Iran Focus
London, 3 Apr – A debate in the House of Commons, regarding the influence of the Iranian Regime in the Middle East, led one Member of Parliament to describe the Regime as the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world.
Dr Matthew Offord MP, who represents Hendon, stated that the Iranian Regime controls, backs, funds, and trains Islamist terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, in order to destroy the state of Israel.
Iran Focus
London, 3 Apr – Sheikh Rashad al-Otari, a Yemeni tribal leader, said Houthi leaders informed him they will send former defense minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi to Iran if the legitimate government does not discuss the demands to release him and others. Al Arabiya, reported on April 2, 2017.
Iran Focus
London, 2 Apr – It has been reported that the French energy giant, Total, has been sending funds to Iran with the purpose of seeing how difficult it is to deal with Iran via the banking system.
Total is considering investing in the Islamic Republic but is proceeding with caution. A compliance officer has even been allocated to ensure that no rules are broken. For example, Americans are not allowed to participate in the projects and any Iranian that has been sanctioned must be avoided.
Iran Focus
London, 2 Apr – With the election in Iran upcoming, it is time to remind people that it is the Supreme Leader who exerts all effective executive power, and all candidates must be approved by the ruling élite, so it does not matter who is President in Iran. Because in Iran, the President is the second-highest ranking official, over him is the Supreme Leader, and he has the final say in all affairs. The President’s powers are limited by the authority of the Supreme Leader. The President does not control Iran’s armed forces, and make decisions on security, defense, and key foreign-policy issues, it is the Supreme Leader.
Iran Focus
London, 1 Apr – A bipartisan bill, the “Countering Iran’s Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017,” has been introduced with seven co-sponsors from each party. The act establishes new sanctions regarding testing of ballistic missiles by Iran, and its backing for terrorism. The Bill is also an attempt to block the property of any entity involved in the sale of arms to or from Iran. It does not reintroduce sanctions lifted from Iran as part of the 2015 nuclear deal. The Bill seems to mean that the JCPOA (often known as the “Iran Nuclear Deal”) is not going away, but that the United States will continue to confront Iran.
Iran Focus
London, 31 Mar – While Iran calls for the destruction of Israel, according to some experts, an American or Israeli attack against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and military sites would be fairly easy to execute. This is because, although Iran points to technological advancement in their military, it is actually has overextended itself in Syria.
Iran Focus
London, 31 Mar – Earlier this month the new White House administration announced a large package of sanctions targeting Iran, Syria, and North Korea for their efforts to transfer illicit materials and technology. The sanctions targeted 30 entities in 10 separate countries, a range of entities who are complicit in the transfer “of sensitive items to Iran’s ballistic missile program,” according to the State Department.
However, on Thursday, senior State Department officials said that the new package of sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic would not halt the country’s missile development.
Iran Focus
London, 31 Mar – On Sunday March 26th, 14 individuals were arrested in Bahrain for links to terrorism. During a raid the Bahrain authorities discovered a large number of homemade bombs, weapons and explosive devices.
It has been reported that these individuals were involved in a plot to assassinate officials in the country and to carry out major terrorist attacks.
Iran Focus
London, 30 Mar – President of the European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA), Struan Stevenson, spoke in the House of Commons in the UK on Tuesday 28th March, for the Persian New Year – Nowruz.
He said that Nowruz is an opportunity for an end to conflict and the beginning of a peaceful and free society.
Iran Focus
London, 30 Mar – For more than a decade, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, has been pursuing what could be described as a privatisation campaign. The aim is to gain more and more control over the economy of Iran so that the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and the Supreme Leader can take control of the country’s vast natural resources.
