Ex-Iranian President Says Government's Top Priority Must Be Lifting Sanctions

"We launched one missile per second, totaling over 100 missiles within 100 seconds," he said if the attack which was Iran’s first direct attack against Israel. He further boasted that over 100 drones among the 350 drones, missiles and rockets, were also deployed in the assault, suggesting that the precision and scale of the attack were underestimated by both Israel and the United States.

The April 13 offensive, which Iran says was in retaliation for an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus that killed seven IRGC officers, involved the launch of hundreds of missiles and explosive drones. In a countermove, the United States led an international coalition, including the UK, to intercept the majority of the projectiles.

Observers have noted that the successful interception of the missiles and drones represents a significant defensive victory for Israel, casting a shadow over Iran's aggressive tactics.

Despite this, Iranian officials continue to portray the attack as a military success, using state media and public statements to amplify their military capabilities and project power against adversaries as the shadow war with Iran’s archenemy reached a historical climax.

"Iran's dictatorship should not control journalism in Sweden," stated the head of the association, emphasizing the risks posed to freedom of the press.

In response to the growing threats, Swedish parliament members Alireza Akhondi and Azadeh Rojhan, both of Iranian descent, have addressed the Swedish Minister of Culture and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in written pleas for enhanced protection for journalists.

Abbasian, who has reported critically on the Iranian government, has been relocated to a secure facility following credible threats to his life.

The situation escalated amid Swedish police reports describing the threats as "serious and real" and follows disturbing disclosures that Iran may be engaging local Swedish gangs to execute its vendettas abroad.

This includes planned attacks on Jewish and Israeli targets. Confirming the reports, the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad, indicated that these gangs were part of a broader, Tehran-coordinated scheme targeting Israeli embassies across Europe.

The persistence of threats against Iran International's staff traces back to 2022, with the London Metropolitan Police uncovering several plots against the channel's journalists. The severity of the threats peaked last year when UK intelligence service MI5 announced it could no longer ensure the safety of the channel's staff, prompting a temporary relocation of some team members to the United States.

A source close to her family informed Iran International that security forces demanded money to disclose her burial location and ordered them to keep her death private.

While the exact circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear, human rights activists believe it is a state-backed killing based on the actions of state agents, such as the cover-up and secret burial.

Lelahi, 40, who was briefly detained during the 2022 nationwide protest, went missing in March 2023. In September 2022, the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, which the UN’s fact-finding mission pinned on state authorities, ignited nationwide demonstrations, during which more than 550 protesters were killed.

Dissident journalist Masih Alinejad wrote on Instagram: “After extensive inquiries, her family was informed through the police that Lelahi had died and was interred at Bibi Sakineh Cemetery in Karaj, near Tehran.

“Despite having killed Bahareh and inscribing her name on the burial site, authorities withheld this information from her family for three months.”

The online Institute for Iranian Civil Society (Tavaana) also cited sources close to her family claiming they are trying to bring her body back to their hometown of Amol, in northern Iran, to bury her.

Tavaana also reported that security forces are summoning citizens via phone. When individuals comply without informing anyone, they can be held with no legal representation and nobody has knowledge of their whereabouts.

Amnesty International has highlighted the Iranian authorities have failed to provide accountability for tens of deaths in custody, despite credible reports that they resulted from torture or other ill-treatment or the lethal use of firearms and tear gas by officials when rounding up protestors.

Judiciary officials, who have consistently denied international investigations into Iranian prisons and detention centers, assert that conditions in these facilities are adequate. However, the experiences of numerous prisoners shared by rights groups reveal that prisons and detention centers operated by security forces have effectively become "killing grounds," particularly for dissidents.

According to the report, Iran's GDP experienced a 5% growth in 2023, but it would slow down to 3.2% in the current year, 2.7% and 2.3% in next two years.

The relatively strong economic growth was related to Iran's oil export boom as well as the service sector.

According to OPEC's statistics, Iran's oil production surpassed 3 million barrels per day in 2023, 22% more than the previous year. The production level reached 3.2 mb/d in March and hasn't increased more.

Before US sanctions imposed in 2018 and expanded in 2019, Iran’s crude oil output was above 3.8 mb/d in 2017. It declined to below 2 mb/d in 2020, but since Joe Biden took office at While House, Iran’s oil production began to increase. This was the result of more crude exports to China that had dwindled to less than 200,000 barrels p/d during the Trump administration.

Kpler’s, an industry analyst, has issued figures showing that Iran’s oil exports increased from 350,000 b/d in 2020 to about 1.5 mb/d in the first half of 2024.

Despite the rapid growth, Iran's petrodollar revenues have not kept pace with the increase in oil export volume due to the heavy costs of US sanctions. Not only Iran has to offer China discounts, but also the illicit transfer of oil incurs more expenses.

According to Iran's customs statistics, the country's crude oil and mazut export revenues increased by only 7% last year, reaching $36 billion. Under normal conditions, given the export volume and oil prices, revenues would have exceeded $44 billion.

Iran offers at least $13/barrel discount for Chinese refineries, according to Reuters.

Iran's Statistical Center's reports show the country's 5% GDP growth in the last year was related to 22% oil production growth as well as 17% growth in government expenditures (compared to 2011 base-year).

World Bank says GDP growth is projected to moderate in the Islamic Republic of Iran for the three fiscal years beginning in FY2024/25, while uncertainty around the outlook is elevated: "The moderation partly reflects subdued global demand, the ongoing effects of international sanctions, and domestic energy shortages."

Iran faces a severe electricity deficit in summers and a huge amount of gas deficit in winters. The government put a limit to supply energy to industrial sector to compensate for the housing energy demand.

The industrial sector loses about $6-8 billion annually due to energy deficit.

Previously, the International Monetary Fund also estimated that Iran's GDP would decelerate continuously between 2024-2026.

Speaking to state media, Safavi emphasized that the ideal candidate must view himself as "the second-in-command" to Khamenei, warning against any divergence between the executive actions and Khamenei's vision.

"People should elect a president whose views do not conflict with those of the Leader of the Revolution and who considers himself the second-in-command."

The statement comes in the wake of former President Ebrahim Raisi's sudden death in a helicopter crash on May 19, which has precipitated a snap election scheduled for June 28.

The Guardian Council, which answers to Khamenei, has disqualified a significant majority of hopefuls, permitting only six to run, five of whom are staunch loyalists to Khamenei. The sole moderate reformist cleared to contest, Masoud Pezeshkian, a current parliament member, has notably swayed public sentiment by pledging unwavering loyalty to Khamenei during his campaign, much to the disappointment of reformist supporters.

Safavi's remarks mirror the broader strategy of Iran's leadership to consolidate power around a singular ideological line, especially as the country faces escalating domestic discontent and international pressures. His tenure as the former chief of the Revolutionary Guards further bolsters the weight of his statements, highlighting the military's integral role in shaping and securing the country’s political landscape.