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Iran vows to crush ‘satanic’ Trump plan and ‘Jewishization’ of Jerusalem

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Iran vows to crush ‘satanic’ Trump plan and ‘Jewishization’ of Jerusalem

Tehran’s plan to undermine Trump’s deal may involve political, religious and military means, including a push for Palestinian unity and attempts to undermine Gulf states that support the US

 

Iran vows to crush 'satanic' Trump plan and 'Jewishization' of Jerusalem
Iran vows to crush ‘satanic’ Trump plan and ‘Jewishization’ of Jerusalem

 

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei slammed the Trump administration’s peace plan as “satanic” and evil on Wednesday. “It will never bear fruit” he wrote, claiming that Jerusalem must not be “in the hands of the Jews.” Khamenei’s comments went out as his advisors scrambled to work on a  full-court press against Israel and the plan, leveraging regional anger over it to Iran’s benefit. Iran may now work with Palestinian groups and seek to thwart the plan through political and military means, hoping to use the plan as a way to jump-start Iran’s stalled influence peddling operations in the Middle East.

 

Towards that end Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said that Iran will work throughout “West Asia” to confront the Deal of the Century. “It threatens the Islamic community,” he said. Iran refers to the Middle East as “West Asia.” While Iran’s Foreign Minister bashed the plan as a “so-called vision for peace” and a “nightmare for the region,” the foreign ministry in Tehran said  that it would work with other countries in the region “at all levels to unite the Muslim world to confront the great conspiracy.”

Iran wants to make this an “Islamic” issue by emphasizing Jerusalem. A survey of Iranian media and political reactions, as well as reactions of Iran’s IRGC, illustrate this. An article at Iran’s IRNA media noted that while Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and even Qatar may be considering normalization with Israel, that Tehran will be working with other countries to undermine the deal. Qatar is usually considered close to Iran, and the linking of Qatar and other Gulf states represents a new trend in Tehran.

 

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Iran Briefing | News Press Focus on Human Rights Violation by IRGC, Iran Human Rights

 

Pentagon says 50 US troops injured in Iranian attack

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Pentagon says 50 US troops injured in Iranian attack

Pentagon says 50 US troops injured in Iranian attack

Pentagon says 50 US troops injured in Iranian attack

The Pentagon has said the number of troops suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBI) after an Iranian attack on a US base in Iraq on 8 January has risen to 50.
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Iran’s Governing Structure Is Crippled in Resolving Its Crises

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Iran’s Governing Structure Is Crippled in Resolving Its Crises

“Sometimes an earthquake causes just one ripple on the ground, or a few cracks and fissures in works of art, bridges, and buildings. After thousands of years of earthquakes, a large crevice appears in the landscape like those in Iceland or the San Andreas Fault in California.

 

Iran’s Governing Structure Is Crippled in Resolving Its Crises
Iran’s Governing Structure Is Crippled in Resolving Its Crises

 

After becoming visible and are printed on a map, those traces and marks both reveal and hide a giant fault at the level of the lower plate that moves slowly but suddenly break off unseen in tectonic abysses. That fault is the underlying cause of all those surface movements,” from the definition of ‘Times of Crisis,’ wrote by Michel Serres.

Ominous Triangle
The evolution of the political and social contradictions of the Iranian people with sovereignty in general as well as the maturity of the crises within the governing system, in particular, indicate the existence of a major contradiction called “Vali-e Faqih.”

The Iranian government is stuck in a triangle of “the supreme leader [Vali-e Faqih], the Guardian Council, and the Revolutionary Guards.” In this respect, this type of ruling system has no option to overcome problems it faces every day. On the other hand, these problems are amassing more and more due to the officials’ lack of real plans to solve them.

The fact is that Iran’s entire governing system is the same triangle and the rest of its organs, such as the administration, parliament, and the Khamenei-controlled judiciary system, are merely involuntary puppets. The triangle is the sole decision-maker over the country’s national properties, environmental resources, public capital, and other costs and revenues.

Start of Sudden Phase Change
The current situation has signs and indicators that attest to the absolute impasse of the “Vali-e Faqih” ruling system in all sectors of sovereignty. The elimination of the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force Qassem Soleimani as the government’s second man pushed the Iranian government into a new phase.

Subsequently, public developments were accelerated by the shooting down of the Ukrainian passenger airliner and killing all 176 passengers abroad by the IRGC and ironic nonsense for evading the IRGC from consequences of that horrible disaster.

 

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Iran Briefing | News Press Focus on Human Rights Violation by IRGC, Iran Human Rights

 

Abduction business a profitable string to IRGC’s bow

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Abduction business a profitable string to IRGC’s bow

The tools the Iranian regime uses to address foreign policy issues are multifaceted, depending on the nature of the issue at hand and the opportunities strategized. Regionally, the Iranian regime has deployed brutal militias and terror groups, comprised mainly of criminals wanted by both Western and Arab governments. Abduction business

 

Abduction business a profitable string to IRGC’s bow
Abduction business a profitable string to IRGC’s bow

 

Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a key pillar of the Iranian regime, has found a very profitable tool when negotiating and bargaining with Western countries. This tool involves abducting and imprisoning Iranian dual nationals and foreigners, using them for ransom or political leverage; though Tehran will, of course, never admit to this. 

However, Hassan Abbasi, a former IRGC official and head of the Center for Borderless Security Doctrinal Analysis, has somewhat naively admitted to this criminal behavior. He said this month: “I don’t know how to solve economic issues without a relationship with the West. Do you want to solve the issue? Every naval force or a ship passes, take 10 or 20 American soldiers every month. Take $1 billion for each one. If you take $1 billion every week, it will add up to $51 billion per year. That’s how it is done.” 

Iranian dual nationals who reside in the West but return to Iran are potentially lucrative hostages. They can easily be abducted and charged with fabricated crimes before being sentenced or flogged. But this is not limited to dual nationals — even Westerners who travel to Iran can be subjected to this travesty of justice. Following their trials, and in most cases before the court ruling against them is enforced, the Iranian regime allows these individuals to leave the country in exchange for a hefty “bail” deposit that is equivalent to a ransom payment. 

Anyone wishing to research this won’t have to look hard to find dozens of such cases. According to a 2017 Reuters article, the IRGC had arrested at least 30 dual nationals in the preceding two years alone, mostly on spying charges.

One well-known detainee is Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian citizen sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on charges of “threatening to topple the government” in 2016, shortly after being arrested during a visit to her family in Tehran to celebrate Nowruz (Iranian New Year) with her then-22-month-old daughter.

 

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Iran Briefing | News Press Focus on Human Rights Violation by IRGC, Iran Human Rights

IRGC chief threatens attacks on American and Israeli commanders

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IRGC chief threatens attacks on American and Israeli commanders

Chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard: If they threaten our commanders, none of their commanders will find a safe place.

 
IRGC chief threatens attacks on American and Israeli commanders
IRGC chief threatens attacks on American and Israeli commanders

 

The chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Monday threatened to retaliate against American and Israeli commanders if the US continues to threaten top Iranian generals.

“I warn them to withdraw from this field,” Gen. Hossein Salami told state television, according to The Associated Press, adding if they do not, they “will definitely regret it.”

Tensions have been on the rise between the US and Iran over the last few weeks, after the US killed Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who headed the Quds force, in a drone strike outside of Baghdad’s airport in Iraq on January 3.

Five days later, Iran retaliated by launching a wave of ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq housing American troops, causing injuries but no fatalities among soldiers.

Salami’s comments came several days after the US special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, warned Soleimani’s successor, Esmail Ghaani, saying that “if he follows a similar path of killing Americans, he will meet the same fate.”

Salami said on Monday both the US and Israel should know that “if they threaten our commanders, none of their commanders will find a safe place” to live.

He added that Iran’s reaction to continued threats would be “completely different from the past” but did not elaborate.

Salami regularly threatens both the US and Israel. In November he warned that Iran would “destroy” the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia if they cross its “red lines”.

In February he declared that, in case of a new war, Israel will be defeated within three days.

In April of 2018 Salami warned the Jewish state that its military bases were within reach.

In October of that year, he issued a direct threat to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, advising him “practice swimming in the Mediterranean” because he would be forced to abandon his country.

 

Source 

Iran Briefing | News Press Focus on Human Rights Violation by IRGC, Iran Human Rights

 

Iranian-backed militias play political party by day, fighters by night

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Iranian-backed militias play political party by day, fighters by night

Iranian-backed militias play political party by day, fighters by night

Iranian-backed militias play political party by day, fighters by night

Iranian-backed militias spent their Sunday evening concerned that rocket fire directed at the US embassy might have caused deaths and injuries and would result in their leaders being targeted. Asaib Ahl al-Haq’s Qais Khazali was in an undisclosed location while other leaders kept far from the limelight.
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The Threat From Iran Goes Beyond the Nuclear

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The Threat From Iran Goes Beyond the Nuclear

As the Iranian people try again to rid themselves of their oppressive and homicidal regime, memories of a very special taxi ride reverberate with me. Iran

 

The Threat From Iran Goes Beyond the Nuclear
The Threat From Iran Goes Beyond the Nuclear

 

As I settled into the car that would take me to the airport, I just wanted to relax and look silently out the window, but after the usual greetings, it became apparent that the gentleman behind the wheel was quite refined in both his manner and his speech.

Intrigued, I began to ask him about how he became a driver, and he told me about growing up in Iran and how the Islamic revolution led to his coming to the United States. Soon after the ayatollah took over, he and his wife realized they had to leave. Given that he was Muslim, and not part of a persecuted minority like the Jews or the Baha’is, I asked what brought them to the decision to leave so quickly.

His response was immediate and unforgettable. It was his daughter. There was no doubt that her life in Iran would be unbearable, that she would never be more than a second-class citizen and never be able to fulfill her dreams. That is why they left Iran, their home for countless generations, and — although he did not mention this — he sacrificed his professional status for her future.

I think of this elegant gentleman whenever I see the protests in Iran. He understood the nature of the Iranian regime. And this memorable meeting reinforced the fact that none of us should use the word nation to describe both the people and the state of Iran. They are and continue to be, for the most part, completely different entities, and we need to empower the Iranian people, whenever possible, so they can rid themselves of their genocidal rulers. A vivid reminder of this division was clear this past Sunday, when thousands of students protesting the shooting down of the Ukrainian plane deliberately chose to avoid stepping on the American and Israeli flags the government had painted on the street. Instead, they chanted that America is not their enemy. This, while the official policy of the Iranian government continues to call for the destruction of both the United States and Israel.

 

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Iran Briefing | News Press Focus on Human Rights Violation by IRGC, Iran Human Rights

Terrorism and Suppression, the Core of Iran’s IRGC

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Terrorism and Suppression, the Core of Iran’s IRGC

Terrorism and Suppression, the Core of Iran’s IRGC

Terrorism and Suppression, the Core of Iran’s IRGC

On the dawn of January 3, the world—particularly the people of the Middle East—was released from a dangerous threat after Qassem Soleimani was taken out by a U.S. drone.
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Iran may be pushing Islamic Jihad to challenge ‘Deal of Century’

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Iran may be pushing Islamic Jihad to challenge ‘Deal of Century’

Iran is concerned about US President Donald Trump’s push for his “Deal of the Century” and his invitations to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz. 

 

Iran may be pushing Islamic Jihad to challenge ‘Deal of Century’
Iran may be pushing Islamic Jihad to challenge ‘Deal of Century’
 

Iranian regime media has reported on the potential “deal” and Palestinian attempts to prevent it.

On the face of it, Iran’s media has reported the “deal” in a relatively neutral manner. Mehr News notes that Netanyahu says this deal is a historic opportunity and that Trump has asserted that it will benefit Palestinians.

Iran’s IRNA news agency says that Jordan is maneuvering to accept the deal as well, portraying the Jordanian government as abandoning the wishes of Palestinians and its own people. However, the report notes that local media see the deal as a disgraceful plan that involves the annexation of Jerusalem and settlements “to the Zionist regime” and the complete “destruction of the right of return of refugees.”

 

Evidence for Iran’s real intentions comes from Tasnim news media, which reports in detail on Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s plans to disrupt the process. The report notes that PIJ, which fought a brief conflict with Israel in November, has called for an uprising, or intifada.

 

“The Palestinian people will never allow anyone to take Jerusalem from us,” PIJ said. The terrorist group’s political bureau, which is in regular contact with Iranian officials, says that it will work to reject the plan and commit measures to stop it. It says Palestinians should no longer trust the West.

 

PIJ has been in contact with Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and other officials over the last months, including attending the funeral for former IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani.

 

Source 

Iran Briefing | News Press Focus on Human Rights Violation by IRGC, Iran Human Rights

 

Ukrainian plane crash: Human error or strategic operation?

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Ukrainian plane crash: Human error or strategic operation?

The entire event prompts the question of how long the Iranian regime can carry on with suppressing protesters, and how this strategic operation might backfire.

 

Ukrainian plane crash: Human error or strategic operation?
Ukrainian plane crash: Human error or strategic operation?

 

The early hours of January 8 were stressful for the international community as Iran fired ballistic missiles at the Ain al-Assad military base near Baghdad and targeted Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. Although it was not an entirely successful operation, as five out of 22 missiles did not explode, the event created global anxiety, and even more among the Iranian officials.

 

As the world observed an unprecedented escalation between Iran and the US, Tehran was scrupulous not to cause any casualties on the American side, even though the Iranian media were fed by the regime propaganda claiming 80 Americans were killed during the attack.

On the one hand, the Iranian regime is not an amateur incapable of understanding the flow of information in a modern world. On the other, the Iranian people are not ignorant in regard to learning the facts about the events.

 

After the assassination of Qasem Soleimani by the US, the Iranian regime and the supreme leader promised “hard retaliation.” The Quds Force general was way more important than only a military commander. He shaped and implemented the Iranian regional policy throughout the Middle East using the Shia proxies that were more loyal to the general than to Tehran.

 

The supreme leader shed tears over Soleimani’s coffin, and the hardliners in Iran demanded retaliation. However, a flimsy attack in which five unexploded missiles out of 22 and an intentional zero casualties on the American side would not satisfy these hardliners.

 

The Iranian regime had two choices: first, to carry out further attacks on American bases in which Tehran did not want to, as it was clearly mentioned in the IRGC statement shortly after the missile attacks; and second, to find an alternative to redirect the crisis narration into a matter that Tehran could handle easier, or at least, be more familiar with.

 

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Iran Briefing | News Press Focus on Human Rights Violation by IRGC, Iran Human Rights

 

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