THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 10:00 PM CET
Sanctioning Russian Federation and Iranian State Actors Responsible for the Wrongful Detention of U.S. Nationals
The Department is also designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization (IRGC-IO) for its involvement in the wrongful detention of at least one U.S. national abroad. Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is designating four senior officials in the IRGC-IO.
Treasury Sanctions Officials of Iranian Intelligence Agency Responsible for Detention of U.S. Nationals in Iran
WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four senior officials of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization (IRGC-IO), an entity that is being concurrently designated by the State Department for its role in the hostage-taking or wrongful detention of U.S. nationals in Iran. The IRGC-IO frequently holds and interrogates detainees in the notorious Evin Prison, in addition to the IRGC-IO’s direct role in the repression of protests and arrest of dissidents, including dual nationals. Today’s action is the first under Executive Order (E.O.) 14078, “Bolstering Efforts to Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained U.S. Nationals Home,” which reaffirms the fundamental commitment of the U.S. government to bring home those U.S. nationals held hostage and wrongfully detained abroad.
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET
Iran Uprising at a Glance
Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran
Thursday, April 27, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1
- Days: 224
- Protests: 282 cities
- Fatalities: 750+ estimated deaths, 675 identified by MEK
- Detentions: 30,000
Iran’s nationwide uprising witnessed its 224th day on Thursday. According to reports tallied by the Iranian opposition, Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), Iran’s industrial workers continued their nationwide strike in over 100 sites across the country’s oil, gas, petrochemical, steel, copper, and other plants.
April 27 – #Iran
Administrative employees of an industrial site focused on steel production joined the nationwide strike launched by other industrial workers across the country.#IranProtests #اعتصابات_سراسری pic.twitter.com/W0Yrs6hlEu— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 27, 2023
MEK Resistance Units and brave youths in different cities of Iran are also increasing their anti-regime measures.
MEK Resistance Units portrayed a large image of Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian opposition coalition NCRI, on Kalantari Expressway Boulevard in the city of Mashhad, northeast Iran, on Tuesday night.
Brave youths and protesters in Urmia of northwest Iran attacked the local office branch of the regime’s Guardian Council in West Azerbaijan Province in response to the regime’s forces running over four Baluchi youths in the city of Fanuj, southeast Iran.
April 26 – Urmia, northwest #Iran
Brave youths attacked the local branch office of the regime's Guardian Council in West Azerbaijan Province in response to the regime's forces running over four Baluchi youths in the city of Fanuj, southeast Iran.#IranRevolution pic.twitter.com/6dHNPsbtlN— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 27, 2023
Nurses in Ahvaz, southeast Iran, held a gathering on Thursday, protesting the regime’s unjust policies that are delaying and decreasing their paychecks and pensions. A similar gathering was held by the medical staff of Mashhad’s Qaem Hospital on April 5th and Rajaie Hospital of Qazvin in northwest Iran on April 20.
April 5 – Mashhad, northeast #Iran
Medical staff of the city's Qaem Hospital held a gathering protesting the regime's unjust policies that are delaying and decreasing their paychecks and pensions.#IranProtests2023 pic.twitter.com/nCoSD7vRG6— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 5, 2023
Locals in the Shahrak-e Bagheri district of Tehran were chanting anti-regime slogans on Wednesday night, including:
“Down with Khamenei!”
In Fanuj, southeast Iran, local storeowners and merchants went on strike, protesting the regime’s security forces running over several people, leaving many killed and injured.
Fanuj, southeast #Iran
Local storeowners and merchants are on strike, protesting the regime's security forces running over several people, leaving many killed and injured.#IranNationwideStrikes pic.twitter.com/6pDjCEkn41— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 27, 2023
UPDATE: 3:00 PM CET
When It Comes to Iran, the U.S. Should Look to the Future, Not the Past
As the situation in Iran continues to be in a state of flux, the international community must carefully consider its approach to the country’s political future. For decades, Western governments have based their policies toward Iran on the assumption that the existing theocratic dictatorship holds an unbreakable grip on power. However, the nationwide uprising that began in September has challenged this narrative and has presented an opportunity for policymakers and analysts to re-evaluate their understanding of the Iranian people.
As someone who has been passionate about human rights throughout my career, I have taken an interest in the anti-regime activists in Iran and have listened to their voices. I understand the scope and focus of popular dissent and have realized the major shortcoming of the current narrative. It almost entirely excludes the Iranian people from discussions about the correct policies for dealing with the regime. This flaw has resulted in deeply flawed Western foreign policies in this area for a very long time.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Iran Sees More Workers Join Nationwide Strike, Major Unrest in Baluchistan
Iran’s nationwide uprising is witnessing its 223rd day on Wednesday as a vast strike of the country’s industrial workers continues on its sixth day, expanding to at least 104 sites in 37 cities across 13 provinces. Workers in the oil, gas, petrochemical, steel, copper, and other industrial sites are walking off and refusing to show up for work until they receive higher salaries, and their rights are acknowledged. On Tuesday night the regime’s oppressive security forces in the city of Fanuj in Sistan & Baluchistan Province of southeast Iran ran over two motorcycles with their vehicle, leaving four locals injured. People in this city began to gather at the site and authorities focused on preventing anti-regime protests, began to open fire on the crowd, leaving even more people injured.
Organized Chemical Attacks on Students in Iran Escalating
On April 24 and 25, several schools in Tehran and other cities witnessed the poisoning of more school girls. These organized chemical attacks are an attempt by the regime, Khamenei, and the IRGC, to counter the uprising and take revenge on girls and women who were at the forefront of the protests in 2022 and 2023.
On April 25, students in several girls’ schools, including Avini Girls’ High School in Tehran, Niayesh Girls’ School in Sanandaj, and Qudousi Girls’ School and boys’ Mohammadian School in Kermanshah, were poisoned due to chemical attacks.
Banks; The Government’s Piggy Bank, the Mullahs’ Lever
From the time when the agents of the Mullahs entered the country’s banking and finance system until today, the disastrous failure of this entry and intervention is a lesson and a dark record for evaluating religious fascism, which is presented to the oppressed people and even the history of banking worldwide. Banking in the Mullahs’ regime has only had one real function, and that is to plunder the people’s financial resources, loot national assets, and compensate for the deficits of governments to run the country. A few examples of this disaster illustrate that the usury of Rapacious Mullahs and their corrupt associates is just a small corner of the incredible volume of corruption and decay in the country’s banks.
Alleged Hezbollah Financier Extradited to U.S. on Sanctions Evasion Charges
NEW YORK (Reuters) -A dual Lebanese-Belgian citizen accused by the United States of financing Lebanon’s Hezbollah has been extradited from Romania and faced sanctions evasion and money laundering charges on Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court, prosecutors said. Mohammad Bazzi, who Washington says has provided millions of dollars to Hezbollah, was arrested in February on charges of covertly selling real estate he owned in Michigan and transferring the funds abroad, violating U.S. sanctions laws.
Bazzi was extradited on Tuesday, and pleaded not guilty in a Wednesday court hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn. He was ordered detained pending trial.
Brussels—April 24, 2023: MEK Supporters Rally in Support of the Iran Revolution and Demanded to Designate the IRGC as a Terrorist Organization
Brussels, Belgium—April 24, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians, and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), demonstrated in front of the EU Council of Ministers at the same time as the EU Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Iranian Resistance supporters demanded to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. They also expressed solidarity with the nationwide Iran protests.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – April 26, 2023