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UPDATE: 8:00 PM CET
Lawmaker Demands Answers After Biden Official Implicated in Iranian Influence Scheme: ‘Unbelievable!’
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, confronted one of President Biden’s nominees for a senior Defense Department position on Thursday concerning another administration official who was implicated this week in an Iranian influence operation on the U.S. government.
The exchange came during the Senate confirmation hearing for State Department counselor Derek Chollet to be the new DoD Under Secretary for Policy, when Ernst demanded answers on how Dr. Ariane Tabatabai, a senior policy advisor at the DoD who formerly worked at the State Department, was able to get, and keep, a security clearance considering her alleged involvement in the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), an Iranian government operation to improve the country’s image abroad, according to a report by Semafor.
US House Hearing Discusses Iran Influence Network
Following the exposure of infiltration networks associated with the clerical regime in the United States, the US Defence Department declared that an inquiry has been initiated regarding the security clearance of a particular staff member known as Ariane Tabatabai, presently employed at the Pentagon.
In a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing attended by various State Department officials, Representative Bryan Mast brought up the matter with Christopher P. Maier,
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, mentioning that there were allegations regarding Maier’s chief of staff. This individual had previously served as an aide to Robert Malley, head of the Iran desk at the State Department.
Maier, in his response during the hearing, stated that the Pentagon is actively reviewing whether all laws and policies related to the provision of special classified information to his chiefs of staff have been adhered to appropriately.
House Resolution Slams Biden’s $6 Billion Iran Prisoner Swap
The resolution condemns a range of recent diplomatic gambits that the Biden administration either hid from Congress or only admitted to lawmakers after significant pressure and delays, according to a copy that was exclusively obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. The resolution’s language provides a roadmap for Republican leaders to stymie the Biden administration’s diplomacy with Tehran, particularly amid speculation the United States could free up another $3 billion in Iranian funds frozen in Japan.
Switzerland Tightens Sanctions Over Iranian Drone Deliveries to Russia
BERLIN, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Switzerland adopted further sanctions in connection with Iran’s drone deliveries to Russia, in line with European Union measures, the government said in a statement on Friday.
The sale, supply, export and transit of components used for the manufacture and production of drones is now prohibited, and targeted financial and travel sanctions against persons and entities connected with support for Iran’s drone programme are in place, added Switzerland’s Federal Council.
UPDATE: 2:00 PM CET
UK Majority Believes Iran’s Nuclear Programme Is a Threat to the World
More than half of people in Britain believe Iran’s nuclear programme poses a threat to the world, The National can reveal. A survey conducted by Deltapoll shows that the majority of Britons fear that Tehran is moving ever closer to developing weapons of mass destruction.
Iran agreed to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief as part of a deal with global powers in 2015, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but in 2018 Donald Trump, at the time the US president, pulled Washington out of the agreement. Iran has since increased efforts to enrich uranium.
Pentagon To Review Senior Official Linked to Iranian Government Group
A senior Pentagon official on Thursday said his office is reviewing top-secret security access for another official alleged to be part of a secret Iranian government-run propaganda network, marking an about-face from an initial defense offered earlier in the week. Ariane Tabatabai, a senior Pentagon official with top-secret security clearance, was outed in a Semafor report this week as an alleged member of an Iranian-run influence network that reported back to Tehran’s foreign ministry and helped push its policies among Washington policymakers. Tabatabai’s alleged links to the organization prompted a congressional probe and calls among Republicans for her security clearance to be yanked.
Is This Baerbock Adviser A Mullah Agent?
Tabatabai has been a “pundit” in the German media for years, describing himself as an “adviser” to the Foreign Office – even though he has long been criticized for his conspicuous ties to the Islamist mullah regime in Iran.
Now a serious suspicion comes to light: He is even said to have actively applied to the mullahs. He wanted to offer PR for Iran’s nuclear program!
Media reports on leaked e-mails in which Tabatabai’s name also appears – and in which he offers his services as a ghostwriter to the Iranian Foreign Ministry. According to the report, the Iran International portal has received several thousand e-mails. The content: correspondence between the Iranian Foreign Ministry and experts in the West, in which these joint strategies for the nuclear deal are discussed.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Maryam Rajavi Meets MEP Antonio López-Istúriz White
On Wednesday, September 27, 2023, Maryam Rajavi had a meeting with Mr. Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, a Member of the European Parliament from Spain and a member of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee and Subcommittee on Security and Defence.
Noting the MEPs’ pervasive support for the Iranian people’s uprising, Mr. LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ pointed out: The death of Zhina Mahsa Amini, the Iranian people’s extensive protests, and the regime’s ruthless crackdown on them provoked a wave of opposition and objections among the MEPs. This issue is one of the few over which all members from various political groups unanimously agree.
Mr. LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ, already sanctioned by the clerical regime, said that the terrorist label from this regime is a badge of honor for me and shows that we have taken reasonable steps. But as far as the Iranian Resistance is concerned, many of the representatives are impressed by your resistance and perseverance and continue to support and cooperate with you regardless of other interventions.
Raisi’s Presence at UNGA Was a Disgrace for the Appeasement Policy
The acceptance of Iranian regime president Ebrahim Raisi at the United Nations headquarters is a stain on the 78-year history of the organization, which was established after World War II with the aim of preserving global security and peace. He is an individual who carries the record of the murder of thousands of political prisoners. His presence is indicative of a policy of appeasement that facilitates the killing of innocent people. Parliamentarians, personalities, and former world leaders have been reminded of the horrific consequences of World War II, which resulted in the deaths of 60 million people, as a product of appeasing Hitler’s fascism. They have repeatedly warned against the consequences of any form of appeasement and accommodation with the monstrous ideology of fundamentalism.
Why Deforestation in Northern Iran Is Happening At An Accelerating Pace
Nestled along the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, the northern provinces of Iran, including Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan, boast a breathtaking natural landscape known for its lush forests and unique biodiversity. However, beneath the surface of this scenic beauty lies a pressing environmental concern that demands attention: deforestation. As these provinces grapple with the intricate interplay of agricultural expansion, urban development, and logging activities, their ancient and ecologically vital Caspian Hyrcanian Mixed Forests face unprecedented challenges. Beyond the stark beauty of these woods, these forests are home to a rich tapestry of plant and animal species, many of which are endemic and at risk of losing their habitats.
Mahmoud Mehrabi Indicted for Corruption on Earth
On Wednesday, September 27, 2023, the Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office issued an indictment for Mahmoud Mehrabi, a resident of Isfahan detained in Dastgerd prison, on the charge of Corruption on Earth. In addition, this prisoner has also been accused of 186 other charges. The second investigation branch of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Mobarakeh in Isfahan province has issued an indictment against Mr. Mahmoud Mehrabi with 187 charges, including, “corruption on earth through widespread publication of lies on Instagram, propaganda against the state, inciting the military and law enforcement forces to refuse to carry out their duties, inciting people to war and killing, and insulting Khomeini. The charge of corruption on earth has been issued against Mahmoud Mehrabi without sufficient reasons. The IRGC Intelligence has embarked on wide-scale efforts to fabricate a case against Mahmoud Mehrabi.
Young Iranian Women Mark the Anniversary of the Bloody Crackdown in Zahedan
A group of young Iranian women in a high school in Tabriz marked the anniversary of the bloody crackdown on worshipers in Zahedan on September 30, 2022, and commemorated their martyrs.
The young Iranian women sit on the floor in a symbolic gesture reminiscent of the popular martyr of Zahedan protests, Khodanoor Lojeii. Other young women held similar gestures in other cities. At least 113 individuals, including dozens of minors and two elderly women, were killed in the bloody Friday of Zahedan.
Dr. Sulmaz Abu Ali, Iranians’ Rally in New York, September 19, 2023
Freedom-loving Iranians held a magnificent rally outside the UN headquarters on the first day of the UN General Assembly session on September 19, 2023. They expressed the Iranian people’s outrage over the admission of the mullahs’ criminal president, Ebrahim Raisi, to the UN.
The large crowd representing several generations of Iranians, the presence of American politicians, members of the Iranian Resistance, Iranian specialists, political prisoners, and the delegations of women and youths attracted much attention in the world media.
This video clip is the speech made by Dr. Sulmaz Abu Ali at the Iranians’ rally in New York.
Samaneh Asghari and Others Detained on the Anniversary of the 2022 Uprising
Despite the passage of two weeks since her arrest, Samaneh Asghari remains in detention with uncertain status in the Intelligence Ministry Ward 209 of Evin Prison. She is deprived of being visited by her family.
Security forces arrested Ms. Asghari at her residence in Tehran on September 14, 2023, and took her away to Evin Prison. Samaneh Asghari is a student of Industrial Engineering at Kharazmi University in Tehran and a children’s rights activist. She was arrested last October during the 2022 protest. The 15th Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran has sentenced her to 18 years and three months of jail time, but she was released in April from Qarchak Prison based on the so-called general amnesty granted to prisoners by Ali Khamenei.
The Iranian Regime’s Infiltrators In US Policy Circles Exposed
On September 26, simultaneous reports by the Semafor website in the United States and the Persian-language network Iran International revealed the infiltration operations of the Iranian regime and some of its agents. This shocking and significant disclosure exposed how the Iranian regime had infiltrated various American organizations through its agents, posing as fabricated researchers, experts, academics, and advisors. One of these agents is Ariane Tabatabai, who was employed in institutions affiliated with Harvard University, and among her tasks was to take actions against the opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI). She consistently warned about the dangers posed by the PMOI, which is the main opposition to the Iranian regime.
Zurich—September 26, 2023: MEK Supporters Held a Photo Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution
Zurich, Switzerland—September 26, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a photo exhibition in solidarity with the Iran Revolution. They also commemorated the martyrs of the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people.
Stockholm, Sweden—September 27, 2023: MEK Supporters Held a Rally in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution
Stockholm, Sweden—September 27, 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 against the religious dictatorship ruling Iran.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – September 28, 2023