Iran Focus

London, 9 Jan – The Iranian Regime is resorting to violent crackdowns through its suppressive militias over the recent protests that have taken the country by storm, but this will not stop the people of Iran from demanding their freedom, according to one political scientist.

Iranian expert Dr. Majid Rafizadeh wrote an op-ed for Arab News entitled “Iran is permanently on the verge of a revolution” in which he explained that these crackdowns- that have so far killed at least 50 people and imprisoned 1000- will fail to suppress the Iranian people’s desire for revolution.

The Regime has not only deployed its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and volunteer militia organization Basij to fire on unarmed protesters, arrest peaceful demonstrators, and kill many, but they have also cut off the protesters access to the internet- by slowing down speeds and blocking certain apps- to prevent them communicating with each other and the outside world.

Iran Focus

London, 9 Jan – Thanks to global backlash over the restriction of certain social media outlets and other internet properties during the protest in Iran, the Iranian Regime may be rethinking their cyber battle against protesters.

President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that he did not want to “permanently” restrict the people’s access to social media, which contradicts the Regime’s decision to block Instagram and Telegram in December because it was believed that they were fuelling the widespread protests across Iran.

He said: “People’s access to cyberspace should not be cut permanently; one cannot be indifferent to people’s lives and businesses. Every technology can be abused by some; we cannot block the technology and the benefits that people are taking from it.”

Iran Focus

London, 9 Jan – For nearly two weeks now protests are mushrooming across Iran and literally shaking the very pillars of the country’s ruling regime. Various discussions continue over the scope of these protests, their comparisons to the 2009 and 1999 uprising episodes, what should be expected from the international community and how to trek forward, amongst other subjects.

What goes neglected to this day is the main source of the Iranian regime’s fear. Yes, this regime has a history of quelling small protests and major uprising, especially thanks to the world’s deafening silence.

Iran Focus

London, 8 Jan – There are many things that have paved the way to the Iranian protests from the Regime’s inadequate reaction to the November earthquake which left 30,000 homeless to the severe cuts made in the Regime’s latest budget proposal to the massive hike in basic food products, but at the centre of it all is corruption and abuse by the Iranian Regime.

Majid Ahadi, a 25-year-old mechanic, took to the streets on Friday, December 29, to protest endemic corruption and mismanagement.

He said: “You hear about one thing or another sparking the demonstrations, but it wasn’t a single thing – it was a perfect storm. There was so much pressure on the people, it just exploded.”

Iran Focus

London, 8 Jan – The Vice President of the USA, Mike Pence, wrote an op-ed for Washington Post voicing his support for the Iranian people and stating that Donald Trump will not ignore the Iranian people’s cries for freedom.

Pence explained that during the 2009 Green Revolution- which was much smaller than the current protests- brave Iranians stood up to denounce a fraudulent election and demand an end to the brutal regime that suppressed them.

He wrote: “Those brave protesters looked to the leader of the free world for support. But as I saw firsthand as a member of Congress, [Barack Obama] the president of the United States stayed silent.”

Iran Focus

London, 8 Jan – Well into its second week of protests, the Iranian people’s uprising is not going away anytime soon.

While modern Iran has seen its fair share of revolutions, one on the same scale as the current protest has not been seen since 1979. With that level of raw anger, how could anyone believe the security forces when they claim that the protests are all but over?

The protesters are mainly working-class Iranians whose needs are largely ignored by the ruling elite, and as such the protests are evident all over Iran from the biggest cities to the smallest villages. The Regime, who expected the largest protests to be held in major cities, were caught off guard by this.

Iran Focus

London, 6 Jan – If you persist, the world will stand with you and on your side.

Ending the silence on Iran and shattering a 4-decade-old barrier of appeasement of the regime, the UN Security Council’s meeting on Iran is a product of the Iranian people’s uprising, the sacrifice of its martyrs and the suffering of its captives. The world’s major governments had so far turned a blind eye on brutal suppression of our people and executions of 120,000. Iran’s protesters and youths, however, have in their first step turned the page of the United Nations and Security Council’s history on Iran. This indicates that the young men and women who rose up in the streets of Izeh, Doroud, Tuyserkan, Ghahdarijan, Jouyabad of Isfahan, and 75 other cities can and must turn the darkest page of Iran’s history.

Iran Focus

London, 6 Jan – US Ambassador Nikki Haley said “Iran is now on notice: the world will be watching what you do,” during an emergency meeting of UN Security Council on mass anti-government protests in Iran. On Friday January 5.

Nikki Haley accused Iranian regime of funding a pro-regime military campaign in Syria, backing Shia militias in Iraq and supporting a crony elite while ordinary Iranians struggle.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley warned Iranian authorities on Friday that the world is watching, as thousands held pro-government demonstrations in Iran following anti-government protests, in which over 21 people were killed.