Iran Focus
London, 03 April – During his Nowruz (Persian New Year) speech just over a week ago, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke about the effect of the U.S. sanctions on Iran and about the ways the country can overcome its economic hurdles. He said that domestic production must be increased, meaning that the levels of imports must be drastically reduced.
By Jubin Katiraie
According to local officials across Iran, severe losses have been sustained due to the floods that hit 28 of the country’s 31 provinces during the past week. While no comprehensive reports regarding the economic impact of the floods is available yet, reports have surfaced saying a terrible blow has been dealt to housing, roads, farmlands, animal husbandry farms, and fish farms. As well, officials who deal with agriculture announced a preliminary estimate of $200 million worth of destruction to that sector.
In Kerman Province in the southeast, it is reported that some 1,600 kilometers of rural roads have been washed away by the floods. There are no reports about extent of damage in the city of Shiraz, as people dig out of the mud that is clogging the streets.
Iran Focus
London, 01 April – The Middle East is undergoing major changes after years of war and conflict. Iran is becoming increasingly desperate as its options run out, especially now that it is subject to tough economic sanctions.
It has been reported in recent weeks that Iran has the assistance of foreign financial institutions. Financial entities in Lebanon and Iraq are said to have been setting up money laundering schemes to circumvent U.S. sanctions and to funnel hard currency to Iran.
Iran Focus
London, 01 April – Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he was pulling the United States out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), or 2015 Iran nuclear deal as it is known. Crippling economic sanctions were re-imposed and the U.S. State Department said that all countries must reduce their imports of Iranian oil to zero.
Initially, waivers were not to be granted, but as the deadline got closer, it was not feasible for some of Iran’s biggest oil importers to cut their imports to zero. Waivers were granted to a certain number of countries and strict conditions were applied.
Iran Focus
London, 30 March – Recently, the US Treasury and State Department took measures against 14 individuals and 17 entities linked to the Iranian Ministry of Defense, who are reported to be associated with Iran’s attempts to build nuclear weapons.
Although many proponents of the Iran nuclear deal argue that Tehran has curtailed its nuclear weapon ambitions per the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and the latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) shows that the Islamic Republic is complying with the nuclear deal, there are several reasons why some believe this conclusion is inaccurate.
By Jubin Katiraie
As part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), or 2015 Iran nuclear deal as it is known, Iran’s nuclear facilities are to be inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Inspections have taken place, but many are very unsatisfied with the level to which they are carried out.
For example, since the huge nuclear archive was discovered and handed over to the relevant authorities, no additional inspections have been carried out at any suspect sites. Inspections at pre-verified sites allow the Iranian regime to potentially carry out nuclear activities at a number of other sites – something that is very likely given the content of the nuclear archive that was discovered a year ago.
Iran Focus
London, 29 March – Since taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump has been on a campaign to curb the Iran threat. He has quite rightly identified Iran as the number one threat to peace and security in the Middle East and the number one state sponsor of terrorism.
His administration is in the midst of pursuing a maximum pressure campaign that has the aim of cutting the government off from the extensive revenue that it uses to fund terrorist activities and its militias and proxy groups that are scattered across the region. Some of Iran’s main allies in the region include the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and the Shiite militias in Iraq.
Iran Focus
London, 29 March – Large parts of Iran have been affected by major flooding in the past few days. A large number of people have lost their lives and an even bigger number of people have been injured or have lost their homes to severe damage.
The people have not been given any support by their local authorities and the regime has tried to cover up the extent of the devastation. It has been reported that journalists have been blocked from entering hospitals so that they cannot write or speak about the number of killed or injured.Tehran, the nation’s capital, is about to face a crisis because of the rising water levels. The city, which is home to 9 million people, is being spoken about widely on social media.
Iran Focus
London, 29 March – Last Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the people of Lebanon to stand up to the terrorist Hezbollah group and its “criminality, terror and threats”. He made it very clear that the United States would be applying additional pressure to both Iran and Hezbollah – Iran’s Shiite ally.
Pompeo also said that the people of Lebanon are being given a choice – to “bravely move forward” or to “allow the dark ambitions of Iran and Hezbollah” dictate their future. He emphasised that the United States would continue to curb Iran and Hezbollah’s malign influence as peacefully as possible.
Iran Focus
London, 28 March – Domestic unrest has reached unprecedented levels in Iran, to the point where the totalitarian leader Ali Khamenei is strengthening his position on his policies of persecution, power projection, and terror by appointing hard-liner loyalists to critical positions in state institutions to ensure that they remain faithful to the “principles” of the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
In fact, Khamenei recently appointed Ebrahim Raisi to head Iran’s judiciary. Raisi ran against, and lost to, Hassan Rouhani in the presidential elections of 2018. His loss was largely due to the fact that Raisi is known to the Iranian people as a violator of human rights. He played a leading role in “the summer of blood” — the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners.
