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Iran’s Dire Human Rights Record for September

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Iran’s Dire Human Rights Record for September

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Iran Focus

London, 4 Oct – Every month, Iran Human Rights Monitor releases a report in the situation of human rights in Iran and it always makes for uncomfortable reading. The September version was no different, with an unprecedented crackdown on human rights advocates, several official reports of cruel and inhumane punishments, and at least 33 executions.

We’ve produced a summary of the report here, but, as always, we encourage you to download the full PDF and learn more. When reading either piece, please remember that because of the closed and insular nature of the Iranian government, the figures given may be much smaller than in reality.

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Iran Rial Rose in Value, but Experts Are Sceptical

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Iran Rial Rose in Value, but Experts Are Sceptical

Iran rial rose in value, but experts are sceptical

Iran Focus

London, 4 Oct – The Iranian currency unexpectedly rose in value on Tuesday, following months of depreciation triggered by US sanctions, but caused overall by government corruption and mismanagement.

At one point, exchange shops in Tehran were offering one US dollar for 135,000 rials (compared with highs of 190,000 just the day before). This led many Iranians to rush to exchange their rials for dollars to beat the inevitable drop in value that will happen when further US sanctions are applied next month.

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UN Must Halt Yemen’s Iran-Backed Rebels With Capture of Critical Red Sea Port

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UN Must Halt Yemen’s Iran-Backed Rebels With Capture of Critical Red Sea Port

Houthi fighters

Iran Focus

London, 3 Oct – In an op-ed written by TIP Senior Fellow Julie Lenarz and published on Thursday, she claimed that after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels failed to attend peace negotiations in Geneva, the capture of the port of Hodeidah by Coalition forces is the only way to end the conflict in Yemen.

Lenarz said, “Iran’s use of Yemen as a southern gateway to attack Gulf states via Houthi missile attacks, primarily aimed at the UAE and Saudi Arabia, has been one of the most concerning developments of the conflict,” adding that, “Their ability to wage proxy war on the region, which has seen nuclear power plants, civilian airports and oil tankers all targeted, may well be curtailed by the capture of Hodeidah.”

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Iran’s Striking Truck Drivers Threatened With Execution as Strike Enters Second Week

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Iran’s Striking Truck Drivers Threatened With Execution as Strike Enters Second Week

Iran’s Striking Truck Drivers

Iran Focus

London, 3 Oct – Some of Iran’s leading prosecutors have threatened the country’s striking truck drivers with execution, according to state-run media.

On September 30th, the strike entered its second week. The truck drivers are protesting what they call “terrible working conditions”. They are demanding better pay, pensions, and stronger trade unions, as well as government subsidies to buy such things as tires and expensive parts that must be imported.

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Europe Still Trying to Find Loophole on Iran Sanctions

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Europe Still Trying to Find Loophole on Iran Sanctions

Europe still trying to find loophole on Iran sanctions

Iran Focus

London, 3 Oct – Almost five months after Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord, the countries still party to the deal are becoming increasingly desperate to find loopholes to the US sanctions on Iran.

While a second lot of US sanctions on Iran, this time targeting its oil industry and central bank, will come into place on November 5 and it doesn’t seem likely that any country or company will get the sanctions waivers they desire, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has written that he will allow the five other countries (the UK, Germany, France, Russia, and China) a “short grace period” to offset these sanctions. This came after a meeting between the six nations at the UN General Assembly.

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US Calls Iran Attack on Syria “Reckless”

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US Calls Iran Attack on Syria “Reckless”

attack on Syria “reckless”

Iran Focus

London, 2 Oct – The US has called an Iranian missile attack on supposed militant targets in eastern Syria “reckless, unsafe and escalatory”.

In a statement on Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Commander Sean Robertson said that Iran took no measures to notify other military powers in the country of the predawn missile strike, something that “professional” military forces, like the US-led coalition, would have done to ensure maximum safety.

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House Prices in Tehran Rise 74% in Past Year

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House Prices in Tehran Rise 74% in Past Year

House prices in Tehran

Iran Focus

London, 1 Oct – In the past year, the average cost of buying a house in Tehran has jumped by a massive 74%, according to the Central Bank of Iran. In the past Iranian month (August 21-September 21) alone, residential unit prices have jumped by 9.4%.

The CBI reports that the one square meter of an average unit in Tehran is currently worth around 84,000,000 rials ($2,000, based on Iran’s artificial exchange rate, or $500, based on the global exchange). The latter figure is more relevant in this case, as sellers can’t get cheap dollars based on the government rate.

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Over 2,000 Sign Letter Demanding the Release of Iranian Political Prisoner

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Over 2,000 Sign Letter Demanding the Release of Iranian Political Prisoner

Iranian-political-prisoner

Iran Focus

London, 1 Oct – Over 2,200 doctors and civil rights activists have sent a letter to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the chairs of the Iranian Parliament’s Health and Cultural Commissions, voicing their concerns over the deteriorating health of Farhad Maysami, a prominent publisher, physician and cultural activist currently held behind bars.

The letter reads: “The way Mr. Maysami is treated is not only inappropriate for a teacher, publisher and physician, but it’s also unbecoming for any of the dissidents in the Shi’ite country [Iran].”

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UK Set to Outlaw Both So-Called “Military Wing” and “Political Wing” of Hezbollah

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UK Set to Outlaw Both So-Called “Military Wing” and “Political Wing” of Hezbollah

Military of Hezbollah

Iran Focus

London, 1 Oct – Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, Sajid Javid, will announce at next week’s Conservative Party Annual Conference the decision to proscribe the Iranian-backed, Lebanese-based terror organization Hezbollah in its entirety, following formal reconsideration of the UK’s position on the Iranian sponsored terrorist group.

In July, Stephen Crabb MP attacked the “entirely artificial distinction” between Hezbollah’s two wings. In fact, Hezbollah’s own leadership mocks the idea of two separate entities. The Home Secretary is expected to announce that he will be taking action to ban all parts of Hezbollah.

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Iran’s Loadings Halved by China’s Sinopec Due to U.S. Pressure

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Iran’s Loadings Halved by China’s Sinopec Due to U.S. Pressure

Sinopec Corp

Iran Focus

London, 1 Oct – As China’s state refiner, Sinopec Corp, comes under intense pressure from Washington to comply with a U.S. ban on Iranian oil from November, people with knowledge of the matter said that the company is halving loadings of crude oil from Iran this month.

Volumes were not specifically identified, but based on the prevailing supply contract between the top Chinese refiner and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), its loadings would be reduced to about 130,000 barrels per day (bpd) — 20 percent of China’s average daily imports from Iran in 2017.

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