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Can Iran’s presidential elections save Khamenei and his regime?

On the first day of Persian New Year of 1400 (March 21st), the Supreme Leader of the Iranian regime, Ali Khamenei, devoted the most important part of his Nowruz speech to Iran’s presidential elections scheduled to be held in June. During the last 32 years that Khamenei has ruled Iran as the supreme leader, eight presidential elections have been held.
In 2009, President Ahmadinejad was re-elected due to widespread fraud on Khamenei’s orders which led to major protests across Iran. The regime responded with lethal force, killing protesters.
Since the 2017 nationwide protests, Iranians have actively expressed their hatred towards both factions, the hardliners, and the so-called reformists, and have called for regime change. So why are Iran’s presidential elections so important to Khamenei?
The Iranian regime is in its weakest state since the 1979 revolution that brought down the Shah. Even according to regime officials, more than 70 million people in Iran are dissatisfied with the current situation and want fundamental change in the ruling system. The economic and living conditions of Iranians have deteriorated during the last 42 years with more than 60% of the population living below the poverty line. The middle class has disappeared and nearly 35 million people have been driven to the outskirts of cities due to poverty and inability to pay for housing. Many workers have not received even their meager wages for months. Inflation in the food sector has reached over 60% in almost all provinces of Iran, and as a result, many people have long removed items such as meat and fruits from their food baskets and even buy bread in installments.
Searching in the trash, selling body parts, and even selling children, which has no precedent in Iran, has become commonplace. Addiction and suicide rates have reached unprecedented levels, especially among young people in lower classes. Iranians who overthrew the Shah in hope of freedom and a better life are now facing oppression, and dictatorship on the one hand, and poverty, misery, and rampant corruption on the other.
As a result, the society has turned into a powder keg ready to explode at any moment with a little spark. The nationwide protests that took place in 2017 and 2019 in Iran are manifestations of this fact. Although Khamenei was able to eventually stop the protests and prevent the downfall of his regime with brutal crack downs at the time, it is unlikely he would be able to control and suppress future protests.
Despite his power over everything in the regime including his title as Commander-in-Chief and his absolute sway over the Judiciary, Khamenei has always claimed innocence when it comes to the people’s misfortunes. He has always blamed the government and the President for the people’s plight.
But now the situation is so dire that there is a feud betwee
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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