THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:00 PM CET
US Probes JPMorgan’s Links with Iranian Oil Trader’s Hedge Fund, Bloomberg News Reports
Nov 22 (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury Department is looking into JPMorgan Chase’s (JPM.N), opens new tab relationship with a hedge fund that is said to be a part of Iranian oil trader Hossein Shamkhani’s network, Bloomberg News reported, opens new tab on Friday.
Hossein Shamkhani is the son of Ali Shamkhani, a long-time ally of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and previously the country’s top security official.
The U.S. agency is scrutinizing whether JPMorgan complied with all rules and regulations when it took on UAE-based hedge fund Ocean Leonid Investments as a client, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
JPMorgan and Ocean Leonid did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment while the Treasury Department declined a comment. Hossein Shamkhani could not be immediately reached.
UPDATE: 6:00 PM CET
Another Senior Member of Iran’s Regime Caught in Canada, CBSA Says
Another senior member of the Iranian regime has been found living in Canada, bringing the number to 16, according to immigration officials. The Canada Border Services Agency also said it had sent one more of the alleged officials to the Immigration and Refugee Board for a deportation hearing. Seven deportation hearings are now underway against suspected senior Iranian regime members, in addition to two that have already resulted in deportation orders. The updated figures are as of Oct. 15. The Canadian government will not identify the regime members whose cases are still ongoing.
UPDATE: 1:30 PM CET
92 People, Mostly Syrians, Killed in Airstrikes on Palmyra
Homs province: The number of fatalities in Israeli airstrikes, which targeted different positions in Palmyra city in Homs countryside on Wednesday, has increased to 92.
The fatalities are distributed as follows:
- 61 Syrian members of Iranian-backed militias, including 11 officers and sub-officers working for the Lebanese Hezbollah.
- 27 people of non-Syrian nationalities, mostly members of Al-Nujaba’ Iraqi Movement.
- Four members of the Lebanese Hezbollah.
The airstrikes also left 21 people, including seven civilians, injured.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CET
Security Guard at US Embassy in Oslo Arrested for Espionage
OSLO, Nov 21 (Reuters) – A security guard working at the U.S. embassy in Norway has been arrested on suspicion of espionage on behalf of Russia and Iran, a Norwegian security police official said on Thursday.
The man, a Norwegian citizen in his 20s, was arrested at his home on Wednesday, police said. On Thursday, a court ruled he could be detained for an initial four weeks, with the first week in isolation, while police investigate.
“The accused man was an employee, a security guard, at the U.S. embassy in Oslo,” Thomas Blom, a lawyer for the security police service PST, told reporters.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET
Khamenei’s Legacy for Iran: Poverty, Repression, and A Failing Economy
Over the past half-century, Iran has experienced a devastating economy that has destroyed the homes and livelihoods of many of its people. Amid this, the crisis-inducing and perpetuating policies of the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the successor to regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini, have been the primary drivers of the most destructive economic crises in the country. Suppression of progressive forces domestically and the export of terrorism and fundamentalism abroad have led to a horrifying spiral that has eradicated Iranians’ living conditions, productivity, and welfare.
Despite the weakening of religious fascism in recent years, the resulting crises persist. Today, the Iranian people must either endure polluted air filled with heavy fuel oil and substandard gasoline, resigning themselves to a slow death or suffer through exhausting blackouts. To afford a simple meal, such as an omelet, one must buy tomatoes priced at 700,000 rials per kilogram. Even state media have admitted the policy failures of the past fifty years. These policies have led to widespread poverty, technological decline, low-quality production, capital flight, rising unemployment, and inflation.
A Snapshot of Children’s Rights in Iran: Ranking and Indicators
The state of children’s rights in Iran is a direct reflection of the systemic shortcomings in the regime’s policies. While modest progress in areas such as health and education exists, these achievements are overshadowed by the government’s failure to address critical challenges. The conditional acceptance of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, subordinating international standards to domestic and Islamic laws, has undermined the full realization of children’s rights in the country.
Environmental neglect, marked by inadequate action against air pollution, water scarcity, and climate change, exemplifies the regime’s disregard for the long-term well-being of its youngest citizens. Social crises, such as child labor and early marriage, are perpetuated by economic mismanagement, deepening poverty, and insufficient enforcement of protective laws. The digital divide, exacerbated during the pandemic, further highlights the regime’s inability to invest in equitable infrastructure.
The Leading Role of Women in the November 2019 Uprising
Today, as we mark the anniversary of the November 2019 uprising — one of the largest uprisings in modern Iranian history — we’ll explore the leading role of women, their widespread presence, and leadership in this movement. This uprising showcased extraordinary moments of courage and leadership by Iranian women.
We dedicate this episode to the women of the November 2019 uprising, and we’ll focus on the role of women in the Resistance Units and their contributions to the fight for Iran’s freedom.
The November 2019 uprising was sparked on the 15th of November by a sudden hike in fuel prices. Protests rapidly spread to 191 cities. Iranians from all walks of life poured into the streets, chanting slogans like “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to Rouhani.”
Iran: 150 Schools in Isfahan Province Affected by Subsidence; 42 Evacuated
Mohammadreza Ebrahimi, Director General of Education in Isfahan province, announced that approximately 150 schools in Isfahan province have been affected by subsidence, and “so far, 42 schools have been completely evacuated.”
According to the state-run Tasnim News Agency, Ebrahimi stated that schools in Isfahan province have also been affected by repeated subsidence incidents. He added that “several schools in Barkhar and Shahin Shahr counties” have also been evacuated, and schools in some other counties have been evacuated as well.
In another report by the regime’s Etemad newspaper, Mehdi Zare, a seismologist and professor at the Earthquake Research Institute, stated in his latest assessments that approximately 11% of Iran’s total land area is affected by subsidence.
Food Insecurity Is Rapidly Spreading in Iran
The Research Center of the Iran Chamber reported that, according to the latest available statistics, approximately 32 million people in the country were living below the poverty line (food insecurity) by the end of 2021. This trend continues to expand rapidly due to the severe inflation of recent years. On November 16, the Research Center examined the causes of inflation in the Iranian economy and the necessary measures to address this phenomenon under various scenarios, focusing on monetary perspectives and the impact of exchange rates.
The Iran Chamber emphasized that in economies with 20% inflation, discussions about production, investment, and economic growth are practically futile and unconventional.
Brussels: MEK Supporters Rally to Honor November 2019 Martyrs and Denounce Iran Regime’s Crimes
Brussels, Belgium—November 16, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the November 2019 uprising. The rally aimed to honor the memory of over 1,500 protesters who lost their lives during the regime’s brutal crackdown, while also calling for solidarity with the ongoing struggle for freedom in Iran.
Vienna—November 20, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally Against Appeasement Policy Toward Iran’s Regime Nuclear Program
Vienna, Austria—November 20, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally simultaneously with the IAEA Board of Governors meeting against the appeasement policy toward the mullahs’ regime. The Iranian community in Vienna also commemorated the martyrs of the nationwide Iranian uprising in November 2019.
Malmö: Iranian Resistance Supporters Rally to Honor November 2019 Martyrs and Denounce Iran Regime’s Crimes
Malmö, Sweden—November 16, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally and exhibition to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the November 2019 uprising. The rally aimed to honor the memory of over 1,500 protesters who lost their lives during the regime’s brutal crackdown, while also calling for solidarity with the ongoing struggle for freedom in Iran.