THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM
US To Hit Iran with New Sanctions in ‘Coming Days’, Yellen Says
WASHINGTON: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday warned that the US (Apr 16) intends to hit Iran with new sanctions in the coming days over its unprecedented attack on Israel, and these actions could seek to reduce Iran’s capacity to export oil.
“With respect to sanctions, I fully expect that we will take additional sanctions action against Iran in the coming days,” Yellen said told a news conference on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington.
“We don’t preview our sanctions tools. But in discussions I’ve had, all options to disrupt terrorist financing of Iran continue to be on the table,” Yellen added.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM
US Senator Urges Secretary of State Blinken to Deny Visa for Iranian Regime’s FM Amidst Tensions
In a recent development, Senator James Lankford, a Republican senator from the United States, has called on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken not to grant a visa to Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Iranian regime’s Foreign Minister.
Senator Lankford shared a letter addressed to Blinken on his social media account, emphasizing that granting a visa to Amir-Abdollahian following the regime’s attack on the United States would be “absurd” for the State Department. He urged Blinken to “immediately” revoke Amir-Abdollahian’s visa ahead of his scheduled trip to the United Nations on April 18.
After Iran attacked an ally of the US it would be absurd for the State Department to allow Iranian Foreign Minister a visa to travel in the US. I’m calling on Secretary Blinken to immediately revoke his visa ahead of his planned travel the UN on April 18, 2024. pic.twitter.com/SDheOiyp5G
— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) April 15, 2024
Furthermore, in an interview with Newsmax, Senator Lankford addressed the Iranian regime’s destabilizing behavior in the Middle East, highlighting why the regime’s FM needs to be prohibited from entering US soil.
Over 140 House Lawmakers Condemn ‘Brutal’ Iranian Regime After Israel Strike
Dozens of members of the House of Representatives have signed onto a resolution condemning Iran’s “brutal” regime after Tehran launched a missile attack against Israel over the weekend.
The bipartisan measure is being led by Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas, and co-sponsored by 141 House lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats.
“Decades of a tyrannical regime in Tehran – destabilizing the Middle East and intentionally spreading chaos throughout the region – has culminated in Iran’s direct attack on our greatest ally, Israel,” Weber told Fox News Digital.
G7 Leaders Condemn Iran, Warn Of Risk Of Escalation
ROME, April 14 (Reuters) – Leaders of the G7 nations condemned Iran’s attack on Israel and said on Sunday they would work to try to prevent an “uncontrollable regional escalation” in the Middle East.
Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7, had called a meeting of G7 heads after U.S. President Joe Biden pledged a coordinated diplomatic response to the unprecedented drone and missile attack launched overnight by Iran.
“With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided,” a statement issued by Italy said.
House Moves to Sanction Iranian Terror Proxies
A coalition of 60 Republican House lawmakers on Monday filed legislation that would impose sanctions on 11 Iranian terrorist proxy groups operating across the Middle East, according to a copy of the bill obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. Rep. Greg Steube (R., Fla.) and a coalition of his GOP colleagues filed the sanctions bill Monday evening following a weekend missile strike by Iran on Israel. Many of the missiles and drones fired by Tehran were launched by its allied militant groups in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
Steube’s legislation targets several of the most dangerous Iranian allies and will require the Biden administration to formally classify them as designated terror organizations. Currently, Iranian-controlled groups operating in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria are not formally classified as foreign terrorist organizations, allowing them to do Tehran’s bidding while moving money and weapons across the Middle East.
🚨 Taking a stand against Iranian terror!🚨
I led 59 of my House colleagues to fully sanction 11 Iranian proxies and designate these anti-America groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. These groups have killed Americans and attacked our allies. No more excuses.… pic.twitter.com/xp3aHbp7il
— Congressman Greg Steube (@RepGregSteube) April 15, 2024
UPDATE: 7:30 AM
The Complete Bankruptcy of Iran’s Banking System
Iran’s economy has faced a multitude of crises since the beginning of the rule of the mullahs. The regime’s founder Ruhollah Khomeini did not believe that the people have the right to have a say on how the economy is run. He forfeited the country’s resources to a gang of thieves, who looted the country’s wealth to enrich themselves and carry out their destructive projects. This approach to running the economy created various crises. Some of the consequences are the destruction of domestic production and the unfair distribution of resources.
The banking crisis is another consequence of the corrupt economic system of the mullahs’ rule. Three decades into the mullahs’ rule, the regime’s own experts had to admit: “The country’s banking system in recent decades has been faced with issues such as the nationalization of banks, the imposition of the government’s mandatory policies, government management, and mandatory control of bank interest rates.
Dire Consequences of Appeasement: Why the World Must Change Course on Iran
Perhaps throughout centuries past, there has been no conflict where adversaries coordinated their attacks with such precision in timing and method. What implications does such a strategy, employed by the attacking force or government, carry?
What does such an approach reveal about the attacking side? Does it signify political and strategic acumen or desperation and deadlock?
More than two weeks after Israel’s strike on the Iranian regime’s consulate in Syria, viewed as a significant blow to the regime’s warmongering machinery, the desperate regime attempted to boost the morale of its constituents with a flurry of activity.
Marjan Hajizadeh, 19, Hanged in The Central Prison of Zanjan, Iran
A 19-year-old woman named Marjan Hajizadeh was executed on Thursday, April 11, 2024, in the Central Prison of Zanjan, Iran. Marjan Hajizadeh and her husband, Esmail Hassaniani, 29, had been sentenced to death on drug-related charges. They were arrested and imprisoned three years ago. Marjan Hajizadeh was only 16 years and 4 months old at the time of arrest and detention. Marjan and Esmail were arrested on a motorway in Zanjan. Marjan didn’t know her husband was carrying drugs, and she was innocent. The execution of this young couple has not yet been announced by the official authorities at the time of publishing this news.
Atena Farghadani Is Violently Rearrested, Detained in Evin Prison
Atena Farghadani, the famous cartoonist and a former political prisoner, was violently arrested by security forces on Saturday, April 13, 2024, and transferred to Evin Prison.
She was arrested, reportedly, for attempting to post one of her drawings on the wall in Pastor Avenue, where the presidential palace is located.
In protest of her arbitrary arrest, she refused to accept bail bond. Her lawyer, Mohammad Moqimi, reported that Atena Farghadani had been badly brutalized at the time of arrest so much that the scars were evident on her face.
Atena Farghadani, a cartoonist, painter, and children’s rights activist residing in Tehran was arrested on June 7, 2023, after being summoned to the interrogation courthouse of District 33 for interrogation.
Tragic Suicides Highlight Plight of Iranian Medical Staff
Over the past week, another Iranian nurse tragically ended his life; he was 32 years old and from Kermanshah. In the first week of April, a cardiologist also committed suicide.
These two heartbreaking incidents have further exacerbated the alarming issue of suicides among medical personnel. Work-related stress and mental pressures on healthcare staff are considered the primary reasons behind these tragic acts.
Despite a severe shortage of nurses in hospitals, they are often offered only 89-day short-term work contracts. This type of contract deprives nurses of many rights and subsequent claims in case of unemployment, leading to their being referred to as ‘seasonal workers.’
Farmers Resume Protests in Isfahan, Education Workers Protest Low Wages
Economic protests in Iran on Monday, April 15, continued with farmers gathering in Isfahan province (central Iran) and school janitors protesting in Khomeinishahr (Isfahan province).
According to reports on Monday, April 15, a group of farmers from the east and west of Isfahan once again gathered in protest of the authorities’ failure to fulfill promises to reopen the Zayandeh Rud River at Khorasgan Square.
The protesting farmers parked their tractors at Khorasgan Square and went on strike in this location; a trend that has also occurred in recent days. Some sources have referred to this round of farmer protests as a result of their “water rights being usurped” by “government entities.”
The Physical Condition Of Political Prisoner Mehran Gharahbaghi In Ahvaz’s Shiban Prison Is Critical
According to reports received by Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM) on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Ahvaz’s Shiban Prison, political prisoner Mehran Gharahbaghi, who suffers from a heart condition, is in a critical condition. However, prison authorities are refusing to grant him a medical furlough and are obstructing his temporary release and transfer to a hospital or medical facilities. In addition to his acute heart condition, Mr.Gharahbaghi is severely suffering from a skin disease called “gale,” which is caused by prison conditions. He also has vision problems, and the glasses provided to him do not match his prescription.
Mehran Gharahbaghi, 32 years old, holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and hails from one of the villages in Behbahan County. He was first arrested in 2017 and was detained again by security forces of the Revolutionary Guards on January 18, 2020, following the November 2019 protests. He has been in prison for over 4 years at present.
Manchester, England—April 13, 2024: Freedom-Loving Iranians Organize an Exhibition to Support the Iranian Revolution
Manchester—April 13, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians, and academics living in England supporting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a book exhibition, and petition collection in support of the Iranian Revolution, and the Iranian people’s resistance.
This Exhibition also aimed to protest the escalating wave of executions in Iran, highlighting the oppressive rule of the mullahs’ regime.
Iranian community in Manchester demanded the trial of the mullahs’ regime leaders, especially Ali Khamenei (Supreme leader of the mullahs’ regime) and the mass murderer Ebrahim Raisi for crimes against humanity, in an international court.
Bremen, Germany—April 13, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally and Exhibition in Support of the Iranian Revolution
Bremen, Germany—April 13, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally and exhibition to express their solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.
Hamburg, Germany—April 13, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally and Exhibition in Support of the Iranian Revolution
Hamburg, Germany—April 13, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally and exhibition to express their solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.
