THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 10:00 PM
Exporter Sentenced to Prison for Shipping Heavy Equipment to Iran in Violation of U.S. Sanctions
A Virginia man was sentenced yesterday to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for criminal conduct in connection with a scheme to unlawfully export heavy equipment from the United States to Iran by routing the shipments through the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Jalal Hajavi, 60, of Sterling, was convicted by a jury in September 2023, of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR), smuggling, and unlawfully exporting and reexporting goods from the United States to Iran without a license.
UPDATE: 8:00 PM
West Must Pay Direct Attention to Iran, Not Its Proxies
Following a series of Houthi attacks on international vessels in the Red Sea, military forces from the United States and the United Kingdom — supported by several other nations — began conducting operations targeting Houthi positions in Yemen last week.
But while addressing the impact of Houthi actions on international maritime security is a pressing issue, efforts to resolve the crisis should be focused on the real source behind this unfolding crisis — and the head of the snake is in Tehran.
Since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in October, discourse surrounding the potential expansion of this war has gained prominence, with mounting concerns that other major powers, including the U.S., could become entangled in the escalation. Today, the trajectory unmistakably points in this direction, with a singular entity bearing responsibility: the Iranian regime.
Netherlands Summons Iran Ambassador Over Child Killed in Iraq Attack – Foreign Minister
AMSTERDAM, Jan 19 (Reuters) – The Dutch government on Friday summoned the Iranian ambassador to the Netherlands following the death of a Dutch baby in an attack by Iran on Erbil, Iraq.
Iran on Monday struck Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, with ballistic missiles in what it said was an attack on an Israeli spy headquarters, a claim denied by Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdish officials.
The attack killed at least four people, including a prominent Kurdish businessman and his infant child.
UPDATE: 2:30 PM
Former Presidential Advisor Questions Transparency in Foreign Currency Expenditure
Mostafa Hashemitaba, a former deputy and advisor to former presidents of the regime, criticized the performance of the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance in tackling the issue of currency corruption. Hashemitaba said, “The Minister of Economy asked people not to worry about economic and financial matters. He claimed that the Debsh Company has repaid the foreign currencies it borrowed from the Central Bank, so people should not be concerned about the treasury.”
Hashemitaba added, “The Central Bank, instead of safeguarding the country’s foreign wealth, has embraced encouraging smuggling and devaluation policies. The Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, along with the head of the Central Bank, has never earned even a single dollar themselves and only monitor currency figures.”
He also stated, “Three billion dollars in foreign currency is a significant amount. Consider that for a long time, we negotiated through intermediaries like Qatar to release our six billion dollars. After much negotiation, it was agreed that it would be spent only on food and medicine, and apparently, it has not been fully utilized yet. We don’t know, and the meaning of transparency becomes clear here.”
Sec. Mike Pompeo Warns Biden’s Lenience on Iran is Coming Back to ‘Haunt’ the U.S.
Trump’s ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Biden’s lenience on Iran is coming back to ‘haunt’ the U.S. after Navy SEALs and U.S. warships have been put in the line of fire by Iran-backed Houthis militants.
During an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com Wednesday, Pompeo lambasted the Biden administration for only deciding yesterday to re-designate Iran-backed Houthis as a terrorist group three years after removing the label.
He called it an ‘unwillingness’ by the administration to ‘accept simple truths’ since it’s a ‘basic fact’ that the Houthis are terrorists.
Former President Donald Trump had previously listed Houthis as foreign terrorist organizations (FTO) and specially designated global terrorists (SDGT). But Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken de-listed them in 2021 to make it easier to get humanitarian aid into Yemen.
Pakistan’s Response to Iranian Attacks Reveals Tehran’s Limits in Power Projection – WSJ
The Wall Street Journal reported on January 18 that Pakistan’s recent attacks in Iran indicate limitations on Tehran’s display of power. The Iranian regime’s strikes on three countries sent a message domestically and internationally but elicited a response from one of its neighbors. This week, Iran tested its capabilities and found constraints on its power projection, as Pakistan openly confirmed its first air strike on Iranian soil in decades in response to a missile attack.
The journal adds that the regime’s para-military groups, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi rebels in Yemen, have previously launched attacks against Israel and U.S. interests in the Middle East. However, in recent days, following the U.S.-led strike against the Houthis, the Iranian regime distanced itself from its allies. Instead, it targeted what Tehran claimed were Israeli spies in Iraq and terrorists in Pakistan and Syria, portraying these attacks as a show of strength against foreign adversaries seeking revenge for the terrorist attack on January 3 that killed dozens in Kerman.
Un’s Atomic Agency Being Held ‘Hostage’ in Iran, Director Says
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) – Iran is barely cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency which feels it is being held “hostage” to the country’s disputes with Western countries, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi told AFP on Thursday.
Grossi also said the situation at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant of Zaporizhzhia was “extremely worrying”, even if there are no signs the plant has become a military installation.
The UN agency, based in Vienna, has been struggling since 2021 to carry out controls on Iran’s nuclear programme, which continues to expand even as Tehran denies it wants to make nuclear weapons.
Armed Drone Shot Down Near US Base in Northern Iraq – Sources
BAGHDAD, Jan 18 (Reuters) – Defence systems shot down an armed drone on Thursday over Erbil airport in northern Iraq, where U.S. and other international forces are stationed, Iraqi Kurdistan’s counter-terrorism service said.
The Iraqi semi-autonomous Kurdistan region’s security agency said in a statement an armed drone fired by “outlaw militia” against Erbil airport was shot down at 11:06 p.m. Iraq time.
Earlier, two security sources said an armed drone was intercepted and shot down at around 7:10 pm local time and a blast was heard near the airport.
UPDATE: 8:30 AM
Iran’s Regime Braces Itself Against Uprisings the Growing Influence of the PMOI
As the regime’s parliamentary election day in March approaches, the regime’s efforts to engineer the results and deceive the public become more evident. The situation has reached a point where regime officials are warning about the elections becoming a “referendum against the regime” and they warn their rivals about the possibility of another nationwide uprising against the regime.
On January 9, regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei warned that speaking about the futility of elections is “the strategic policy of the enemies of the revolution.” Afterwards, the regime intensified its propaganda efforts against the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), which it considers its main enemy and threat.
The Futility of the Iranian Regime’s “Interpretation Jihad”
The common practice among Iranian regime officials when addressing political, economic, and social crises is to make misleading statements, which they deceptively label as “interpretation jihad.” The closer these officials are to regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei or in cases where they are directly appointed by him, they try to be more deceiving in their statements regarding the roots of the regime’s problems. Examples of such officials include heads of the judiciary, Majlis (parliament), and government.
The regime resorts to the strategy of “interpretation jihad” to avoid acknowledging the root causes of the successive political, economic, and social crises of the regime. Over the past year, Khamenei, the leaders of the three branches of the regime, and others within the regime have made every effort to avoid acknowledging the horrifying principle at the root of the crisis.
Golaleh Vatandoust, a Kurdish Lawyer, Sentenced to 6 Years and 7 Months in Jail
Golaleh Vatandoust, a lawyer and a renowned women’s rights activist in Marivan has been sentenced to six years, seven months, and 20 days of imprisonment. She was arrested last year during the 2022 Iran uprising.
The First Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj sentenced Kurdish lawyer, Golaleh Vatandoust, to six years, seven months, and 20 days of imprisonment on charges of “propaganda against the state,” “acting against national security,” and “membership in opposition groups.”
Intelligence services in Sanandaj arrested Ms. Vatandoust on October 3, 2022. After some time, she was temporarily released from prison on bail. She has been arrested and interrogated several times in recent years.
Reserve Teachers Rally for Fair Treatment and Job Security in Tehran
Amidst escalating economic hardships, reserve teachers in Tehran took to the streets to voice their grievances, demanding equitable treatment and improved working conditions, on January 17, 2024. Convening in front of the education ministry, reserve teachers fervently expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to disburse their salaries and the absence of job security.
Despite dedicating more than a decade to educating the nation’s youth, these educators find themselves devoid of fundamental employment rights and stable job status. The demonstration aimed to bring attention to their predicament, underscoring the necessity for a definitive contractual status to ensure stability in their professional lives.
Iran’s Internet Woes and Regime Censorship Unmasked
Iran’s internet infrastructure stands out globally for all the wrong reasons, with government-imposed censorship serving as a major culprit. The Tehran Electronic Commerce Association (TECA) paints a bleak picture, highlighting issues such as blocked websites, frequent disruptions, sluggish speeds, and the overloading of IP addresses due to extensive filtering.
In a comprehensive report, TECA experts attribute this dire situation to the lack of technical knowledge among government officials, characterizing it as a “self-inflicted” problem. Consequently, Iran has become a hotspot for global internet disruptions, compelling citizens to flock towards VPN services and other circumvention tools to maintain access to vital online information.
Discrepancies in Iran’s University Graduate Unemployment Rates
In recent announcements, Mahmoud Karimi Biranvand, Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Employment Development in Iran’s Ministry of Cooperation, Labor, and Social Welfare, reported a two percent decline in the unemployment rate among individuals with university education.
However, conflicting statistics and statements from other officials have raised questions about the accuracy of these claims. Discrepancies emerge when comparing this statement with available statistics on the employment status of those with higher education.
Karimi Biranvand asserted that over the last two years, the unemployment rate for university graduates had dropped from 13.8% to 11.4%. He highlighted a significant difference between the unemployment rates of university graduates and the overall unemployed population, reaching 3.5%. He further stated that 41.5% of the approximately two million unemployed individuals in Iran were university graduates.
Arab League and Parliament Condemn Iranian Regime’s Missile Strikes on Iraq
The Arab League and Arab Parliament strongly denounce the Iranian regime’s missile strikes on the city of Irbil in northern Iraq, resulting in the tragic loss of several civilians. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the head of the Arab League, expressed his condemnation, emphasizing that these attacks constitute a blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty. He extended his condolences to the families of the victims and wished a swift recovery for those injured.
Jamal Rushdi, the league’s spokesman, characterized the assault by the Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as reprehensible and a condemnable breach of sovereignty and good neighborliness principles. He highlighted the dangerous escalation it poses, especially amidst the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel in the region.
Pakistan Launches Attacks On Iranian Soil, Killing 9
On January 18, a Pakistani security official told CNN that the country had targeted seven points inside Iran in retaliatory attacks.
Reuters news agency, citing a statement from the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported that Pakistan has targeted separatist militants through a series of coordinated and precise military attacks on Iranian soil, killing a number of terrorists.
The ministry described the objective of the attacks as ensuring the security and national interests of Pakistan while fully respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran.
Bern, Switzerland—January 17, 2024: Supporters of MEK Organize Exhibition Condemning Mass Executions in Iran
Bern, Switzerland — January 16, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a book exhibition, concurrently collecting signatures for a petition denouncing mass executions carried out by the mullahs’ regime. The event also saw expressions of solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.
A 3-Day Exhibition in Ville de Stains, France (15-17 January) Illuminating Iran’s Human Rights Challenges, Demanding Global Solidarity
Exploring Iran’s human rights issues at a 3-day exhibition organized by freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Ville de Stains, France on January 15-17, 2024. The purpose of this exhibition was to raise awareness and stand in solidarity for a more just world.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – January 18, 2023