By Jubin Katiraie
The rial plummeted yet again, setting off a new wave of protests in Tehran and other cities in Iran on Monday and Tuesday.
The protests quickly shifted from economic concerns to demands for regime change.
Iran-Backed Pmf Claim US Killed 22 Militants in Air Strike
Iran Focus
London, 27 Jun – The Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) said on Sunday that on it would not remain silent over an alleged US air strike in Syria that the PMF claims killed 22 of its members last week.
Senior PMF commander Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi, also known as Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, said in a video message: “To the Americans we say … we will not be quiet about this attack.”
Iran FM: Nuclear Deal Collapse Would Be Dangerous for Iran
Iran Focus
London, 27 Jun – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned on Sunday that if the nuclear deal were to collapse, following the withdrawal of the US last month, it would be “very dangerous” for Iran.
In May, Donald Trump announced that he would be pulling the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, citing Iranian cheating, and that nuclear sanctions on the Islamic Republic would be reimposed within 180 days.
Washington Lobbyist Harasses John Bolton for Past Iranian MEK Support
Iran Focus
London, 26 Jun – With regards to Iran and particularly the recent developments after the last December and January uprising in the country, and President Trump’s Iran-nuclear-deal exit, the US National Security Advisor John Bolton has certainly been an outspoken and steadfast personality supporting the current US-Iran foreign policy agenda.
For many years Iranian dissident supporters of the MEK (Mujahedeen-e Khalq of Iran) in Europe and United States have come to respect and count on Mr. Bolton for his support for freedom of Iran and the notion of a regime change in that country.
More Than Fifty Bishops From Church of England Condemn Iranian Regime
By Jubin Katiraie
Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Rowan Williams led an effort of bishops from the Church of England this week to condemn the Iranian regime for its appalling human rights record. More than 50 bishops from the United Kingdom and 78 church leaders from the United States signed a statement written by the former archbishop condemning the regime for its human rights abuses and its treatment of religious minorities.
The Washington Times Explores Iran’s Democratic Alternative
By Pooya Stone
Ahead of the 2018 #FreeIran2018 rally in Paris at the end of the month, the Washington Times published a report on Maryam Rajavi and the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK). In the report, entitled “Iran: the Alternative”, the Washington Times outlined the situation in Iran and the escalating protests. It went on to argue that the National Council of the Resistance of Iran (NCRI) offers a democratic alternative to the mullahs’ rule.
On June 30th, 2018, more than 100,000 opponents of the Iranian regime will meet in Paris. Among their ranks will be senior political figures from Europe, Australia, and North America.
Merchants Protest Failing Economy Despite Suppressive Forces
Iran Focus
London, 26 Jun – The steep drop in the value of the rial led to massive protests in Tehran on Sunday and Monday. Protesters took to the streets, shutting down many shops in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, to bring attention to the country’s failing economy.
The value of the rial has plummeted over the past year, and it has been in a free fall since last week. A U.S. dollar was being offered for as much as 87,000 rials on Sunday, compared to 75,500 last Thursday.
Iran’s Role in the Elections in Iraq
Iran Focus
London, 25 Jun – It is thought that US-Iraqi relations will be damaged with the new pro-Iran Shiite-dominated government in Iraq.
When the new coalition was announced, many questioned if democracy would follow in the country. The coalition that Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has managed to form includes Hadi al-Ameri’s Fatah (Conquest) alliance. He is a Shiite extremist that also leads the Badr organization that has strong ties with Iran. During the Iran-Iraq war in the eighties, it has taken Iran’s side.
Iran Mullahs See MEK as Threat to Their Rule
By Jubin Katiraie
Calls for a major change in Iran are growing stronger by the day, as the Iranian uprising continues into its seventh month and the Iranian Resistance prepares for their Free Iran gathering in Paris on June 30.
But many in the international community worry that removing Iran from power without a solid opposition that can take over, will actually cause more problems. We’ve all seen the chaos that can emerge when a dictatorship is overthrown and there is no one to fill the void.
Proposal for Iran to Join Global Convention Against Money Laundering Stymied by Its Leader
Iran Focus
London, 23 Jun – When considering major bills like the proposal to join the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crimes (UNTOC), the legislative body will take into account Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s “full directives”, according to the speaker of Iran’s parliament, Ali Larijani.
The Supreme Leader has voiced his disapproval of this bill. He called the bill “unacceptable” June 20, saying the UNTOC, a measure meant to fight money laundering and terrorism funding, had been “cooked up” by foreign powers, and that the parliament should shelve it.
