By Jubin Katiraie
Once Iran is free from the mullahs, Maryam Rajavi, leader of the Iranian Resistance, has outlined a ten-point plan for how the new democratic Iran will be governed, which includes gender equality, a reform of the justice system, and equality for all ethnicities and nationalities, among others.
In this piece, we will explore why the equality of all nationalities and ethnicities is so important to Maryam Rajavi, using excerpts from speeches she has made over the years.
Iran Focus
London, 28 Oct – More than 2,500 AK-47 rifles and other guns that were seized by the crew of a U.S. destroyer off the coast of Yemen are being examined by UN inspectors to determine whether the weapons originated in Iran or Somalia.
The UN inspectors were invited on board by US authorities on October 25th. They are there to determine whether or not the weapons provide proof that Iran is smuggling arms to allied Shi’ite Houthi rebels, which Iran denies. But the United Nations has repeatedly charged Iran with illegally smuggling weapons to the Houthis, in violation of UN resolutions.
Iran Focus
London, 27 Oct – An intelligence agency, carried out a raid in Iran at the beginning of the year. It collected a number of photographs, satellite images and documents that have now been analysed by the Institute of Science and International Security.
Four researchers with extensive nuclear knowledge from the agency studied the data and compiled a report with an emphasis on the Parchin military base.
The experts say that Iran used the Parchin military base to conduct research and develop the country’s nuclear weapons program.
Iran Focus
London, 26 Oct – Donald Trump promised that all US sanctions against Iran will be in place on November 5, as he signed a bill that would impose strict sanctions on Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah.
Trump said: ” On November 5th, all US sanctions against Iran lifted by the nuclear deal will be back in full force, every sanction that we had on their originally, which would have if they would have just left it a little bit longer, would have been so much easier than what we’ve been through over the last number of years.”
Iran Focus
London, 26 Oct – On November 5th U.S. sanctions are set to be re-imposed on Iran. These sanctions will exert more pressure on an already struggling economy. It is likely that Iran will attempt to circumvent these sanctions through cyber-enabled money laundering — and banks will be a prime target.
To cyber-enable money laundering, hackers alter critical information or disable anti-money laundering controls using a bank’s own computer system, thereby allowing them to execute a prohibited financial transaction. The illicit purpose or sanctioned participant is disguised, so the transaction is allowed.
Iran Focus
London, 26 Oct – The human rights situation in Iran is very worrying and every day we hear new reports about the mistreatment of prisoners in the country.
A large number of prisoners of conscience are held in Rajai Shahr Prison where they are routinely denied medical care, beaten, deprived of fresh air, deprived of adequate sustenance, and so on.
Earlier this year, a number of prisoners were ordered to move to Ward 10 of the prison. Ward 10, before the transfer happened, was already full of inmates that were living in appalling conditions.
Iran Focus
London, 25 Oct – The UN independent expert on human rights in Iran called on the mullahs on Wednesday to ban the death penalty for juveniles.
Javaid Rehman, special rapporteur for human rights in Iran, told a General Assembly human rights committee: “I appeal to the Iranian authorities to abolish the practice of sentencing children to death, and to commute all death sentences issued against children in line with international law.”
Iran Focus
London, 25 Oct – German bank Varengold is still conducting business with Iran Air, an airline that will come under US sanctions from November 4 for its role in helping Iran to aid Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
The business links were confirmed by a highly reliable source and the Iran Air website.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies reports that members of Fatemiyoun, an Afghan militia under control of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps – a US-sanctioned terrorism group – are being flown on Iran Air to Syria, but the Iran Air website hides this by not listing Damascus on its official flight logs.
Iran Focus
London, 25 Oct – The Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih has said on Tuesday that his country, the leading member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is ready to increase its crude oil production and spare capacity to help maintain balance in the global market and prevent a sharp price rise.
At an investment conference in Riyadh, Falih said that OPEC and non-OPEC producers are expected to sign an “open-ended” agreement in December to continue cooperation in the energy markets.
Iran Focus
London, 25 Oct – On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced that it and Bahrain had added Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a whole, and three senior officers of its Quds Force to its terror watch lists.
The Saudi state news agency SPA reported that Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and operative Hamed Abdollahi and Abdul Reza Shahlai were specifically named on the Saudi Arabian list of people and organizations suspected of involvement in terrorism, citing a statement from the state’s security agency.
The IRGC and three men listed have provided financial or material support to Iranian terrorist activities, according to Saudi Arabia.
