In Friday's Iran Daily Summary:
- Pulpits Playing It Safe: Nezam Better Off Resisting Than ‘Surrendering’: Friday prayer leaders must have been advised to steer clear of controversial topics because most of their sermons were harmless if not inane. One cleric who trampled the Nezam’s “red lines” was the intrepid leader of Zahedan’s Sunnis.
- Tensions with Taliban Rise as Debate over Division of Water Heats Up: The dispute between Iran and Afghanistan over Iran’s water rights from the Helmand River reached a new level this week as both countries exchanged hostile remarks and threats. The recent rise in tensions raises doubts about the Nezam’s ability to resolve the crisis and, at the same time, maintain amicable ties with a Taliban government that poses a risk to regional stability.
- More Executions Indicate Nezam’s Resolve To Cow Protesters: Iran executed three individuals who had clashed with security forces last November. These executions follow a four-month pause in capital punishment for those implicated in the recent cross-country unrest, highlighting the Nezam’s unwavering determination to stamp out such protests by force and intimidation.
- Nezam’s Tightening Grip on Power: Contrary to wishful speculation by reformist media outlets about the Nezam’s readiness for political pluralism, evidence suggests there will be no retreat from the hardliners’ monopoly on power. The bills for “reforms” in the election law and the “transparency” of votes among legislators are in the final stages. In coordination with the Nezam’s approach to creating a homogenized power system, conservative power groups are resorting to legislation to keep all their power.
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