Iran’s EX-President Admits ‘Widespread Discontent’

Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Iran’s former reformist President Mohammad Khatami on the sidelines of an event before the 2009 presidential elections (archives - Parliament News)
Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Iran’s former reformist President Mohammad Khatami on the sidelines of an event before the 2009 presidential elections (archives - Parliament News)
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Iran’s EX-President Admits ‘Widespread Discontent’

Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Iran’s former reformist President Mohammad Khatami on the sidelines of an event before the 2009 presidential elections (archives - Parliament News)
Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Iran’s former reformist President Mohammad Khatami on the sidelines of an event before the 2009 presidential elections (archives - Parliament News)

Iran’s former reformist President Mohammad Khatami on Sunday admitted that reforms have reached a deadlock in his country and urged returning to the constitution of the “Islamic Republic.”

Khatami’s stance goes against his ally Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who has called for reforming the constitution and proposed an alternative to the current government.

As the 44th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution approaches, Khatami said that the Iranian society is beset by many troubles, but he called for a return to the constitution.

“Changing and amending the constitution is in order, but by returning to the spirit of the same constitution, many reforms can be made,” said Khatami according to Iranian media.

Unlike Khatami, Mousavi called for drafting a new constitution and submitting it to a popular referendum for a “free and fair” vote. Mousavi said that the aim of doing so is changing the power dynamics and the current formula of the country’s system of government.

“What is evident today is widespread discontent,” said Khatami, according to AFP.

Khatami said he hoped that the use of “non-violent civil methods” could “force the governing system to change its approach and accept reforms.”

The former president also implicitly referred to the widening gap between the establishment and the rest of the people, especially the protesters, the majority of whom are young people.

President from 1997 to 2005 before being forced into silence, Khatami said he regretted that Iran’s population was “disappointed with Reformism as well as with the ruling system.”

Khatami rejected demands to overthrow the regime and said: “In terms of the balance of power and the capabilities and strength of the state, it is not possible to overthrow (the regime).”

He warned that raising slogans for overthrowing the establishment will only lead to more restrictions and damages.

Khatami's statements came after Mousavi sharply criticized the ruling establishment and called for a new constitution and a popular referendum.



Trump Administration Cancels Travel for Refugees Already Cleared to Resettle in the US

 An Afghan refugee man, who asked not to use his name and not to show his face fearing his identity could lead to his capture, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP)
An Afghan refugee man, who asked not to use his name and not to show his face fearing his identity could lead to his capture, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP)
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Trump Administration Cancels Travel for Refugees Already Cleared to Resettle in the US

 An Afghan refugee man, who asked not to use his name and not to show his face fearing his identity could lead to his capture, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP)
An Afghan refugee man, who asked not to use his name and not to show his face fearing his identity could lead to his capture, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP)

Refugees who had been approved to travel to the United States before a deadline next week suspending America's refugee resettlement program have had their travel plans canceled by the Trump administration.

Thousands of refugees who fled war and persecution and had gone through a sometimes yearslong process to start new lives in America are now stranded at various locations worldwide. That includes more than 1,600 Afghans who assisted America's war effort, as well as relatives of active-duty US military personnel.

President Donald Trump paused the refugee resettlement program this week as part of a series of executive orders cracking down on immigration. His move had left open the possibility that refugees who had been screened to come to the US and had flights booked before the Jan. 27 deadline might be able to get in under the wire.

But in an email dated Tuesday and reviewed by The Associated Press, the US agency overseeing refugee processing and arrivals told staff and stakeholders that "refugee arrivals to the United States have been suspended until further notice."

There are a little more than 10,000 refugees from around the world who had already gone through the lengthy refugee admission process and had travel scheduled over the next few weeks, according to a document obtained by the AP. It was not immediately clear how many of those had been set to arrive by upcoming deadline.

Among those are more than 1,600 Afghans cleared to come to the US as part of the program that the Biden administration set up after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Many veterans of America's longest war have tried for years to help Afghans they worked with, in addition to their families, find refuge in the US. Many were prepared for a suspension of the resettlement program but had hoped for special consideration for the Afghans.

"The Trump administration’s early pause of refugee flights is alarming, leaving thousands of Afghan allies in fear and uncertainty," said Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran and head of #AfghanEvac, a coalition supporting Afghan resettlement efforts. "We are ready to partner to fix this and urge clear communication with impacted families. Let’s honor our promises and uphold America’s values."

There is a separate path — the special immigrant visa program— specifically for Afghans who worked directly with the US government. VanDiver's group said that program, set up by Congress, did not appear to be affected at this time.

Trump's order signed Monday had given the State Department a week before it began to halt all processing and traveling. It appears the timing was moved up, though it was not immediately clear what prompted the change.

The State Department referred questions to the White House.

Agencies that help refugees settle and adjust to life in America have argued that this is the type of legal immigration that Trump and his supporters say they like and have pointed to the stringent background checks and sometimes yearslong wait that refugees endure before setting foot in America.

"This abrupt halt to refugee admissions is devastating for families who have already endured unimaginable hardship and waited years for the chance to rebuild their lives in safety," Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, head of Global Refuge, one of the 10 US resettlement agencies, said in a statement Wednesday.

"Refugees go through one of the most rigorous vetting processes in the world, and many are now seeing their travel canceled just days, or even hours, before they were set to begin their new lives in the United States," she said. "It’s utterly heartbreaking."

Refugees are distinct from people who come directly to the US-Mexico border with the goal of eventually seeking asylum. Refugees must be living outside of the US to be considered for resettlement and are usually referred to the State Department by the United Nations.

While the resettlement program has historically enjoyed bipartisan support, the first Trump administration also temporarily halted resettlement and then lowered the number of refugees who could enter the country annually.