Iran Will Allow Russia Limited Use of Iranian Air Bases for Syria Strikes
Iran has announced that it will allow Russia to use Iranian bases “on a case by case basis” to launch air strikes against “terrorists” in Syria. “Russia doesn’t have a military base (in Iran), we have good cooperation, and on a case by case basis, when it is necessary for Russians fighting terrorism to use Iranian facilities, we will make a decision,” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who is accompanying President Hassan Rouhani in a high-profile trip to Moscow, told Reuters earlier today. Zarif also noted that Iranian and Russian leaders would discuss the Syrian conflict in their meeting in the Kremlin.
Rouhani to visit Putin in Moscow as Iran and Russia move closer
As U.S. influence wanes across the Middle East, Iran and Russia have joined forces to expand their power in the region, strengthening political and diplomatic ties and stepping up joint military operations in Syria.
In a sign of the closer relations, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is slated to travel Monday to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is expected to be Rouhani’s last major trip before he faces reelection in May.
Iran’s Spymaster Claims Pro-Regime Agents Operating in D.C., London, Canada
Iran maintains a network of spies and lobbyists who clandestinely push the Islamic regime’s agenda in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, according to the head of Iran’s ministry of intelligence, who touted the pro-Iran network’s ability to spread its ideology to the West.
In Dealing With Iran, Start With The IRGC
Rhetoric apparently reigns supreme in the Trump universe. President Donald Trump seems to be least interested in transforming his words to action. This is not to say that he always says trivial things. Between the daily barrage of Tweets and negotiating the crises associated with the presidency, Trump does offer some pearls of wisdom. Take the case of Iran. The president adopted a largely pragmatic rhetoric on Iran during the campaign. He sent some feelers after assuming office — including one on designating the notorious revolutionary guards as a terror outfit — but has failed to follow through his earlier promises. He still has time to undo the mistakes of the Obama administration.
Rouhani’s Intelligence Ministry and Khamenei’s IRGC Widen Crackdown Ahead of Election
The number of arrests carried out by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry, operating under the control of President Hassan Rouhani, increased in the last few months leading up to Iran’s May 2017 presidential election.
Research by the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) indicates that since January 2017, the ministry has increasingly targeted civil and women’s rights advocates, journalists, dual nationals, ethnic and religious minorities, environmentalists, the administrators of social media pages, and relatives of protesters killed during the state’s crackdown on peaceful protestors following the disputed 2009 presidential election.
Iran May Grant Citizenship to Afghans Fighting in Syria
Afghan militia members, fighting in Syria within the ranks of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ (IRG) Fatemiyoun Brigade, will be given Iranian citizenship, Mohammad Ali Shahidi Mahallati, an official at Iran’s Foundation for Martyrs’ and Veterans’ Affairs, said, referring to the ruling of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
As Presidential Election Nears, Iran’s Hardliners Flex Their Muscles
A year after their poor performance in parliamentary elections, Iran’s hard-line conservatives appear to be reasserting themselves. Their resurgence poses a serious challenge to reformist President Hassan Rouhani, as Iran prepares for a presidential poll in three months’ time.
Arab Paper Accuses Iran of Indoctrinating Yemeni Youth, Shipping Drugs to Houthis
A report in Asharq al-Awsat alleges that the Houthi militias have allowed large amounts of narcotic drugs into Yemen disguised as Iranian medical assistance. The report claims that Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) has set up front companies to facilitate such illicit shipments. “Iran also provided to Houthi militias and [Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah] Saleh with land mines to plant in residential areas and has continued to provide them with armory and missiles despite [U.N.] Security Council resolution 2216.” Quoting unnamed sources, the pan-Arab daily also accused Iran of “hosting 7,000 Yemeni students to indoctrinate them with their [Iranian] ideology.”
THE RISE OF THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS’ FINANCIAL EMPIRE
Many of Iran’s economic institutions have been placed under the authority of the office of the Supreme Leader, which has been dubbed “privatization,” during the past decade. Khamenei’s office and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have gained significant power over Iran’s economic resources.
IRGC Shipping Companies Engaged in Regional Arms Export
NCRI – At a press conference held in London on March 7, 2016, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) released information gathered by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) network within Iran that identified three companies, which are used as fronts to engage in smuggling arms within the region. Dr. Matthew Offord, Conservative MP, also attended to address Iran’s malign influence in the Middle East.
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