THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:30 PM
European Defence Summit Addresses Iranian Attack on Israel: President von der Leyen’s Keynote Speech
During the European Defence and Security Summit held on April 29, President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a keynote speech addressing the recent Iranian attack on Israel. Highlighting the gravity of the situation, she described the assault as a seismic event that has further heightened global tensions.
Von der Leyen emphasized the need for a deeper understanding of Iran’s aggressive actions, indicating a shift towards open confrontation and underscoring the evolving nature of modern warfare. The scale and sophistication of the attack, involving a significant number of drones and missiles, signify a concerning escalation in Iran’s capabilities.
Moreover, the President commended the swift and effective defense response, noting the importance of long-term investment in advanced defense technologies and international cooperation. She highlighted the crucial role played by allies such as the United States, the UK, France, and Arab countries in averting greater damage.
However, von der Leyen cautioned against viewing the attack in isolation, emphasizing its broader implications within the context of a changing threat landscape. She pointed to Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine and the proliferation of advanced weaponry to non-state groups as part of a concerted effort by authoritarian regimes to undermine the international rules-based order.
In light of these developments, the President called for a European awakening on defense and security, stressing the urgent need for collective action to safeguard freedom, prosperity, and democracy in the face of growing threats. The summit served as a platform for discussions on enhancing European capabilities and coordination to address the evolving security challenges posed by Iran and other actors on the global stage.
EU Leaders Mull New Iran Sanctions after Attack on Israel
BRUSSELS, April 17 (Reuters) – European Union leaders met on Wednesday to discuss stepping up sanctions against Iran after Tehran’s missile and drone attack on Israel left world powers scrambling to prevent a wider conflict in the Middle East.
The two-day summit in Brussels is the first meeting of the EU’s 27 national leaders since Saturday’s attack, more than six months into the war between Israel and the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“We have to adjust, to expand them (the sanctions) on Iran,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in Brussels ahead of the summit.
“We are in favour of sanctions that can also target all those who help manufacture drones and missiles that were used in the attacks last Saturday and Sunday.”
UPDATE: 3:00 PM
House Members Offer Resolution to Recognize Democratic Iran
On Tuesday morning, 145 House of Representatives members called on the U.S. government to condemn the Iranian regime and to “recognize the rights of the Iranian people to establish a democratic, secular and non-nuclear Iran.”
The resolution, officially House Resolution 1148 and supported by lawmakers of both parties, also called on the government to hold “the Iranian regime accountable for its actions through the continued imposition of sanctions and to support the Iranian Resistance’s Ten Point Plan for the Future of Iran.”
Based on free market economics and a commitment to keep Iran a non-nuclear nation, the 10-point plan is considered the “first draft” of a democratic constitution when and if the current theocratic dictatorship is overthrown.
US CENTCOM Forces Successfully Engage Two Houthi UAVs, Statement Says
CAIRO, April 17 (Reuters) – The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday its forces successfully engaged two unmanned aerial (UAV) vehicles in areas controlled by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on April 16.
“There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
April 16 Red Sea Update
Between 10:50 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on April 16, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully engaged two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas in Yemen.
There were no injuries or damage… pic.twitter.com/ImF90fhFAp— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 16, 2024
UPDATE: 11:00 AM
U.S. To Hit Iran with Fresh Sanctions After Israel Attack
The U.S. will impose new sanctions on Iran’s missile and drone program after the country’s unprecedented attack on Israel over the weekend, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan announced Tuesday evening.
Why it matters: President Biden is urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to exercise military restraint. But in the economic sphere, the administration is demonstrating a willingness to retaliate against Iran.
These new sanctions and other ones Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is preparing represent a subtle message to Israel that there is more than one way to harm the ruling regime in Tehran.
EU To Start Work on Expanding Iran Sanctions, Borrell Says
BRUSSELS, April 16 (Reuters) – The European Union will prepare to expand its sanctions on Iran in response to Tehran’s attack on Israel, EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Tuesday after an emergency video conference of the bloc’s foreign ministers.
Borrell cited U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in declaring that the Middle East was “at the edge of an abyss” following Iran’s missile and drone attack at the weekend.
“Today, ministers took a strong stance, asking all actors in the region to move away from the abyss, in order not to fall into it,” he told reporters after the meeting called to discuss the repercussions of the Iranian attack.
UPDATE: 9:30 AM
Risch Applauds Committee Passage of Legislation to Counter Iran
End Iranian Terrorism (End IT) Act and Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act
“The Middle East is in an unprecedented period of turmoil. Last October, we witnessed the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, the largest terrorist attack against American citizens since 9-11, and the largest hostage crisis involving American citizens since 1979,” said Risch. “More broadly, we’re witnessing an expanding regional conflict with significant implications for American national security interests. This was made clear over the weekend when Iran launched a barrage of attacks on Israel from inside its own territory – the first time it has done so. Weak U.S. policy has failed to re-establish deterrence with Iran and only encouraged its malign behavior. It’s past time to act, and Congress has a clear role to play in countering the Iranian regime.”
US Will Restrict Iranian Foreign Minister’s Movements While In New York, Source Says
The US will restrict the movements of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his delegation while they are in New York this week, a source familiar told CNN.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller had earlier indicated that the US would place additional travel restrictions on the minister, who will be in New York for a meeting at the United Nations.
According to the source familiar, Amir-Abdollahian and the Iranian delegation’s travel is restricted to the seven blocks north-south and one block west surrounding the UN headquarters in Manhattan, the Iranian Mission to the UN, the residence of their permanent representative to the UN, the six blocks surrounding Queensboro Plaza in Long Island City, and access to John F. Kennedy International Airport using a specific driving route.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM
Message To U.S. House Briefing
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s speech: “It is time for Khamenei and his regime to be accountable for forty years of warmongering. Honorable Representatives, Dear Friends, I would like to express my gratitude to Congressman Randy Weber and your other bipartisan colleagues for organizing this meeting. I also wish to commend the valuable initiative of the representatives in introducing a new resolution in the House of Representatives. This resolution offers a correct solution to the Iranian problem as well as supporting the PMOI members at Ashraf 3.
The recent escalation of the regime’s warmongering is a turning point, which proves:
First, the head of the snake of warmongering is in Tehran. Second, it showed that this regime is the principal party to the war.
More Than 140 House Members Join Resolution To Condemn Iranian Regime
A coalition of more than 140 bipartisan members of the House of Representatives have signed a resolution that condemns the brutality of Iran’s regime, and its attack on Israel as of Tuesday. Iran launched more than 30 missiles and airstrikes against Israel on Saturday, 99% of which were intercepted according to Fox News, after it claimed Israel attacked and killed seven of its forces in Syria.
The resolution, introduced by Texas GOP Rep. Randy Weber and signed by 145 members of Congress, highlights the weaknesses of the Iranian regime, and calls for protection of Iranian dissidents who have been targeted by the regime.
Blacklisting Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Is a No-Brainer
When will the British appeasers wake up? Despite repeated calls from several former cabinet ministers and MPs from all sides of the House of Commons to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – the Iranian regime’s Gestapo – Rishi Sunak has dug his heels in. The Prime Minister claims that it would be a mistake to sever diplomatic ties with Iran at such a critical time. His view has been reinforced by his foreign secretary David Cameron who claims it is vital for Britain to maintain an embassy in Tehran so that the UK can “deliver a direct message to the Iranians.” Winston Churchill must be turning in his grave. He famously said: “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”
Women, The Torchbearers Of Change In Iran
On April 9, a conference titled “Torch-bearers of Change: Supporting the Long Struggle of Women in Iran” was held at the European Parliament in Brussels and chaired by MEP Radka Maxová, Deputy Chair of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee of the European Parliament. At this conference representatives of the European people delivered speeches in support of the struggle of the Iranian people for freedom.
MEP Radka Maxová highlighted the dire situation faced by women and girls in Iran, where they are treated as second-class citizens and subjected to systemic discrimination and violence. She cited reports from the UN special rapporteur on Iran and the UN FACT mission, which documented executions, human rights violations, and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the regime, particularly targeting women and girls.
Dina Ghalibaf Arrested After Revealing Violence Of Guidance Patrols
Dina Ghalibaf, a political science undergraduate student of the Melli University of Iran (known as Beheshti), was arrested at her residence, today, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. The arrest takes place after Dina Ghalibaf revealed the brutal treatment of the guidance patrols the day before. It is not yet known what agency detained Dina. Dina Ghalibaf, a journalist, and student activist, wrote in X about her experience of being violently arrested by the guidance patrols in Sadeghieh subway station, yesterday, on April 15, 2024. “Yesterday in the police room of the Sadeghieh metro station, when I insisted that I have the right to use the subway as long as I pay the tax, they violently took me to a room and gave me taser shocks. All the time, my hand was tied with handcuffs and one of the officers sexually assaulted me.”
Disturbing Executions in Iran Demand Global Condemnation
Iran’s regime has carried out a horrifying wave of executions in recent days, including the brutal killing of a young woman who was just 16 years old at the time of her arrest. These heinous acts demand immediate global condemnation and action to halt the unjust executions.
On April 11th, the regime’s henchmen executed 19-year-old Marjan Hajizadeh and her husband Esmail Hassaniani in Zanjan Central Prison. Marjan was only 16 when initially arrested, making her execution a grave violation of international laws prohibiting the death penalty for minors. Their executions cruelly coincided with Eid al-Fitr celebrations.
Baluch People Deprived of Wealth in Iran
The Iranian regime is keeping the Baluch people of the country in poverty and deprivation. A report from a local Telegram channel in Sistan and Baluchistan province reveals this bitter truth. The report states: “The Kahnuj titanium mine is a symbol of the wealth hidden in Kerman, from which the poor people are gaining nothing.”
According to local media, “The Kahnuj titanium mine is one of the largest titanium mines in the world, with proven reserves of 150 million tons.”
However, this news has not been officially published by the regime’s state-run media. Many profit-generating stories are often suppressed by this regime.
Why Nurses in Iran Migrate or Commit Suicide
This year, the issue of suicide among Iran’s healthcare personnel resurfaced with the death of a young cardiac specialist in the third week of March and a nurse in Kermanshah. It is said that, due to not renewing her contract and psychological pressures, she ended her life. The exact number of nurse suicides is not officially known, but the number is alarming. Work-related and psychological pressures on healthcare staff are among the main reasons for suicides.
This comes despite severe shortages of nurses in hospitals, where short-term contracts of 89 days are signed with them. Such contracts deprive nurses of many of their rights and future claims if they become unemployed, and they refer to these contracts as “seasonal workers”.
Vancouver, Canada—April 13, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Support of the Iranian Revolution, Calling for the IRGC to Be Designated as a FTO
Vancouver, Canada—April 13, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. They called for the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
Toronto, Canada—April 13, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Support of the Iranian Revolution, Calling for the IRGC to Be Designated as a FTO
Toronto, Canada—April 13, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. They called for the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
Malmö, Sweden—April 13, 2024: MEK Supporters Organized a Rally in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution
Malmö, Sweden—April 13, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.
