Iran says it rejects nuclear weapons but will defend itself by all means

The spokesman for the parliament's health committee Salman Es’haghi confirmed that the deaths of at least 70 dialysis patients were due to aluminum-contaminated medication.

In June, Iran International reported that Samen Pharmaceutical Company, a subsidiary of the influential Astan Quds Razavi, is the sole producer of the medication.

Without revealing the manufacturer's identity, Es’haghi added that production of the medication has not been halted and while suggesting that a legal case was filed at the time, said the judiciary has yet to initiate serious legal action for accountability.

The Ministry of Health said Monday that the deaths were cases from the previous year, and that there is no cause for concern today.

The contamination surfaced in early 2024, initially with reports of fatalities among dialysis patients in Mashhad and Isfahan.

Early estimates cited 10 to 12 deaths, but as investigations progressed, the toll quickly climbed to 50, eventually reaching 70 confirmed deaths.

Symptoms included brain dysfunction, seizures, infections, and coma - all consistent with aluminum toxicity.

Es’haghi said that the initial assumption was low-quality production, but later findings suggested contamination with aluminum, leading to severe complications.

Criticizing the judiciary's slow response, Es'haghi said that months have passed without any significant action.

“If the judiciary continues to neglect its responsibilities,” he warned, “the Health Committee will disclose the name of the company and escalate the matter through other channels.”

Dialysis drug maker linked to sanctioned group

Headquartered in Mashhad and directly overseen by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Astan Quds Razavi - the parent company of the drug producer Samen - has a long and complex history of influence over Iran’s pharmaceutical sector.

Former President Ebrahim Raisi previously served as the head of Astan Quds Razavi, a conglomerate with extensive holdings across Iran’s economy.

Astan Quds Razavi was sanctioned by the US primarily for being owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by Iran’s Supreme Leader. Raisi’s successor as custodian, Ahmad Marvi, was also sanctioned under this designation.

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The Iranian Food and Drug Administration first acknowledged issues with the dialysis solution in June, citing reports of adverse reactions linked to the product manufactured by Samen Pharmaceutical Company.

The Food and Drug Administration temporarily halted production, distribution, and use of the company’s peritoneal dialysis solution until further testing could be conducted; however, it remains unclear why production has resumed without confirmed safety improvements.

Samen Pharmaceutical Company, founded in 1984, holds a dominant position in Iran’s pharmaceutical industry as the sole producer of peritoneal dialysis solutions. Its shareholders include Astan Quds Razavi, which controls a 70% stake, along with the Iranian Retirement Fund and Hakim Pharmaceuticals.

Es’haghi said that the company's head admitted a lack of oversight on raw materials used in manufacturing, with aluminum-contaminated ingredients apparently slipping through quality control.

Iran’s dialysis patients, estimated at around 800,000, rely heavily on peritoneal dialysis solutions like those produced by Samen Pharmaceutical. Peritoneal dialysis involves using the abdominal lining as a membrane for filtering blood, and contamination of the solution can have severe, even fatal, consequences. Patients affected by the contaminated batch, distributed between December 2023 and May 2024, suffered irreversible damage.

Efforts to uncover details of the contamination have faced obstacles.

In June, when deaths were first reported, Samen Pharmaceutical reportedly informed journalists it was barred from commenting on the matter by a superior organization, believed to be Astan Quds Razavi.

This restriction has fueled public concern, as Astan Quds Razavi has previously been implicated in various allegations of corruption and misconduct.

An Israeli security source, speaking exclusively to Iran International on condition of anonymity, said: “That’s not a standard procedure for everyone, only those with a threat on them such as the chief of staff, the Air Force chief, but now they put security on him and his family as he was exposed.”

It was revealed that he was one of the targets of an Iran-backed cell of Azeri-Israelis, arrested last month after a years-long relationship with Iranian agents gathering intelligence on military sites, strategic targets, and key personnel.

“Usually these guys have a security assessment made on them, to also see how exposed the family is on the internet," explained the source, who works under strict security conditions.

Nevatim was one of the targets of last month’s almost 200 ballistic missile barrage, with multiple strike sites revealed from satellite imagery, including damage to the roof of a hangar.

“The commander is a very wanted target because Nevatim is in itself so strong a target for Iran. It’s not just fighters, it’s intelligence, it’s multi-disciplinary and a strategic base,” the source explained.

It is not the first time the Iranians have reportedly sought out figures for assassination in Israel’s security establishment. In September, plots were foiled on the highest profile targets to date; the prime minister, the head of internal intelligence agency Shin Bet, and the defense minister.

Last month, seven Azerbaijani immigrants to Israel were accused of working for Iran for two years, carrying out 600 operations, including sharing information on the air bases targeted in the ballistic missile barrage from Iran.

They were also accused of sharing information about Israel’s air defense system, the Iron Dome, and the Hadera power plant, sharing intelligence directly with Iran.

The cell, who lived in northern Israel, had been paid thousands of dollars, also in crypto, according to Israel’s Shin Bet.

Israel Police named the Jewish suspects as Aziz Nisanov, Alexander Sedikov, Vyacheslav Goshchin, Yevgeny Yufa, Yigal Nisan and two minors.

Israel Police said the investigation revealed that for over two years, "the suspects had been carrying out a series of different security missions for the Iranian intelligence agencies, under the direction of two agents from the Iranian intelligence”.

Other plots foiled by Israel in recent weeks by Iran-backed cells inside Israel include the assassination of a nuclear scientist.

The IMF states that for Iran to avoid a budget deficit next year, global oil prices would need to reach above $124 per barrel—a figure 70% higher than the current Brent crude prices on international markets. According to the report, Iran needed oil prices above $121 this year to prevent a budget shortfall, which did not materialize, leading the government to engage in substantial borrowing.

Since 2018, when the US imposed stringent sanctions on the Islamic Republic, the Iranian government has faced substantial budget deficits, compelling it to resort to extensive borrowing. Data from the IMF's database reveals that Iran's net government debt will reach 59,000 trillion rials this year, nearly double the amount in 2018, and is projected to quadruple again by 2029.

In US dollar terms, the IMF data shows Iran's gross government debt will reach around $150 billion this year, an increase of $26 billion from the previous year, and will peak at $162 billion next year, amounting to nearly 35% of the country’s GDP.

To offset budget deficits and secure loans from financial institutions, the Iranian government has pressured the Central Bank to print unsupported currency. According to IMF figures, liquidity in Iran has surged annually by 25-40% in recent years, with projected increases above 27% this year and next.

This increased liquidity has fueled runaway inflation. Over the past several years, Iran has consistently ranked among the top 10 countries with the highest inflation rates, and next year it is expected to have the sixth-highest inflation globally.

However, the IMF’s figures about inflation are based on data provided by Iran's Statistical Center, which tends to underestimate market inflation rates. For example, while the Statistical Center reported October inflation at 34%, the head of Iran's Central Bank announced in early November that inflation was actually at 38%. Reports from domestic media suggest the real inflation rate is even higher than that estimated by the head of Central Bank.

Another key point in the IMF report is the anticipated deceleration of Iran's economic growth. Economic growth has dropped from 5% last year to 3.7% this year, and it is expected to decrease each year, reaching only 2% by 2029. However, these growth forecasts assume Iran avoids a conflict with Israel. Most of Iran’s economic growth in 2023 was due to higher oil exports to China.

Earlier this year, the IMF warned that if Iran were to engage in even a limited regional conflict, its economy could shrink by around 5% in 2024. The IMF has also cautioned that any direct involvement in conflicts could push Iran's inflation rate above 100%, with accessible foreign exchange reserves falling to zero by the end of 2024.

According to the IMF, Iran’s accessible foreign exchange reserves stand at $26 billion this year, a sharp drop from the average of approximately $68 billion over the past two decades. Iran has twice targeted Israel with hundreds of missiles and drones this year, but Israel’s response has been limited to attacks on specific military targets within Iran. However, the Islamic government is threatening to attack Israel again, and the United States has warned Iran that in such a case it cannot moderate Israel’s response.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Iran has told Arab countries in the region it is planning a strong and complex response to Israel involving even more powerful warheads and other weapons.

Iran has told Arab diplomats that its conventional army would be involved because it had lost four soldiers and a civilian in Israel’s October 26 attack, the report added, citing Iranian and Arab officials briefed on the plans.

One Iranian official speaking to the Wall Street Journal said Iran could use Iraqi territory for part of the operation and would likely target Israeli military facilities “but much more aggressively than last time."

The WSJ report came hours after President Masoud Pezeshkian said "Iran will in no way leave any violation of its territory and security unanswered," in response to recent Israeli attacks that killed four Iranian army personnel and a civilian.

"They are well aware that any mistake against the Islamic Republic of Iran will be met with a crushing response," Pezeshkian said during a cabinet session.

However, the relatively moderate president left the door open for de-escalation if Israel chooses to cease hostilities. "If they reconsider their actions, accept a ceasefire, and stop the killing of innocent and oppressed people in the region, it may influence the nature and intensity of our response."

Pezeshkian's statement appeared to signal a willingness for a measured approach, potentially allowing for a de-escalation if Israel were to pull back.

The United States has directly warned Tehran against launching another attack against Israel, saying it will not be able to restrain its ally this time, Axios reported Saturday citing an American official, amid reports of Iran's preparations for another strike on Israel.

In a direct message sent to Iran through the Swiss, the Biden administration warned the Islamic Republic that Israel's response to a possible Iranian attack will not be as limited as the one launched last Saturday.

On October 26, in the wake of a four-hour mission involving around 100 pilots, the Israeli military said it had caused significant damage to Iran’s air defense systems, allowing them scope “to do much more”.

The attack was Israel's response to Iran's October 1 missile barrage, following a series of high-level Israeli killings including the leader of Iran’s largest militia, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the humiliating killing of the Hamas political leader in an IRGC compound in Tehran.

The wave of executions comes in the shadows of the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, a backdrop some rights advocates argue is being used to divert attention from the domestic situation.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Norway-based organization, said: “While the world’s attention is focused on the tensions between Iran and Israel, the Islamic Republic is using this opportunity to conduct the largest wave of executions in Iran’s prisons in two decades."

He called on the international community to respond with urgency, warning of potentially even higher execution rates in the coming months under the threat of a regional conflict.

Among those executed were Afghan, Baluch, and Kurdish citizens, and at least six women. Charges varied widely, encompassing intentional murder, drug-related offenses, and ambiguous charges like “enmity against God” and “corruption on earth” with two of the executions conducted publicly.

The group's report touched on the role capital punishment has played in Iran’s judicial system. Iran's use of the death penalty has consistently drawn criticism from global human rights organizations, with Amnesty International recently findings showing that nearly 75% of documented executions worldwide in 2023 took place in Iran.

In a report marking World Day Against the Death Penalty, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) documented at least 811 executions in Iran over the past year, a figure that includes Jamshid Sharmahd, a German-Iranian national whose execution last week sparked international outrage.

Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, also addressed the increase in executions in her first report, saying that Iran’s intensified use of the death penalty extends beyond recognized legal standards.

Citing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Sato added that the death penalty should be reserved for only the “most serious crimes,” expressing concern over charges like “corruption on earth” being used as grounds for execution.

According to the Iran Human Rights Organization, more than 350 people have been executed in the three months since Masoud Pezeshkian’s presidency began, an acceleration that coincides with growing tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and regional conflicts.

Sholeh Zamini, a women’s rights advocate (where is she based?), commented that Iran’s consistent refusal to allow UN special rapporteurs to conduct in-country investigations prevents an accurate assessment of these human rights violations.

“The Islamic Republic has always blocked UN rapporteurs, likely because it wishes to keep its human rights abuses out of the international spotlight,” Zamini noted.

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As in previous years, Iran’s execution record has extended to ethnic and religious minorities, with Afghan citizens facing increasing rates of execution since the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan.

The report shows that at least 49 Afghans were executed in the first ten months of 2024, a trend rights advocates attribute to both political motivations and racial discrimination within Iran’s justice system.

Roya Boroumand, executive director of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation, a US-based human rights organization, sees the pattern of heightened executions as a response to internal instability which has remained high since the 2022 uprising.

“Historically, the government ramps up executions when it feels threatened or unstable. We saw this following the Iran-Iraq War and during the nuclear negotiations under President Hassan Rouhani, when the annual execution rate reached 1,050,” she explained.

Boroumand further highlighted an emerging trend of capital punishment extending to women. “It used to be mostly minorities, but now even regular citizens, including women, are receiving death sentences,” she said, pointing to what she described as a means of intimidating the broader population in times of unrest.

Following the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising after the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody in 2022, Iran’s leadership has increasingly wielded the death penalty as a means of suppressing dissent.

Amnesty International reported that Tehran’s intensifying reliance on capital punishment appears aimed at instilling fear and reinforcing the government’s control.