Iran International
President Masoud Pezeshkian faces criticism for appointing 73-year-old 'reformist' politician Mohammad-Reza Aref as his vice president, despite his promise to form a "young" cabinet.
Pezeshkian announced the appointment shortly after his endorsement by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at a ceremony on Sunday. The appointment came as a surprise to many who expected economist Ali Tayebnia’s appointment as VP.
Tayebnia, who played a prominent role in Pezeshkian’s campaign, welcomed Aref’s appointment and stressed that he was not ready to assume the position “for personal reasons”. Given the serious economic situation Iran faces, many expected that the experienced economist would play a pivotal role in the new administration.
Critics say Aref’s appointment is against the promises made by Mohammad-Javad Zarif who Pezeshkian appointed as the head of a “Strategic Council” to vet candidates for cabinet positions. Zarif had stressed that the complex procedure used by the Council’s various committees would ensure a younger and more diverse cabinet.
“It was expected that to fulfill his promises the honorable President would present an agile and energetic person from among those [politically] aligned with him. Appointing Aref, who is three years older than Pezeshkian, despite his [good] personality, does not convey a good message. Hopefully, a young and motivated cabinet will be presented,” former lawmaker Hamid Rasaei, a hardliner, tweeted.
“By choosing Aref, Pezeshkian showed that not only he doesn’t care about [the views of the establishment’s] critics and protesters, but is even indifferent to the opinion of those who voted for him,” reformist Shargh daily’s Hoda Hashemi who called Aref “the most passive political figure” during the crises of the past few years posted on X.
“The mountain gave birth to a mouse,” Reza Khanaki, an entrepreneur strongly critical of the new president, tweeted, drawing on an old Persian proverb. “The outcome of [all the talk about] giving priority to the younger generation, employing new people, …, and listening to people was the appointment of Aref as VP.”
“I have the feeling that Khamenei recommended Aref’s [appointment] as vice president but Pezeshkian tried to hide this by inviting Khatami to the presidential office and public announcement of the meeting,” expatriate dissident journalist and politician Mojtaba Vahedi speculated in a tweet. Former President Mohammad Khatami visited Pezeshkian Friday night, ahead of the news about Aref's appointment.
Vahedi contends that Pezeshkian’s ascendance to the presidency was according to Khamenei’s plan and was meant to “complete his dictatorship and reveal the formality of all government forces including the parliament.”
'Reformist' politicians and media have generally welcomed Aref’s appointment.
Speaking to Khabar Online news website, 'reformist' politician and former Mayor of Tehran Gholamhossein Karbaschi welcomed Pezeshkian’s choice. He argued that Aref’s experience as vice president, his seniority in relation to other cabinet members, and his good relations with both reformists and conservatives make him a good choice for the position.
Unlike in the case of cabinet ministers, Pezeshkian who will be officially inaugurated at the Parliament on Tuesday does not need the Parliament’s approval to appoint his VP and deputies.
Pezeshkian is expected to present his cabinet to the Parliament after his inauguration or later this week for a vote of confidence.
He stressed on Friday that he would discuss his nominees with Khamenei for “final consultation and coordination...total understanding and agreement” when the list of proposed cabinet members is completed.
Zarif said Saturday that at least eight candidates were proposed to the President for most ministerial positions and that investigation of candidates for presidential deputies had not begun yet.
Pezeshkian’s predecessors were also required to discuss their candidates for ministerial positions with Khamenei and get his approval, particularly for several ‘sensitive positions’ including the ministries of intelligence, foreign affairs, Islamic guidance, defense, and interior, before the cabinet was presented to the Parliament.
Pezeshkian is the first Iranian president to inform the public of such a step in the formation of the cabinet. His supporters praise him for being transparent but some among the opposition are accusing him of trying to cast the blame for the possible shortcomings of his government on Khamenei in the future by highlighting his involvement in the selection process.
“Apparently, the shortcomings of Pezeshkian’s government are to be protected from criticism and protest by hiding behind the Supreme Leader,” one of the supporters of the ultra-hardliner Saeed Jalili alleged in a tweet.
The four women have been identified as Pakhshan Azizi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, Varisheh Moradi, and Nasim Gholami Simiyari.
While Azizi and Mohammadi have received a death sentence in recent weeks, the verdicts for Moradi and Simiyari are pending. However, given the armed rebellion charges they face, activists have warned that they could be at high risk of execution.
Article 287 of the Islamic Penal Code states that any group taking up arms against the Islamic Republic is considered a rebel and "its members shall be sentenced to death.”
Rights groups, activists, and Evin Prison inmates have condemned the authorities' actions, sparking widespread protests on social media and from human rights organizations against the Islamic Republic's harsh treatment of female activists.
Varisheh Moradi
Accordin to Iran International sources, the second court session for Varisheh Moradi on the charge of "armed rebellion" is scheduled for August 4 at Tehran’s Islamic Revolution Court, presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati.
This date was set without allowing her lawyers access to review her case. During her first court session on June 13, Salavati, infamously known as the "Judge of Death" for his severe human rights violations and death sentences on dubious charges, did not permit Moradi's lawyers to defend her.
Nasim Gholami Simiyari
On Saturday, a court session was held for Nasim Gholami Simiyari, a protester of Iran’s 2022 nationwide "Woman Life Freedom" uprising, on the charge of "armed rebellion" in a joint case.
The session took place at Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, notorious for human rights violations. Afshari was sanctioned by the UK in 2022 for being "involved in the commission of serious human rights violations in Iran, namely being responsible for serious violations with respect to the right to a fair trial and the right to freedom of expression of political protesters."
Simiyari is currently detained at Tehran’s Evin prison and awaits a verdict. She was arrested on May 18, 2023, by IRGC intelligence agents in Tehran. Initially held in solitary confinement in Ward 1A, she was interrogated before being moved to the notorious Ward 2A and finally to the women's ward of Evin Prison on September 26, 2023.
After five months, she was charged with "assembly and collusion against national security," "propaganda against the regime," and "armed rebellion" in a joint case. US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) citing Gholami Simiyari’s friend reported that she endured psychological and physical torture, resulting in forced confessions recorded on camera under duress.
Pakhshan Azizi
Political prisoner, Pakhshan Azizi was sentenced to death and an additional four years in prison on charges of "armed rebellion." The verdict was handed down by Judge Afshari of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, with her lawyers being informed of the judgment on July 23.
On Saturday, Norway-based Iran Human Rights urged the International community to demand charges against Pakhshan and all others detained for their peaceful civil activities to be dropped.
“Pakhshan Azizi’s death sentence has no legal basis and was issued by the Islamic Republic’s non-independent judicial system at the behest of the security forces in order to suppress civil movement. The international community must react to her sentence in the strongest terms,” Iran Human Rights Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said in a statement.
Sixty female political prisoners at Tehran’s Evin Prison staged an overnight sit-in on Wednesday to protest against Azizi’s death sentence.
The Instagram accounts of Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi, Iranian civil rights activist Golrokh Iraee, and German-Iranian rights activist Nahid Taghavi jointly announced that Evin's women unanimously demand the annulment of the Iranian-Kurdish political prisoner's death sentence.
Sharifeh Mohammadi
Labor activist Sharifeh Mohammadi was sentenced to death in early July on charges of "armed rebellion" by Judge Ahmad Darvish Goftar of Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht.
The Campaign to Defend Mohammadi stated on Instagram that the sentence is "based on the pretext of Mohammadi's membership in an independent, public, and legal labor organization a decade ago, demonstrating the baselessness of the verdict."
Rights groups and activists have been campaigning against Mohammadi’s death sentence since it was issued in July.
Last year, 834 prisoners were executed in Iran, including at least 22 women, marking the highest number since 2014, according to Iran Human Rights, making Iran the world's leading executioner of women.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Saturday the rocket used in the deadly attack was an Iranian-made Falaq-1 fired by Hezbollah.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani dismissed the accusations on Sunday, stating, "Israel's statements will not be heeded by others." However, Kanaani did not make it clear whether he means no Iranian rocket was used in the attack or the Iranian proxy group did not fire any munition at the civilian target.
Israel has vowed to respond to the suspected Hezbollah attack, with the country's national broadcaster Kann News citing officials as saying that the Israeli response to the attack "might lead to several days of intense fighting."
The attack has also sparked widespread reactions across the world.
The White House condemned the attack and blamed Hezbollah for it, saying, "It was their rocket, and launched from an area they control." It added that Washington has been in discussions with Israeli and Lebanese officials since Saturday's attack, which it described as "horrific."
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also said that all signs point to Hezbollah's involvement, emphasizing Israel’s right to self-defense while stating that the United States does not seek an escalation of regional conflicts. At a press conference in Tokyo, Blinken expressed condolences for the loss of life and reiterated the US stance against terrorism.
“There is no justification for terrorism, period, and every indication is that indeed the rockets were from or the rocket was from Hezbollah. We stand by Israel’s right to defend its citizens from terrorist attacks,” he added.
The Saturday attack has left the community of Majdal Shams in deep mourning. Thousands gathered for the funeral of the victims, marking a day of profound sorrow. At the funeral on Sunday, weeping men wearing traditional, red-topped white hats carried 10 white-covered caskets through the crowded streets. Women dressed in black abaya robes cried as they laid flowers on the caskets, with some mourners carrying large photos of the deceased children.
Fadi Mahmud, a 48-year-old resident, in an interview with AFP described the incident as a significant loss for the close-knit community. "It was the first time Majdal Shams had experienced such a loss during the war." "Our community is very close-knit. These children are like children of everybody in the village."
In the early 1980s, Iran established Hezbollah in Lebanon as a proxy force to confront Israel. In 2018, the US government reported that Iran annually provides Hezbollah with an estimated $700 million. Earlier, in a 2016 speech, Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, publicly stated that Iran is the source of his organization’s funding. The financial support bolsters Hezbollah’s substantial military capabilities, including an arsenal of roughly 150,000 missiles and rockets targeted at Israel.
Full-blown Israel-Hezbollah war
The deadly attack blamed on Hezbollah has stoked fears of a full-fledged war between Israel and the Lebanese group, with Lebanon's Middle East Airlines delaying some of its Beirut flight arrivals, and several European countries advising citizens to leave Lebanon.
However, Mohammad Ghaedi, a lecturer in international relations at George Washington University, believes a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah is unlikely due to the prohibitive cost.
“Despite the threats being made, my analysis is that we are far from a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah for several reasons," Ghaedi told Iran International.
He said the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon cost around three and a half billion dollars. “Today, an attack on Hezbollah could cost more than 50 billion dollars. Additionally, Hezbollah's enhanced capabilities, including precision missiles, position them to retaliate effectively against Israeli targets.”
According to security sources, Hezbollah has preemptively evacuated several key sites in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley in anticipation of a potential attack by Israel.
Ghaedi believes that Israel will likely conduct limited strikes in response to Hezbollah, aiming to resolve political differences within Israel and seek international condemnation of Hezbollah.
He referred to the rocket used in the attack, allegedly an Iranian-made Falaq, as a central point of tension. “If confirmed, it could prompt small-scale Israeli responses within Iran, following Naftali Bennett’s ‘thousand cuts’ strategy against the Islamic Republic."
The conflict might have broader implications, potentially involving other powers such as the United States and Iran. However, Ghaedi finds it unlikely that Iran-backed forces in Iraq and Syria will enter a conflict under current circumstances.
Trump’s last tenure was highly 'eventful' for Iranians. The former president withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal, ordered the killing of Qasem Soleimani—arguably Iran’s second most powerful figure after the Supreme Leader — and imposed extensive oil sanctions that put unprecedented pressure on Iran’s economy.
It’s little surprise, then, that many seem to dread Trump’s potential second term. The annual inflation rate is already ‘back-breaking’, as we say in Persian, hovering above 40% for three years. Corruption is rampant. Another round of Trump’s “Maximum Pressure” would push millions off the cliff – or drag the country into war. And still, many say they’d like Trump to win. It is impossible to say how many, but it’s a sizable chunk of the population.
“Trump may be bad for us, but he’s worse for the regime,” says Farhad, an IT technician looking for a job. He was “kicked out” of work after he was arrested during the 2022 protests. “Trump is no Biden,” he says, “and his Iran advisers are not [former Iranian FM] Zarif chums. The pressure he’d exert could hasten the collapse of the regime.” What about ordinary Iranians, I ask, what if there’s a war, what would happen to their lives? “You call this a life?” he snaps back.
Farhad is 23. He’s visibly angry and has little to lose –materially at least. Those who do have something to lose, the ‘better-off’, see things differently.
“People have suffered enough these past years. We need the sanctions lifted, and that’s more likely with a Democratic administration. Trump has shown no goodwill towards Iran,” says Arash, an engineering student who actively campaigned for Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. “Iran cannot prosper with anti-Americanism. I voted for Pezeshkian because he seems less aggressive and might be able to negotiate a deal with the US and attract the foreign investment our country desperately needs.”
That may very well be wishful thinking, given what US officials have said on record and the fact that Iran’s foreign policy is dictated by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, not the president. Still, many Iranians share Arash’s hope for a miracle. However, a Trump victory this November seems much more likely. This prospect terrifies Arash as much as it thrills Farhad.
And then there’s Farkhondeh, a 29-year-old journalist who avidly follows US politics. She believes both the fear and hope that Trump would put more pressure on Iran may be exaggerated, if not entirely misplaced. “I think Trump is as likely to enter negotiations with Iran as [Kamala] Harris,” Farkhondeh says. “Trump’s record is not that of a warmonger. He’s a businessman. I think he wouldn't hesitate to talk to Khamenei if the latter was willing. That said, I don’t think any good for ordinary Iranians would come out of such a negotiation. Both sides would be more than happy to sell us out for their own interests.”
Curiously, almost everybody I talked to focused on Trump. There are no polls on this, but it seems rather clear that most Iranians believe the former US president would win again. Neither in social networks nor among my acquaintances have I seen anyone who sees Harris defeating Trump. This could be a result of Trump’s aggressive demeanor, which makes his opponent appear weak, or it could be because he’s a former president. But it’s also because Harris is a woman.
Sex or gender may be less of an issue in the US, but it remains significant in Iran, where no woman has ever passed the vetting process to enter a presidential race. The highest position a woman has reached in the Islamic Republic is Minister of Health—and that only once. Strangely, many view this as a ‘capability’ issue rather than a direct result of fanatical religious orthodoxy.
“America and Iran may differ socially, but I think being a woman will work against a candidate even there.” Sima, a 40-year-old woman who works at a publishing house said. She regularly posts about women's rights on Instagram, but takes little interest in the US election, even though a woman is in the race. “I like Harris to win,” Sima says, “but it won’t make much difference to us here either way.” She believes the impact of US elections on Iran is “exaggerated” – and it benefits the government.
“Iranian officials fuel this notion by constantly referring to the US as the enemy,” Sima says. “America is a scapegoat for their incompetence and corruption. Many have bought this idea, thinking that either disaster or redemption awaits us if Trump wins. Both are misguided, in my view. We better focus on our own rulers and let the Americans worry about theirs.”