بهار خجسته : مهٔ 2018

۱۳۹۷ خرداد ۹, چهارشنبه

Iran: Formation of armed units to protect state organs in fear of popular uprisings

National Council of Resistance of Iran

Along with the escalation of popular uprisings and nationwide strikes, Khamenei issued a special directive for the deployment of armed units in order to protect state offices and agencies in fear of anger and hatred of the people from the Velayat-e faqih ominous system.

According to the IRGC news agency, the directive `for "Establishment of protection units in executive agencies" that was "approved by the Supreme Commander General, was notified to the relevant authorities to be executed".

This directive “was articulated in order to protect the infrastructure, buildings, facilities, equipment and some of the specialized subject-specific missions of the executive agencies requiring armed protection, with the aim of developing, enhancing and strengthening the security of the mentioned apparatuses through the organization of armed units of executive agencies by the police force and by assigning security and protection to these apparatuses.” (Fars News Agency, affiliated to the Revolutionary Guards, May 27, 2018).

By such repressive measures, Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guards are trying to protect their regime against the anger of the people who are frustrated by the cruelty and oppression of this corrupt system. During the nationwide uprising in January, many government centers, repression and crime organs, the so-called theological centers and offices of the representatives of Khamenei and "Friday Imams" in many cities were occupied by the people and the demonstrators.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

Nationwide strikes by Iran’s truck drivers: what you need to know

Truck drivers of more than 270 cities are on Strike in Iran

Video clip by PMOI/MEK

Iran, May 30, 2018 - Since May 22, 2018, truck drivers across Iran have gone on strike, refusing to transport cargo and blocking roads in different parts of the country. Angry from financial grievances stemming from government corruptions, the strikes have spread to more than 250 cities and span across all of Iran’s provinces. Here’s what you need to know:

۱۳۹۷ خرداد ۸, سه‌شنبه

Washington sanctions challenging Iranian regime’s terrorism funding

Sanctions against the clerical regime ruling Iran

Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s exiting the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iranian regime is now facing a series of unprecedented challenges in regards to its policies.

Mousa Afshar, a member of the Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) Foreign Affairs Committee, shed light on this subject in a recent interview with a Jordanian outlet.

“These sanctions will prevent the Iranian regime from providing financial support to its proxy militias in Yemen and across the region,” he said.

“Tehran received $150 billion of its frozen assets through signing the nuclear deal. However, not even a dollar of this money has been spent on the Iranian people. In fact, all of it was used for terrorist militias in Syria, Yemen and Iraq,” Afshar explained.

“Following the JCPOA exit we have seen U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recognizing the Iranian people’s uprising against the religious dictatorship and Washington calling for a global coalition to confront the Iranian regime’s support for terrorism,” he added.

“Any new agreement with the Iranian regime must cover a variety of issues, most importantly ending Iran’s ballistic missile program, recognizing Iraq’s independence, disarming the Iranian regime’s militias in this country, completely withdrawing all militia groups in Syria, ending ballistic missile launches against its Persian Gulf neighbors and stopping the Iranian regime’s support for terrorist militias in Yemen,” Afshar continued.

Blood money

Iran has been able to take advantage of the JCPOA’s outcome and completely disrupt stability in the Middle East.

“To compensate for their necessity of a nuclear bomb, [Iranian regime supreme leader] Ali Khamenei’s regime has attempted to place important areas of the region under its influence, and threatening regional countries with ballistic missiles,” Afshar said.

“The Iran nuclear deal had many flaws and provided blood money to the Iranian regime, especially the Revolutionary Guards and Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani,” he added. “The measures raised by Pompeo were carried out after the Iranian regime refused to abide by United Nations resolutions.”

The Iranian regime received free and unjustifiable concessions through the JCPOA, such as “the lack of any serious inspections of nuclear sites” and no inspections over the released assets.

In fact, these unprecedented concessions were the result of an appeasement policy adopted by the U.S. and Europe vis-à-vis the Iranian regime. The Iranian people, and nations across the region, expect such a drive to end. Only through such measures can the international community imagine to prevent the Iranian regime’s belligerence.

Iran’s truckers continue nationwide strike into seventh day

Truckers are continuing their nationwide protest and general strike

Reports from a variety of Iran’s cities on Monday indicate truckers are continuing their nationwide protests and a growing general strike. These protests have expanded to 242 cities in all of Iran’s 31 provinces.

Bus drivers in various cities are also joining this expanding movement and expressing their solidarity.

Minibus drivers in Yazd, central Iran, were seen rallying in support of the truck drivers, holding a gathering outside the city’s Road & Transportation Dept.

Iran’s truck drivers are protesting low wages, skyrocketing prices of spare parts and other fees in this profession.

The truck drivers have provided a full list of their rightful demands:

A minimum 50 percent raise in paychecks for domestic and foreign transfers
Increase in monthly fuel ration so the drivers are not forced to purchase fuel at station rates
Respecting the drivers’ private lives
Adopting a new law to decrease commission fees from 14 percent to seven percent
Authorities to monitor commission fees received from the drivers, especially at terminals in major cities such as Tehran, Yazd, Bandar Abbas, Kerman and …
Drivers’ wages should be paid based on tons/kilometer so the rights of drivers and load owner are equally respected.
Decreasing social security insurance rates and including driving as a harsh task to receive special coverage
Decreasing road toll fees
Decreasing annual truck taxes
Establishing a faction in the Iranian regime’s parliament to support the country’s large transportation industry

People from all walks of life are also protesting and seeking their demands.

Taxi drivers in Tehran and Isfahan are also on strike and express solidarity with their fellow truck driver colleagues.

Students of Tehran’s Art University rallied yesterday, protesting the transfer of their school to another location.

Such protests are becoming a major strain for Iran’s authorities.

Iranian regime security forces intend to “resolutely confront” protests, according to a judiciary spokesman on Sunday. Rallies and demonstrations are expanding as waves across the country with people raising major economic issues and fuel the protests into gaining political nature.

۱۳۹۷ خرداد ۷, دوشنبه

Three facts unveiled about Iran’s protesting truckers

General strikes are expanding rapidly in Iran

- Much like many other protests launched by various branches of Iran’s society, thousands of truck drivers in over 240 cities throughout the country’s 31 provinces began on May 21^st as drivers began a strike protesting difficult living conditions.

Unexpectedly, the scope of this face-off between the Iranian regime and its transportation officials, against the truck drivers that currently enjoy support amongst the general public regarding their strike, has caught everyone off guard.

This protest movement is currently highlighting three facts about Iran’s utterly protestive society.

Organization:

The spread of this general strike to cities all across Iran proves the organized nature and a highly coordinated structure being behind this unprecedented initiative. This protects the protesting truckers against a variety of threats and deceptive measures to be expected from Iranian regime authorities.

Powder keg ready to explode:

How this protest has developed, expanded and is supported by Iranians throughout the country comes from a society with a highly potential atmosphere to turn strongly against the ruling regime.

Regime’s failure to block Telegram:

Interesting is the fact that this protest, and its rapid expansion to numerous cities, has taken shape after the Iranian regime blocked Telegram, a popular messaging app used by over 40 million people in Iran. As a result, the organized nature of this protest movement indicates the truckers are in close contact and most likely using platforms such as Telegram. This goes to say the Iranian regime has failed to block messaging apps in its attempt to deny the Iranian people such a medium to coordinate anti-regime protests.

Conclusion:

The continuation and expansion of this general strike shows that more organized, widespread and radical protests depict a very grim future awaiting the ruling mullahs in Iran.

۱۳۹۷ خرداد ۶, یکشنبه

Iran: Students and people of Zahedan protest against insulting Balochi fellow citizens

National Council of Resistance of Iran

On Saturday May 26, students at Zahedan Azad University protested against insulting and humiliation of Baluchi citizens and Sunni Muslim rituals, and many groups of Zahedan people joined the protest by chanting "Do not be afraid, we are all together." It was written on the protesters' banners, “No to religious and ethnic insults.” Anti-riot security agents arrested a number of students at university attacks.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, saluted the noble Baluchi compatriots and students and youth who have risen in Zahedan today, and said: "Shame and hatred for the clerical regime, which is the main source of discrimination and disunity in Iran today." She called all of the youth, especially in Sistan and Baluchestan province, to help and express solidarity with the students and youth of Zahedan.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

Iran: Nationwide strike of truck drivers for the fifth day

The truck drivers' strike spread to all 31 provinces of the country

On Saturday, May 26, the strike of heavy vehicles and truck drivers continued for the fifth day and spread to more parts of the country covering 224 cities in all 31 provinces of the country. Strikers in many cities parade with long lines of trucks by honking and keeping their headlights on.

The clerical regime continued to crack down on strike yesterday. Repressive forces attacked striking drivers in many areas, such as Bandar Abbas-Sirjan route, Islamabad Gharb, Malekan, and Hamedan, with electric shockers and tear gas, wounding and injuring a number of them.

On Saturday, farmers of Varzaneh in Isfahan province rallied their tractors to support the strike of truck drivers. In Robat Karim, 280 passenger bus drivers joined the strike, and in Tehran, a number of taxi riders supported striking drivers by gathering on Gandhi Street. Taxi drivers of the Snap Internet Company, who are protesting their low wages and the dire situation of their livelihoods, joined the protests.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

May 26, 2018

IRAN NEWS
5/27/2018

National Council of Resistance of Iran

Iran Uprising - No. 167

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

May 26, 2018,

Iran: Ceremony for murdered Kazerun protesters

Demonstration in Kazerun (File Photo)

People of Kazerun held a ceremony on Friday, March 25^th, remembering the protesters murdered by the Iranian regime’s security forces in the recent demonstrations. A large number of people took part while security and intelligence units were present at the scene, besieging the entire area and taking measures to prevent people from chanting slogans. Such security forces were stationed across the city.

Four protesters murdered by the Iranian regime’s forces during the Kazerun demonstrations are:

Mehdi (Hadi) Jahantab

Omid Yousefian

Ali Mohammadian Azad

Reza (Behnam) Azhdari

Jahantab’s body was literally unidentifiable as authorities had severely tortured this brave protesters. His family was kept in the dark for many days, saying the body cannot be identified, to prevent them from taking further measures.

His body was completely swollen when delivered to his family and friends. Many pellet rounds were also found in his body, making it obvious he was first shot and then severely tortured. He was badly injured and lost his life due to the severity of his wounds.

Azhdari was buried in his home village and authorities banned his family from informing the media.

Witnesses say Ali Mohammadian Azad was literally hunted down by the IRGC and killed during the night protests.

Authorities had gone the limits to not deliver the bodies of these murdered protesters to their families. The families’ protests and insistence, however, forced city officials to bring an end to this plot.

The burial ceremony for these four protesters was held on May 22 despite the fact that Iranian regime officials sought to force the families to bury their loved ones in four different places and at different timings in order to prevent a large gathering and an angry demonstration.

Two of the protesters were buried in the city’s “Seyed Mohammad” cemetery. Another protester was buried in the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery.

Iranian regime authorities had also cut-off all internet connections and jammed satellite networks to prevent the distribution of any news about Kazerun and the ceremonies.

Security unit commanders had also recalled their uniformed units and dispatched plainclothes agents, yet another step to prevent people’s anger from erupting.

۱۳۹۷ خرداد ۵, شنبه

Iranian regime concerned of intensifying U.S. policy

The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent remarks on May 21^st tracing Washington’s new policy and strategy vis-à-vis Iran has resulted in a wave of concerns in the mullahs’ ranks and files.

The U.S. administration’s main focus in the Middle East, impacting the entire globe, is none other than the religious fascism and terrorist regime ruling Iran.

Secondly, Pompeo emphasized on an on-the-ground reality in Iran, being the deep struggle between the Iranian people against the ruling mullahs’ regime.

The 12-article speech raised in this speech, enjoying support from across the Atlantic, reach deep down in impacting the Iranian regime’s very nature and existence.

If Tehran is brought to the point of actually living up to these actions, it will no less lead to its utter demise. This is vividly seen in reactions from inside the Iranian regime, especially its own officials and state-controlled media outlets.

Tasnim news agency, affiliated to the IRGC Quds Force:

“We must take the enemy’s economic war against us very seriously. The most important events and developments, from which we are already feeling the impacts, is a U.S.-led economic war against Iran, parallel to heavy U.S. sanctions, which may lead to consequential sanctions levelled against Iran by the European Union, alongside a number of their allies across the globe, has redoubled the importance of this matter.

“The situation in today’s world and the events we are witnessing are nothing to take mildly. They must be confronted very seriously, considering the fact that from the status quo one can forecast a major economic war against us. We must be prepared for everything and in the war command room we must prepare necessary measures to confront the enemy and go on with the country’s daily necessities at the least of our expense. We should not resort only to making remarks (such as ‘who are you to decide for Iran’).”

It is becoming an undeniable reality that the Iranian regime has no practical solution for the road ahead. It must either succumb to the demands or take its chances standing against the will of a major economic confrontation that has already begun, resulting in its completely and undeniable destruction.

One can realize the Iranian regime’s utter despair in the demands raised by supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

If one seeks to seriously analyze Pompeo’s 12-article speech and find a solution for the Iranian regime, we reach a conclusion that Tehran needs to forgo all its major pillars:

Crackdown and censorship
Warmongering and exporting regional/international terrorism
The Revolutionary Guards, Intelligence Ministry and …
And finally, the complete mullahs’ regime apparatus.

This is the fork in the road before the Iranian regime, not knowing to face death or commit suicide in fear of death.

Iran protests: After Kazerun, where will be the next flash point?

Every day, the Iranian regime is creating grounds for new protests to take place in the country

In December, protests that erupted in the eastern city of Mashhad over unemployment, poverty and government corruption quickly turned into a nationwide protest across Iran. Although the regime brutally cracked down on the protesters, tensions continued to simmer and manifest themselves in smaller yet constant protests in other parts of the country.

Last week, the protests in Kazerun, which had begun about a few months earlier over the government’s plans to divide the city into smaller areas, turned into clashes between the government and people when security forces attacked and killed several of the protesters. As the Kazerun protests showed, the social climate across the entirety of Iran is tense, and chances that uprisings reoccur are very high.

Here are a few of the ongoing crises that might flare up in the coming weeks and months:

Teachers

In mid-May, teachers across Iran protested for several days over low wages, discrimination, the imprisonment of activists and lack of quality education for children. Like every other class in Iran’s society, the teachers of Iran have been deprived of their rights by a regime that is wrought with corruption and mismanagement. Iranian teachers are well-connected and are able to quickly organize nationwide protests in short time, which makes them a serious force in Iran’s protests.

Students

Iran’s students have also been protesting over new rules that diminish their rights and increase their tuition fees. Students were a very important part of the protests that took place earlier this year as well as the nationwide uprisings that took place in 2009. As the future generations of Iran, students are demanding their basic and proper rights to be fulfilled, something that the Iranian regime is increasingly incapable of doing.

Truck driver

Since the beginning of this week, Iran’s truck drivers entered a nationwide strike in protest to the increasing prices of spare parts, tires and commission. Given their low wages, truck drivers are faced with mounting difficulties in managing their livelihoods. The truck drivers’ strike quickly spread across the country and paralyzed the Iranian regime’s transportation channels. Continued strikes can lead to further protests and spiral out of the regime’s control.

Merchants

Last month, a new set of restrictive measures by the regime regarding imports and border crossings triggered a strike by the merchants across Iran’s western provinces. The movement quickly gained support from people in other parts of Iran. In a similar move, the merchants of Tehran’s bazaar also went on strike shortly after. Iran’s economy is already in a tenuous situation and is the source of many of the protests across the country. Further strikes by merchants and business owners can become the last straw that breaks the camel’s back and triggers a variety of protests by people of all walks of life.

Farmer

Farmers of Iran have been protesting in different parts of the country over corruption and mismanagement of water sources and supplies. In Isfahan, protests resulted in minor clashes and took on a political twist as protesters chanted slogans such as “The enemy is right here, not in America,” and blamed officials for their constantly deteriorating life and work conditions. Other provinces such as Khuzestan and Kurdistan have seen similar protests. Agriculture is a serious component of Iran’s economy, which makes protests by farmers very significant

Clients of financial institutions

For more than a year, the clients of government-backed financial institutions in Iran have been protesting over their plundering of their wealth by the Iranian regime. The ongoing protests have quickly been spreading to different cities across the country, where people gather and demonstrate in front of banks and offices of organizations such as Vahdat and Arman. In recent months, the protests have been shifting their focus from corrupt officials to the regime in its entirety and its destructive policies.

And many more places

This is just a glimpse of the protests taking place across Iran. Every day, the Iranian regime is creating grounds for new protests to take place over its corrupt policies, destructive meddling in neighboring countries and its brutal suppression of its people’s rights. It won’t be long before another spark sets the tinderbox ablaze.

۱۳۹۷ خرداد ۴, جمعه

Former MEP Struan Stevenson backs Pompeo’s 12-article Iran conditions

Former MEP Struan Stevenson

Struan Stevenson, the coordinator for the “Campaign for Change in Iran,” sent a message expressing his support for U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s twelve conditions placed before the Iranian regime.

“Brilliant speech by Mike Pompeo setting out 12 tough conditions that Iran must meet. Time the EU and UK started talking tough with Iran, too, instead of simpering appeasement,” he tweeted.

“EU appeasers will give Europe Import/Export Bank cash to Iran to blunt Trump’s new sanctions, as well as blocking the U.S. from punishing EU companies that continue to trade with the evil regime. So EU taxpayers’ money will be used by the mullahs to finance terror and their ballistic missile program!” he said in another tweet in this regard.

Following its decision to exit the Iran nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the U.S. began to immediately impose new sanctions against the Iranian regime.

On May 21^st Pompeo said the Iranian regime will be facing painful sanctions if it refuses to changes its unacceptable and unfruitful course. In fact, these sanctions will be the harshest sanctions in history.

Pompeo has laid out the new U.S. strategy vis-à-vis the Iranian regime based on three pillars:

Firstly, imposing unprecedented financial pressure against the Iranian regime.

Secondly, confronting the Iranian regime’s malign activities in the region and its support of terrorism.

Thirdly, tirelessly supporting the Iranian people.

۱۳۹۷ خرداد ۹, چهارشنبه

۱۳۹۷ خرداد ۸, سه‌شنبه

Blood money

۱۳۹۷ خرداد ۷, دوشنبه

Organization:

Powder keg ready to explode:

Regime’s failure to block Telegram:

Conclusion:

۱۳۹۷ خرداد ۶, یکشنبه

Iran: Students and people of Zahedan protest against insulting Balochi fellow citizens

Selected

۱۳۹۷ خرداد ۵, شنبه

Teachers

Students

Truck driver

Merchants

Farmer

Clients of financial institutions

And many more places

۱۳۹۷ خرداد ۴, جمعه