{"id":211182,"date":"2019-03-10T08:53:11","date_gmt":"2019-03-10T08:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/211182-iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019"},"modified":"2020-01-24T17:45:25","modified_gmt":"2020-01-24T17:45:25","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lyte-wrapper\" title=\"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019\" style=\"width:853px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_EAQdXc7OFcU\" itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><div><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FEAQdXc7OFcU%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"embedURL\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EAQdXc7OFcU\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT4M39S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2019-03-08T18:12:34Z\" \/><\/div><div id=\"lyte_EAQdXc7OFcU\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FEAQdXc7OFcU%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\" itemprop=\"name\">Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019<\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/EAQdXc7OFcU\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FEAQdXc7OFcU%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019\" width=\"853\" height=\"460\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019 Geneva Conference Sheds Light on Drastic Human Rights Violations in Iran Through 2018 Horrific human rights violations in 2018 all across Iran was the topic of an international conference in Geneva held at the United Nations European Headquarters on Thursday. A slate of prominent dignitaries and experts attended the \u201cConference in Geneva: Human Rights Record in Iran in 2018,\u201d providing their input on the mullahs\u2019 atrocities against the Iranian people. The summer 1988 massacre gained special attention as speakers called for justice and accountability against those officials \u2013 some currently in power \u2013 for the massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners, mainly members and supporters of the Iranian Opposition People&#039;s Mojahedin Organization of Iran. R\u00e9my Pagani, former mayor of Geneva, was one of the speakers at this event. U.S. Urges U.N. To Bring Back Restrictions on Iran Over Missiles The United States on Thursday accused Iran of carrying out three missile-related launches in defiance of U.N. resolutions and urged the Security Council to &quot;bring back tougher international restrictions&quot; against Tehran. In a letter to the council seen by AFP, U.S. acting Ambassador Jonathan Cohen warned Iran&#039;s activities were destabilizing the entire Middle East and risk triggering an arms race. US Commander: Iran Strives to Be a &#039;Regional Hegemon&#039; Iran remains the \u201clong-term destabilizing factor\u201d in the region, a top US commander said Thursday. US Central Command Head General Joseph Votel told Congress: \u201cTheir efforts are not limited to the support they provide to the Houthis in Yemen. They strive to be a regional hegemon and use malign influence qualitatively and quantitatively, expanding capabilities, facilitation, and support to multiple proxies to exert pressure, and threaten other countries in the region,\u201d. Britain to Grant Jailed UK-Iranian Mother &#039;Diplomatic Protection&#039; Britain said Thursday that it will grant \u201cdiplomatic protection\u201d to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a UK-Iranian dual citizen jailed in Tehran since 2016, citing a lack of due process and access to medical treatment. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement: \u201cI have today decided that the UK will take a step that is extremely unusual and exercise diplomatic protection,\u201d. Hunt added: \u201cThis represents formal recognition by the British government that her treatment fails to meet Iran\u2019s obligations under international law and elevates it to a formal state to state issue,\u201d. US Lawmakers Renew Bipartisan Bid to Press Iran to Free Americans U.S. lawmakers are making a renewed bipartisan effort to pressure Iran into freeing at least four Americans and a U.S. permanent resident viewed by Washington as hostages of the Islamic Republic. One is a resolution that calls on Iran to unconditionally release U.S. citizens and legal U.S. permanent residents being held for political purposes. The other is a bill that the lawmakers say would empower the U.S. president to impose sanctions on American hostage-takers. It also calls for elevating the role of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to the rank of ambassador. Labor Groups in Iran Ask for a Five Fold Increase in Minimum Wage Three independent labor groups in Iran have demanded a minimum monthly wage of 70 million rials for the coming Iranian year. Based on current free market exchange rates, the requested amount would be equal to approximately &#36;540 monthly. The Free Union of Iranian Workers, The Committee for the Establishment of Labor Organizations and the Kermanshah Electrical and Metal Workers Union cited the leader of official coalition of labor unions as saying that the minimum subsistence need for workers is around &#36;400 monthly. Currently the minimum wage is less than &#36;100 monthly.\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:853px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019Geneva Conference Sheds Light on Drastic Human Rights Violations in Iran Through 2018 Horrific human rights violations in 2018 all across Iran was the [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[178],"class_list":{"0":"post-211182","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-iran-news-in-brief","7":"tag-save"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019 - NCRI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019Geneva Conference Sheds Light on Drastic Human Rights Violations in Iran Through 2018 Horrific human rights violations in 2018 all across Iran was the topic of an international conference in Geneva held at the United Nations European Headquarters on Thursday.A slate of prominent dignitaries and experts attended the \u201cConference in Geneva: Human Rights Record in Iran in 2018,\u201d providing their input on the mullahs\u2019 atrocities against the Iranian people. The summer 1988 massacre gained special attention as speakers called for justice and accountability against those officials \u2013 some currently in power \u2013 for the massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners, mainly members and supporters of the Iranian Opposition People&#039;s Mojahedin Organization of Iran.R\u00e9my Pagani, former mayor of Geneva, was one of the speakers at this event.U.S. Urges U.N. To Bring Back Restrictions on Iran Over MissilesThe United States on Thursday accused Iran of carrying out three missile-related launches in defiance of U.N. resolutions and urged the Security Council to &quot;bring back tougher international restrictions&quot; against Tehran.In a letter to the council seen by AFP, U.S. acting Ambassador Jonathan Cohen warned Iran&#039;s activities were destabilizing the entire Middle East and risk triggering an arms race.US Commander: Iran Strives to Be a &#039;Regional Hegemon&#039;Iran remains the \u201clong-term destabilizing factor\u201d in the region, a top US commander said Thursday.US Central Command Head General Joseph Votel told Congress: \u201cTheir efforts are not limited to the support they provide to the Houthis in Yemen. They strive to be a regional hegemon and use malign influence qualitatively and quantitatively, expanding capabilities, facilitation, and support to multiple proxies to exert pressure, and threaten other countries in the region,\u201d.Britain to Grant Jailed UK-Iranian Mother &#039;Diplomatic Protection&#039;Britain said Thursday that it will grant \u201cdiplomatic protection\u201d to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a UK-Iranian dual citizen jailed in Tehran since 2016, citing a lack of due process and access to medical treatment.Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement: \u201cI have today decided that the UK will take a step that is extremely unusual and exercise diplomatic protection,\u201d. Hunt added: \u201cThis represents formal recognition by the British government that her treatment fails to meet Iran\u2019s obligations under international law and elevates it to a formal state to state issue,\u201d.US Lawmakers Renew Bipartisan Bid to Press Iran to Free AmericansU.S. lawmakers are making a renewed bipartisan effort to pressure Iran into freeing at least four Americans and a U.S. permanent resident viewed by Washington as hostages of the Islamic Republic.One is a resolution that calls on Iran to unconditionally release U.S. citizens and legal U.S. permanent residents being held for political purposes.The other is a bill that the lawmakers say would empower the U.S. president to impose sanctions on American hostage-takers. It also calls for elevating the role of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to the rank of ambassador.Labor Groups in Iran Ask for a Five Fold Increase in Minimum WageThree independent labor groups in Iran have demanded a minimum monthly wage of 70 million rials for the coming Iranian year.Based on current free market exchange rates, the requested amount would be equal to approximately $540 monthly.The Free Union of Iranian Workers, The Committee for the Establishment of Labor Organizations and the Kermanshah Electrical and Metal Workers Union cited the leader of official coalition of labor unions as saying that the minimum subsistence need for workers is around $400 monthly.Currently the minimum wage is less than $100 monthly.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/multimedia\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019 - NCRI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019Geneva Conference Sheds Light on Drastic Human Rights Violations in Iran Through 2018 Horrific human rights violations in 2018 all across Iran was the topic of an international conference in Geneva held at the United Nations European Headquarters on Thursday.A slate of prominent dignitaries and experts attended the \u201cConference in Geneva: Human Rights Record in Iran in 2018,\u201d providing their input on the mullahs\u2019 atrocities against the Iranian people. The summer 1988 massacre gained special attention as speakers called for justice and accountability against those officials \u2013 some currently in power \u2013 for the massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners, mainly members and supporters of the Iranian Opposition People&#039;s Mojahedin Organization of Iran.R\u00e9my Pagani, former mayor of Geneva, was one of the speakers at this event.U.S. Urges U.N. To Bring Back Restrictions on Iran Over MissilesThe United States on Thursday accused Iran of carrying out three missile-related launches in defiance of U.N. resolutions and urged the Security Council to &quot;bring back tougher international restrictions&quot; against Tehran.In a letter to the council seen by AFP, U.S. acting Ambassador Jonathan Cohen warned Iran&#039;s activities were destabilizing the entire Middle East and risk triggering an arms race.US Commander: Iran Strives to Be a &#039;Regional Hegemon&#039;Iran remains the \u201clong-term destabilizing factor\u201d in the region, a top US commander said Thursday.US Central Command Head General Joseph Votel told Congress: \u201cTheir efforts are not limited to the support they provide to the Houthis in Yemen. They strive to be a regional hegemon and use malign influence qualitatively and quantitatively, expanding capabilities, facilitation, and support to multiple proxies to exert pressure, and threaten other countries in the region,\u201d.Britain to Grant Jailed UK-Iranian Mother &#039;Diplomatic Protection&#039;Britain said Thursday that it will grant \u201cdiplomatic protection\u201d to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a UK-Iranian dual citizen jailed in Tehran since 2016, citing a lack of due process and access to medical treatment.Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement: \u201cI have today decided that the UK will take a step that is extremely unusual and exercise diplomatic protection,\u201d. Hunt added: \u201cThis represents formal recognition by the British government that her treatment fails to meet Iran\u2019s obligations under international law and elevates it to a formal state to state issue,\u201d.US Lawmakers Renew Bipartisan Bid to Press Iran to Free AmericansU.S. lawmakers are making a renewed bipartisan effort to pressure Iran into freeing at least four Americans and a U.S. permanent resident viewed by Washington as hostages of the Islamic Republic.One is a resolution that calls on Iran to unconditionally release U.S. citizens and legal U.S. permanent residents being held for political purposes.The other is a bill that the lawmakers say would empower the U.S. president to impose sanctions on American hostage-takers. It also calls for elevating the role of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to the rank of ambassador.Labor Groups in Iran Ask for a Five Fold Increase in Minimum WageThree independent labor groups in Iran have demanded a minimum monthly wage of 70 million rials for the coming Iranian year.Based on current free market exchange rates, the requested amount would be equal to approximately $540 monthly.The Free Union of Iranian Workers, The Committee for the Establishment of Labor Organizations and the Kermanshah Electrical and Metal Workers Union cited the leader of official coalition of labor unions as saying that the minimum subsistence need for workers is around $400 monthly.Currently the minimum wage is less than $100 monthly.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/multimedia\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NCRI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-03-10T08:53:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-01-24T17:45:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ncri-logo.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"402\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"100\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@iran_policy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@iran_policy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/multimedia\\\/iran-news-in-brief\\\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/multimedia\\\/iran-news-in-brief\\\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-03-10T08:53:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-01-24T17:45:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/multimedia\\\/iran-news-in-brief\\\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":15,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"save\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Multimedia: Iran news in brief\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/multimedia\\\/iran-news-in-brief\\\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/multimedia\\\/iran-news-in-brief\\\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\\\/\",\"name\":\"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019 - NCRI\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-03-10T08:53:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-01-24T17:45:25+00:00\",\"description\":\"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019Geneva Conference Sheds Light on Drastic Human Rights Violations in Iran Through 2018 Horrific human rights violations in 2018 all across Iran was the topic of an international conference in Geneva held at the United Nations European Headquarters on Thursday.A slate of prominent dignitaries and experts attended the \u201cConference in Geneva: Human Rights Record in Iran in 2018,\u201d providing their input on the mullahs\u2019 atrocities against the Iranian people. The summer 1988 massacre gained special attention as speakers called for justice and accountability against those officials \u2013 some currently in power \u2013 for the massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners, mainly members and supporters of the Iranian Opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran.R\u00e9my Pagani, former mayor of Geneva, was one of the speakers at this event.U.S. Urges U.N. To Bring Back Restrictions on Iran Over MissilesThe United States on Thursday accused Iran of carrying out three missile-related launches in defiance of U.N. resolutions and urged the Security Council to \\\"bring back tougher international restrictions\\\" against Tehran.In a letter to the council seen by AFP, U.S. acting Ambassador Jonathan Cohen warned Iran's activities were destabilizing the entire Middle East and risk triggering an arms race.US Commander: Iran Strives to Be a 'Regional Hegemon'Iran remains the \u201clong-term destabilizing factor\u201d in the region, a top US commander said Thursday.US Central Command Head General Joseph Votel told Congress: \u201cTheir efforts are not limited to the support they provide to the Houthis in Yemen. They strive to be a regional hegemon and use malign influence qualitatively and quantitatively, expanding capabilities, facilitation, and support to multiple proxies to exert pressure, and threaten other countries in the region,\u201d.Britain to Grant Jailed UK-Iranian Mother 'Diplomatic Protection'Britain said Thursday that it will grant \u201cdiplomatic protection\u201d to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a UK-Iranian dual citizen jailed in Tehran since 2016, citing a lack of due process and access to medical treatment.Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement: \u201cI have today decided that the UK will take a step that is extremely unusual and exercise diplomatic protection,\u201d. 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The summer 1988 massacre gained special attention as speakers called for justice and accountability against those officials \u2013 some currently in power \u2013 for the massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners, mainly members and supporters of the Iranian Opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran.R\u00e9my Pagani, former mayor of Geneva, was one of the speakers at this event.U.S. Urges U.N. To Bring Back Restrictions on Iran Over MissilesThe United States on Thursday accused Iran of carrying out three missile-related launches in defiance of U.N. resolutions and urged the Security Council to \"bring back tougher international restrictions\" against Tehran.In a letter to the council seen by AFP, U.S. acting Ambassador Jonathan Cohen warned Iran's activities were destabilizing the entire Middle East and risk triggering an arms race.US Commander: Iran Strives to Be a 'Regional Hegemon'Iran remains the \u201clong-term destabilizing factor\u201d in the region, a top US commander said Thursday.US Central Command Head General Joseph Votel told Congress: \u201cTheir efforts are not limited to the support they provide to the Houthis in Yemen. They strive to be a regional hegemon and use malign influence qualitatively and quantitatively, expanding capabilities, facilitation, and support to multiple proxies to exert pressure, and threaten other countries in the region,\u201d.Britain to Grant Jailed UK-Iranian Mother 'Diplomatic Protection'Britain said Thursday that it will grant \u201cdiplomatic protection\u201d to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a UK-Iranian dual citizen jailed in Tehran since 2016, citing a lack of due process and access to medical treatment.Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement: \u201cI have today decided that the UK will take a step that is extremely unusual and exercise diplomatic protection,\u201d. Hunt added: \u201cThis represents formal recognition by the British government that her treatment fails to meet Iran\u2019s obligations under international law and elevates it to a formal state to state issue,\u201d.US Lawmakers Renew Bipartisan Bid to Press Iran to Free AmericansU.S. lawmakers are making a renewed bipartisan effort to pressure Iran into freeing at least four Americans and a U.S. permanent resident viewed by Washington as hostages of the Islamic Republic.One is a resolution that calls on Iran to unconditionally release U.S. citizens and legal U.S. permanent residents being held for political purposes.The other is a bill that the lawmakers say would empower the U.S. president to impose sanctions on American hostage-takers. It also calls for elevating the role of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to the rank of ambassador.Labor Groups in Iran Ask for a Five Fold Increase in Minimum WageThree independent labor groups in Iran have demanded a minimum monthly wage of 70 million rials for the coming Iranian year.Based on current free market exchange rates, the requested amount would be equal to approximately $540 monthly.The Free Union of Iranian Workers, The Committee for the Establishment of Labor Organizations and the Kermanshah Electrical and Metal Workers Union cited the leader of official coalition of labor unions as saying that the minimum subsistence need for workers is around $400 monthly.Currently the minimum wage is less than $100 monthly.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/multimedia\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019 - NCRI","og_description":"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019Geneva Conference Sheds Light on Drastic Human Rights Violations in Iran Through 2018 Horrific human rights violations in 2018 all across Iran was the topic of an international conference in Geneva held at the United Nations European Headquarters on Thursday.A slate of prominent dignitaries and experts attended the \u201cConference in Geneva: Human Rights Record in Iran in 2018,\u201d providing their input on the mullahs\u2019 atrocities against the Iranian people. The summer 1988 massacre gained special attention as speakers called for justice and accountability against those officials \u2013 some currently in power \u2013 for the massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners, mainly members and supporters of the Iranian Opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran.R\u00e9my Pagani, former mayor of Geneva, was one of the speakers at this event.U.S. Urges U.N. To Bring Back Restrictions on Iran Over MissilesThe United States on Thursday accused Iran of carrying out three missile-related launches in defiance of U.N. resolutions and urged the Security Council to \"bring back tougher international restrictions\" against Tehran.In a letter to the council seen by AFP, U.S. acting Ambassador Jonathan Cohen warned Iran's activities were destabilizing the entire Middle East and risk triggering an arms race.US Commander: Iran Strives to Be a 'Regional Hegemon'Iran remains the \u201clong-term destabilizing factor\u201d in the region, a top US commander said Thursday.US Central Command Head General Joseph Votel told Congress: \u201cTheir efforts are not limited to the support they provide to the Houthis in Yemen. They strive to be a regional hegemon and use malign influence qualitatively and quantitatively, expanding capabilities, facilitation, and support to multiple proxies to exert pressure, and threaten other countries in the region,\u201d.Britain to Grant Jailed UK-Iranian Mother 'Diplomatic Protection'Britain said Thursday that it will grant \u201cdiplomatic protection\u201d to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a UK-Iranian dual citizen jailed in Tehran since 2016, citing a lack of due process and access to medical treatment.Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement: \u201cI have today decided that the UK will take a step that is extremely unusual and exercise diplomatic protection,\u201d. Hunt added: \u201cThis represents formal recognition by the British government that her treatment fails to meet Iran\u2019s obligations under international law and elevates it to a formal state to state issue,\u201d.US Lawmakers Renew Bipartisan Bid to Press Iran to Free AmericansU.S. lawmakers are making a renewed bipartisan effort to pressure Iran into freeing at least four Americans and a U.S. permanent resident viewed by Washington as hostages of the Islamic Republic.One is a resolution that calls on Iran to unconditionally release U.S. citizens and legal U.S. permanent residents being held for political purposes.The other is a bill that the lawmakers say would empower the U.S. president to impose sanctions on American hostage-takers. It also calls for elevating the role of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to the rank of ambassador.Labor Groups in Iran Ask for a Five Fold Increase in Minimum WageThree independent labor groups in Iran have demanded a minimum monthly wage of 70 million rials for the coming Iranian year.Based on current free market exchange rates, the requested amount would be equal to approximately $540 monthly.The Free Union of Iranian Workers, The Committee for the Establishment of Labor Organizations and the Kermanshah Electrical and Metal Workers Union cited the leader of official coalition of labor unions as saying that the minimum subsistence need for workers is around $400 monthly.Currently the minimum wage is less than $100 monthly.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/multimedia\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/","og_site_name":"NCRI","article_published_time":"2019-03-10T08:53:11+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-01-24T17:45:25+00:00","og_image":[{"width":402,"height":100,"url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ncri-logo.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@iran_policy","twitter_site":"@iran_policy","twitter_misc":{"Written by":""},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/multimedia\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/multimedia\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019","datePublished":"2019-03-10T08:53:11+00:00","dateModified":"2020-01-24T17:45:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/multimedia\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/"},"wordCount":15,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#organization"},"keywords":["save"],"articleSection":["Multimedia: Iran news in brief"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/multimedia\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/multimedia\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/","name":"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019 - NCRI","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-03-10T08:53:11+00:00","dateModified":"2020-01-24T17:45:25+00:00","description":"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019Geneva Conference Sheds Light on Drastic Human Rights Violations in Iran Through 2018 Horrific human rights violations in 2018 all across Iran was the topic of an international conference in Geneva held at the United Nations European Headquarters on Thursday.A slate of prominent dignitaries and experts attended the \u201cConference in Geneva: Human Rights Record in Iran in 2018,\u201d providing their input on the mullahs\u2019 atrocities against the Iranian people. The summer 1988 massacre gained special attention as speakers called for justice and accountability against those officials \u2013 some currently in power \u2013 for the massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners, mainly members and supporters of the Iranian Opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran.R\u00e9my Pagani, former mayor of Geneva, was one of the speakers at this event.U.S. Urges U.N. To Bring Back Restrictions on Iran Over MissilesThe United States on Thursday accused Iran of carrying out three missile-related launches in defiance of U.N. resolutions and urged the Security Council to \"bring back tougher international restrictions\" against Tehran.In a letter to the council seen by AFP, U.S. acting Ambassador Jonathan Cohen warned Iran's activities were destabilizing the entire Middle East and risk triggering an arms race.US Commander: Iran Strives to Be a 'Regional Hegemon'Iran remains the \u201clong-term destabilizing factor\u201d in the region, a top US commander said Thursday.US Central Command Head General Joseph Votel told Congress: \u201cTheir efforts are not limited to the support they provide to the Houthis in Yemen. They strive to be a regional hegemon and use malign influence qualitatively and quantitatively, expanding capabilities, facilitation, and support to multiple proxies to exert pressure, and threaten other countries in the region,\u201d.Britain to Grant Jailed UK-Iranian Mother 'Diplomatic Protection'Britain said Thursday that it will grant \u201cdiplomatic protection\u201d to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a UK-Iranian dual citizen jailed in Tehran since 2016, citing a lack of due process and access to medical treatment.Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement: \u201cI have today decided that the UK will take a step that is extremely unusual and exercise diplomatic protection,\u201d. Hunt added: \u201cThis represents formal recognition by the British government that her treatment fails to meet Iran\u2019s obligations under international law and elevates it to a formal state to state issue,\u201d.US Lawmakers Renew Bipartisan Bid to Press Iran to Free AmericansU.S. lawmakers are making a renewed bipartisan effort to pressure Iran into freeing at least four Americans and a U.S. permanent resident viewed by Washington as hostages of the Islamic Republic.One is a resolution that calls on Iran to unconditionally release U.S. citizens and legal U.S. permanent residents being held for political purposes.The other is a bill that the lawmakers say would empower the U.S. president to impose sanctions on American hostage-takers. It also calls for elevating the role of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to the rank of ambassador.Labor Groups in Iran Ask for a Five Fold Increase in Minimum WageThree independent labor groups in Iran have demanded a minimum monthly wage of 70 million rials for the coming Iranian year.Based on current free market exchange rates, the requested amount would be equal to approximately $540 monthly.The Free Union of Iranian Workers, The Committee for the Establishment of Labor Organizations and the Kermanshah Electrical and Metal Workers Union cited the leader of official coalition of labor unions as saying that the minimum subsistence need for workers is around $400 monthly.Currently the minimum wage is less than $100 monthly.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/multimedia\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/multimedia\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/multimedia\/iran-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-march-8-2019\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Iran news in brief, March 8, 2019"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/","name":"NCRI","description":"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#organization","name":"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran","alternateName":"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ncri-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ncri-logo.jpg","width":402,"height":100,"caption":"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/iran_policy"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/author\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211182"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211182\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}