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Iran Crisis Update, February 22, 2023

Growing elements of the regime are publicly recognizing that the Islamic Republic has lost the confidence of its people as Iran faces a period of severe economic disruption that risks further popular discontent.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf framed anti-regime sentiments as economic in nature and called for a change in governance in an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated conference.

Parliamentarians are explicitly blaming the Raisi administration for Iran’s economic shortcomings.
Raisi officials have presented several superficial economic policies in recent days to confront growing criticisms of their administration.
Ideological hardliners are blaming inflation and the depreciation of the Iranian rial on foreign actors, signaling that they may be unwilling to pursue meaningful reforms to improve Iran’s economy.
At least eight protests occurred in four cities across four provinces on February 22.
An Iranian official confirmed on February 22 that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials were currently in Iran to investigate reports of 84 percent enriched uranium at an unspecified nuclear facility.
Axios reported that Iranian officials are currently deprioritizing ballistic missile exports to Russia, citing a senior Israeli official.
The IDF carried out a daytime raid to apprehend suspected Palestinian militants operating in Nablus, the West Bank.
Kataib Hezbollah spokesperson Mohammed Mohie met with Aleppo Province Governor Ahmad Hussein Diab.
Between 250-300 Syrian Arab Army (SAA) Republican Guard personnel deployed to positions along the right bank of the Euphrates River near Mayadin, Deir ez Zor Province.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-february-22-2023

IRGC Chief-Commander Salami says the threats against @IranIntl journalists which forced the channel to stop its broadcasting in the UK and move to the US “show how far the Islamic Revolution’s realm of power, field of infiltration and radius of influence has extended.”

https://twitter.com/IranIntl_En/status/1628332563344261120

Iran Crisis Update, February 23, 2023

Senior regime officials are increasingly acknowledging that the Islamic Republic risks permanently alienating itself from its people and that the problem is urgent, but have seemingly drawn different conclusions about how to mitigate this risk.

An Israeli OSINT Twitter account circulated uncorroborated claims that unknown actors targeted two IRGC-affiliated complexes in the vicinity of Karaj, Alborz Province, citing inside sources.
At least two protests occurred in two cities across two provinces.
Sports and Youth Minister Hamid Sajjadi has sustained serious injuries following a helicopter crash in Baft, Kerman Province.
Iranian social media users continued to report symptoms of chemical poisoning among some high school students.
An unnamed senior Iranian official told Al Monitor on February 23 that Iran would support reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or establishing a separate nuclear agreement with the United States.
The Iranian rial continued to plummet on February 23, reaching approximately 526,500 rials to one US dollar.
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in Tehran on February 21.
Independent Iraqi political parties boycotted a session of Parliament.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-february-23-2023

https://twitter.com/steve_hanke/status/1628533090774810624