a liaison between senior IRGC officials and IRGC-IO officials on counterespionage operations in Syria.

Ruhollah Bazghandi, Mohammad Kazemi, Mohammad Mehdi Sayyari, and Mohammad Hasan Mohagheghi are being designated pursuant to E.O. 14078 for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the IRGC-IO, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14078.

As a result of todays action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFACs regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.

In addition, financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFACs ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFACs Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here.

Click here for more information on the individuals and entities designated today.

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Treasury Sanctions Officials of Iranian Intelligence Agency ... - Treasury

In an effusive and enthusiastic speech to the Knesset plenum, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy pledged Monday that the US would continue to fully fund Israels security needs, while denouncing Iranian aggression in the Middle East, as well as efforts to isolate Israel internationally.

In a speech replete with both praise for Israel and biblical quotations, McCarthy lauded Israel as the birthplace of the Jewish people, described the country as a modern miracle, and insisted on its right to defend itself from attack.

And he spoke of the importance of bipartisan support for Israel from both Republicans and Democrats as crucial for the relationship between the two countries.

In later comments, he repeated his statement that he would invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington if US President Joe Biden continues to refuse to do so, but said such a visit would be conducted in a bipartisan manner, with meetings with Republicans and Democrats.

He also weighed in on the governments controversial judicial overhaul program, saying checks on government power were a crucial part of democracy, but maintained that the issue was an internal Israeli matter that should be resolved by Israelis.

McCarthy was warmly welcomed to the Knesset by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Netanyahu, and opposition leader Yair Lapid, and received a strong round of applause from the assembled MKs after he finished his speech.

The US House speaker began his address by pointing out that his visit to Israel was his first international engagement since being sworn in in January.

US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks at a special session of the Knesset plenum, May 1, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

And I chose to come here now today to celebrate the bond between our two countries and to reaffirm that bipartisan support for Israel in Congress is at the foundation for our truly special relationship, said McCarthy.

He declared that the land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people and affirmed the historical connection of the land to the Jewish nation.

Ladies and gentlemen: Israels rebirth is nothing less than a modern miracle, he continued, praising Israels survival in the face of war and terrorism, and its story of pioneers inspired by a commitment to freedom, family, and faith in God.

He also claimed that the US and Israel were the only two countries in history that were conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that we are all equal, saying these principles were the foundation of the special relationship between the two countries.

McCarthy said Congress wanted to help Israel broaden and deepen the Abraham Accords, signed with four Arab countries in 2020, while working for a sustainable peace with all of Israels neighbors, in what may have been a vague reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a topic that was otherwise entirely absent from his address.

Addressing Irans regional activity and support for terror groups and militias, McCarthy said the one primary source of turmoil in the Middle East was Iran, which, he said, continues to fund terrorism, arm its proxy militias, and pursue nuclear weapons.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a special session of the Knesset plenum for US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, May 1, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

He said the US would continue to assist Israel in defending its security against Irans efforts to encircle Israel with hostile forces and develop nuclear weapons, noting Israels integration into US Central Command and joint military exercises between the two countries.

As long as I am speaker, America will continue to support full funding for security assistance in Israel And as we stand shoulder to shoulder against Irans regional aggression, we must also remain resolute in our commitment that Iran will never acquire nuclear weapons, said McCarthy.

The speaker also raised concerns regarding Chinese industrial espionage, saying US and Israeli technological developments were threatened by the efforts of the Chinese Communist Party to steal technological intellectual property from Western companies.

Accusing the CCP of acting like thieves, McCarthy said the US was working to protect its innovation and called on Israel to further strengthen its oversight of foreign investment particularly Chinese investment in order to stymie such activity.

Before McCarthys speech, Netanyahu welcomed him to the Knesset and averred that Israel had no better friend on the planet than the US.

Youre in the pulsating heart of Israeli democracy its a very noisy heart, he continued, and, in reference to his governments judicial overhaul program, insisted that he and his coalition were committed to trying to get a broad consensus, as broad as we can get, on the matter of judicial reform.

US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks during a press conference at the Knesset, May 1, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

At a press conference following McCarthys speech, the House speaker repeated his comments made in an interview with Israel Hayom on Monday that he would invite Netanyahu to Washington if Biden does not.

I expect the White House to invite the prime minister over for a meeting especially because of Israels 75th anniversary, said McCarthy following Bidens recent comments that Netanyahu would not be receiving an invite to Washington in the near future.

Asked whether he would invite the prime minister to address Congress if no White House invitation was forthcoming, McCarthy said Yes and noted that he had a long relationship with the prime minister.

McCarthy said it would be appropriate for the prime minister to visit Washington, but added that such a trip would include bipartisan meetings with Republicans and Democrats from the House of Representatives.

Addressing the coalitions judicial shakeup program, McCarthy said that checks on governmental power were an important part of democratic government, but insisted that judicial reform in Israel is an internal issue and that it should be decided by the Israeli public.

Israel is their own nation, only it can decide what it wants to do. In a democracy, you want checks and balances and a separation of powers but we leave it up to you how to decide that, said McCarthy.

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McCarthy extols ties at Knesset, vows full support for Israeli security against Iran - The Times of Israel