Iran Focus
London, 25 Feb – Following Iranian leadership’s claim that its relations with the United States has rarely been so bad, as well as a recent US warning about Hezbollah’s growing role in the new Lebanese cabinet, the UK defense think-tank RUSI published a report saying that Iran’s smuggling of precision-guided missile systems into Lebanon represents the most “serious risk” of starting a major war that could involve the United States.
By Pooya Stone
Iran has always been an oil-rich country, yet gasoline has always been a scarcity on the domestic energy market. But why is this?
Well, it is basically down to the illegal smuggling of oil out of the country. Official estimates for the amount of oil smuggled out of Iran per day ranges from between 4 million and 40 million litres, depending on who you ask and the import needs of neighbouring countries.
Iran Focus
London, 23 Feb – The Iranian government used George W. Bush and Barack Obama to promote its own interests and now Donald Trump is left to deal with the fallout.
Bush was warned that Iran was the major threat in the Middle East, not Iraq; that the mullahs would make life hell for US troops if he invaded Iran; and that Iran wanted to take control of Iraq. But why? Well, Iraq was home to a group exiled from Iran, the People’s Mujahadeen of Iran (PMOI/MEK), who were fighting for a free Iran.
By Mehdi
On 16th February, Der Spiegel published an article entitled “Prisoners of the Rebellion”. The article was full of mistruths and allegations against the main opposition to the Iranian government – the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
By Jubin Katiraie
At least eight Iranian converts to Christianity have been arrested in just one month in Iran, including six from the northern city of Rasht.
Three men, identified as Mohammad Vafadar, Mohammad Islamdoust and Kamal No’manian, were arrested on Friday, February 15, whilst attending a church service in Rasht, and taken to unknown locations.
Iran Focus
London, 22 Feb – The Iranian security forces has arrested several more environmental activists over the past few days and transferred them to unknown locations in what is being seen as a worsening crackdown on conservationists.
On February 17, four activists were arrested. Zakaria Naghshbandi, Arman Vafaei and Shahou Faraji were arrested in Sanandaj, while Yousef Farhadi Babadi, a member of the “Voice of Water” Campaign in Shahre Kord, was arrested by Iranian security agents as he travelled home with his family members. Notably, the campaign and its activists were featured in a report by the Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Fars news agency.
Iran Focus
London, 20 Feb – The deadline to pass the bills Iran needs in order to conform to international anti-money-laundering laws and standards established by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was last Sunday. Because two of the bills have not passed, Tehran is at risk of being blacklisted by the international money-transaction transparency body.
By Pooya Stone
The Organization of Iranian American Communities-US (OIAC) represents Iranian Americans living in 40 states across the U.S. It has praised the U.S. Congress for its continuing efforts to urge the country’s Secretary of State to designate two Iranian entities as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
Iran Focus
London, 20 Feb – Iranian authorities have extended the travel ban on the widow of an Iranian-Canadian environmentalist who died under suspicious circumstances in prison last year after being arrested on suspicion of spying, according to state-run news agency IRNA on Tuesday.
Payam Derafshan, the lawyer for widow Maryam Mombeini, said that he had gone to a Tehran court on Sunday to seek an end to the year-long travel ban imposed on her following the death of her husband Kavous Seyed-Emami, but the court extended the ban instead.
By Jubin Katiraie
On Thursday February 7, 2019, Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the Iranian Resistance gave an interview to Reuters about the need for the international community to respect the Iranian people’s protests against the Regime and recognise their legitimate desire for regime change.
