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Police Prevented Basij Gathering in Front of the Ministry of Oil

Jan 31, 2026 January 31, 2026 2 min read 📰 Radio Farda
📋 Key Takeaway

The Iranian police prevented a Basij student gathering in front of the Ministry of Oil in Tehran, protesting new oil contracts with foreign countries. The cancellation of an upcoming investment conference in London was also announced, attributed to visa issues. This situation reflects ongoing tensions regarding Iran's economic policies and foreign contracts.

🔍 Quick Context Guide
💡 Bottom Line: The prevention of the Basij protest underscores the Iranian government's efforts to manage internal dissent over controversial foreign contracts.

👥 Key Players

Basij Students MENTIONED
Protesters
"The Basij is a paramilitary volunteer militia established by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, often involved in enforcing conservative values and policies."
Iranian Police MENTIONED
Law enforcement
"Responsible for maintaining order and preventing unauthorized gatherings, reflecting government control over public dissent."
Ali Kardour MENTIONED
Deputy for Investment and Financing at the National Iranian Oil Company
"Key figure in Iran's oil sector, involved in international investment efforts."
Alireza Zakani MENTIONED
Conservative MP and member of the Stability Front
"Vocal critic of foreign contracts, representing conservative opposition to President Rouhani's policies."
Mohammad Reza Naqdi MENTIONED
Head of the Basij Organization
"Influential leader within the Basij, critical of foreign economic engagements."

📰 What Happened

Iranian police prevented a protest by Basij students against new oil contracts with foreign countries in front of the Ministry of Oil in Tehran. A planned investment conference in London was canceled due to visa issues.

  • The Basij students were protesting new oil contracts perceived as detrimental to Iran's economy.
  • A London conference aimed at attracting foreign investment in Iran's oil sector was canceled.

💡 Why It Matters

🇮🇷 For Iran: Highlights internal divisions over economic policy and foreign contracts, reflecting broader political tensions.
🌍 Regional: Potentially affects regional energy markets and geopolitical dynamics, especially concerning Iran's relations with Western countries.
🌐 International: Impacts international investors' confidence and Iran's economic relations with the West, particularly Europe.

📚 Background

Iran's economy is heavily reliant on oil, and foreign contracts are crucial for its development. However, such contracts often face domestic opposition from conservative factions.

Iranian oil industry Resistance economy
📡 Source: STATE MEDIA
📊 Confidence: 70%
The report reflects the government's perspective, emphasizing control over public dissent and justifying the cancellation of the conference.

According to reports, the Iranian police on Saturday, February 10, prevented a gathering of Basij students in front of the Ministry of Oil in Tehran in protest against new oil contracts between Iran and foreign countries. The news of the prevention of the Basij gathering comes as one of the deputy ministers announced in an interview that the London conference, scheduled for March 3 to 5 to attract foreign investments in Iran's oil and gas industry, has been canceled for now. Ali Kardour, the deputy for investment and financing at the National Iranian Oil Company, stated in an interview with the Tehran weekly 'Seda' that visa issues were the reason for the cancellation of the conference. However, some conservative members of parliament and media close to them consider the new oil contracts detrimental to the country. For instance, Alireza Zakani, a representative from the Stability Front and an opponent of President Hassan Rouhani's government, described these contracts as contrary to 'resistance economy,' claiming they were written with the assistance of the British. In addition to him, five other parliament members, Ahmad Tavakoli, Elias Naderan, Hossein Najabat, Ahmad Amirabadi, and Mohammad Dehghan, have also deemed the new oil contracts 'against' the Iranian constitution. Meanwhile, the Fars and Tasnim news agencies, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported on Saturday about a 'severe confrontation' by the police with those Basij students who intended to gather without permission in front of the Ministry of Oil to protest the new oil contracts. This is while existing photos from the vicinity of the Ministry of Oil on Saturday do not show a large gathering or 'severe confrontation.' According to these reports, the police prevented the gathering of these individuals. The protesting Basij members labeled the new contracts as 'against resistance economy and a plundering of national resources' and called for their cancellation. This is precisely the point that the head of the Basij Organization in Iran has also emphasized and criticized strongly. Fars news agency reported on Saturday the remarks of Mohammad Reza Naqdi, the head of the Basij Organization, who, referring to the memorandum for purchasing Airbus and selling 200,000 barrels of oil to France and other contracts during President Hassan Rouhani's recent trip to Paris, stated that 'the events in Rome and France were a dagger to the heart of resistance economy, and infiltration into Iran has now occurred.'

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Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →

Translation confidence: 85%

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