Op-ed
By Colonel (Retired) Wes Martin
Earlier this month, two deadly terrorist attacks were launched within an hour of each other at Iran’s parliament building and the mausoleum of the Islamic Republic’s founder Ruhollah Khomeini. ISIS quickly claimed responsibility.
It is interesting that these attacks come at a time when President Donald Trump and his top administrators are refocusing attention upon the fact that Iran is the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism.
Iran Focus
London, 20 Jun – Heshmat Alavi, a Human Rights Activist specialising in Iran, has analysed the new US Sanctions on Iran and how this will affect the Iranian Regime.
He highlights that the Trump administration has found the loophole to the Iranian nuclear deal which allows the international community to impose sanctions on Iran without breaking the 2015 nuclear deal which is a win for everyone.
He wrote: “Many of the new measures imposed on Iran are far more complex than any sanctions even prior to the Iran nuclear deal. There is no need for the Trump administration to tear up the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as these new sanctions provide the US President vast authority for further punitive action. This new initiative also contains a classified amendment believed to describe Iran as an extremely dangerous state.”
Iran Focus
London, 19 Jun – Several non-governmental organisations within the United Nations have submitted a joint written statement to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, asking him to launch an enquiry into the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran.
This statement, submitted during the 35th session of the UN’s Human Right Council, was written by the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty, the Women’s Human Rights International Association, the France Libertes :
Fondation Danielle Mitterrand, the International Educational Development, Inc. and the Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitié entre les peoples.
Iran Focus
London, 19 Jun – The Iranian Regime has blamed the recent terrorist attacks in Britain on Western countries, claiming that they are responsible for the rise of ISIS.
In the wake of the June 4 attack on London, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, said: “Today, ISIS is driven from its birthplace in Iraq and Syria into other countries, going to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and even the Philippines, European countries and elsewhere. They began this fire and now it has set them ablaze.”
Iran Focus
London, 19 Jun – The former Italian Foreign Minister wrote an op-ed for Fox News in which he argued that it is time for the leaders of Europe to stand with the US in opposing the Iranian Regime for its violations of the nuclear deal and links to terrorism.
Giulio Terzi, who is also a member of United against Nuclear Iran’s Advisory Board, wrote that the Iranian Regime has consistently violated the UN Security Council resolution on ballistic missile tests, which accompanied the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), but received no repercussions from the European leaders who signed that deal.
Iran Focus
London, 19 Jun – The Iranian Regime launched several mid-range ballistic missiles at ISIS stronghold in the province of Deir al-Zour, Syria, on Sunday.
The Regime announced that it was targeting the headquarters of ISIS, who claimed responsibility for the terror attacks in Tehran which killed 18 people earlier this month. However, Reuters has not been able to independently verify this.
Iran Focus
London, 19 Jun – One hundred thousand people will gather in Paris on July 1 to support the Iranian Resistance forces in their campaign to achieve freedom and democracy in Iran.
The annual convention, organised by the National Council for the Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its sister group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), attracts support from those across the political spectrum who champion human rights.
By Jubin Katiraie
It is sometimes now that many US officials have been talking about Iran and the actions that US must take towards Iran. In a hearing in the congress, the Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, in response to a question about the US policy towards Iran said: “Well our Iranian policy is under development. It’s not yet been delivered to the president, but I would tell you that we certainly recognize Iran’s continued destabilizing presence in the region, their payment of foreign fighters, their export of militia forces in Syria, in Iraq, in Yemen, their support for Hezbollah. And we are taking action to respond to Iran’s hegemony. Additional sanctions actions have been put in place against individuals and others.”
Iran Focus
London, 17 Jun – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made a campaign pledge to focus his second term on lifting non-nuclear sanctions. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei approved the nuclear talks in 2012, before Rouhani’s term, so Rouhani’s success will need Khamenei’s blessing, and having non-nuclear sanctions lifted, will depend on whether Khamenei is willing to endure major setbacks, like he did with the nuclear deal.
Iran Focus
London, 17 Jun – It is especially important, with the United Kingdom still recovering from terrorist attacks in both Manchester and London, to remember that solidarity is valuable if it leads to a unified response to shared threats.
However, there are factions within the UK, and all the nations of Europe, who would strive to demonize all Muslims in the wake of attacks by religious extremists, who promote a counterproductive response to terrorism. Fortunately, their voices are outweighed by the rest of Western democratic society.
