Senior Official from Khamenei's Office Launches Strong Attack on Critics of Mehr Housing

Simultaneously with the strong criticism from a senior official of the Supreme Leader's office regarding the remarks of the First Vice President about the vulnerability of Mehr Housing units in the Kermanshah earthquake, the Deputy Governor announced the death of 100 residents of Mehr Housing in Sarpol-e Zahab. According to videos and audio files published on websites and social media, Vahid Haqaniyan, Deputy for Special Follow-ups at the Supreme Leader's office, criticized what he called the 'political' and 'histrionics' of the officials of Hassan Rouhani's government regarding the vulnerability of Mehr Housing projects in the Kermanshah earthquake. He made these comments during a visit to the earthquake-affected areas, stating that the structures of Mehr Housing 'are not problematic' and added that 'God curse the First Vice President, Mr. Jahangiri, who planted the first political seed and announced in a Resistant Economy meeting' that the Mehr Housing units were destroyed in the earthquake. Mr. Haqaniyan also said that these remarks would cause 'instability (concern)' for the 10 or 12 million people living in Mehr Housing units. After images of the destruction of Mehr Housing buildings in the Kermanshah earthquake were published, Es'hagh Jahangiri, the First Vice President of Hassan Rouhani, also announced on Tuesday, November 13, that 'most of the destroyed houses in the earthquake belong to Mehr Housing units.' Meanwhile, Mojtaba Nik-Kardaar, the Deputy for Urban Development of Kermanshah Province, announced on Saturday that two Mehr Housing buildings in Sarpol-e Zahab 'completely' collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 100 residents. Hassan Ghorban-Khani, head of the Iranian Engineering System Organization, also stated shortly after the earthquake that this organization had 'no oversight' over the construction of the Mehr Housing project. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, also stated that the survival of self-built homes by people in Sarpol-e Zahab and the collapse of government-built buildings in this area indicates that there was 'corruption' in their construction. Mehr Housing is one of the projects of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government. The former president of Iran stated in 2011 that the implementation of the Mehr Housing project would eradicate the housing problem in Iran by the end of his presidency. Meanwhile, officials from Hassan Rouhani's government, including the Minister of Roads and the head of the Environmental Protection Organization, as well as several members of parliament, have repeatedly criticized this plan. According to them, 'many Mehr Housing residential complexes lack water and sewage treatment systems' and have been built in areas 'lacking infrastructure.' However, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, stated in September 2014 during a meeting with the government delegation that 'millions of people are waiting for the completion of Mehr Housing, and this work must be pursued seriously and completed.' Hassan Rouhani also stated in April 2016 that the government would complete and deliver 'Mehr Housing' despite all the problems. The likelihood of the death toll rising to 500. The 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Kermanshah, which affected areas in Iran and West Asia, has been estimated this year as the deadliest earthquake in the world. Meanwhile, Ismail Najjar, head of Iran's Crisis Management Organization, announced that according to forensic statistics, the number of deceased in the earthquake is 436, but 'there is a possibility that the death toll may rise to 500.' According to Mr. Najjar, some of the deceased may have been buried in villages without forensic notification. Request from five American senators to facilitate aid to Kermanshah earthquake victims. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, responded to proposals for assistance to earthquake victims on his Twitter account, stating that 'we are currently able to manage affairs using our own resources.' Meanwhile, Mojtaba Bayati, director of Kermanshah International Airport, announced on Friday, November 17, that no foreign country has sent aid for the earthquake victims, and only the World Health Organization has sent a 40-ton medical shipment. On the same day, five Democratic senators wrote a letter to Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, requesting the facilitation of conditions for aid to Kermanshah earthquake victims. The letter from these senators, referencing previous experiences of American aid to Iranian earthquake victims, called for a reduction of restrictions to allow aid to Iranian NGOs. Before this request from the five senators, the U.S. Treasury Department had announced how to send money, goods, and other humanitarian aid to Iran to assist the earthquake victims in Kermanshah Province. The U.S. State Department also expressed condolences to the victims and those affected by the recent earthquake in Iran and Iraq on Tuesday, November 13. However, following the Bam earthquake in 2003, the U.S. government sent a medical relief team and some supplies, and to facilitate humanitarian aid, partially suspended financial sanctions against the Islamic Republic. It was later announced that the Islamic Republic had rejected the U.S. proposal to send a delegation of senior relief officials to Bam. Meanwhile, Hamid Reza Asifi, the then-spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, stated that the Islamic Republic welcomed foreign aid to earthquake victims and wished that this assistance would continue without political considerations. In 2004, after the earthquake in Zarand, Kerman Province, William Burns, Deputy Secretary of State, made an unprecedented phone call to Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations, proposing aid to the victims, but Mr. Zarif stated that Iran currently does not need foreign assistance. Warning about the possibility of cholera outbreak in earthquake-affected areas. While the Deputy for Health Affairs at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences warned about the possibility of cholera outbreaks in earthquake-affected areas, a health ministry official stated that there is no epidemic of infectious diseases in the earthquake-affected areas. Ebrahim Shakiba, Deputy for Health Affairs at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, announced that the lack of garbage collection and the improper burial of sewage 'could lead to a cholera outbreak.' However, according to ILNA news agency, Ali Maher, technical deputy of the Health Ministry's treatment department, stated that 'there is no epidemic of infectious diseases in the earthquake-affected areas.' Arrest of 22 thieves. In recent days, reports of theft from the homes of earthquake victims and the theft of some donated aid have been published. Among them, Mojtaba Safaei, Vice President of the Kermanshah Chamber of Guilds, reported the discovery of a pickup truck carrying donated tents for the earthquake-affected areas in a house, and ILNA news agency also reported the sale of some donated items to earthquake victims in the 'black market.' Meanwhile, according to ISNA news agency, Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, the spokesperson for the police force, announced that the forces of this institution are patrolling the earthquake-affected areas and that 22 thieves have been arrested so far. In recent days, there have also been reports of shortages of tents, blankets, heating equipment, food, water, and other needs of the earthquake victims, and several members of parliament have criticized the 'severe weakness' in relief efforts. However, Ali Asghar Piyvandi, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, announced on Friday that emergency housing operations for the earthquake victims have ended and that one-month food packages will be distributed in these areas starting next week.