THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 10:30 PM CET
Jordanian Army Says It Downs Drone Carrying Drugs From Syria
AMMAN, June 13 (Reuters) – The Jordanian army said on Tuesday it had downed a drone carrying drugs from Syria into its northern frontier region, and it said Jordan would not allow the border area to become a front line in an Iran-linked drug war.
The kingdom has blamed pro-Iranian militias, who it says are protected by units within the Syrian army, for smuggling drugs across its borders towards lucrative Gulf markets.
Damascus says it is doing its best to curb smuggling and continues to bust smuggler rings in the south. It denies complicity by Iranian-backed militias linked to its army and security forces.
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET
Iran Protests at a Glance
Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1
Anti-regime protests are spreading across various cities in Iran as people express their discontent with the ruling apparatus and demand their rights, especially considering the country’s struggling economy.
June 13 – Saqqez, western #Iran
Locals are continuing their general strike#IranRevolution2023 pic.twitter.com/YeYGQzfuI5— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 13, 2023
In the city of Saqqez, western Iran, bazaar merchants, and storeowners went on strike today. Their protest is in response to the regime’s proposed changes to the local cemetery, aimed at obstructing access to the grave of Mahsa Amini and limiting access to the surrounding roads. Saqqez is the hometown of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who tragically lost her life while in the custody of regime authorities in Tehran back in September 2022. She was arrested for the alleged offense of not adhering to the hair-covering rules. Her death at the hands of the regime’s self-proclaimed “Morality Police” triggered widespread protests and a significant uprising against the mullahs’ regime.
June 13 – Saqqez, western #Iran
Additional footage from the locals' general strike#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/rO3mOsZp1j— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 13, 2023
In the city of Dorud in Lorestan Province, western Iran, local cement factory workers held a gathering and protested the regime’s new bill that aims to raise their retirement age and deprive them of their rights.
Locals farmers in the town of Chenaran in Razavi Khorasan Province of northeast Iran held a gathering on Tuesday, protesting electricity blackouts at their nearby wells. Regime authorities are imposing blackouts and only providing electricity to these farmers four days a week.
June 13 – Dorud, Lorestan Province, western #Iran
Local cement factory workers are protesting the regime's new bill that aims to raise their retirement age and deprive them of their rights.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/yenNYTMvG6— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 13, 2023
Bazaar merchants and storeowners in Ardabil, a large city in northwest Iran, closed their shops and went on strike on Tuesday protesting heavy taxes imposed by regime officials.
Farmers in the town of Dalfard in the Kerman Province of south-central Iran protested a recent decision by regime officials to shut down local well pumps that are depriving their lands and crops of water.
June 13 – Dalfard, Kerman Province, south-central #Iran
Farmers are protesting regime officials' decision to shut down well pumps that is denying their lands and crops of water.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/mlNVfBd5ud— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 13, 2023
UPDATE: 1:00 PM CET
Struan Stevenson: Worldwide Backing for Rajavi’s Plan Can Give Iran a New Future
Their majority support was revealed at a special meeting in Westminster, on Wednesday, attended by MPs and peers from all parties. The document signed by the 82 MSPs also recognised the nature and importance of the underlying movement for regime change. This declaration is of key importance, as it comes at a time when the Iranian regime is working tirelessly to promote the idea that the status quo has been reestablished across the country, following the most recent nationwide uprising that began last September, after the 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, was killed by morality police’ in Tehran.
Many of the slogans call for “death to the dictator”, deliberately recognising no difference between the current regime’s supreme leader and the Shah who was overthrown in 1979, despite the surprise re-emergence of Shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi. The recurring nationwide protests have been coordinated since at least 2014 by a network of “Resistance Units” affiliated with the leading pro-democracy opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, or MEK. This group stands at the head of a coalition known as the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which in turn has designated someone to serve as transitional president after the mullahs are overthrown.
UPDATE: 12:00 PM CET
Anger and Violence Against Security Forces is Becoming Norm, Newspaper Close to Khamenei Warns
In an article that was published today, a newspaper run by Supreme Leader Khamenei’s senior advisor Ali Akbar Velayati warned that if attacking security forces becomes a routine, it will endanger the security of the regime itself.
Citing a recent incident where a police officer was overrun by an Iranian angry citizen, the state-run Farhikhtegan daily wrote: “The concept being discussed here is the presence of violence within the framework of civil unrest, or more accurately, a negative form of conflict. Even if a member of the law enforcement forces is tragically killed, it can be seen as a consequence of the imposed nature of the conflict. Essentially, what we are witnessing is an ideological imposition that no longer views struggle as conscious or rational, but rather portrays it as blind fury. Each time, it resorts to extreme violence and attempts to justify it as a form of resistance. However, this perspective, despite its striking resemblance to the ideas of the organization of the hypocrites in the 1980s, is more of a state of unawareness and delusion.”
Hypocrites is the pejorative term mainly used by the regime to smear and defame the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK/PMOI) Organization in Iran’s society.
“However, it is crucial to consider the potential consequences that may arise from this normalization,” Farhikhtegan added. “Treating these events as mere crime stories and giving them similar news value poses a significant risk to national security. In such situations, we come across individuals who have a tendency to boycott anything announced by the government. Some people may sympathize with certain scenes due to psychological factors, associating them with governance shortcomings. However, it is important to recognize that this is not merely a psychological mindset that can be easily disregarded; it actually contributes to normalizing extreme violence. This psychological mindset, which leads to such dismissal, is gradually normalizing anger.”
UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET
People Across Iran Are Protesting Regime’s Cruelty and Economic Hardship
Iran’s nationwide uprising is witnessing its 270th day on Monday following a day of protests by different sectors of the Iranian society coupled a busy weekend of rallies by members of the Iranian Diaspora, especially supporters of the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK, in support of the Iranian people’s revolution. Retirees of the regime’s Social Security Organization and Iran’s disabled community were in the streets demanding their rights and for the regime to abide by its own laws. The country’s economy is in shambles and millions of people are finding it extremely difficult to make ends meet.
People throughout Iran continue to specifically hold the mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responsible for their miseries, while also condemning the oppressive Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and paramilitary Basij units, alongside other security units that are on the ground suppressing the peaceful demonstrators.
Mojgan Bagheri and Zahra Esfandiari Defend Their Cases in Court
The first branch of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court convened on Saturday, June 10, 2023, to examine the charges against two teachers’ union activists of Fars province, Mojgan Bagheri and Zahra Esfandiari. During this hearing, the teachers’ union activists defended themselves against the “community and collusion” charge. On the same day, the first branch of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz also examined the charges leveled against other teachers’ union activists of Fars province: Gholamreza Gholami, Mohammad Ali Zhamtokash, Asghar Amirzadegan, Afshin Razmjo, and Abdul Razzaq.
Public Statements, Leaked Documents Highlight Iran’s Plans to Attack Western Interests
The Washington Post reported on June 1 that Iran and Russia had been jointly developing plans to push the remaining US military presence out of Syria, where around 900 personnel remain embedded with Kurdish forces that maintain nominal control over the eastern part of the country. Although Syria’s civil war has lasted for 12 years, the situation remains tense as the Iranian and the dictator Bashar al-Assad struggle to regain full control over all territory, while moderate and secular rebel groups help to hold back a potential resurgence of extremist groups such as ISIS. Descriptions of the Iranian and Russian plans are largely based upon leaked communications from a Discord server maintained by Iran-backed militant groups. These indicate that the Iranian regime plans to escalate its proxy attacks on US forces in Syria.
The Threat of Death Penalty for Ahvaz’s Imprisoned Activists
The Iranian regime has recently imprisoned dozens of political activists from Ahvaz, subjecting them to long-term sentences. The execution orders for six Arab citizens are also on their agenda. The names of these Arab citizens are as follows:
-Habib Deris, 40 years old, born in 1983. He is from the Kut Sayyed Saleh area in Ahvaz and belongs to the Arab ethnicity.
-Ali Mojdam, 40 years old, born in 1983. He is an Arab citizen from the Kut Sayyed Saleh area in Ahvaz.
-Moein Khanfari, 30 years old, born in 1993. He is from the Kut Sayyed Saleh area in Ahvaz and belongs to the Arab ethnicity.
Children Forgotten: Iran’s Regime Prioritizes Repression Over Child Labor Solutions
Child labor remains a pressing issue in Iran, with poverty serving as the primary driver. On World Day Against Child Labor, the United Nations theme “Social Justice for All. End Child Labor!” calls for addressing the root causes of child labor. However, in Iran, the government’s indifference and lack of action exacerbate the crisis. Children in Iran can be found working in various sectors, including the streets, underground workshops, brick kilns, factories, and farms. Poverty forces many children into labor to support their impoverished families. Accurate statistics on child labor in Iran are scarce, but available data reveals a concerning trend, especially in major cities. Poverty in the country continues to worsen, with an additional 11 million people pushed below the poverty line due to a soaring 69% inflation rate in April 2023. Even the middle class faces the risk of slipping into poverty.
London—June 10, 2023: MEK Supporters Held a Rally in Support of the Iran Revolution
London, England—June 10, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in solidarity with the Iran Revolution. MEK supporters in London condemned the wave of brutal executions in Iran by the religious dictatorship.
Stockholm, Sweden—June 10, 2023: MEK Supporters Held a Rally in Support of the Iran Revolution
Stockholm, Sweden—June 10, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in front of the Swedish Parliament in solidarity with the Iran Revolution.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – June 12, 2023
