Iran stars: Iraq

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US Intelligence Predicts Attack From IranTerrorism 28 September 2018

Iran Focus
London, 28 Sep - US intelligence suggests that Iranian-backed militias and proxy forces could be planning an attack on US military forces or interests in the Middle East, according to three defence officials.
The officials said that their concern is mainly focused on the threat from Iran-backed forces in Syria and several other locations in the Middle East – something that they called ongoing and worrisome – but refused to describe the specific intelligence from the recent assessment as more information continues to be gathered through public statements from the mullahs and intercepting overhead satellites.
The worry is that these militias have access to ballistic missiles and other advanced weapons because Iran has been secretly moving these weapons into the country over the past few years.
The US threat assessment is that Iran could possibly use these forces as opposed to ones that are directly linked to Iran in order to keep their hands looking clean. This is what Iran has been doing for years to avoid blame for its terrorism and continue to look like a country that it is acceptable to do business with.

LIFE IN IRAN
Ordinary Iranians Crave ModernityLife in Iran 28 September 2018

Iran Focus
London, 28 Sep - While the mullahs in Iran rage on about the “Great Satan” and scream that their people hate the US, the young people in Tehran and other major cities are enjoying Western media and culture. In fact, 60% of Iran’s 82 million people are under 30 and many of them are obsessed with Western pop culture.
Mohammadreza Azali, 31, co-founder of Iran’s tech news website Techrasa and a tech road show called Silk Road Startup, said: “We love American music. We watch American TV series and movies… Whatever is trendy in the U.S. is trendy in Iran.”
While Saeed Mohammadi, who co-founded Iran’s e-commerce platform Digikala, said: “This generation, this post-revolutionary generation, we don’t accept extremism. There are lots of us. We have the potential to revolutionize this country within a decade.”
Given the war of words that played out between the US and Iran at the UN General Assembly earlier this week, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that the people of the two nations aren’t so different after all.
SHOWDOWN AT THE UN

Iran’s Loadings Halved by China's Sinopec Due to U.S. Pressure01 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 1 Oct - As China’s state refiner, Sinopec Corp, comes under intense pressure from Washington to comply with a U.S. ban on Iranian oil from November, people with knowledge of the matter said that the company is halving loadings of crude oil from Iran this month.
Volumes were not specifically identified, but based on the prevailing supply contract between the top Chinese refiner and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), its loadings would be reduced to about 130,000 barrels per day (bpd) — 20 percent of China’s average daily imports from Iran in 2017.
This is a blow to Tehran. who believed that its major oil client would maintain imports when other buyers halted purchases to avoid U.S. sanctions.
The Hong Kong and New York-listed state oil company is making its deepest reduction in years, in face of direct pressure from a U.S administration determined stop the flow of petrodollars to the Islamic Republic.

UK Set to Outlaw Both So-Called “Military Wing” and “Political Wing” of HezbollahTerrorism 01 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 1 Oct - Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, Sajid Javid, will announce at next week’s Conservative Party Annual Conference the decision to proscribe the Iranian-backed, Lebanese-based terror organization Hezbollah in its entirety, following formal reconsideration of the UK’s position on the Iranian sponsored terrorist group.
In July, Stephen Crabb MP attacked the “entirely artificial distinction” between Hezbollah’s two wings. In fact, Hezbollah’s own leadership mocks the idea of two separate entities. The Home Secretary is expected to announce that he will be taking action to ban all parts of Hezbollah.
Reportedly, an assessment by the Home Office says that Hezbollah “is committed to armed resistance to the state of Israel and aims to seize all Palestinian territories and Jerusalem from Israel.”
Islamists in London took part in the annual Al Quds Day rallies and waved the group’s yellow flag to express support for what the terror group claims is its “political wing” — a false distinction.

Over 2,000 Sign Letter Demanding the Release of Iranian Political Prisoner01 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 1 Oct - Over 2,200 doctors and civil rights activists have sent a letter to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the chairs of the Iranian Parliament’s Health and Cultural Commissions, voicing their concerns over the deteriorating health of Farhad Maysami, a prominent publisher, physician and cultural activist currently held behind bars.
The letter reads: “The way Mr. Maysami is treated is not only inappropriate for a teacher, publisher and physician, but it’s also unbecoming for any of the dissidents in the Shi’ite country [Iran].”
It then called for Maysami to be released on bail and for a judicial investigation into the charges filed against him, while he remains in a “peaceful environment devoid of any stress”.
Maysami, 48, was arrested on July 31 and has been on hunger strike to protest the “unfair charges” that he is facing since his first interrogation on August 1, according to his mother, Seddiqeh Pishnamaz. He is being held in ward 209 of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.

LIFE IN IRAN
House Prices in Tehran Rise 74% in Past YearLife in Iran 01 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 1 Oct - In the past year, the average cost of buying a house in Tehran has jumped by a massive 74%, according to the Central Bank of Iran. In the past Iranian month (August 21-September 21) alone, residential unit prices have jumped by 9.4%.
The CBI reports that the one square meter of an average unit in Tehran is currently worth around 84,000,000 rials ($2,000, based on Iran’s artificial exchange rate, or $500, based on the global exchange). The latter figure is more relevant in this case, as sellers can’t get cheap dollars based on the government rate.
These numbers show that although prices have risen dramatically in Iranian rial, the value has not really appreciated in US dollars.
This incredible price increase coincided, unsurprisingly, with a large drop in sales. Only 10,300 units were sold in Tehran in the past year, while house sales dropped 14% in the past month alone. Overall, sales have declined by 33%, but prices have increased further, which is a very unusual situation.

SYRIA
US Calls Iran Attack on Syria “Reckless”Syria 02 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 2 Oct - The US has called an Iranian missile attack on supposed militant targets in eastern Syria “reckless, unsafe and escalatory”.
In a statement on Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Commander Sean Robertson said that Iran took no measures to notify other military powers in the country of the predawn missile strike, something that “professional” military forces, like the US-led coalition, would have done to ensure maximum safety.
He said: “Given the complex nature of the battle space, such strikes potentially jeopardize the forces who are actively fighting ISIS in Syria. Any Iranian activity in this area is reckless, unsafe and escalatory.”
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Monday that six missiles launched from Kermanshah, northwestern Iran, flew over central Iraq and hit targets in Albu Kamal, Syria, near the Iraqi border. The footage shown on Iranian TV was accompanied by commentary that this was a slap in the face to the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Europe Still Trying to Find Loophole on Iran Sanctions03 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 3 Oct - Almost five months after Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord, the countries still party to the deal are becoming increasingly desperate to find loopholes to the US sanctions on Iran.
While a second lot of US sanctions on Iran, this time targeting its oil industry and central bank, will come into place on November 5 and it doesn’t seem likely that any country or company will get the sanctions waivers they desire, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has written that he will allow the five other countries (the UK, Germany, France, Russia, and China) a “short grace period” to offset these sanctions. This came after a meeting between the six nations at the UN General Assembly.
Some of the workarounds being suggested include setting up a “special purpose vehicle” to facilitate purchases of Iranian imports

Iran’s Striking Truck Drivers Threatened With Execution as Strike Enters Second Week03 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 3 Oct - Some of Iran’s leading prosecutors have threatened the country’s striking truck drivers with execution, according to state-run media.
On September 30th, the strike entered its second week. The truck drivers are protesting what they call “terrible working conditions”. They are demanding better pay, pensions, and stronger trade unions, as well as government subsidies to buy such things as tires and expensive parts that must be imported.
Iran’s currency crash makes imported parts very expensive, yet neither the drivers’ pay, nor their cargo fees have increased.
TRUCKERS IN IRAN FALL INTO THREE CATEGORIES:
- those who fully own their trucks

- those who pay in installment for their trucks to government-controlled companies

UN Must Halt Yemen’s Iran-Backed Rebels With Capture of Critical Red Sea PortTerrorism 03 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 3 Oct - In an op-ed written by TIP Senior Fellow Julie Lenarz and published on Thursday, she claimed that after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels failed to attend peace negotiations in Geneva, the capture of the port of Hodeidah by Coalition forces is the only way to end the conflict in Yemen.
Lenarz said, “Iran’s use of Yemen as a southern gateway to attack Gulf states via Houthi missile attacks, primarily aimed at the UAE and Saudi Arabia, has been one of the most concerning developments of the conflict,” adding that, “Their ability to wage proxy war on the region, which has seen nuclear power plants, civilian airports and oil tankers all targeted, may well be curtailed by the capture of Hodeidah.”
After a hiatus in fighting to allow UN peacekeeper Martin Griffiths a chance to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis, the Coalition offensive in and around the strategic port has restarted in earnest.
Lenarz argues that it is now clear that the Houthis used the hiatus to “significantly strengthen and further entrench their forces” in Hodeidah. She explained, “Ending Houthi control of Hodeidah must be a first priority to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people and provide new momentum for finding a long-term solution to the conflict,” and observed, “With the failure of peace talks, critics of the offensive have yet to suggest an alternative.”

Iran Rial Rose in Value, but Experts Are ScepticalEconomy 04 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 4 Oct - The Iranian currency unexpectedly rose in value on Tuesday, following months of depreciation triggered by US sanctions, but caused overall by government corruption and mismanagement.
At one point, exchange shops in Tehran were offering one US dollar for 135,000 rials (compared with highs of 190,000 just the day before). This led many Iranians to rush to exchange their rials for dollars to beat the inevitable drop in value that will happen when further US sanctions are applied next month.
But some Iranians were sceptical of this exchange rate.
Ruhollah Nikravesh, a dollar seller on the streets of Tehran, said: “It does not make any sense at all that from four o'clock in the afternoon until the day after suddenly the price of the dollar plummets by 30 to 40 per cent. It is not natural. It can be either the trick of the government or dealers who seek to collect the people's

Iran’s Dire Human Rights Record for September04 October 2018

Iran’s Dire Human Rights Record for September04 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 4 Oct - Every month, Iran Human Rights Monitor releases a report in the situation of human rights in Iran and it always makes for uncomfortable reading. The September version was no different, with an unprecedented crackdown on human rights advocates, several official reports of cruel and inhumane punishments, and at least 33 executions.
We’ve produced a summary of the report here, but, as always, we encourage you to download the full PDF and learn more. When reading either piece, please remember that because of the closed and insular nature of the Iranian government, the figures given may be much smaller than in reality.
DEATHS CAUSED BY MULLAHS
Exceptions: There were 33 executions registered in Iran in September, including nine political prisoners who were hanged on the charge on waging war against God and disturbing state security. Three of those political prisoners were the subjects of international calls to halt their executions from UN human rights experts and other bodies.

Iran Economists Say Secondary Forex Market Hurting the EconomyEconomy 05 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 5 Oct - Reports are surfacing the value of the Iranian rial is on the rise, after several months of declines, but that fifty Iranian economists are calling for Iran to end “the secondary forex market,” an arrangement that has “pushed millions of Iranians below the poverty line” and could lead to at least one million job losses.
In a letter to the heads of three branches of government, the economists explain that the creation of a secondary market has lifted control on the foreign exchange rates and brought 60% inflation.
Iran created this secondary market in July, following a failed attempt to impose a single rate of 42,000 rials to the US dollar on the forex market, while global exchange rates for the rial were spiralling.

ICJ Rules: US Sanctions on Iran Will Stay05 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 5 Oct - Iran failed on Wednesday to persuade the highest court in the United Nations to overturn the punishing economic sanctions from the US that are bringing the Iranian economy to a grinding halt.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, whom Iran appealed to in July, has left most of the nuclear sanctions in place, only ordering the US to lift sanctions that affect imports of medicine, food and civilian aircraft parts.
Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said: “[The US] shall remove by means of its choosing any impediments arising from the measures announced on May 8 to the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities [and aeroplane parts, as sanctions on goods] required for humanitarian needs... may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran.”

Iran Arrests 4th Women’s Rights Activist This Month06 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 6 Oct - When Iranian security agents arrested women’s rights advocate Maryam Azad at Tehran’s Khomeini Airport on September 25, she became the fourth activist to be arrested in a month.
Azad, 31, a theatre graduate, had boarded a plane to Istanbul when she was arrested and it is not yet clear what she is being charged with. She also requires medical care for an unknown ailment, but the Iranian Regime often denies medical care to prisoners.

IMF: Iran economy shrinking

IMF: Iran economy shrinkingEconomy 09 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 9 Oct - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated that the Iranian economy fell into recession this year, thanks to renewed US sanctions, something that will only get worse next year.

The IMF released its World Economic Outlook late on October 8, which stated that Iran's oil-driven economy is expected to decrease by 1.5% this year, as a result of falling oil exports, something that will only continue to drop in 2019, leading to a shrinkage of 3.6% in the Iranian economy next year.

US Calls on the Hague to Dismiss Iran’s Claim for $1.75 Billion

US Calls on the Hague to Dismiss Iran’s Claim for $1.75 BillionTerrorism 09 October 2018

Iran Focus
London, 9 Oct - The US has called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday to dismiss a claim made by Iran to recover $1.75 billion in frozen bank assets.
ran brought a lawsuit before the Hague tribunal, which is the United Nations top court, to recover funds that were frozen during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when the mullahs stole power from the Iranian people.
In 2016, the US Supreme Court ruled that those funds should not be returned to Iran, but should instead be used as compensation for the families of victims of Iran’s terrorist attacks, including the 1983 bombing of a US Marine barracks in Beirut, where 241 soldiers were killed, and the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia.
Richard Visek, the legal adviser to the US Department of State, told the ICJ: "The actions at the root of this case centre on Iran's support for international terrorism [which should disqualify it from presenting a case before the court]. Iran comes to the court with unclean hands. Indeed, it is a remarkable show of bad faith. Iran's bad acts include support for terrorist bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and airline hijackings."

Who is the alternative to Iran’s regime?
ARTICLES
6/22/2018

The Iranian Diaspora is planning to hold its annual convention on June 30th in Paris
Analysis by PMOI/MEK
June 22, 2018 - Following the ongoing Dec/Jan protests aimed at bringing freedom for Iran’s suffering people, there are two vital issues at hand:
Overthrowing the mullahs’ dictatorship
The alternative to this regime
The more we trek forward, the question of who is this regime’s alternative becomes all the more imperative. In such sensitive circumstances it is quite natural to see many parties claiming to be the alternative to Tehran’s mullahs.
It is also natural that all groups and individuals, associated or non-associated to a third party, those willing to sacrifice and opportunists seeking to jump at the opportunity, are surfacing and claiming to be patriotic in nature and opposing the ruling apparatus.
This resembles the end of winter and the arrival spring, bringing about the birth of plants. Alongside flowers, however, we also witness the growth of weeds. Next to flowers we see tall and powerful trees full of leaves and blossoms.

A Viable Democratic Alternative to the Iranian Regime

By Ken Blackwell | June 22, 2018 | 4:14 PM EDT

Maryam Rajavi is the president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). (Screenshot)
One could easily argue that Iran’s ruling theocracy is facing the greatest internal threat to its rule since the 1980s. In the beginning of this year, the country was rocked by a mass uprising. The chain of protests was a major step forward for the domestic Resistance movement in the sense that it extracted political activism from farmers and the rural poor, despite the fact that these groups had long been thought to tolerate or even support the clerical regime.
The December-to-January uprising was comprised of protests in upwards of 140 cities and towns spanning the entire country. And this diversity has remained on display in the ensuing months, as activist networks and entire populations continue to organize more localized demonstrations, in keeping with the call-to-action issued in March by Maryam Rajavi, the president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a coalition headed by the principle Iranian Resistance group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).