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The beginning of a terrible year that Iran experienced in 2020, which brought the region to the brink of an all-out war between Tehran and Washington, after an attack with a US drone targeted the commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard, Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad on January 3.
The assassination of Iran’s most famous military figure was just the prelude to a series of crises that opposed him, which were represented by diminishing financial resources due to US sanctions and strengthening regional alliances between many Arab countries and Israel mainly targeting Iran, the Covid-19 epidemic and the loss of people’s credibility AND the risk of permanent unrest, according to the site “Iran International”.
The site indicated that Soleimani’s assassination defeated and shamed Iran, after it was a symbol of its long-standing influence and military ambition in the Middle East.
Tehran “relied on him to threaten US interests in the region.”
Iran threatened “severe retaliation.” It turned out to be nothing more than a missile strike against Ain Al-Assad’s base in Iraq, where US forces are stationed, albeit with an early warning to allow Americans to evacuate the base or take cover before the bombardment..
Hours later, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s air defense shot down a Ukrainian plane that took off from Tehran airport, mistaking it for a US cruise missile, killing all 176 people on board..
A year after the tragedy, Iran has yet to reveal the facts about the attack. More than 50 Iranians died during the stampede at Soleimani’s funeral.
At the beginning of the crisis, the Iranian regime tried to cover up the scenes of the downing of the plane, claimingًA technical problem caused the air disaster..
But once he admitted that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard had fired two missiles, the IRGC air force commander claimed that “human error” had killed 176 people..
Protests then erupted in Tehran and elsewhere, with the police attacking protesters and arresting dozens of them, including diplomats observing a protest booth at a university in the capital..
As the drama unfolded, the system was preparing for parliamentary elections, and at the time many argued that the results would change the political landscape in Iran, as the country’s hardliner, which was about to win the House of Representatives, He vowed to overthrow President Hassan Rouhani..
Some also threatened to prosecute him for his failures in domestic and foreign policy. Following their victory, they twice tried to isolate Rouhani, but Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei intervened to stop the operation at the last minute..
With politicians and officials busy with election campaigns, the Corona virus, which first appeared in China, found a foothold in the religious city of Qom, where 800 Chinese religious school students and many Chinese merchants were said to be carrying the virus..
Fearing that the virus would deter people from going to the polls, the government denied “rumors” about the spread of the virus in the country. But he had already lost people’s trust after denying reports that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard fired missiles at a civilian plane..
And before the fierce competition among Iranian conservatives in parliament for the seat of the speaker of the House of Representatives ended with a compromise, represented by the adjudication of the position to the former mayor of Tehran, Muhammad Baqir Ghalibaf, the Covid-19 disease it had already spread to the provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran and Isfahan, killing thousands in a few months.
For several months, Rouhani refused to close schools and workplaces, fearing that the government would not be able to provide financial support to those who had lost their jobs due to the closure..
And all of this was happening in the context of mounting sanctions and continued restrictions on Iranian oil exports and international banking services imposed by the United States while the government was under tremendous pressure due to the budget deficit of around 50 percent. ..
These tangles, including tensions with the United States, the coronavirus epidemic, economic problems and political stalemate within the country, have not stopped Iran’s authorities from putting pressure on the people..
The regime intensified the trial of dissidents, executed political prisoners, and imposed “worldly regulations” such as Islamic dress on ordinary citizens..
2021
Iran International also mentioned other Iran problems, including tensions with regional players such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, its regional ambitions, and its destabilizing operations in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan after Soleimani’s assassination, as well as its widespread economic problems that could cause protests at any time. For a moment, these crises are likely to plague Iran in 2021..
The site also addressed Iran’s attempt to negotiate with US President-elect Joe Yadin on lifting the sanctions imposed due to the nuclear deal that President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018..
While popular anger over the sanctions and economic losses they caused along with the Covid-19 losses, and the confusion of the scene after Khamenei’s departure, is likely to lead to the taking of the streets, which may explain why Iran has worked to strengthen the riot control force and other repressive security departments..
Iran International also expects the upcoming presidential elections to witness stormy changes.“.
Source: Al-Hurra + Major General
