THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 7:30 PM CET
UK Condemns Attacks on Commercial Shipping in Red Sea
LONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Britain condemned the attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea on Monday, blaming Iran for its role in supporting the Houthi militants behind them, and stating that it was committed to ensuring safe shipping in the region.
Three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters in the southern Red Sea on Sunday, in attacks claimed by Yemen’s Houthi group. It said it had launched drone and missile attacks against two Israeli ships.
“The UK is committed to ensuring the safety of shipping in the region,” the British government statement said, adding that the waters were vital for trade and the incidents showed the importance of the Royal Navy’s presence there.
UPDATE: 1:30 PM CET
Monday Protests in Iran
Today, December 4, a gathering of telecommunications retirees in cities such as Ahvaz, Ardabil, Isfahan, Arak, Sanandaj, Tabriz, Tehran, Marivan, Kermanshah, and Zanjan took place. Protesters expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of response to their demands, which include the complete implementation of the personnel and employment regulations from 2010 and the resolution of issues related to medical insurance.
December 4—Ganaveh, southern #Iran
Merchants rally and lay down empty table cloths in protest to poor economic and living conditions.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/AVPGqeufLo— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 4, 2023
December 4—Ahvaz, southwest #Iran
Retirees of the Telecommunications Company of Iran rally, protesting the regime disregarding its own laws that require the TCI to raise the retirees' pensions according to the costs of living.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/s4lXBRl2WF— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 4, 2023
December 4—Tabriz, northwest #Iran
Retirees of Telecommunication Company of Iran resume weekly protest rallies, demanding higher pensions and other basic rights.
"What happened to this high-revenue company?" protesters chant#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/9veaNmYXlZ— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 4, 2023
Dozens of Iranian Regime Officials Denied Entry to Canada, Says Border Agency
The Canada Border Services Agency has denied entry to dozens of senior Iranian regime officials and is investigating about 100 people with status in Canada for potential ties to Tehran.
The agency also has referred the cases of nine individuals with status in Canada to the Immigration and Refugee Board to determine their admissibility to Canada.
The denials at the border and the investigations stem from a measure the Liberal government adopted last year in the midst of widespread protests in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman. Amini died while in the custody of Iran’s “morality police.”
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Iran’s Regime Continues to Mount Pressure on Pmoi Supporters, Relatives
As part of its ongoing repressive measures to prevent protests, Iran’s regime has been mounting pressure on the supporters and relatives of the members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
On December 2, the regime’s judiciary sentenced political prisoners Zahra Safaei, 61, and her children, Parastoo Moeini, 23, and Mohammad Masoud Moeini, 24, as well as Kamran Rezaei-Far, 58, each to five years in prison.
The regime’s judiciary charged them with collaborating and communicating with the PMOI, undermining national security, and participating in activities against the regime. The regime used their private conversations, online activities, and reports of the Intelligence Ministry and interrogators as evidence of their supposed crimes.
US Congress Pushes New Sanctions as Iranian Maritime Threats Increase
By a margin of 342 to 69, the US House of Representatives voted this week to advance the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act, which would mandate sanctions on anyone involved in the trade of Iranian oil products, at any stage in the supply chain. A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate with 27 co-sponsors, and are envisioned as responses to the Iranian regime’s support for terrorism, particularly the dozens of attacks that have been carried out against American targets by militant groups in Iraq and Syria over the past several weeks.
Those attacks are evidently intended to keep pressure on Israel and its allies amidst the conflict that began October 7 with a surprise attack upon the Jewish state by the Iran-backed Palestinian terrorist groups. The so-called Al-Aqsa Storm killed more than 1,300 Israelis, many of them women and children, but has been praised by Iranian officials as part of the “legitimate defense” of the Palestinian people. Many of those officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have even gone so far as to predict that it would hasten the “eradication” of the Jewish state by mobilizing the various militant groups that Tehran collectively refers to as the “Axis of Resistance.”
Unveiling Iran’s “Hijab and Chastity” Law: Societal Impact and Resistance
Iran’s recent implementation of the “Hijab and Chastity” law has sparked controversy, primarily due to its stringent enforcement methods and incentives for compliance. This legislation, approved in the country’s parliament, introduces the concept of “human tunnels” at subway entrances, manned by armed male and female police known as “guides.” Women must pass through these tunnels to access or exit the subway, mandating hijab compliance. Additionally, rewards are offered to individuals who enforce hijab voluntarily or report non-compliance, with specific responsibilities delegated to the Ministry of Intelligence and Information of the IRGC.
The enactment of the “Hijab and Chastity” law appears to serve as a strategic maneuver by the Islamic regime in Iran to consolidate support amid growing societal dissatisfaction. This legislative measure, labeled as “family-oriented,” has undergone extensive discussions between Iran’s parliament and the Iran Guardian Council.
Less Than 40% of Students Graduate With a Diploma in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan
Moein al-Din Saeedi, a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament), pointed out to the problem of “student displacement” as one of the main reasons for the high rate of “educational dropout” among students in Sistan and Baluchestan (southeast Iran), stating that “less than approximately 40 out of every 100 students in this province succeed in obtaining a diploma.”
On December 1, Moein al-Din Saeedi told the regime’s ILNA news agency, “About ten percent of the students who drop out of school in the country are in Sistan and Baluchestan province, and it mostly affects girls.”
According to this Majlis member, “In fact, less than approximately 40 out of every 100 students in Sistan and Baluchestan succeed in obtaining a diploma.”
Stockholm—December 2, 2023: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution, Condemning the Brutal Executions in Iran
Stockholm, Sweden—December 2, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally in the cold and snowy weather in front of the Parliament to support the Iranian Revolution. They also condemned the wave of brutal executions in Iran.
Canada—December 2, 2023: MEK Supporters Held Rallies in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution
Canada—December 2, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized rallies in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. They also condemned the wave of brutal executions in Iran.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – December 3, 2023