🎙️ Announcing the Iranophilia Podcast - I’m proud to announce the launch of the Iranophilia Podcast! While the newsletter gives me an opportunity to talk about a broad number of different topics, the podcast is a medium for deeper dives into one or two select topics.

The first episode of the podcast covers the wide range of different crises Iran faces at the present day.

The second episode looks at the history of the Iranian nuclear program between 1952 and 1979.

Please spread the word to other people you may think interested. At the moment the podcast is only available on Spotify. I hope to add it to additional platforms in the near future.

CURRENT EVENTS

A Fight over Internet Freedom - On July 30, the Pezeshkian administration announced that it was withdrawing the controversial “Combating the Dissemination of False Content in Cyberspace” it had submitted 10 days earlier.

This bill put fines, bans, and prison terms for both individuals and platforms spreading fake news. It did not just target traditional media but included channels or accounts with larger than 90,000 followers on any social media platform. The base punishment for spreading false content would be up to two years. In cases relating to national security and collaboration with foreign governments this could go up to five years. And in special crises or wartime conditions this could go up to 10 years.

On July 27th, Iran’s Parliament had voted to go forward with reviewing the bill with double urgency by a vote for 205-49, which means its review would be expedited and not need to go through any committee.

There was extreme backlash towards the bill from reformists and others. In one case a prominent reformist academic expressed regret for ever having supporting Pezeshkian due to the bill. This was particularly frustrating for this group because Pezeshkian had criticized internet restrictions during the presidential campaign and pledged to move towards removing them.

Ultimately as the pressure grew, the administration decided to entirely withdraw the bill. While it tried to show this as a sign of being responsive to people’s demands and protecting freedom of speech, many figures found this unconvincing, given the administration itself was the one who had drafted the bill and submitted it to Parliament.

This was not the first time in recent years there had been a massive public outcry over new legislation relating to the internet. In 2021 Majles passed ‘Tahrhe Sianat’, a law that would have put significant restrictions on connecting to the international internet on Iranians. After significant protests by different parts of society, the law was declared void.

Tiered Internet - At the same time, there has been a separate internet related controversy after the Supreme National Council of Cyberspace, chaired by the president, created the bylaws for a new committee to facilitate the activities of digital businesses.

The basic idea of this committee is to support the growth of the digital economy by taking actions like unblocking certain IPs usually not accessible in Iran for specific businesses.

This has been criticized for creating a multi-tiered internet where some segments of society have more rights than others. The idea is similar to a proposal that was brought forth in the late Rouhani era of giving certain journalists and academic departments access to an unfiltered version of the global internet that is not accessible to most Iranians (without using VPNs). In both cases, critics point out the potential for abuse in which the government gives certain favored groups better access to the internet than everyone else.

The administration has pushed back against these criticisms and charges it is making a multi-tiered internet. Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokesperson for the government, stated that a class based internet is neither legally sound nor on the administration’s agenda. Similarly, the president and the minister of communications both sent messages saying free access to information is every citizen’s right.

The point the administration seems to be making between the lines is that they are not adding any restrictions for anyone, but simply ‘giving additional support’ to certain groups that will benefit all of society.

It is still not clear what the purpose of this new committee will be. It has not started work yet. Nonetheless, the political tensions over access to the internet - something Pezeshkian had repeatedly talked about during the presidential campaign - is just one example of a larger phenomena of society being frustrated over the very slow pace of change.

These criticisms reached a level that Yousef Pezeshkian, the president’s son, felt compelled to make a post on X saying that “lasting change” requires patience and that “Gradual progress is in the heart of reform. What happens quickly is called a revolution”. The post got almost half a million views and sparked significant criticism.

Changes in the Government’s Political & Security Bodies - In a significant shakeup of the country’s top decision making bodies, President Pezeshkian appointed Ali Larijani as the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) to replace Ali Akbar Ahmadian (who held the position since 2023). At the same time, the SNSC revived the Supreme National Defense Council, a council that was shut down after the end of the Iran-Iraq War and combined into the SNSC.

The SNSC is the country’s highest security council and had previously made decisions for things like nuclear negotiations & military attacks. Larijani getting the position marks a return to power for him, after he had been sidelined when he had been barred for President both in 2021 and 2024 by the Guardian Council. He had previously held the same position of Secretary of SNSC from 2005 to 2007, but resigned due to irreconcilable disagreements with then President Ahmadinejad.

In recent years, Larijani has grown closer to the ‘moderate’ camp of former President Rouhani and charted his way as a pragmatic figure. His appointment could have implications in Iran’s nuclear dispute with the West (though the government appears far less willing to negotiate after the war).

Meanwhile, reviving the Supreme National Defense Council is a sign that the government believes a renewed attack by Israel and/or the United States is distinctly possible and is taking efforts to set up a council entirely focused on defense and military preparedness. The Supreme Leader appointed both Ali Akbar Ahmadian (the previous secretary of the SNSC) and Ali Shamkhani (the secretary of the SNSC from 2013 to 2023) to the new Defense Council.

Critics of the Islamic Republic say that these appointments show that the system is incapable of true change and can only reshuffle the same individuals again and again in the same positions.

MORE HEADLINES

• The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi received a ‘yellow card’ from Parliament (this is a warning that can lay the grounds for impeachment). Several MPs have also started the motions to impeach the Minister of Energy over the ongoing electricity and water crises.

• Ongoing blackouts during the summer have continued in almost all of Iran. Some areas even receive two blackouts some days. Additionally restrictions on water have started in several large cities, including Tehran. There is a real risk that Tehran reaches “Day Zero” where taps would have to be completely turned off in coming months unless there are significant changes in consumption.

• The FATF has invited representatives of Iran to attend talks in Spain about normalizing Iran’s status and steps needed to remove Iran from the FATF blacklist. This comes after 7 years of dispute over the country’s blacklisting.

• On July 24, the Nahid 2 communications satellite was sent into Earth orbit using a Russia Soyuz launch vehicle from the Vostochny Space Center.

CULTURE

A Master Passes Away - Mahmoud Farshchian, widely considered the greatest master of Persian miniature painting in the modern day, passed away at the age of 95 from pneumonia.

Farshchian’s pieces included works with both Islamic and Iranian themes. He also commissioned several pieces in the shrines of the Shia Imams in both Iran and Iraq. His work received widespread acclaim both before and after the revolution. In 2001 a museum devoted to his works was set up by the Cultural Heritage Foundation in Sa’dabad Cultural Complex in Tehran. His pieces have been in the private collections of several royal figures including Prince Akihito of Japan, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.

Below are a few of his most famous works. A larger selection of his works can be found here

Tasiyan Completes - The historical drama series Tasiyan that was available on the streaming platform Filimo finally reached its last episode.

This series about a romance between a leftist activist and SAVAK agent before Iran’s revolution had been previously banned and unbanned two times.

Some conservatives had criticized the series for its depiction of mixed gender dancing and lax hijab rules. It also was criticized by some for its unconventional depiction (in Iranian film series) of the late 1970s and what was interpreted as criticism of some religious and leftist groups. Additionally, some figures believed it downplayed the brutality of SAVAK.

The popularity of the series, as well as the wide range of discussions it provoked, shows that judgements of the era of the late 1970s and the Iranian Revolution remain quite fluid even 50 years later. The series can be viewed on YouTube here.

SPORTS

Beiranvand Suspension - After a year of legal drama between the clubs Tractor Sazi Tabriz and Persepolis FC, the Iranian Football Federation finally issued a verdict for the case of Alireza Beiranvand’s illegal break of contract with Persepolis and transfer to Tractor last season. Beiranvand will be suspended for 4 months from all football activity, both on a club level and for the national team. Additionally he will have to pay a fine equivalent to $300,000 to Persepolis.

Super Cup - The Iranian Super Cup between the winner of last year’s league and the Hazfi club will be played between Tractor and Esteghlal Monday August 11.

The new season of the Persian Gulf Pro League will start on August 17.

Women’s U16 Basketball - Iran’s U16 Women’s Basketball Team won its first ever West Asian Championship, which qualifies them to their first ever FIBA U16 Women’s Asia Cup.

2025 FIBA Asia Cup - Meanwhile Iran’s men basketball team is participating with the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup which is being held is Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (the tournament is held once every 4 years). It won all three of its group matches, beating Guam 77-52, Japan 78-70, and Syria 82-43. This means Iran will directly quality for the quarterfinals, with their next game on Wednesday August 13th.

ACROSS THE WEB

• How Israel Recruited Iranian Spies: ProPublica published a detailed piece looking at how Israel secretly recruited Iranian dissidents to attack their country from within during the 12 day war.

• Good, Bad, and Ugly of Last Season: Adel Ferdowsipour’s media group Football360 published a documentary on everything that happened in last year’s Persian Football League, both on and off the pitch.

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