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Khamenei fears the recent and widespread uprising of the people of Isfahan

Zayandehrood River, which passes through the center of this province, has been one of the manifestations of this city for centuries. Two historical and ancient bridges, "Si O Se Pol Bridge ''(meaning 33 bridge) and "Khaju Bridge," were built in the 16th century.
Before the start of the rule of the mullahs in Iran in 1979, the Zayandehrood River was one of the most water-rich rivers in Iran and water flowed in it in all seasons of the year, and at the end, water poured into a wetland called Gavkhoni Wetland, which was the habitat of migratory birds. Farmers in the province also used the water from the river to irrigate their fields. Due to the fertile soil around this river, excellent quality types of vegetables, grains, and fruits were produced in this province.

However, the regime's mismanaged policies and destructive projects, including the building of dams without regard to the province's ecosystem, have resulted in severe ecological problems. This essential river has faced water shortages and droughts for years because of the regime's lack of appropriate environmental policies and colossal corruption.
The river's dryness has directly affected the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of farmers in the province and adversely affected the environment. Government affiliated plants such as Mobarakeh Steel Company or several ceramics factories, etc., have been using the Zayandehrood River water excessively and irrationally, causing the gradual dryness of this important and vital water source for the ordinary people and farmers.
Additionally, the government has installed several large pipelines to transfer a significant amount of the Zayandehrood River to Yazd which is located in the neighborhood of Isfahan. As a result, the Zayandehrood River and Gavkhoni Wetland dried up, and the farmers' livelihood depended on the water of this river were severely affected and destroyed.
Furthermore, the regime had dug a large number of deep wells, withdrawing water from underground reserves, affecting the ecology of the area, causing extensive land subsidence in this province, especially in the city of Isfahan. The situation is so fragile, critical, and unfortunate that even the ancient monuments of this city are exposed to destruction. Large cracks and signs of deterioration have appeared in many of these historical monuments.
Farmers in Isfahan, who have worked hard their entire life and have experienced a demise in their livelihood due to the lack of water, skyrocketing prices of commodities, etc., rallied to demand the opening of the Zayandehrood Dam and the flow of water in the riverbed so that they can irrigate their fields again.
In the last days of his presidency, Hassan Rouhani's government tried to convince the farmers to end their protests and, as usual, offered some hollow promises of compensation and on July 11, the government opened the dam gates, let the water be released to the riverbed for two weeks. However, after two weeks, the water was shut off and redirected to supply the government-affiliated factories' water needs. As usual, the demands and welfare of the farmers and ordinary people were ignored by the government's officials, and the plight of the people of Isfahan met deaf ears of the government officials.
On Friday, the 12th day of a sit-in by impoverished farmers in Isfahan, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in support of the farmers' protest against water shortages and the clerical regime's plundering policies that have led to the drying up of the Zayandehrood River and the destruction of agriculture and livestock. The massive protest spanned a large area of the Zayandehrood Riverbed.
On Friday, November 19, more than 150,000 people in Isfahan joined the rally in support of farmers. They protested, chanting slogans accusing incompetent officials of causing the Zayandehrood River to dry up and demanding water flow into the Zayandehrood River.
Khamenei and his appointed president, Ebrahim Raisi, who see any kind of gathering or rally, a threat to their regime's existence, tried to convince the people to end their protests and repeatedly offered hollow promises and prompt actions. "I have ordered the ministers of energy and agriculture to take immediate steps to deal with the issue," Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber said on television, hoping to bring the situation to a state of calm.
After experiencing such meaningless promises from all sorts of government officials, the people were not going to be fooled again this time and chanted: "We will not return home until water flows back into the river," "Where is my Zayandehroodud River," "Zayandehrood River is our inalienable right," and "Isfahani shout, demand your rights." If they could find a solution, they would do so much sooner.
The Iranian regime's suppressive forces and secret services, who are worried about the presence of supporters and members of the resistance affiliated with the Mojahedin Khalq Organization, tried to send a number of their agents into the crowd and chanted slogans in support of Khamenei and against the Mojahedin. But they faced the raging reaction of the people and continued their slogans pointed at the regime, its officials, and destructive policies.
The reality is that the Iranian society is like a barrel of gunpowder that can explode at any moment with any rally, gathering, anti-government action, etc., due to the incompetence and widespread corruption in the ruling system that has caused the majority of people to fall below the poverty line and inflation to reach the highest level in Iranian history. A few months ago, the same situation occurred in Khuzestan province when the water of Karoon River and Hur-Al-Azim Wetland, which are the main source of work for the cattle breeders and farmers of this province, dried up due to irrational and illogical construction of facilities and manufacturing plants belonging to the Revolutionary Guards that led to widespread protests in the province. The protests rapidly spread to other provinces, and even the people of Tabriz in the northern part of Iran staged several
demonstrations in support of the people of Khuzestan. Eventually, the regime was able to temporarily quell the protests by sending its suppressive forces to the area, killing several innocent protestors, arresting hundreds of people, and injuring many. Fearful of the spread of social unrest. Eventually, the regime was forced to listen to the demands of the protestors by partially opening the dam and letting the water be released into the Karoon River. Now, the same issue has arisen again in Isfahan province, which, if it continues, will definitely spread to other parts of Iran. Because all the people of Iran are
dissatisfied with the current situation and want a fundamental change in government, this is an undeniable reality that Khamenei is well aware of, and so far has only been able to prevent the uprising of the people through crackdown, fake promises, repression, and killing. Employing such a tactic cannot last for long, a mere fact that many experts in Iran and beyond agree on. Ahmadinejad, the former president of the regime, had recently said that a destructive storm is brewing that would take everyone in the regime with it.
Cyrus Yaqubi is a Research Analyst and Iranian Foreign Affairs Commentator investigating the social issues and economy of the Middle East countries in general and Iran in particular.
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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