The Latest from Iran (13 October): "We Hate You War-Waging Power Seekers (Let's Talk)"

The Supreme Leader addresses a crowd in northeastern Iran on Saturday

See also Iran Analysis: A Diplomatic Dance Towards Renewed Nuclear Talks?
The Latest from Iran (12 October): No News is Regime News

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2011 GMT: Execution Watch. HRANA reports that 10 prisoners on Death Row, reportedly scheduled for hanging today, have been returned to the general ward.

United Nations officials have called for a reprieve and for a general moratorium on executions.

2001 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. The full text of questions for the Parliamentary interrogation of President Ahmadinejad, sought in a petition by 102 MPs, has been published.

The initial focus of the questions is the currency crisis, with the challenge that the Central Bank did not inject foreign exchange into the market as the Rial sank from 22000:1 to about 40000:1 vs. the US dollar.

The MPs also ask why almost 16,000 luxury cars were imported with subsidsed foreign exchange between March and September and why the Government did not support domestic wheat producers, importing the commodity at a cost of $5.2 billion instead.

The Board of Parliament is considering the petition, which has passed the minimum of 74 MPs for consideration.

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Iran Feature: The Week in Civil Society --- The Rising Price of Chicken...And Much More (Arseh Sevom)

The Price of Chicken

The price of chicken went up 30% last month alone, while the Financial Times reports that grain is up 55.8%; fruit 66.6%, and vegetables 99.5%.

Economic sanctions against Iran have made life more complex. There is more and more news of pressure on vulnerable classes shared on social media and from sources inside Iran. Aftab News writes:

Although the government has always spoken of the positive effect of the subsidies in reducing the gap between classes and reducing poverty, the reality in present day Iran reveals a different trend. In his latest announcement, the head of the Competition Council stated that urban households with a monthly income of less than 946 thousand tomans (almost 480 USD) fall below the poverty line.”

This announcement is based on data collected two years ago. The cost of living has risen significantly since.

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