Larijani Warns Again Against 'Exploitors of Economic Turmoil'

Sadegh Larijani, the head of Iran's judiciary, warned again on Monday, November 5, to individuals who, according to him, are seeking to 'exploit economic turmoil' that they will be dealt with without 'leniency.' His remarks come as the second round of U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic begins, targeting Iran's oil, banking, aviation, and financial sectors. Since before the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, Iran's currency market has experienced unprecedented fluctuations, and despite severe judicial actions and government efforts, the dollar rate has not returned to its pre-withdrawal level. Larijani, without mentioning the root causes of the 'economic turmoil' in Iran, warned 'all those who are thinking of windfall profits and exploiting economic turmoil' that 'the judiciary, as one of the pillars of the system, will go after them.' According to Larijani, since the 'enemy' is trying to create 'turbulence' in the market and economy to create a 'gap' between the people and the system, 'there will be no leniency in dealing with economic offenders.' He stated that Iran's judiciary will 'strongly confront those who seek to exploit security and economic gaps for wealth accumulation.' Larijani warned these individuals to 'stop their violations and crimes while there is still a way back, because the judiciary, as one of the pillars of the system, will firmly stand against economic corruption.' Since the turmoil in the currency and coin markets in Iran, which has impacted the entire Iranian economy, dozens of individuals have been arrested on charges of 'economic disruption,' and the Iranian judiciary has even issued death sentences for some of them. The judiciary head previously described these events as 'suspicious' and stemming from 'dirty hands behind the scenes,' warning that the actions of some 'disruptors' in the economic system constitute 'corruption on earth,' and the judiciary will not hesitate to enforce punishments against them. The level of economic corruption in Iran has reached a point where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, explicitly stated in a meeting with judicial officials that 'fighting economic corruption' and 'creating security in the economic space' are among the duties of the judiciary, ordering that this branch must confront 'those disrupting economic security.' Recently, following reports of exploitation by some recipients of government currency, Larijani proposed in a letter to the Supreme Leader that branches of the Islamic Revolutionary Court be established with three judges to handle the cases of 'economic offenders.' Khamenei also agreed with this request, writing that 'the aim is to ensure that the punishment of economic offenders is carried out swiftly and fairly. Please ensure the necessary attention to the accuracy of court rulings.' Meanwhile, Amir Khajasteh, the head of the Economic Corruption Combat Headquarters in the Iranian Parliament, stated that corruption exists in all Iranian ministries, 'because strong rents prevail in the country from customs to banks.'