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Iranian funds locked in S. Korea will not be released until Iran rejoins nuclear deal: Blinken

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Iranian funds locked in S. Korea will not be released until Iran rejoins nuclear deal: Blinken

The United States will not ease any of its sanctions on Iran, including the release of Iranian funds blocked in South Korea, until Iran first complies with its obligations under its nuclear deal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

“As we’ve said, if Iran comes back into compliance, with its obligations under the nuclear agreement, we would do the same thing that would involve, if it came to that, if Iran made good on its obligations, sanctions relief pursuant to the agreement,” the top U.S. diplomat told the House Foreign Relations Committee.

“But unless and until Iran comes back into compliance, they won’t be getting that relief and the report you referred to is simply incorrect,” he added when asked by a lawmaker.

South Korea earlier said it may release about US$1 billion of Iranian money held in South Korean banks after first consulting with the United States and if the U.S. agrees to it.

Blinken flatly dismissed any plans to release Iranian funds, saying, “We are not,” when asked why the funds were being released.

About $7 billion in Iranian funds are currently frozen in South Korean banks.

Read the complete article at: YONHAP News Agency





The United States will not ease any of its sanctions on Iran, including the release of Iranian funds blocked in South Korea, until Iran first complies with its obligations under its nuclear deal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. “As we’ve said, if Iran comes back into compliance, with its obligations under the nuclear agreement, we would do the same thing that would involve, if it came to that, if Iran made good on its obligations, sanctions relief pursuant to the agreement,” the top U.S. diplomat told the House Foreign Relations Committee. “But unless and until Iran comes back into compliance, they won’t be getting that relief and the report you referred to is simply incorrect,” he added when asked by a lawmaker. South Korea earlier said it may release about US$1 billion of Iranian money held in South Korean banks after first consulting with the United States and if the U.S. agrees to it. Blinken flatly dismissed any plans to release Iranian funds, saying, “We are not,” when asked why the funds were being released. About $7 billion in Iranian funds are currently frozen in South Korean banks.

US President Joe Biden extends sanctions against Iran for another year

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US President Joe Biden extends sanctions against Iran for another year

US President Joe Biden has decreed to extend the set of sanctions against Iran, which are in force since 1995, for another year, the White House press office announced.

“The actions and policies of the Government of Iran – including its proliferation and development of missiles and other asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities, its network and campaign of regional aggression, its support for terrorist groups, and the malign activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its surrogates – continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” the statement reads.

“For these reasons, the national emergency declared on March 15, 1995, must continue in effect beyond March 15, 2021,” according to the statement.

The US national emergency state with respect to Iran was declared in March 1995 by former US President Bill Clinton.

Source: TASS





US President Joe Biden has decreed to extend the set of sanctions against Iran, which are in force since 1995, for another year, the White House press office announced. “The actions and policies of the Government of Iran – including its proliferation and development of missiles and other asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities, its network and campaign of regional aggression, its support for terrorist groups, and the malign activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its surrogates – continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” extends sanctions the statement reads. “For these reasons, the national emergency declared on March 15, 1995, must continue in effect beyond March 15, 2021,” according to the statement. The US national emergency state with respect to Iran was declared in March 1995 by former US President Bill extends sanctions Clinton. must continue in effect beyond March 15, 2021,” according to the statement. The US national emergency state with respect to Iran was declared in March 1995 by former US President Bill Clinton.

Iran tried to recruit me as a spy, says former prisoner Kylie Moore-Gilbert

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Iran tried to recruit me as a spy, says former prisoner Kylie Moore-Gilbert

A British-Australian academic said she suffered “psychological torture” while jailed in Iran and claims Tehran tried to recruit her as a spy, in her first interview since she was released last year.

In comments aired by CNN-affiliate Sky News Australia on Tuesday, Kylie Moore-Gilbert also criticized the Australian government’s attempts at using “quiet diplomacy” to free her.

Moore-Gilbert, a lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Melbourne, was held for two years from September 2018 after being arrested at a Tehran airport and accused of spying amid tensions between Iran and the United States.

She was found guilty of espionage in 2019 and sentenced to 10 years in prison but was released by Iran in November in an apparent prisoner exchange for three Iranians held overseas.

Moore-Gilbert told Sky News the first room she was held in was a “two meter by two meter box,” with no toilet.

Read the complete article at: CNN





A British-Australian academic said she suffered “psychological torture” while jailed in Iran and claims Tehran tried to recruit her as a spy, in her first interview since she was released last year.In comments aired by CNN-affiliate Sky News Australia on Tuesday, Kylie Moore-Gilbert also criticized the Australian government’s attempts at using “quiet diplomacy” to free her.Moore-Gilbert, a lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Melbourne, was held for two years from September 2018 after being arrested at a Tehran airport and accused of spying amid tensions between Iran and the United States.She was found guilty of espionage in 2019 and sentenced to 10 years in prison but was released by Iran in November in an apparent prisoner exchange for three Iranians held overseas.Moore-Gilbert told Sky former prisoner former prisoner News the first room she was held in was a “two meter by two meter box,” with no toilet.

Iran Nuclear Deal: IAEA Revelations Further Prove than the Regime Cannot be Trusted

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Iran Nuclear Deal: IAEA Revelations Further Prove than the Regime Cannot be Trusted

The threat of Iran becoming armed with a nuclear weapon increases with every day that passes and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is under pressure to bring in a new resolution to counteract this threat. The Iranian opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran) reported that the European signatories to the deal – France, Britain, and Germany – made the decision last week not to present a resolution.

Nuclear material was detected at two sites by IAEA

The IAEA’s Director-General said during a press conference last week that Iran has agreed to open talks in an effort to clarify the safeguard issues the organization has been seeking answers to for the past two years.

In February, the IAEA published a report on the status of the Iran nuclear deal and it revealed that nuclear material was detected at two sites the regime had not disclosed.

It was clear that the regime has been far from truthful when it comes to its nuclear program and its goals and that it should not have been trusted during the agreement negotiations.

There are major calls for Western powers to approach the deal in a different way and for decisive attempts to be made to dismantle or at least constrain its efforts.

Read the complete article at: Stop Fundamentalism





The IAEA’s Director-General said during a press conference last week that Iran has agreed to open talks in an effort to clarify the safeguard issues the organization has been seeking answers to for the past two years. The threat of Iran becoming armed with a nuclear weapon increases with every day that passes and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is under pressure to bring in a new resolution to counteract this threat. The Iranian opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran) reported that the European signatories to the deal – France, Britain, and Germany – made the decision last week not to present a resolution. IAEA Revelations IAEA Revelations

US blacklists two IRGC interrogators for ‘gross rights violations’

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US blacklists two IRGC interrogators for ‘gross rights violations’

The United States on Tuesday blacked two of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials “for their involvement in gross violations of human rights” during the 2019 and 2020 protests in Iran.

In a statement carried by the US Department of State, US Secretary of State said Antony Blinken said that IRGC interrogators Ali Hemmatian and Masoud Safdari and their immediate family members are now ineligible for entry into the US.

Blinken also said that the US is committed to promoting accountability for those responsible for such actions.

“We will continue to consider all appropriate tools to impose costs on those responsible for human rights violations and abuses in Iran. We will also work with our allies to promote accountability for such violations and abuses.”

“The United States will continue to support the rights of people in Iran and demand the Iranian government treat its people with respect and dignity,” the US secretary of state added.

Source: Saudi Gazette




The United States on Tuesday blacked two of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials “for their involvement in gross violations of human rights” during the 2019 and 2020 protests in Iran. In a statement carried by the US Department of State, US Secretary of State said Antony Blinken said that IRGC interrogators Ali Hemmatian and Masoud Safdari and their immediate family members are now ineligible for entry into the US. Blinken also said that the US is committed to promoting accountability for those responsible for such actions. “We will continue to consider all appropriate tools to impose costs on those responsible for human rights violations and abuses in Iran. We will also work with our allies to promote accountability for such violations and abuses.” “The United States will continue to support the rights of people in Iran and demand the Iranian government treat its people with respect and dignity,” the US secretary of state US blacklists US blacklists added.

Iran’s Women Enduring Violence, High Unemployment, Say Activists on Women’s Day

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Iran’s Women Enduring Violence, High Unemployment, Say Activists on Women’s Day

Iranian rights activists based in Iran and in exile have marked International Women’s Day by drawing attention to some of the main hardships facing women in the Islamic republic, including violence directed at them by men and deepening unemployment in a coronavirus-hit economy.  

“As a woman who grew up in the Islamic republic, I’m very much accustomed to the regime’s assaults, humiliations and insults,” said Iran-based dissident Narges Mohammadi in a video message to VOA Persian for a special Monday program about International Women’s Day. “But I object to the way the regime has treated me recently. Why did male police assault and rough me up? I’ve repeatedly asked officials to send me a written response, but they have not done so,” she said.   

Mohammadi, a 48-year-old journalist and human rights advocate, had been released in October from five years of imprisonment in Iran after years of campaigning by international rights activists demanding an end to what they described as her unjust and cruel detention. In an August message to VOA, her France-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, said Mohammadi needed specialized medical care outside prison for a lung disease and weakened immune system, as well as for beatings that she apparently sustained during a prison transfer in December 2019.  

Read the complete article at: VOA News





Mohammadi, a 48-year-old journalist and human rights advocate, had been released in October from five years of imprisonment in Iran after years of campaigning by international rights activists demanding an end to what they described as her unjust and cruel detention. In an August message to VOA, her France-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, said Mohammadi Enduring Violence Enduring Violence needed specialized medical care outside prison for a lung disease and weakened immune system, as well as for beatings that she apparently sustained during a prison transfer in December December 2019.  

Saudi official says Iran smuggles missiles, drones to Houthi militias

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Saudi official says Iran smuggles missiles, drones to Houthi militias
Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry spokesman on Monday accused Islamic republic of Iran of smuggling missiles and drones to Yemen’s Houthi movement, Reuters reported.

Colonel Turki al-Malki, who is also spokesman of the Saudi-led military coalition battling the Houthis, was speaking on Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television.

Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi group has conducted hundreds of cross-border attacks on the kingdom.

Tehran frequently has been accused of providing the group with missiles and military equipment.  

Last year, Saudi Arabia reported that its security forces discovered a “terrorist cell” with alleged ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. At least 10 people are reportedly detained by Saudi police.

A statement released at that time by the Presidency of State Security said three of those detained had received training in Iran by its Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) in October 2017 on manufacturing explosives.

IRGC was designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019.

Read the complete article at: AVA Today




smuggles missiles smuggles missiles Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry spokesman on Monday accused Islamic republic of Iran of smuggling missiles and drones to Yemen’s Houthi movement, Reuters reported. Colonel Turki al-Malki, who is also spokesman of the Saudi-led military coalition battling the Houthis, was speaking on Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television. Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi group has conducted hundreds of cross-border attacks on the kingdom. Tehran frequently has been accused of providing the group with missiles and military equipment. Last year, Saudi Arabia reported that its security forces discovered a “terrorist cell” with alleged ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. At least 10 people are reportedly detained by Saudi police.   IRGC was designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019. IRGC was designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019. IRGC was designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019. IRGC was designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019.

Hamas shell company in Turkey had funneled Quds Force funds to Qassam Brigades for years

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Hamas shell company in Turkey had funneled Quds Force funds to Qassam Brigades for years
A Turkish company set up by Hamas operatives to funnel funds from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) and Hezbollah to the Qassam Brigades dissolved itself after it was designated by the US Treasury as a sponsor of terrorism, a Nordic Monitor investigation has found out.

Redin Danışmanlık İç Ve Dış Ticaret Limited Şirketi, a consulting and foreign trade firm identified as Redin Exchange by the US, was sanctioned by the US Treasury on September 10, 2019 for transferring money to Hamas for terrorist acts. The company’s owners rushed to liquidate after the designation and decided to dissolve it 10 days later at a board meeting.

The decision was notarized on September 30, and the official petition to dissolve the company was approved by authorities on October 4, 2020.

According to the US government, the firm has “materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to, HAMAS.” Some examples of this backing include a transfer of $10 million in March 2019 to Hamas’s operational arm, the Izz-Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, also involving Treasury-designated financial facilitator Muhammad Sarur.

Redin’s footprints were seen throughout 2017 on several occasions while transferring tens of millions of dollars to Hamas, according to the Treasury release. In July 2018 Redin Exchange paved the way for the delivery of $4 million, which Iran’s Quds Force sent to Hamas. Redin was also responsible for sending $2 million from the Quds Force to Hezbollah and Hamas in May 2018. In July 2017 the company was the intermediary for a transfer of $5.5 million from a senior Hamas leader to Hamas finance chief Zaher Jabarin, who is based in Turkey and was one of the persons added to the list.

Read the complete article at: Nordic Monitor


shell company Turkey and was one of the persons added to the list. shell company

IRGC Generals Line up to Replace Hassan Rouhani as President

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IRGC Generals Line up to Replace Hassan Rouhani as President

Prominent members of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are lining up for this summer’s presidential election, which marks the end of moderate President Hassan Rouhani’s term and likely a pivot to a more combative and inflexible regime in Tehran.

IRGC figures are hoping to capitalize on a conservative wave, buoyed by the failure of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal, former President Donald Trump‘s punitive “maximum pressure” campaign on Tehran, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s desire to secure the future of the Iranian theocracy.

American sanctions and diplomatic isolation have choked Iran’s economy, which has also struggled to stay afloat amid the chaos unleashed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Rouhani’s moderate government has brutally crushed unrest, throttling internet connectivity and freeing security forces to gun down dissenters in the streets. Rouhani’s landmark JCPOA deal was supposed to bring prosperity to Iran, but even before Trump torpedoed it the accord’s benefits remained elusive.

There remains strong opposition to the theocratic regime in Tehran, but within the narrow confines of Iran’s managed democracy, the conservatives—including the influential ideologues within the IRGC—are in the ascendency.

U.S. duplicity and belligerence has empowered the hardliners who always warned against the deal. For them, Trump’s term was all the proof needed that Americans cannot be trusted to respect any deal, regardless of what party they represent.

Conservative candidates swept last year’s parliamentary elections—though they were helped by historically low turnout—and have since been lambasting Rouhani’s government for its overtures to the U.S. and its support for the JCPOA.

Lawmakers have even brought legal action against the administration for trying to water down the parliamentary legislation expanding the country’s nuclear program in response to the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, reportedly by Israeli agents.

Read the complete article at: Newsweek

Also read: India Blames IRGC’s Quds Force For Blast Outside Israeli Embassy

Israel upgrading contingency plans for Iran attack

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Israel upgrading contingency plans for Iran attack

Tension seems to be rising between Iran and Israel as the latter’s defense minister said his country is upgrading contingency plans to strike Iranian targets if Tehran shows signs of nuclear escalation.

Israel is still working on its plans, but that “we have them in our hands of course,” Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz told the American cable network Fox News on Thursday.

His comments came as President Joe Biden considers re-joining a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers to limit Iran’s nuclear program, with some changes to toughen curbs on Tehran’s activities.

The US’s Former President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the atomic accord in 2018 and imposed a so-called campaign of maximum pressure, including sanctions, on Tehran.

Since then, Iran has stepped up uranium enrichment. The UN nuclear watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, which monitors Iran’s nuclear program — said earlier this week that Iran nearly tripled its stockpile of enriched uranium since November in violation of its deal with world powers.

Read the complete article at: Arab News



Israel is still working on its plans, but that “we have them in our hands of course,” Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz told the American cable network Fox News on Thursday. His comments came as President Joe Biden considers re-joining a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers to limit Iran’s nuclear program, with some changes to toughen curbs on Tehran’s activities. The US’s Former President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the atomic accord in 2018 and imposed a so-called campaign of maximum pressure, including sanctions, on Tehran. Since then, Iran has stepped up uranium enrichment. The UN nuclear watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, which monitors Iran’s nuclear program — said earlier this week that Iran nearly tripled its stockpile of enriched uranium contingency plans since November in violation of its deal with world powers.
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