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English Journal is published on Fridays PDF-English Journal-1 August 2025-No25   The nonsense uttered by Masoud Pezeshkian: “We must establish a framework so that Iranians abroad, who are afraid, can comfortably return to Iran,” and “to do this, we need to engage in dialogue with the judiciary, the Ministry of Intelligence, and the security agencies.” Reza Salehi Amiri, the former Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, speaking on Pezeshkian’s behalf, said to Iranians abroad: “This land belongs to you, …

English Journal is published on Fridays PDF-English Journal-1 August 2025-No25   “With the forced deportation of Afghan nationals, Tehran is now facing a serious shortage of street cleaners!” Naser Amani, a member of Tehran’s city council, declared: “Following recent deportations, we’ve experienced a sharp drop in sanitation workers. If this continues, the city’s cleanliness will face a serious crisis.” He added: “One contractor in a district had 185 workers. Now only 35 remain – ۳۰ of them still Afghan nationals …

English Journal is published on Fridays PDF-English Journal-1 August 2025-No25   “I don’t know how we can survive on a monthly pension of nine million tomans.”* This is the lament of a retired Iranian citizen. A citizen who has sustained life through years of labour and hardship. This citizen lives in a country where, they say, even if you place your hand on a rock, there’s wealth beneath it – a nation floating on an ocean of oil, rich in …

English Journal is published on Fridays PDF-English Journal-1 August 2025-No25   Zahra Eftekharezadeh, founder of the Athena Safe House, told Ham-Mihan newspaper that “۶۵ to 70 per cent of women who have experienced violence report it occurring during pregnancy,” adding, “this is often the most brutal form of domestic abuse.” I read the news and I don’t know how to contain my fury and sorrow. I see in my mind a procession of women – bearing life, bearing the continuity …

English Journal is published on Fridays PDF-English Journal-25 July 2025-No24   UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described Gaza as “hell on earth”—a hell brought about by Israel’s fascist government under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu, targeting a defenceless population. Today, Gaza lies in ruins. Over 70% of residential buildings have been either completely destroyed or severely damaged. Neighbourhoods and cities such as Shuja’iyya, Khan Yunis, and Rafah have been all but wiped off the map by months of relentless bombardment—by …

English Journal is published on Fridays PDF-English Journal-25 July 2025-No24   “Down with the dictator” echoed through the Ali Abad and Khazaneh metro stations in Tehran. On Wednesday, 23 July, a group of angry citizens voiced their rage at the authorities after long delays by chanting this slogan in the heart of the capital’s transport system. The night before, amid repeated power outages, similar chants resounded across Tehran. On the evening of Tuesday, 22 July 2025, as large parts of …

English Journal is published on Fridays PDF-English Journal-25 July 2025-No24   Hamidreza Rostegar, head of Tehran’s Chamber of Guilds, remarked on the quality of flour used for the bread consumed by the public: “The high-quality flour that lets people taste real bread is certainly not the same as what is distributed to bakeries.” Life here has no flavour. Neither laughter nor joy retains its natural taste. Leisure and travel are devoid of real delight—if, indeed, anyone can even dream of …

English Journal is published on Fridays PDF-English Journal-25 July 2025-No24   According to official statistics from Iran’s national data centre, the misery index rose this spring, with Khuzestan province registering the worst figures. But the real misery index in Iran extends far beyond these numbers. In capitalist economies, the misery index is calculated by adding the unemployment rate to the inflation rate. But this only measures a relative level of poverty within capitalist societies. Even at its lowest levels, the …

English Journal is published on Fridays PDF-English Journal-18 July 2025-No23   The resolution to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation was passed by the Belgian parliament on Friday, 18 July, with an overwhelming majority: 135 votes in favour, 14 abstentions, and none opposed. The passage of this resolution marks yet another humiliation for the Islamic Republic, one that has not gone unnoticed by other governments. The regime is in a state of complete political collapse, …

English Journal is published on Fridays PDF-English Journal-18 July 2025-No23   Esmail Khatib, Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, recently commented on a series of executions carried out over the past month on charges of espionage. The arrested individuals, he said, “will receive the punishment they deserve.” In the wake of the Israeli attack, hundreds of citizens were arrested on charges ranging from espionage to actions against national security. Under torture, they were coerced into “confessing” that they were agents of Mossad …