Crises Committees in Government Ministries

Hamed Irani, Rooz Online: Special Report

According to Rooz reporters from Tehran, while Iran’s Islamic government is at its most critical crossroad because of the likelihood of the referral of its nuclear file to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), hardline and confrontational president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has announced a state of emergency in eight government ministries, ordering each of them to form crisis management committee as a contingency if and when sanctions are imposed against Iran. READ MORE

While negotiations between Iran, Russia and Europe have failed to prevent the referral of Iran’s nuclear issue to the UNSC, Rooz has learned that Iran’s radical government has adopted special measures for possible sanctions and emergency conditions that will follow. As his first step, the president has identified eight ministries to be ready for any outcome. The instructions have been kept at the highest confidential level and are not to be disclosed to the public.

Political observers point out that while the government had for months been telling the public that it did not care and would not be influenced if Iran’s nuclear case went before the world body, even claiming in public that sanctions would not have any impact on Iran, now with that possibility looming right at the next turn of events, the government has no choice but to prepare for the eventually but only in private to save face. But it is yet another example of how duplicitous the highest members of the government are and operate. Recent studies by economic specialists have clearly indicated that if Iran's file is referred to the Security Council and economic sanctions are imposed on the country, major economic damage will be inflicted on the country, affecting its basic infra-structure. They point out that the government is aware of the consequences that economic sanctions may have, but is simply presenting a different tune to the public to both not create panic and at the same not appear to be responsible for the hardships that will be imposed on the public in the coming months.