Amnesty International’s 2016/17 Report Exposes Iran’s Record of Human Rights Abuses
The Amnesty International Report 2016/17 released yesterday blasted the Iranian regime’s record of human rights abuses, particularly acts of torture and imprisonment of political activists after unfair trials, discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, and an alarming number of executions.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) conducted its latest war games this week. Named the Great Prophet 11, the military drills included all the usual panoply to be expected. From the I.R.G.C. touting its capacity to wage warfare in urban terrain to testing of drones, missiles and artillery firepower, the three-day war games had it all.
Iran-Backed Militiamen Playing Leading Role in Western Mosul, Spreading anti-U.S. Propaganda
As the Iraqi government announced on Sunday the launch of an offensive to regain control of western Mosul from the Islamic State, Iran-backed Iraqi militia units are playing a leading role in the military operations in the region, the Iranian media reports.
Iran, North Korea Strengthening Ties to “Oppose” U.S. and Its Allies
On February 19, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani met with his North Korean counterpart Choe Thae-bok in Tehran and the two sides called for further strengthening ties between their countries, the Iranian parliament’s official website reports. “We have always pursued lasting relations with North Korea.
Ali Akbar Velayati, the top foreign policy advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has dismissed Turkish charges that Tehran is engaging in dangerous sectarian policies in the Middle East.
Sweden-Based Researcher on Hunger Strike in Iran after Judge Dismisses His Lawyer
Ahmadraza Jalali, a Sweden-based Iranian researcher detained in Iran since April 2016, has begun a second hunger strike in Tehran’s Evin Prison to protest his unfair trial, the Campaign for Human Rights in Ir
Bahrain Says Dismantled “Terror Cells” Linked to Iran
Authorities in Bahrain claim they have dismantled a number of “terror cells” and arrested 20 individuals who reportedly received military training in Iran and Iraq, the Bahraini state-run media reports.
According to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) continues to arrest family members of dissidents. In one recent case, “Leila Haghighatjou, the sister of Fatemeh Haghighatjou, an outspoken critic of the Islamic Republic, was arrested” by the I.R.G.C. on December 19, 2016 to intimidate her sister who lives in the United States.
Worries in Tehran over Trump Exploring anti-Iran Arab Alliance
Recent reports that claimed the Trump administration is contemplating forming a military alliance with Arab allies to contain Iran have generated anxiety in Tehran.
In a fiery speech, Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Lebanon’s Hezbollah organization, has threatened Jerusalem with devastating military response in the event of a new round of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
Iranian Protestors Blast Government for Engaging in Foreign Wars and Neglecting Domestic Priorities
Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan Province has been hit by four consecutive days of angry protest rallies, as residents have been calling on the government to address the region’s worsening environmental degradation and air pollution. People are also angry because their power and water supplies have been cut off for several days as well. Protesters in the provincial capital city of Ahwaz also blasted local authorities and the government of President Hassan Rouhani for neglecting the region.
