Iran Focus
London, 4 Dec – When U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would pull out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or 2015 Iran nuclear deal as it is known, Iranian officials were very outspoken about what action Iran could take.
Many said that Iran will pull out of the agreement too, while others have said that the Islamic Republic would weight up the benefits and downsides of leaving before making a decision.
Iran Focus
London, 4 Dec – On Tuesday, the steelworkers’ strike in Iran entered its 25th day and protesters once again staged a rally in front of the offices of the Khuzestan government and the offices of the governor of Ahvaz, Khuzestan’s capital. They called out “I’m Kaveh the blacksmith — I will not stand for injustice”, a reference to a mythological Iranian figure who led a popular uprising against a cruel foreign ruler and is the de-facto symbol for the fight against tyranny and injustice in Iran.
Iran Focus
London, 4 Dec – Reports of an Iranian cargo plane carrying advanced weaponry landing at Beirut International Airport in Lebanon has fuelled speculation in the media and among officials that Iran is continuing to arm the terrorist group Hezbollah.
According to reports, the cargo plane, owned and operated by Fars Air Qeshm, was spotted flying directly from Tehran to Beirut on Thursday morning. The report advises that Iran has long been supplying Lebanon’s Hezbollah with advanced munitions by shipping them through civilian airlines, which is why many of Iran’s civil airlines are under US sanctions.
Iran Focus
London, 3 Dec – Today, a small New Jersey law firm and an Arkansas lawyer are attempting to hold Iran to account in federal court for the death or injuries of more than 1,000 US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2004 to 2011.
It is the start of a three-day trial, presided over by US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, where Iran stands accused of supplying $10 billion in weapons, materials, training and other support that directly led to the death or injury of US service personnel.
Iran Focus
London, 3 Dec – A large portion of society in Iran is living in extreme poverty and in this past year the number of Iranians living in such conditions has doubled. The people are becoming poorer and poorer and an increasing number of people are living under the extreme poverty line with no signs of improvement in the next few years.
Iran Focus
London, 3 Dec – Many in the Middle East and the West have devoted significant attention to Iran’s expansionist policies, which is an important step, but political scientist Dr Majid Rafizadeh argues that more attention needs to be paid to the Regime’s cyber warfare programme, which has a direct and indirect impact on global security.
That’s why we’re going to look at the programme and the threat it poses in detail here.
Iran Focus
London, 1 Dec – The Nile Net Online Website promises Egyptians “true news” from its offices in the heart of Cairo’s Tahrir Square, “to expand the scope of freedom of expression in the Arab world.”
And while Nile Net Online once had more than 115,000 followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, a Facebook map showing its location dropped a pin onto the middle of the street, rather than any building. Regulars at the square, including stall holders and a policeman, have never heard of the website.
Iran Focus
London, 30 Nov – Tehran has come under suspicion over several foiled terrorist plot attempts in France and Denmark. These activities have led to a more assertive shift of policy towards Iran from the European Union foreign ministers.
In fact, on November 12th, EU ministers voiced support for “targeted sanctions” against Tehran after being briefed by France and Denmark about recent Iranian terror plots on their soil. Some 150 MEPs from six major political groups in the European Parliament, who represent 27 different countries, signed a joint statement protesting the “new wave of terrorism” instigated by Iran.
Iran Focus
London, 30 Nov – According to US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell the US government will contemplate sanctions against French and German entities that seek to evade sanctions on Iran’s clerical dictatorship. Grenell said, “The US will consider sanctions on those entities participating in these tactics,” and added that the French and German activities “would not be a smart move.”
Iran Focus
London, 30 Nov – Inflation in Iran has risen nearly 35% in the past year, according to calculations by the Statistical Center of Iran published on November 22.
The SCI report noted that the highest increase in prices was for food and drink, rising 4.3% in the past month and a massive 48% over the past year. Housing and fuel were the smallest percentage increase at just 20%, but they make up almost one-third of expenses for the average household.
