Iran Focus
London, 8 Jun – Human rights groups from Iran and Italy have joined together to demand the immediate release of Iranian protesters that have been arrested during the nationwide anti-government uprising.
Italian human rights group, EveryOne, has released a statement in partnership with Iran Human Rights Monitor to call on the Iranian Government to release the protesters and for the United Nations to hold the mullahs responsible for their crackdown on human rights.
Iran Focus
London, 8 Jun – It was reported that after weeks of silence from the Iran following Trump’s announcement of withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the Iranian Mullahs’ Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, ordered the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to take the necessary steps to “implement a major increase in the country’s enrichment of uranium”.
However, he has left experts and analysts wondering about his intentions. The Supreme Leader specifically called on the country’s nuclear agency to “make the necessary arrangements to reach 190,000 SWU in the framework provided by the JCPOA”.
Iran Focus
London, 7 Jun – The Gulf States must put pressure on Europe to make the politicians understand that by preserving the nuclear deal with Iran, for whatever benefits they think this will bring, will result in huge losses from the other countries in the region.
Europe – mainly France and Germany – has been trying to save the 2015 nuclear deal ever since Donald Trump withdrew the US from it in May, but in reality they are actually trying to save their numerous trade deals with the country.
Germany’s exports to Iran were worth 2.97 billion Euros in 2017, up from around 2 billion in 2015, while France’s exports tripled to 1.7 billion Euros in the same period. That’s a lot of money to lose, but it’s also dirty money.
Iran Focus
London, 7 Jun – Iran-backed forces and Russian troops clashed near the Lebanese border in Syria this week, according to two non-Syrian officials in the pro-Bashar Assad alliance, after Russia deployed troops in an area that the Iranian forces, including Hezbollah, had objected to.
This conflict was resolved on Tuesday, after soldiers from the Syrian army took over the three positions near the town of Qusair that Russia had deployed to, according to one of the officials – a military commander who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity. Hezbollah fighters are still stationed in the area.
Iran Focus
London, 7 Jun – The Iranian judiciary will only allow 20 lawyers to represent people charged with crimes relating to national or international security, political and media during the investigative stage of a case, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Earlier this week, the state-run Tasnim News Agency published the names of the 20 lawyers allowed to defend against these charges.
This is less than 0.1% of the 20,000+ lawyers that are registered with the bar association in Tehran, but sadly it’s not strange that Iran is implementing these restrictions.
Iran Focus
London, 6 Jun – The US Congress has increased its focus on the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the control it has over the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), following Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and Hezbollah’s strong results in the Lebanese parliamentary elections.
During a hearing, held by the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa on May 22, much of the conversation was focused on Hezbollah, a group that is named on the US State Department’s list of terrorist organisations, and its close relationship to Iran.
Iran Focus
London, 6 Jun – It has been announced that the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran – Ali Akbar Salehi – is putting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on notice that the country will probably start producing centrifuges that will be used for uranium enrichment.
He said that this would not be a violation of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Agreement as it is formally known, because it allows Iran to make the parts that are needed for uranium enrichment. He stressed that it would only be a violation of the deal if Iran were to actually use the centrifuges.
Iran Focus
London, 5 Jun – The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established almost 30 years ago. The FATF’s aim is to set standards for curbing money laundering and terrorist financing and other threats that could affect the international financial system. It is also tasked with promoting legal, operational and regulatory measures in these aims.
The FATF was the topic of a heated discussion in the parliament of Iran last week. On 27th May, there were loud debates among several members.
Iran Focus
London, 5 Jun – German Chancellor Angela Merkel has agreed that Iran’s malign activities in the Middle East are a pressing concern, particularly for the security of Israel.
During a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Merkel said: “We have the same goal that Iran must never get a nuclear weapon and the difference between us is how to do that… We support Israel’s right to security and have said this to Iran at all times.”
Iran Focus
London, 5 Jun – The French car manufacturer PSA, which makes Peugeot and Citroen cars, said on Monday that it would withdraw from two joint ventures to sell its cars in Iran to avoid US sanctions that will be reimposed following Donald Trump’s announcement that he would pull out of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.
In a statement, PSA said: “The group has begun to suspend its joint venture activities, in order to comply with US law by August 6, 2018.”
