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UPDATE: 10:00 PM CET
Resolution Backing Secular, Democratic Iran Republic Picks up Majority Bipartisan Support in House
A resolution backing a secular, democratic and non-nuclear Iran now has majority bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, activists and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle announced on Thursday. In a press conference, representatives announced that 222 members of the 435-member House are now signed onto H.Res 100, which was introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., earlier this year and expresses Congress’ support of a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic. There are 75 Democrats signed onto the resolution.
McClintock said that Democrats and Republicans “now stand side-by-side with the people of Iran who struggle to rid themselves of the theocratic thugs who have oppressed them for far too long.”
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET
Iran Uprising at a Glance – Day 176
Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran
Friday, March 10, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1
- Days: 176
- Protests: 282 cities
- Fatalities: 750+ estimated deaths, 664 identified by MEK
- Detentions: 30,000
Iran’s uprising marked its 176th day on Friday as the brave Baluchis once again took to the streets in their relentless anti-regime protests, chanting slogans condemning all forms of dictatorships in Iran, from Shah’s regime to the mullahs’ rule.
March 10 – Rask, southeast #Iran
Security forces deployed to prevent anti-regime protests.#No2ShahNo2Mullahs#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبرpic.twitter.com/lGqnrvXZsX— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 10, 2023
Reports on Friday showed security forces were deployed in the city of Rask to prevent locals from assembling for anti-regime protests.
In Zahedan, southeast Iran, a large crowd gathered after the Friday prayers to hold their weekly anti-regime protests. The protesters chanted slogans against the regime and demanded the release of political prisoners who are lingering in the regime’s dungeons.
March 10 – Zahedan, southeast #Iran
Mass protest rally continues despite security measures by the regime.#No2ShahNo2Mullahs #مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر#زاهدانpic.twitter.com/SHtM8cYC9p— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 10, 2023
Protesters continued their rallies despite heavy security presence and underlined their main demand with the slogan, “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!”
The children of Zahedan expressed their hatred of the regime by setting fire to the photos of the mullahs’ regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini and chanting anti-regime slogans. These acts of resistance are taking place despite the regime showing ruthlessness even toward children in recent months, targeting them with poison gas attacks.
A heartfelt salute to my Baluch compatriots and the fearless warriors of #Zahedan! Even amidst the threat of arrests, abductions, executions, and repression, you filled the streets this Friday with your cries of "freedom, freedom" and "death to the pic.twitter.com/T0xPvZhMDV… https://t.co/lYc0dr3hXq
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) March 10, 2023
Iranian opposition coalition NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi hailed the Baluchis for their relentless anti-regime protests and their continuous efforts in condemning and exposing the mullahs’ crimes.
“A heartfelt salute to my Baluch compatriots and the fearless warriors of Zahedan! Even amidst the threat of arrests, abductions, executions, and repression, you filled the streets this Friday with your cries of ‘Freedom, Freedom!’ and ‘Death to the child-killing regime!’ Your freedom-loving roar and unwavering determination to overthrow the regime are an inspiration to all. The democratic revolution shall prevail!” the NCRI President-elect emphasized.
March 10 – Fuladshahr, central #Iran
Funeral of Mohsen Shojaei. Shojaei was arrested during the funeral of one of the martyrs of #IranProtests. He was tortured to death by prison authorities.#No2ShahNo2Mullahs#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبرpic.twitter.com/uh69UacizP— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 10, 2023
Elsewhere in Iran, people gathered in Arak for the funeral of Mohsen Shojaei, one of the protesters who was murdered by regime authorities. Shojaei was arrested during the funeral of Mahsa Mogooi, a protester who was killed during the nationwide anti-regime rallies. Shojaei was brutally tortured and drugged while he was in prison. He entered a state of coma due to the torture and died in a hospital from his wounds.
Locals in a metro station in the capital also chanted anti-regime slogans when a metro train was malfunctioning.
March 9 – Tehran, #Iran
People at a metro station began chanting anti-regime slogans once they saw the train malfunctioning. #IranProtests2023 #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/F13nfihq5G— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 9, 2023
Also, last night people in Tehran’s Shahrak-e Bagheri district began chanting anti-regime slogans, including:
“Death to the dictator!”
“Death to the IRGC!”
“Death to Khamenei, the murderer!”
UPDATE: 4:30 PM CET
Majority of House Lawmakers Call for New Iran Policy in Response To Ongoing Protests
Members of Congress on Thursday held a briefing on a bipartisan resolution calling for a change in Iran policy in response to ongoing protests in the Islamic Republic. The resolution expressing support for the Iranian people’s desire for a free country and condemning Tehran’s human rights violations has 222 cosponsors, which is the majority of the House of Representatives.
“I think everyone senses that the day of Iran’s liberation is approaching and its deliverance will be at the hands of the Iranian people and their friends and supporters around the world,” California Republican Rep. Tom McClintock, the resolution’s sponsor, said.
Iranian National Charged With Illegally Exporting Electrical Equipment to Iran
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment today charging an Iranian national with the unlawful export of electrical cables and connectors from the United States to Iran, through Hong Kong. According to court documents, Mehdi Khoshghadam, a.k.a. “David Lei,” and “Pouyan,” an Iranian national residing in Tehran, Iran, was indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on one count of conspiracy, one count of violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds of the alleged crimes. A warrant has been issued for Khoshghadam’s arrest and he remains a fugitive.
UPDATE: 12:00 PM CET
House GOP, Dems Back Iran Protests To Topple Mullahs’ Government
A bipartisan House majority signed on to a resolution Thursday condemning decades of human rights violations and state-sponsored terrorism by Iran, while also expressing support for ongoing protests aimed at toppling the Tehran government.
“Two hundred twenty-two members of the 435-member House, Republican and Democrat alike, now stand side-by-side with the people of Iran who struggle to rid themselves of the theocratic thugs who have oppressed them for far too long,” said Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), who sponsors House Resolution 100 — along with 145 Republican and 76 Democratic colleagues.
“The Iranian people have had enough of the human rights abuses, the utter incompetence of the mullahs, and the thuggery of their IRGC,” McClintock told supporters at a congressional press conference, referring to the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Parties In House Unite To Call for New Iran Policy
In an unusual bipartisan move, 223 U.S. House Members of both parties joined forces to offer a resolution demanding an end to the theocratic regime ruling Iran.
“The people of Iran must rise up and demand their rights,” Rep. Brad Sherman, D.-Calif., one of the co-sponsors, told a packed crowd of fellow lawmakers and Iran nationals on Capitol Hill.
He added that the resolution calling for a new U.S. policy toward Iran was backed by 75 House Democrats and 148 Republicans.
Majority in US House of Representatives Back Resolution Calling for Regime Change in Iran
WASHINGTON: A majority of members of the US House of Representatives have declared their support for a bipartisan resolution calling for a nuclear-free Iran and regime change in the country. The Organization of Iranian-American Communities, a group opposed to the regime in Tehran, hosted a meeting in the Capitol to announce that 222 members of the 435-member House now back the resolution, which was introduced on Feb. 7. It supports the establishment of a secular Iranian republic and condemns human rights violations by the Iranian government.
Several of the Republican and Democrat co-sponsors of the resolution spoke during the event on Thursday of their support for the Iranian people and their desire for a democratic government to replace the theocratic Iranian regime.
Chinese Companies Aiding Iran in Supplying Drones to Russia, US Says
Chinese companies have helped Iran produce the infamous “Shahed” drones that Russia has used to bombard Ukraine, according to U.S. officials.
Iran’s military drone manufacturer has procured “thousands of aerospace components” from a Chinese company that routed the transactions through a Hong Kong-based front company. Treasury Department officials unveiled sanctions on the supply chain as an exercise in enforcing the existing sanctions on the Iranian company, but the punitive measure raises the curtain on China’s sidelong support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
UPDATE: 9:30 AM CET
Message to the Conference Declaring U.S. House Majority’s Support for H.RES100
Honorable Members of the US House of Representatives, I want to take this opportunity to commend Chairman Tom McClintock and Congressman Brad Sherman for their leading role in House bipartisan Resolution 100.
I would also like to recognize the House majority members who stood on the side of the Iranian people to offer a sound policy on Iran. You showed the correct side of history.
Since you introduced this resolution a month ago, the Iranian regime under different pretexts has shown its utmost anger and has resorted to massive rhetoric against the noble Members of U.S. Congress.
Women in Iran Marked Int’l Women’s Day With Anti-regime Protests
Women in different cities across Iran, joined by others, marked International Women’s Day by taking to the streets and launching anti-regime protests. Such rallies, led by brave women marching and chanting slogans against the mullahs’ misogynist apparatus, were reported in the capital Tehran, the city of Rasht in northern Iran, and Khash in southeast Iran. People throughout the country are specifically holding the mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responsible for their miseries, while also condemning the oppressive Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and paramilitary Basij units, alongside other security units that are on the ground suppressing the peaceful demonstrators.
The 10 Instex Shareholder States Have Decided To Liquidate Instex Due To Continued Obstruction From Iran
The UK, France, and Germany (the E3) have issued a joint statement announcing the liquidation of INSTEX.
The E3 said: The INSTEX shareholders – Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the UK – have decided to liquidate INSTEX.
INSTEX was set up by France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in 2019 to facilitate legitimate trade between Europe and Iran, particularly in humanitarian goods. Over the past 4 years, INSTEX has consistently tried to facilitate trade exchanges between Europe and Iran. There was a strong and sustained demand by European exporters to use the INSTEX mechanism, mainly from the humanitarian sector.
Treasury Targets Sanctions Evasion Network Moving Billions for Iranian Regime
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 39 entities constituting a significant “shadow banking” network, one of several multi-jurisdictional illicit finance systems which grant sanctioned Iranian entities, such as Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industry Commercial Co. (PGPICC) and Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd. (Triliance), access to the international financial system and obfuscate their trade with foreign customers. Iranian exchange houses create front companies abroad to enable trade on behalf of their Iranian clients, with foreign currency transactions maintained via internal ledgers. PGPICC is the marketing arm of sanctioned Iranian petrochemical conglomerate Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (PGPIC), which generates the equivalent of tens of billions of dollars annually for the Iranian regime.
Iran: Four Young Baluchi Men at Risk of Execution
Four young Baluchi men – Ebrahim Narouie, Kambiz Kharout, Mansour Dahmardeh and Shoeib Mirbaluchzehi Rigi – are at grave risk of execution in connection with protests in Sistan and Baluchestan province. They were sentenced to death based on torture-tainted “confessions” in grossly unfair trials. Two other Baluchi men – Mansour Hout and Nezamoddin Hout – are facing retrials on capital charges also in connection with protests.
Engineering Student Samaneh Asghari Sentenced to 18 Years in Jail
Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced engineering student Samaneh Asghari to 18 years and three months in prison on Monday, March 6, 2023. Ms. Asghari is an industrial engineering student at Kharazmi University.
If this sentence is approved in the appeal stage, by applying Article 134 of the Penal Code, the maximum punishment of six years and three months will be applicable to Ms. Asghari.
The Effects of ” the Appeasement Policy of the West” and “The Scum of the Monarchy” on 2023 Uprising in Iran!
Unfortunately, the appeasement of the Western countries with the mullahs’ regime has been going on since the first day Khomeini‘s power grab and has given the mullah’s dictatorship an opportunity to oppress the Iranian and interfere in the countries of the region and spread terrorism in the world. It also allowed the mullahs to go after making the atomic bomb and increase the range of its missiles and delivery systems.
But Iranians’ biggest loss from western appeasement policy was restricting the main enemy of mullahs, i.e., the people’s Mujahideen Organization of Iran (PMOI), by enlisting them in foreign terrorist Organization (FTO) and disarming the National Liberation Army (NLA) of Iran in Iraq.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – March 9, 2023
