By Jubin Katiraie
It looked like the Iranian Revolution was on its last legs by the autumn of 1980. It has faced many protests against the rule of the mullahs, for amongst other things rigging the election and hijacking the revolution.
Many people hoped that this would be a chance for the Iranian people to take their country back, alongside their organised democratic resistance group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Unfortunately, this was not to be.
Iran Focus
London, 09 Apr – This weekend, the Iranian rial dropped again against the dollar. This is an effect of the uncertainty regarding a return of economic sanctions.
When the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was agreed, Iran benefited from the lifting of crippling sanctions. However, United States President Donald Trump may soon reimpose these sanctions – or at least some of them.
Trump warned the European signatories of the deal that he would stop issuing waivers on the sanctions if they were unable to fix the numerous flaws it contains. He also called on them to ensure that the Iranian ballistic missile program is addressed – something that Iran managed to keep out of the nuclear deal negotiations by claiming it was a non-nuclear issue.
Iran Focus
London, 09 Apr – It has been reported that dozens of civilians were killed and hundreds injured in the chemical weapons attack that happened a few days ago in Douma in Eastern Syria.
Humanitarian agencies and aid workers confirmed that most of the dead were women and children. Images of adults and children that were caught up in the attack circulated on social media, many of them showing horrific suffering, gasping for breath and foaming at the mouth.
Iran Focus
London, 09 Apr – Iran relies on three militias to export its Islamic revolution across the Middle East: Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen.
Of these terrorist groups, Hezbollah is undoubtedly the strongest and most successful. It controls a section of the Lebanese Parliament and has other Hezbollah factions around the world. This is due, in large part to the astronomical amount of funding they receive from Iran – billions of dollars every year. Another factor is that former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri approved the disarming of all factions after the civil war, except for Hezbollah, who then had complete control over Lebanese territory.
Iran Focus
London, 09 Apr – Iranian farmers staged a protest at a major site in the capital city of Isfahan Province on Saturday, April 7, despite the suppressive security forces’ attempts to disperse them.
Videos posted on social media show the angry farmers chanting anti-government slogans near the historic Khaju Bridge, with chants targeting President Hassan Rouhani and the state-run media.
Some of these chants were: “Water of Zayandeh Rood is our absolute right”, “Farmers Moaning, Zayandeh Rood wailing” and “[Energy Minister] Ardakanian Yazdi! You’re water mafia!”
Iran Focus
London, 07 Apr – Iran’s Adviser for International Affairs, Ali Akbar Velayati, has rejected a discussion of ballistic missiles and Tehran’s regional role with the West, calling it “an Iranian internal affair.” Velayati added, “There is no doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran never seeks anyone’s permission in its defensive sector.”
After a meeting with Faisal Mekdad, the Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister, Velayti defended Iran’s policy in the region, saying Tehran continues its support and active presence in the region, indicating that it will support allies.
Iran Focus
London, 07 Apr – An open letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was sent by a group of 300 of Iran’s most conservative figures and Basij officials. It outlined their concerns about Iran’s internal conditions, and criticized the country’s policy regarding the nuclear deal and efforts toward regional dominance.
Although they have always supported the regime’s supreme leader, they warned him about their worry for the future of the country, as seen in the the gap between the people and the authority, and stressed that the internal problems include all bodies of the authority.
Iran Focus
London, 06 Apr – Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is the richest autocrat Iran has ever had and yet he preaches about how his starving citizens need to be less greedy. Political scientist Dr. Majid Rafizadeh believes it’s time to impose sanctions on the Khamenei himself.
Khamenei is worth at least $95 billion, making him likely the richest man in the world. Some reports even state that members of Khamenei’s family hold billions of dollars in foreign banks. Most of this money was gained after he became Supreme Leader in 1989, through a series of shadowy deals, no oversight, and, of course, some dipping into the public purse.
Iran Focus
London, 06 Apr – Rising tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia in proxy conflicts across the Middle East are rekindling doubts over the success of the OPEC+ oil production deal and could lead to the collapse of the deal altogether in June.
Earlier this year, commodity analysts warned that high oil prices are even making some of the deal’s signatories nervous, including Iran. Last month, Iran’s Energy Minister Bijan Zanganeh said that Iran was concerned that if their oil was being sold for more than $70 US per barrel, that this would encourage increased oil production in other countries.
Iran Focus
London, 05 Apr – In October of last year, a car bomb claimed the life of Maltese investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia. One of the 47 libel suits against her was quietly dropped at a county court in the US the next day.
Proceedings were filed against Caruana Galizia earlier last year by Maltese private bank, Pilatus Bank and its owner, Iran-born Seyed Ali Sadr Hasheminejad, known as Ali Sadr. It came after a series of stories published on Caruana Galizia’s website claiming that Pilatus had laundered funds from allegedly corrupt schemes on behalf of offshore companies and individuals. They included Keith Schembri, chief of staff to the Maltese prime minister, Joseph Muscat.
