Raisi Administration Criticized for Inconsistent Abortion Policies
President Ebrahim Raisi's recent remarks describing Iran's abortion statistics as "alarming," have sparked accusations of hypocrisy.
President Ebrahim Raisi's recent remarks describing Iran's abortion statistics as "alarming," have sparked accusations of hypocrisy.
Critics argue that his administration, despite heavy investment, has failed to provide accurate data on abortion rates, contradicting his public stance.
On Saturday, Raisi advocated for measures to reduce voluntary pregnancy terminations, emphasizing the need for greater control. However, the irony lies in his government's inability to accurately track or report the very figures.
The National Population Headquarters, established under the controversial 2021 Family and Youth Population Support Law, has yet to release any concrete statistics on abortion types and numbers, despite a significant budget of nearly $750 million allocated for population initiatives over the past two years.
In contrast, informal estimates suggest that between 350,000 and 530,000 abortions are performed annually, with some figures suggesting numbers as high as 650,000. The majority of these procedures reportedly occur illegally without medical supervision, putting women’s health and even lives, in serious danger.
The regime's strict policies on abortion and contraception, aimed at rapidly doubling the Shiite population, face strong resistance from the public. Many Iranians continue to choose smaller family sizes, directly undermining Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's demographic goals. The widespread non-compliance illustrates a clear rejection of the government's intrusive reproductive policies.
Despite a younger generation that is well-versed in contraception methods, the government has removed the options from all public health facilities, effectively limiting access to necessary family planning resources.
Such disconnect between the government's authoritarian reproductive policies and the actual reproductive behaviors of its citizens highlights a significant challenge to Raisi's administration, questioning its ability to govern effectively while respecting the personal freedoms and health of its people.
Officials have pledged accountability, but the public remains skeptical as the crisis exacerbates. The flooding, which began last Tuesday following intense rainfall, has inflicted severe damage across several areas in Mashhad and other provincial cities, with streets inundated and vehicles swept away by the powerful currents. Videos circulating on social media illustrate the chaos, with cars floating down waterlogged streets.
Criticism by citizens and experts has mounted against the "reckless and unprincipled environmental destruction" for construction purposes, and the ongoing mismanagement by city officials, pinpointed as the primary factors behind the flooding disaster in Mashhad.
An eyewitness in Seyedi district, in the southeast of the city of Mashhad, which suffered the most damage from the flood, stated in a video that city officials were responsible by building a wall in the neighborhood. “During the recent flood, this wall broke like a dam, causing the floodwaters to flow through the area,” he added.
The threat persists with meteorologists predicting more heavy rainfall, which could worsen the situation further.
Mashhad’s outdated and unstable urban infrastructure underscores the broader governmental failures that consistently endanger its residents.
Iran's second most populous city faces numerous challenges with deteriorating urban fabrics. These areas, which include old buildings and neighborhoods with inadequate infrastructure, have become worn due to insufficient attention and investment over time. Problems such as structural instability, lack of safety against natural disasters like earthquakes, and poor quality of life for residents have arisen.
The current crisis is reminiscent of the floods of April 2019, when heavy rainfall impacted vast areas across Iran, particularly in Golestan, Fars, Khuzestan, Lorestan, and several other provinces. During that period, Iran experienced three significant waves of rain and flooding over two weeks, affecting at least 26 of its 31 provinces. The catastrophic events resulted in the deaths of at least 70 people nationwide.
