Iran Elections: Domestic Reform to Int’l Image

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
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Iran Elections: Domestic Reform to Int’l Image

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Days ahead of Iran’s legislative elections, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged higher voter turnout, calling on all Iranians to participate in fixing issues.
In a meeting with people from East Azerbaijan Province, Khamenei stressed that elections are “an important national event” and the core pillar of Iran.
“Elections are a manifestation of the republican system and this is why the Arrogant Powers and the US, who are opposed to both republicanism and the Islamic nature of the Islamic Republic, are against the elections and the enthusiastic participation of the people at the ballot boxes,” said Khamenei.
The elections, slated for next month, will elect 290 new parliament members. Simultaneously, elections for the Assembly of Experts, comprising 88 clerics, will occur, responsible for naming the next Supreme Leader if needed.
Conspiracy Talk
In his remarks, Khamenei once again brought up talk about conspiracies just before elections.
Khamenei stated that in the past, a US president once called on the Iranian nation to boycott elections while it actually backfired and in opposition to Washington, Iranians participated with even more enthusiasm.
The leader claimed that this failure was why US officials no longer talk this way, but employ different methods to distance and steer people away from elections.
Khameni also underlined that elections are crucial for fixing Iran’s problems, and insisted that everyone take part.
Earlier this month, Khamenei urged Iran’s elite figures to ensure a big voter turnout, warning against efforts to weaken their role.
It is worth noting that the upcoming vote is the first since protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by Iranian authorities for improper hijab, erupted in September 2022.
Amini died in custody, sparking nationwide demonstrations, but Iran blamed Western powers for fueling the protests.
Picking the Best
Khamenei defended the process of approving candidates by the Guardian Council, a body he partly appoints.
He emphasized the need to elect the most qualified candidates among those approved.
The leader urged avoiding insults and false accusations during the campaign, emphasizing national unity despite differences.
He stressed the importance of fair elections, denying any past electoral violations. His remarks coincide with the anniversary of the house arrest of two reformist leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi.
Mousavi and Karroubi contested the results of the 2009 presidential elections.
Meanwhile, Iranian state apparatuses, particularly the military forces, are preparing for the impending elections.
West Asia Strategy
A senior Revolutionary Guards commander, Mohsen Rezaee, highlighted the importance of the elections for Iran’s relations with West Asian countries.
He emphasized Iran’s strategic role in the region and the need for public participation in the elections.
He stated that West Asia’s fate is being decided now and that Iran’s strength should be acknowledged by Western nations.
“Today, the fate of West Asia is being determined. There is competition among countries, and Iran has found its place among these peoples, and it must consolidate it,” said Rezaee.
He underlined the importance of Iran’s role in resolving regional issues like ISIS and peace in Palestine.



Myanmar Military Strike Kills 14 People at a Buddhist Monastery

Police stand guard as they wait for protests against coup in Yangon, Myanmar February 4, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer
Police stand guard as they wait for protests against coup in Yangon, Myanmar February 4, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer
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Myanmar Military Strike Kills 14 People at a Buddhist Monastery

Police stand guard as they wait for protests against coup in Yangon, Myanmar February 4, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer
Police stand guard as they wait for protests against coup in Yangon, Myanmar February 4, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

An airstrike Friday by Myanmar’s military on a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar’s central Sagaing region killed 14 people who were taking part in a week-long meditation retreat, an opposition group and a resident said.

The attack is the latest in a series of frequent and deadly aerial strikes targeting armed pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed groups in the country. The strikes often cause civilian casualties.

The attack occurred Friday at 9 a.m. in Swel Le Oh village in Myaung township, about 75 kilometers (45 miles) west of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city, according to Nway Oo, a spokesperson for the Civil Defence and Security Organization of Myaung Township, or CDSOM.

Nway Oo said 14 people, including three women, were killed and 20 others were wounded when a jet fighter dropped a bomb in the compound of the village’s monastery.

A villager who spoke on condition of anonymity also confirmed the death toll to The Associated Press. The villager said the jet fighter dropped two bombs 15 minutes apart, with the second bomb damaging a house near the monastery where more than 100 people were on a week-long retreat during Buddhist Lent.

The villager, who lost a relative in the airstrike, said that people fled to a nearby community after burying bodies of the victims.

Associated Press


Iran Vows 'Devastating' Response to US Threat to Cut off its Economic Lifelines

US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Iran Vows 'Devastating' Response to US Threat to Cut off its Economic Lifelines

US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Iran said on Friday that its response to any new US threats would be "devastating" after Washington pledged to impose the toughest financial penalties in history with the aim of toppling the Iranian leadership.

Washington prepared for sanctions that US Treasury chief Scott Bessent said he would detail on Monday. President Donald Trump earlier warned of economic consequences against any country that provided "any type of lifeline to Iran."

The chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, Major General Ali Abdollahi, said the Islamic Republic's reaction would be broad and decisive.

"With preparedness across land, sea, air, air defense and cyberspace, Iran's armed forces will respond to the enemy's new threats with crushing, punishing and devastating responses," Abdollahi was quoted as saying by Iranian media.

The US and Iran have twice announced ceasefire deals, in April and June, aiming to restore the free flow of ships through Hormuz on a path towards ending the nearly six-month-old conflict, but both quickly crumbled.

Bessent told CNBC he would "talk about exactly what we're going to do" on Iran at a press conference on Monday.

"We are going to collapse this regime. It is time for our allies and the rest of the world to make a decision," he said, describing a naval blockade reimposed on Iran in July and the "toughest sanctions in history" as a "one-two punch".

Iran has weathered near-continuous economic sanctions for nearly 50 years, since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, but its people are suffering high inflation, a weakening currency and energy shortages along with damaged infrastructure.

Some Iranians interviewed by Reuters have said more economic punishment could increase hardship, weaken the clerical establishment and prompt unrest, although there has been no sign of that since a deadly crackdown on protests in January.

Before Bessent spoke, Iran's foreign ministry said US sanctions would not "create even the slightest hesitation in Iranians’ determination to safeguard Iran’s independence, dignity and national sovereignty."


Iran President Says Time to End War while in Position of Strength

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (Reuters)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (Reuters)
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Iran President Says Time to End War while in Position of Strength

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (Reuters)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (Reuters)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday it was time to end the months-long Middle East war with the United States because Tehran appeared to be in a stronger position than Washington.

Tehran is keeping the key Strait of Hormuz partially shut and Washington is persisting with a naval counter-blockade of Iran.

"It is better that we bring the war to an end now as we are in a position of power and dignity," Pezeshkian said in a meeting with doctors.

"The whole world acknowledges our victory and emphasises that America has attacked our schools, hospitals and infrastructure in violation of all regulations and is hated around the world."

Pezeshkian also defended a memorandum of understanding agreed with the US in June aimed at ending the war, claiming it did not signal a defeat for Tehran.

"They cannot find even a single clause in this agreement that indicates capitulation. All the commitments concern the other side," he said.

His remarks come weeks after Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said he had approved the deal to end the war despite having "different views".

Hardline lawmakers in Iran's parliament have also criticized the government over the deal, accusing it of giving concessions to the US, mostly over the re-opening of the strategic Hormuz Strait.

According to reports in US media, the American navy has been organizing and protecting secret convoys of tankers through the southern sector of the Strait of Hormuz enabling between five and 10 million barrels a day of oil to be exported.

As Tehran claimed to be in the stronger position, the US has said it would ramp up sanctions to heap pressure on Tehran.

The American plan drew condemnation from Iran's foreign ministry, which accused the US of "economic terrorism" and "crimes against humanity".

"The perpetrators and instigators of these sanctions are deserving of trial and punishment for committing such heinous crimes," it said in a statement carried by state media.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday vowed Washington would "collapse" the Iranian regime with its threatened campaign nearly six months since their war began.

The comments underscored how the Trump administration is shifting to economic rather than military pressure on Tehran as the US president's unpopular war drags on.

China also criticized Washington's economic plan, saying that US "sanctions and pressure" would not resolve the Middle East conflict.