Iran Focus

London, 26 Jun – With regards to Iran and particularly the recent developments after the last December and January uprising in the country, and President Trump’s Iran-nuclear-deal exit, the US National Security Advisor John Bolton has certainly been an outspoken and steadfast personality supporting the current US-Iran foreign policy agenda.

For many years Iranian dissident supporters of the MEK (Mujahedeen-e Khalq of Iran) in Europe and United States have come to respect and count on Mr. Bolton for his support for freedom of Iran and the notion of a regime change in that country.

Iran Focus

London, 26 Jun – The steep drop in the value of the rial led to massive protests in Tehran on Sunday and Monday. Protesters took to the streets, shutting down many shops in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, to bring attention to the country’s failing economy.

The value of the rial has plummeted over the past year, and it has been in a free fall since last week. A U.S. dollar was being offered for as much as 87,000 rials on Sunday, compared to 75,500 last Thursday.

Iran Focus

London, 23 Jun – When considering major bills like the proposal to join the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crimes (UNTOC), the legislative body will take into account Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s “full directives”, according to the speaker of Iran’s parliament, Ali Larijani.

The Supreme Leader has voiced his disapproval of this bill. He called the bill “unacceptable” June 20, saying the UNTOC, a measure meant to fight money laundering and terrorism funding, had been “cooked up” by foreign powers, and that the parliament should shelve it.

Iran Focus

London, 23 Jun – People with knowledge of the matter say that going beyond the reductions that were demanded when sanctions were imposed earlier this decade, the U.S. has now asked Japan to completely halt oil imports from Iran. But, during talks with Japanese counterparts in Tokyo earlier in the week, no decision was reached. Asking that not to be identified because the matter is confidential, they revealed that discussions will continue later.

After his decision to renew sanction against Iran, U.S. President Trump’s administration gave allies 180 days to reduce purchases from the OPEC producer.

Iran Focus

London, 22 Jun – According to senior French sources, the European signatories of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal have been primarily focused on “avoiding a military confrontation,” after the US exit from the pact.

Inside Iran, some “want and seek” this confrontation, they say, but Germany, Britain and France, in cooperation with Russia and China, want to avoid reaching the “point of no return.”

The sources also blame Tehran for failing to take advantage of the nuclear deal. Instead of normalizing its ties with regional countries, it forged an aggressive regional policy and developed its ballistic missile program.