The growing chasm between conflicting factions of ruling clique has induced a change in regime’s tactics to handle the deepening crisis. Serious efforts are underway to avert the likely collapse of regime threatened by a growing dissatisfaction among citizens and a likely foreign military intervention.

All this is happening as Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is losing support among his own backers. He has been criticized directly and indirectly by different sections of the Iranian establishment for his public statement with regard to the talks with Washington. He has been accused of US leanings. Many stalwarts of the regime have pointed out that only Ali Khamnei, highest religious authority, has the right to give a green signal when it comes to talks with the USA. Otherwise, they warn, there would occur a split in the regime. Ayatollah Khamnei in an important speech warned the West against any military intervention: ‘In case their threat becomes a reality, it will not be just our region that will suffer.’

A day after this speech, Sepah, the Islamic military force, offered a clear explanation of Khamnei’s statement. In an official statement issued on August 19, Sepah declared: ‘We will mobilize all our resources all over the Muslim world to hit back at the enemy.’ Naghdi, chief of Basij militia, in a separate statement said: ‘We are only looking for a pretext to liberate al-Quds (Jerusalem).’

National Unity:

As the regime is busy toying with the idea of a war in the region, country’s movers and shakers recently met secretly for deliberations. What prevailed at the meeting was made public by Ali Khamnei in his speech: ‘A national unity is vital.’ This proposed unity for Khamnei as well as a few others including all-powerful Rafsanjani means that ‘even those who by mistake have come in conflict with the system (read: Mousavi and Korobi) will be included in a broad coalition to defend the Iranian regime in its totality.’

Ahmadinejad on August 22 inaugurated with pomp and show what he called country’s ‘first domestically manufactured unmanned bomber capable of long-distance sorties.’ The bomber has been named ‘Ambassador of death’. At the same time, Bushehr’s nuclear plant has also been inaugurated. This project has been assisted by Russian experts. Bushehr’s project was initiated 25 years ago and is not covered by the UN sanctions. Still, the inauguration attracted a lot of media attention.

Executions and family law:

The courts, meantime, remain busy handing down death sentences. Only in Mashhad, a major town in the east of Iran, 300 have been executed on the charges of drug trafficking. Many still await execution of their death sentences, according to human rights activists. Death sentence to Sakineh has not been overturned. This case has engaged half a million people across the globe (for details see Viewpoint online issue no. 15). She was first accused of adultery and sentenced to execution by stoning. After strong protests and a mercy appeal by Brazilian president Lula De Silva, authorities have annulled the stoning. Now she has been accused of abetting murder of her husband. The murderer by the way has already been released from the jail. According to country’s law, if the children of person killed pardon the murderer, the case is dismissed. Sakineh’s children pardoned the killer as well as Sakineh, recently.

Amid all this, a struggle is going on about a proposed family law to be passed by the Majlis (parliament). This law will lead to further Talibanisation of the society.

If this law is passed by Majlis, all the minor but important reforms women in Iran were able to win through hectic struggles, will be rolled back. Polygamy will remain a man’s right but he will not be obliged to ask permission from the first wife. Even the women in Majlis who belong to most reactionary factions have been agitated. However, according to Ayatollahs, this law is in line with Sharia!

Sholeh Irani