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Iranian Vice President Rules out Referendum amid Ongoing Protests

A banner of the Iranian national football team, on the eve of its match with the United States at the FIFA World Cup, is set on fire on a highway in central Tehran. (Twitter)
A banner of the Iranian national football team, on the eve of its match with the United States at the FIFA World Cup, is set on fire on a highway in central Tehran. (Twitter)
    London, Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat
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Iranian Vice President Rules out Referendum amid Ongoing Protests

A banner of the Iranian national football team, on the eve of its match with the United States at the FIFA World Cup, is set on fire on a highway in central Tehran. (Twitter)
A banner of the Iranian national football team, on the eve of its match with the United States at the FIFA World Cup, is set on fire on a highway in central Tehran. (Twitter)

The Iranian government has rejected demands for a referendum to change the system of the Islamic Republic regime and the freedom to wear the veil, as the protests continued over the death of Mahsa Amini.

In a press conference in Tehran on Monday, Mohammad Dehghan, Iranian Vice President for Legal Affairs, touched on the protesters’ calls to amend the law on the veil and to hold a referendum on the regime.

“If necessary, we will hold a referendum with the approval of the Supreme Leader and the vote of two-thirds of the parliament,” he noted, adding: “It is impossible to change the system of the Islamic Republic… The referendum is not like ordinary legislation.”

Dehghan continued: “The freedom of the veil contradicts the principles and manifestations of the Islamic Republic. We have held meetings, and we will announce our opinion about the veil to the competent authorities… At a time of unrest, the enemies insist on raising some issues that do not serve the interest of the country.”

Protests and strikes continue in Iran since the death of Amini, 22, in September.

Truck drivers maintained their strike for the third day in a row, while videos on social networks showed demonstrations in the provinces of Kermanshah, Qazvin, Lorestan, Hormozgan and Isfahan. In addition, the employees of the Iron and Steel Company in Isfahan renewed their strike.

A group of teachers in the Kurdistan province issued a statement in a video recording, criticizing the continued repression and violence. Similarly, 210 professors from the University of Tabriz, the provincial capital of East Azerbaijan, released a statement condemning the killing of medical student Elar Hakki earlier this month.

Sunni clerics in the provinces of Baluchistan and Kurdistan, most notably the Friday Imam of Zahedan, Abdul Hamid Ismail Zahi, called for holding a referendum on the Iranian policies under international supervision.

Meanwhile, Iranian media revealed a draft law that a group of deputies intends to present in the coming days, to toughen judicial rulings against collaborators “with countries that are hostile to national security and national interests.” According to this law, the detainees will face corruption charges, which are punished by penalties that can reach the death sentence.

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Taiwan Demonstrates Sea Defenses against Potential Chinese Attack as Tensions Rise with Beijing

A Taiwan navy Tuo Chiang-class corvette(rear) and Kuang Hua VI-class missile boat (front) maneuver during a drill in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 09 January 2025. EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO
A Taiwan navy Tuo Chiang-class corvette(rear) and Kuang Hua VI-class missile boat (front) maneuver during a drill in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 09 January 2025. EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO
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Taiwan Demonstrates Sea Defenses against Potential Chinese Attack as Tensions Rise with Beijing

A Taiwan navy Tuo Chiang-class corvette(rear) and Kuang Hua VI-class missile boat (front) maneuver during a drill in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 09 January 2025. EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO
A Taiwan navy Tuo Chiang-class corvette(rear) and Kuang Hua VI-class missile boat (front) maneuver during a drill in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 09 January 2025. EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO

Taiwan on Thursday demonstrated its sea defenses against a potential Chinese attack as tensions rise with Beijing, part of a multitiered strategy to deter an invasion from the mainland.
The island’s navy highlighted its Kuang Hua VI fast attack missile boats and Tuo Chiang-class corvettes in waters near Taiwan’s largest port of Kaohsiung, a major hub for international trade considered key to resupplying Chinese forces should they establish a beachhead on the island.
The Kuang Hua VI boats, with a crew of 19, carry indigenously developed Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles and displayed their ability to take to the sea in an emergency to intercept enemy ships about to cross the 44-kilometer (24-nautical mile) limit of Taiwan’s contiguous zone, within which governments are permitted to take defensive action.
China routinely sends ships and planes to challenge Taiwan’s willingness and ability to counter intruders, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets, activate missile systems and dispatch warships. Taiwan demanded on Wednesday that China end its ongoing military activity in nearby waters, which it said is undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and disrupting international shipping and trade.
Mountainous Taiwan's strategy is to counter the much larger Chinese military with a relatively flexible defense that can prevent Chinese troops from crossing the strait. Landing sites are few on Taiwan's west coast facing China, forcing Beijing to focus on the east coast.
Hsiao Shun-ming, captain of a Tuo Chiang-class corvette, said his ship’s relatively small size still allows it to “deliver a formidable competitive power” against larger Chinese ships. The Tuo Chiang has a catamaran design and boasts high speeds and considerable stealth ability.
Taiwan has in recent years reinvigorated its domestic defense industry, although it still relies heavily on US technology such as upgraded fighter jets, missiles, tanks and detection equipment. US law requires it to consider threats to the island as matters of “grave concern,” and American and allied forces are expected to be a major factor in any conflict.
Thursday's exercise “demonstrates the effectiveness of asymmetric warfare, and Taiwan’s commitment to defense self-reliance,” said Chen Ming-feng, rear admiral and commander of the navy’s 192 Fleet specializing in mine detection. “We are always ready to respond quickly and can handle any kind of maritime situation.”
China's authoritarian one-party Communist government has refused almost all communication with Taiwan's pro-independence governments since 2016, and some in Washington and elsewhere say Beijing is growing closer to taking military action.
China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, while most Taiwanese favor their de facto independence and democratic status.