THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:00 PM
French Magazine Exposes Hezbollah’s Drug Trade Operations
Le Point’s latest investigation, titled “Iran, Colombia, Lebanon, France… Hezbollah’s billions,” uncovers the expansion of Hezbollah’s financial resources through drug trafficking and money laundering, supported by the IRGC, in various countries. Hezbollah’s illicit activities, aimed at acquiring ammonium nitrate for explosives, have spread from Latin America to France.
Containers carrying Hezbollah’s drug shipments depart from Colombia to destinations including Lebanon, Kuwait, Israel, and the United States. Colombia, the world’s largest cocaine producer, serves as a crucial source of funding for Hezbollah through drug trafficking.
Tony Boulos, a Lebanese writer, explains that Hezbollah and the IRGC control border regions to facilitate their operations, using cash to evade banking network tracking. This has intensified the economic collapse in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.
This isn’t the first time reports have surfaced regarding Hezbollah’s involvement in drug trafficking. Last year, Le Point published a report quoting Juan Martinez, a criminal affairs expert, stating that Hezbollah’s influence in Latin America is substantial, facilitated by the presence of Lebanese-origin immigrants.
UPDATE: 11:00 AM
G7 Foreign Ministers Condemn Iranian Regime’s Nuclear Advances
In a joint statement released on April 19, the foreign ministers of the G7 nations reiterated their stance that Iran must never develop or acquire nuclear weapons. They urged the regime to halt and reverse its nuclear escalations, including uranium enrichment activities, and to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. The statement also addressed reports suggesting Iran’s intention to transfer ballistic missiles and related technology to Russia, warning against such actions and highlighting the potential escalation in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. The G7 ministers vowed to respond swiftly and collectively with new measures should Iran proceed with the transfer.
Thai Plastics Firm Will Pay $20 Million to Settle with U.S. over Iran Sanctions Violations
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Bangkok-based plastics firm has agreed to pay $20 million to settle with the U.S. over 467 “egregious” violations of Iran sanctions, the U.S. Treasury announced on Friday.
SCG Plastics Co. used U.S. banks to process $291 million in sales of Iranian high-density polyethylene resin from 2017 to 2018, according to the signed settlement agreement between the firm and Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The resin, used for product bottles and industrial items, was manufactured by an Iranian joint venture owned in part, by SCG Plastics’ parent company, SCG Chemicals and the National Petrochemical Company of Iran, which is a government entity.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM
Why Iran’s Regime Has Ramped Up The Repression of Women
The clerical regime, which only survives by creating fear and terror and by capturing and imprisoning people, initiated its first public wave of suppression in the new Persian year.
On April 10, Iranian regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei issued the order of suppression under the pretext of combating “the breaking of religion” for the enforcers of “encouraging virtue and preventing vice,” and then the commander of Tehran’s suppressive law enforcement announced that “the plan for hijab and chastity will be pursued more seriously in all streets and public places starting from April 13.”
The preparation for this wave of suppression was orchestrated by the regime’s Friday Prayer leaders, and they had started threatening women since the Nowruz holidays. One of them labeled “improper veiling” as an “intellectual war, a complex and mysterious combination of efforts” by the enemy, while another promised to “manage” any form of “violation of sanctity,” and yet another considered the “exposure of hijab” as a “crime” and threatened to act against it.
Iran-Allied Militia Coalition Claims Its Base In Iraq Was Hit By An Airstrike
BAGHDAD — An airstrike early Saturday hit a base used by the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias in Iraq, the group said in a statement. The attack on the Kalsu military base north of Babylon — a former U.S. post that was handed over to the Iraqi military in 2011 — wounded three PMF members, said two militia officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.
It was not clear who was responsible for the purported attack, which came a day after a suspected Israeli strike in Iran, but the militia officials blamed U.S. forces.
Agents Insult and Beat 50-Year-Old Baloch Woman
A 50-year-old Baloch woman, who went to the Zahedan Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrant Affairs for administrative work related to her husband’s identity papers, was insulted and beaten by a male agent because of her protests and refused to undergo a body search. On Sunday, April 14, Fariba Safarzaei, a 50-year-old Baloch woman, along with her son, Idris Yar-Ahmadzehi, and her husband, Mikael Yar-Ahmadzahi, went to the Zahedan Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrant Affairs located on Amirkabir Blvd.
Upon entering, a male guard said Mrs. Fariba Safarzaei had to be physically searched. When she resisted the order and her son also objected to the method of the search, the agents at the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrant Affairs severely beat them.
The IRGC: A Pillar of Repression Targeted for Change
The Iranian regime Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a powerful force that props up the Iranian regime. Designating it as a terrorist organization would have significant consequences.
The IRGC is responsible for both domestic suppression and foreign destabilization. Blacklisting them would limit their ability to crack down on Iranian citizens and support terror groups abroad. This could pave the way for greater stability in the Middle East.
The IRGC controls a large chunk of Iran’s economy, including oil and gas. Sanctions imposed alongside a terrorist designation would deter companies from doing business with the IRGC, crippling their economic power and hindering Iran’s reintegration into global finance.
G7 Condemns Iran’s Attack on Israel, Demands End to Destabilizing Actions
The G7 foreign ministers issued a strong statement today condemning Iran’s recent actions in the Middle East, including a missile attack on Israel and the seizure of a Portuguese-flagged vessel.
The statement expresses full solidarity with Israel and calls on Iran to cease its attacks and destabilizing activities. Here are the key points:
- Condemnation of Attacks: The G7 strongly condemns Iran’s missile attack on Israel and the seizure of a commercial ship.
- Call for De-escalation: The statement urges all parties to avoid further escalation and work towards peace in the region.
- Concerns Regarding Iran’s Influence: The G7 expresses concern about Iran’s support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. They call for an end to the supply of weapons and technology to these groups.
The Perilous Wait: Two Million Iranian Project Workers Remain in Limbo
Over 70 days have passed since a critical amendment to Iran’s labor law was supposed to take effect. This amendment, enshrined in Article Seven, mandated employers to convert the contracts of project workers into permanent positions. However, implementation remains elusive, leaving two million workers in a precarious state of job insecurity. The issue was brought to light by the Etemad newspaper in a report titled “Two Million Project Workers Face Continued Job Insecurity.” The report delves into the reasons behind the employers’ reluctance to comply with the amended Article Seven.
Approved by the Council of Ministers on February 9th, 2024, the amendment established a four-year limit on non-continuous employment contracts. Note 1 of Article Seven, slated for implementation on the same date, aimed to bring clarity to the contractual status of countless project and company workers. This, in turn, would have provided them with the security and benefits associated with permanent contracts – a long-awaited taste of stability.
Iran’s Regime Very Close to Producing Nuclear Bombs, IAEA Director Warns
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told Germany’s state-run network ARD television network in Vienna that since the failure of nuclear negotiations, Iran has significantly approached nuclear bomb production.
He announced that no country without an atomic bomb enriches uranium to 60%, adding that Iran has produced enriched uranium in volumes beyond what is needed for nuclear bomb production.
In this conversation published on April 19, he noted that while 90% enrichment is necessary for a nuclear bomb, technically 60% is almost the same as 90%.
The Role of the Mandatory Hijab in the Iranian Regime’s Strategy for Survival
What reality is the emphasis on hijab, trying to avoid? As was evident, after the parliamentary election show, where Khamenei needed people’s presence at the ballot box, the issue of mandatory hijab and the crackdown on dress code enforcement intensified. There is no doubt that after the 2022 uprising, a significant portion of the Iranian people, as a form of defiance, insisted on not observing the mandatory hijab as dictated by the government. It must be considered that these actions are not independent in themselves and are dependent on other factors, meaning the goal must be something else.
Berlin, Germany—April 17, 2024: MEK Supporters Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution
Berlin, Germany—April 17, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a book table and exhibition to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.