THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:30 PM CET
MPs Tell Starmer: Sanction Iran’s Revolutionary Guards
Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and stop relying on “ineffective” sanctions that are “riddled with loopholes”. A cross-party group of more than 40 MPs, peers and other public figures has written to the Prime Minister to argue that sanctions are not working and the IRGC must be listed as a terrorist group.
Labour MPs and peers are among the signatories, as is Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of MI6.
Luke Akehurst, Labour MP for North Durham, said: “I have signed the call for the IRGC to be proscribed as they are a significant terror threat to UK interests and allies in the Middle East … potentially even here in the UK.
UPDATE: 5:00 PM CET
Tehran Sees The Presence Of The Iranian Opposition Leader In The European Parliament As A Harbinger Of A Deeper Crisis In Tehran-Brussels Relations
On the eve of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting, Bulletin News, an outlet linked to the intelligence unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, reported on November 21, 2024: “The European Parliament has recently been the venue for political maneuvers centered around Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran.”
The People’s Mujahedin, the main opposition group to the Iranian regime, is the principal component of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), led by Maryam Rajavi. During a recent meeting at the European Parliament, Rajavi called for a non-nuclear future for Iran and emphasized the NCRI’s commitment to regime change. Notably, it was the NCRI that first exposed Tehran’s clandestine nuclear activities in 2002, revelations that reshaped international scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear program.
Israel Kills Hezbollah Leader Who Planned Elaborate Attack on U.S. Soldiers in Iraq
A recent Israeli airstrike in Syria killed a senior Hezbollah commander who helped plan one of the boldest and most sophisticated attacks against American troops during the Iraq War, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
Ali Mussa Daqduq had been captured by U.S. forces following the 2007 raid in which militants posing as an American security team killed five U.S. soldiers. But he was later released by the Iraqi government.
In the aftermath of the attack, U.S. officials suspected the militants had direct support from Iran, given the level of coordination, training and intelligence required to carry it out.
U.S. forces captured Daqduq in March 2007 and soon achieved a breakthrough in establishing that Iran’s Quds Force, an elite unit of the country’s Revolutionary Guard, was involved in planning the Karbala raid. Under questioning, Daqduq said the operation resulted from direct support and training by the Quds Force.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CET
A Grim Reality: Unsafe Mining Conditions in Iran Endanger Workers’ Lives
Iran’s mining sector faces a dire safety crisis, with traditional and unsafe practices putting workers’ lives at constant risk. Ahmad Meydari, Minister of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare, recently revealed alarming statistics: of the country’s 101 mines, 100 operate with traditional methods, lacking modern safety measures. “The lives of workers in these mines are in danger,” Meydari said, highlighting the absence of proper standards and safety protocols, particularly in 62 coal mines. The Ministry has formally requested the judicial system to shut down seven unsafe mines.
Meydari admitted on November 22 that nearly all mining equipment imported into Iran lacks essential safety certifications. “We have yet to define proper standards for mining equipment and machinery,” he stated, identifying locomotives, life-saving devices, and non-standard sensors as primary culprits behind mining accidents.
Iran’s Escalating Migration Crisis: Economic and Social Implications
Ali Rabii, the Social Affairs Advisor to the Iranian regime President, recently revealed alarming statistics: the age at which Iranians desire to emigrate has dropped to under 18 years. Describing emigration as “an escape route” for Iran’s younger generation, Rabii painted a grim picture of the country’s growing migration crisis during a meeting analyzing its impact on businesses.
He warned that migration trends over the past decade have triggered political, social, and economic crises for the Islamic Republic. “The motivations for migration among the younger generation differ significantly from those of older generations,” he explained. Rabii criticized Iran’s leadership for downplaying the issue, framing it as a conspiracy, or responding with indifference.
Iran: 133 Executions in One Month
The Human Rights Activists News Agency, in a detailed report, announced that within just one month (from October 22 to November 21), at least 133 executions were carried out in Iran, including one public execution, 24 death sentences issued, and seven death sentences upheld. This report, published on Thursday, November 21, on the HRANA website (hra-news), warned of “serious challenges in the field of human rights in Iran.”
According to the report, the state of human rights violations in Iran over the past month presents a “troubling outlook.”
The report states: “We have witnessed widespread violations, including the implementation of death sentences without fair trials, suppression of freedom of expression, arbitrary detentions, denial of the right to education, suicides among children and adolescents, domestic and honor-based violence against women, violations of workers’ rights, and excessive use of force by security forces.”
Millions Liters of Gasoline Smuggled Daily in Iran
Ali Mahmoudian, head of the Iranian regime’s Alternative Fuels Association, stated that there is a 25-million-liter gap between gasoline production and consumption in the country, adding that 10 million liters of gasoline are smuggled out of Iran daily. Previously, Mousa Ghaninejad, an economist, had estimated that daily gasoline smuggling ranged between 20 and 50 million liters. On November 20, the head of the Alternative Fuels Association stated at a press conference that there is currently a 25-million-liter gap between gasoline production and consumption, with daily consumption standing at 135 million liters while production is only 110 million liters.
Mahmoudian pointed out that over the past 50 years, gasoline consumption has grown by 8% annually and added, “If this trend continues, daily consumption will reach 250 million liters by 2029.”
Energy Deficit Crisis in Iran from Gas to Electricity and Gasoline
The Iranian regime is grappling with a chain of energy deficits in managing the country, a crisis it prefers to label as “energy imbalance.”
On Tuesday night, November 19, Mohammad Jafar Qaem Panah, the Executive Deputy to the Iranian regime’s president, admitted during a news program aired on state television the existence of “imbalances” in the fuel, gas, and electricity sectors. He stated, “The president is planning to resolve these problems in the shortest time possible or by next year so that we do not witness blackouts that disturb people’s lives.”
The roots of Iran’s energy crisis date back several years, but its signs began to emerge notably in the second half of the 2010s. A chain of crises has emerged, affecting all sectors of the Iranian regime.
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. 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.