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Media In Iran Slam Raisi For Evading Crucial Issues In Televised Talk

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Media In Iran Slam Raisi For Evading Crucial Issues In Televised Talk

Media in Iran have criticized President Ebrahim Raisi for evading significant questions during his recent televised, including on the issue of nuclear talks.

The much-advertised interview broadcast by Channel One of the state-run television in a prime time slot had nothing new and concrete to offer, critics of the hardline president say. They allege that the interview was held in a highly controlled “green-house environment”, questions were dictated by the interviewee, and it was a “monologue” and propaganda event rather than a real, challenging interview.

“Green-house interviews may shield the President from the harms of exposure to the media sun, rain, and wind. But this makes him equally vulnerable as he may catch a cold even if a small media breeze suddenly gets through a window!” Reformist Etemad daily wrote Tuesday.

The conservative Jomhouri Eslami newspaper also warned that officials of the Islamic Republic will never be able to convince the public as long as they avoid interviews with free and independent journalists.

The hardliner media affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard and ruling circles have stayed mostly silent about the TV program.

Many have also pointed out that the interviewer repeatedly sang praises of the Raisi administration and its “achievements” while posing his questions. “Niceties [by the presenter] were so exaggerated that it appeared as if an employee is paying lip service to his employer,” conservative Asr-e Iran website charged in a commentary Monday entitled “This Is Not an Interview, It’s a PR Talk Between Boss and Civil Servant”.

The presenter only asked about the nuclear talks in Vienna towards the end of the one-hour talk, to which Raisi gave a very general and short answer.

He avoided referring to the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and only talked about the importance of “lifting of sanctions”, a matter of great importance to the Iranian economy, which nevertheless needs an agreement with the United States.

Source: Iran International

Also Read: Raisi, Khamenei Come Under Fire For Economic Crisis, Brain Drain

Iran-backed Militias Use Vegetable Trucks to Smuggle Weapons into Syria

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Iran-backed Militias Use Vegetable Trucks to Smuggle Weapons into Syria

A shipment of arms and ammunition loaded on vegetable trucks entered Syrian territory from Iraq, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Observatory said that the shipment was smuggled out “fear of being targeted” by the United States or Israel.

It entered Syria through an unofficial border crossing.

The weapons, which included short-range rockets and their launchers, were moved to the town of al-Mayadin in the southern countryside of Deir Ezzor. They were allegedly stored in tunnels dug beneath the town’s historic citadel.

Meanwhile, the Ain al-Furat Network said that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has shut its shared radio frequencies with the Syrian regime forces in the areas of the eastern countryside of Homs.

The forces only kept a single frequency for emergency purposes.

The network’s correspondent quoted a private military source as saying that the decision came at the request of the IRGC leadership at the T-4 military airport, east of Homs, without providing any further explanation.

The military source said there were seven open frequencies between the Syrian regime forces and the IRGC, including five for military purposes, one logistical, and one medical.

The Russian forces communicate with the Revolutionary Guards through the joint emergency frequency with the Syrian regime.

The relationship between the regime and the Iranian militias is witnessing tensions. Activists said “Hajj Askar,” the official in charge of the pro-Iranian militias in al-Bukamal, east of Deir Ezzor, has refused to open halls for the regime forces so they can carry out the settlement agreements set to take effect on Monday.

Instead, the regime set up tents at the entrance of Deir Ezzor to handle the settlement, according to the Observatory.

Last month, over 1,000 people agreed to the settlement in the Reconciliation Center in al-Mayadin.

According to human rights sources, 1,050 persons, most of whom are former members of the opposition factions and defectors from the regime forces, arms dealers, and wanted persons on terrorism charges from different areas of the Deir Ezzor countryside, agreed to the settlement in the center inaugurated by the Syrian intelligence last month.

Source: Asharq Al-Awsat

Also Read: Iran Revolutionary Guards smuggle foreign fighters into Yemen

Iran’s Quds Force chief warns US as hopes for nuclear accord fade

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Iran’s Quds Force chief warns US as hopes for nuclear accord fade

The commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that the United States’ “teeth will be crushed” if it moves against Iran, according to state media.

Brig. Gen. Esmail Ghaani warned that Iran’s military capabilities had advanced to the point that the US “cannot do what you used to do in the past any longer. … The hit-and-run tactics no longer work,” he said.

The threats come as the latest round of indirect negotiations continues in Vienna over curtailing Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions.

Earlier today, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Iran’s “recent moves, recent rhetoric, don’t give us a lot of cause for optimism.”

“It is not too late for Iran to reverse course and engage meaningfully,” Blinken told reporters at a summit in Stockholm. “In the very near future, the next day or so, we will be in a position to judge whether Iran actually intends now to engage in good faith.”

Iran’s lead negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, said Wednesday evening that his side had presented their proposal for “the removal of unjust sanctions and nuclear issues.”

Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said on Thursday that the talks were proceeding, but that his government is “not optimistic.”

“We went to Vienna with serious determination, but we are not optimistic about the will and the intention of the United States and the three European parties to the deal,” Amir-Abdollahian reportedly said during a phone conversation with Japan’s top diplomat.

Yesterday, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog warned that Iran was enriching uranium amid the latest round of talks, by using advanced centrifuges at its Ferdow plant in violation of the 2015 agreement, to which Tehran is still a party.

“What Iran can’t do is sustain the status quo of building their nuclear program while dragging their feet on talks. That will not happen,” Blinken said today.

Source: Al-Monitor

Also Read: Iran IRGC Quds Force chief’s secret visit to Lebanon

‘Collaborating with the mullahs’: Iranian dissidents warn US not to return to the nuclear deal

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‘Collaborating with the mullahs’: Iranian dissidents warn US not to return to the nuclear deal

While Iran announced that it is escalating its nuclear program, despite the Vienna talks aimed at preventing just that, Iranian activists are speaking out to Fox News.

“My message to President Biden, it is that the regime of Iran does not represent the people of Iran,” said Ali, an Iranian activist who, like the others, warns of the consequences of the U.S. dropping sanctions against Iran if it re-enters the Iranian nuclear agreement.

“If the U.S. goes back to the nuclear deal, that’s the same thing would happen as happened back in 2015. Iran, the regime of Iran, is going to gain almost $160 billion and 1.7 billion Euros, and yet it is not going to stop its nuclear actions, and actually they even develop their ballistics and drone military drone programs.”

“You asked what will happen if the United States returns to JCPOA? I say frankly that this will be a tragedy,” says Sima, another activist who says the administration should not even entertain Tehran’s demands about the deal, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.

“The message of the U.S.’s return to JCPOA to us, Iranians, is that the U.S. is collaborating with the Mullahs in suppressing and killing the Iranian people and the Mullahs’ crimes against us, that serves the dictatorship and religious fascism. How can ransom be paid to a regime that brutally kills its own people?”

“After the JCPOA deal in 2015, the regime took the cash and spent it on terrorism. Our women in Iran resort to prostitution for a piece of bread,” she says. “Lifting sanctions or giving cash to the regime will only prolong its life, the life of the dictatorship.”

For months, massive protests have spread throughout the country from people calling for the overthrow of the regime, unhappy with government policies that have led to a troubled economy, rationing, and shortages of goods. Reports say thousands of demonstrators have been arrested or killed by regime forces. Fox News is not identifying the activists whom we spoke to for their own safety. But they are united in their opposition to the regime and steadfast in their message to President Biden and the American people.

Source: Fox News

Also Read: UK and Israel pledge to stop Iran gaining nuclear weapons

US Senators To Introduce Bill Against ‘Iran’s Terror Campaign Abroad’

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US Senators To Introduce Bill Against ‘Iran’s Terror Campaign Abroad’

Masih Alinejad, an Iranian activist says that she would join two US Senators introducing a law named after her, aimed at Iran’s “transnational terror campaign.”

No details of the legislation proposed by Democrat Ben Cardin and Republican Pat Toomey have been published. It may propose additional sanctions against Iran just as diplomats in Vienna are working to revive the 2015 agreement limiting Iran’s nuclear program.

Alinejad, a best-selling author based in New York, was reportedly the target of an Iranian plot to kidnap her and take her to Iran via speedboat to Venezuela. A vocal supporter of strong US measures against the Islamic Republic, Alinejad has accused the Biden administration of ignoring human rights violations by Iran for the sake of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) nuclear program.

Alinejad was contacted by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken after an interview with CNN in July in which she requested a meeting with President Joe Biden. In 2019 Alinejad had a well-publicized meeting with President Donald Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Blinken said that the US would “support the indispensable work of independent journalists around the world,” and would not “tolerate efforts to intimidate them to silence their voices.”

Alinejad tweeted a readout of the call saying Blinken had found the idea that Tehran would abduct her from the US “particularly egregious.” She added Blinken had assured her the Biden administration would hold Iran accountable for the alleged plot.

The US Justice Department announced July 13 that four Iranian nationals were indicted on charges of conspiracies related to kidnapping, sanctions violations, bank and wire fraud, and money laundering, and a co-conspirator was facing additional structuring charges. One of the Iranians awaits trial in the US.

Although the Justice Department statement stressed that an indictment did not establish guilt and specifically avoided names, Alinejad announced she had been targeted for abduction along with other journalists from Canada and the United Kingdom and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had protected and monitored her home for months.

Source: Iran International

Also Read: US slaps sanctions on Iran drone commander behind attack on Israeli-linked ship

Iran Basij Chief Pledges Support To Its Social Media Soldiers

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Iran Basij Chief Pledges Support To Its Social Media Soldiers

The general commanding Iran’s paramilitary Basij, said Thursday that his social media activists would be given equipment and technical support to boost their work.

Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani was speaking to Defa Press, news agency of the armed forces, two days after he told the Basij Digital Content Creation event in Tehran that a “people’s network in cyberspace…means that the Iranian nation has deployed technology in the battlefield.”

In September Soleimani said that an “era of hit-and-run in cyberspace” was over and that the Basij needed a more systematic approach.

Ali Fadavi, deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, which supervises the Basji, in a speech Wednesday warned Basij members of that the Islamic Republic is under attack and cultural “war…happening inside our houses and in the mobile phones in our pockets and our hands.” He called on them to “enter the battlefield.”

Organized trolling has been for some time a feature of Iranian politics, helping to spread untruths and unsubstantiated allegations. Iranian authorities, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei refer to state-sponsored social-media activists as “cadets of the soft war.”

Iranian activists often allege that the IRGC and other state bodies sponsor organized trolls on social media to anonymously threaten, attack and discredit dissidents and to disseminate fake news.

The Basij has around 5 million members, according to leading academic authority Saeed Golkar, with around 200,000 cadres and special Basij, who can act as a paramilitary support to police and security forces. Thousands of members are active on social media to counter news, information and critical opinions disseminated on social-media including by Persian-speaking media abroad.

Besides maintaining extensive network of social media activists, the Islamic Republic also devotes an unknown measure of resources to control the Internet, block thousands of websites and ban foreign social media platforms such as Facebook, You Tube and Twitter. Almost every Iranian has to resort to VPNs and other tools to have access to blocked sites.

Source: Iran International

Also Read: Iran terrorist designated Basij to ramp up disinformation online campaign

Saudi Coalition Says It Attacked ‘Secret’ IRGC Targets In Yemen

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Saudi Coalition Says It Attacked ‘Secret’ IRGC Targets In Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said on Tuesday it launched air raids on “legitimate” Houthi military targets including a “secret” site belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

The coalition asked civilians not to gather around or approach potential targets, Saudi state TV reported.

The Iran-aligned Houthis’ main broadcaster, Al Masirah TV, said three air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition had hit Sanaa airport, while a fourth raid targeted a park.

The raid is one of several the coalition has carried out this month over the densely populated capital city of Sanaa.

Houthis have repeatedly launched cross-border attacks on the kingdom using drones and missiles since the coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the movement ousted the Saudi-backed government from the capital.

The conflict is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Iran has been supplying th Houthis with weapons and military technology. The Houthis are pressing an offensive in Marib, the internationally recognized government’s last northern stronghold, as well as in other areas in Yemen.

Source: Iran International

Also Read: Death toll of Iranian terrorist designated IRGC’s warmongering in Yemen

Instead of Crushing Protests, the Iranian Government Should Solve Its Water Crisis

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Instead of Crushing Protests, the Iranian Government Should Solve Its Water Crisis

The Iranian security and military forces’ violent crackdown on large protests in the city of Isfahan that broke out over severe state mismanagement of water resources is more evidence of the Ebrahim Raisi government’s policy of zero tolerance of public criticism and dissent.

“People from various sectors of society are protesting the state’s incompetence in resolving fundamental crises that are affecting their ability to live,” said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).

“Instead of revealing effective plans to alleviate the people’s suffering, the Iranian government is focused on eliminating spaces for people to air their grievances,” said Ghaemi.

“No one should be jailed or assaulted for exercising their right to protest,” he added. “The Iranian authorities are legally responsible for the health and safety of all those harmed and detained during this time.”

As of November 29, the Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that at least 214 people, including 13 individuals under the age of 18, had been arrested in Isfahan.

  • CHRI calls on the Iranian authorities to respect the people’s right to express their concerns about the water crisis without threats of violence, arrest, or death, and to bring to justice the perpetrators of the state’s excessive and violent use of force against protesters.
  • CHRI also urges governments worldwide, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human Rights Council and all relevant UN experts to condemn these severe violations of Iranians’ right to protest, and to call on the Iranian government to respect this right and to address the people’s right to water.

Farmers, Protesters Punished for Demanding Access to Water

Since mid-November 2021, thousands of farmers have been camped on the Zayandeh Rud’s dry riverbed in Isfahan to voice frustration with government policies that experts say have exacerbated the country’s water crisis.

The state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting organization initially covered the large demonstrations to argue that the protesters were government supporters. However, on November 24, security agents set fire to tents belonging to the protesters, fired into crowds, and judicial authorities announced the arrests of several people.

Source: Iran Human Rights

Also Read: More Than 200 Iranians Said Arrested, Dozens Wounded In Crackdown On Water Shortage Protests

More Than 200 Iranians Said Arrested, Dozens Wounded In Crackdown On Water Shortage Protests

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More Than 200 Iranians Said Arrested, Dozens Wounded In Crackdown On Water Shortage Protests

A U.S.-based news outlet that covers news in Iran says at least 214 people, including 13 minors, were arrested last week in a police crackdown on demonstrators protesting crippling water shortages in the central city of Isfahan.

Thirty people were wounded in the eyes by pellets fired by police officers on November 26, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Severe drought and water diversions have been blamed for drying up the Zayandehrud River that runs through Isfahan, some 400 kilometers south of Tehran.

This month, the desiccated bed of the river saw rallies drawing at times thousands of demonstrators, as farmers and other have gathered there from across Isfahan Province.

A rally on November 26 escalated into clashes, with security forces firing tear gas at stone-throwing demonstrators. Authorities said 67 “rioters” were arrested.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price has said Washington was “deeply concerned about the violent crackdown against peaceful protestors.”

“The people of Iran have a right to voice their frustrations and hold their government accountable,” Price tweeted on November 27.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni has said the water crisis is a top priority for the government.

Source: Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty

Also Read: Iranian Security Forces Set Protesters’ Tents On Fire In ‘Clean-Up’ Operation In Isfahan

 

UK and Israel pledge to stop Iran gaining nuclear weapons

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UK and Israel pledge to stop Iran gaining nuclear weapons

The United Kingdom and Israel will “work night and day” in preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power, the foreign ministers of the two countries wrote in a joint article.

“The clock is ticking, which heightens the need for close cooperation with our partners and friends to thwart Tehran’s ambitions,” the UK’s Liz Truss and her Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid wrote in The Telegraph newspaper on Sunday.

Lapid arrived in London on Sunday for a two-day trip to the UK and France, a day before talks on Iran’s nuclear programme restart in Vienna.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said earlier in the day that his country was “very worried” that world powers will remove sanctions on Iran in exchange for insufficient caps on its nuclear programme, as negotiators convene in Vienna on Monday in a last-ditch effort to salvage a nuclear deal.

One of Lapid’s primary goals of visiting the UK and France is to ensure that banking sanctions against Iran remain in place, Israeli Channel 13 reported.

Lapid is expected to meet his British counterpart Truss on Monday to sign a series of agreements, including a 10-year agreement to work closely on areas such as cybersecurity, technology, trade and defence, according to The Telegraph.

The foreign ministers said in the article that Israel will officially become Britain’s “tier one” cyber-partner, in a bid to improve its cyber-defences as countries around the world face increased threats.

Lapid is then scheduled to attend an event hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, where both officials will give speeches.

The foreign minister is slated to travel to France on Monday night, before the meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday afternoon.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, reacted to the joint article by saying it casted doubt on Western intentions heading into the Vienna talks to salvage the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the nuclear deal is formally known.

Source: Aljazeera

Also Read: IDF chief: Army ‘accelerating’ plans targeting Iran’s nuclear program

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