Iran Focus

London, 14 Jun – There were hopes that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was going to ease up on its control over the Iranian economy. The country’s defence minister had said that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the IRGC to diminish its economic activities.

However, its actions show that this is not the case at all. In fact, looking at its actions, it is safe to say that it is planning to increase its activities.

Iran Focus

London, 14 Jun – An Austrian bank has become the latest company to withdraw from deals with Iran in light of strict US sanctions that are set to be imposed in November.

Oberbank, which signed a deal with Iran in September, announced on Wednesday that it would withdraw from Iran due to the increased risk for European companies.

Oberbank said on its website: “Oberbank has supported numerous clients and their Iran business in the past two years. The threat posed to European companies by U.S. secondary sanctions is forcing us to retreat.”

Iran Focus

London, 13 Jun – As the US takes measures to re-impose crippling sanctions on Iran, options to support the Iranian people’s strive for freedom and democracy are being revealed.

For instance, severing all access for Iranian banks to SWIFT, or the Society for the Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication has the potential to exert crippling economic and financial pressure Tehran that would affect the regime’s trade relations and import/export process.

Iran Focus

London, 13 Jun – Last week brought news that French carmaker Peugeot-Citroen declared that it will exit the Iranian market within two months.

According to a member of the parliamentary Industries and Mines Commission, Valiyollah Maleki, Japan’s Mazda and South Korea’s Hyundai have also suspended contracts with Iran. Maleki said in an interview on June 12th, “Mazda and Hyundai’s interests in the U.S. market are much more than in Iran, and they will not sacrifice their profit for the sake of Iran.”

Iran Focus

London, 13 Jun – The actions of Iran are driven by its perception of itself as an underdog and a revolutionary force being held back by the other countries of the Middle East and the world as a whole, which has led to an Iran’s confrontational policy of exporting the Islamic Revolution.

We can see this in the mullahs’ words and actions. For instance, when Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei realised on Monday that Iran would have to accept some nonnuclear sanctions and nuclear limitations, he said that Iranians would not tolerate that.

Iran Focus

London, 13 Jun – The Canadian House of Commons passed a strongly-worded motion condemning Iran on Tuesday, after the Liberal Party sided with their Conservative opposition.

The Conservative motion, which is now supported by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, condemned Iran and called on the Canadian government to “abandon its current plan and immediately cease any and all negotiations or discussions” about restoring diplomatic relations, as well as listing the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity under Canada’s Criminal Code. The terrorist entity listing of the IRGC goes further than the US has at this point.