{"id":318740,"date":"2024-04-26T06:26:26","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T05:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=318740"},"modified":"2024-04-26T11:50:31","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T10:50:31","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-april-26-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-april-26-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 April 26, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

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THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h2>\n

UPDATE: 12:30 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Designating Facilitators and Financiers of Iran\u2019s Illicit UAV Transfers<\/h3>\n

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The United States is today imposing sanctions on 16 entities and eight individuals, as well as identifying as blocked property five vessels and one aircraft, that have facilitated illicit trade and the sale of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in support of Iran\u2019s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and the regime\u2019s UAV development and procurement.\u00a0 Concurrent with this action, the United Kingdom and Canada are imposing sanctions targeting several entities and individuals involved in Iran\u2019s UAV procurement and other military-related activities, respectively.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Among today\u2019s targets is Sahara Thunder, a key front company for MODAFL\u2019s illicit financing and a central player in Iran\u2019s design, development, manufacture, and sale of thousands of UAVs, many of which have ultimately been transferred to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 7:30 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Canada Imposes Further Sanctions Against Iran<\/h3>\n

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Today, the Honourable M\u00e9lanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions against Iran under the\u00a0Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Iran continues to threaten international peace and security through multiple destabilizing activities across the Middle East region and beyond. Iran poses a threat to the region both through its armed forces and through its support for its proxies, which includes funding, arms provision and training and political and ideological support.<\/p>\n

On April 14, 2024, Iran launched a broad and first-ever direct attack on Israel. Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) took responsibility for launching drones and missiles while Iranian proxies, including the Houthis, Hezbollah and Iran-linked militias in Iraq, also launched strikes in a limited but highly coordinated manner.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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What Is The Cost of The \u201cProgress\u201d in Iran\u2019s Arms Industry?<\/h3>\n

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On Wednesday, the Iranian regime\u2019s supreme leader Ali Khamenei delivered a speech on the occasion of the regime\u2019s so-called \u201cLabor Week\u201d and, while he admitted that the country suffers from \u201cplenty of labor and economic problems,\u201d he said, \u201cProgress in our arms industry has surprised our enemies. Amidst sanctions, can Iran have been able to create advanced weapons at this scale? Yes, it can! It can do more than this! Better than this! More advanced than this!\u201d<\/p>\n

Khamenei tried to exude power and dismiss his regime\u2019s increasing isolation by saying, \u201cThey want to put pressure on the Islamic State with sanctions and force it to surrender to their bullying and power-seeking demands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Parisa Salehi, A Journalist, Summoned and Taken to Jail<\/h3>\n

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On Thursday, April 25, 2024, Parisa Salehi, a journalist, was arrested and sent to prison after being summoned to the 7th Branch of the Office of the Implementation of Verdicts, to serve five months of time in prison.<\/p>\n

Referring to the \u201cextra-judicial instances\u201d in her case, such as the denial of the right to appeal, this journalist wrote in her user account: \u201cThe initial sentence of one year of imprisonment<\/a>, two years of exile, two years of ban on leaving the country and two years of ban on membership in social networks in the Court of Appeal was commuted to five months in prison, but the rest of the cases are still there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iran Faces Looming Crisis: Land Subsidence Threatens Millions<\/h3>\n

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Iran is grappling with a severe land subsidence crisis, with alarming rates impacting a significant portion of the country\u2019s population and infrastructure. This phenomenon occurs when the ground level steadily sinks due to various factors, posing substantial environmental and economic challenges.\u00a0Official reports paint a concerning picture. The Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Affairs estimates that subsidence affects a staggering 359 plains across Iran. Moreover, nearly half (49%) of Iran\u2019s population resides in areas experiencing\u00a0subsidence<\/a>\u00a0or bordering them, according to the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development. This translates to millions of people potentially at risk.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u201cFruitless and Harmful\u201d: Iranian Media Criticizes Official\u2019s Nuclear Rhetoric<\/h3>\n

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A member of the National Security Commission of Iran\u2019s parliament stated that the \u201cIslamic Republic needs half a day\u201d to \u201cproduce the main fuel of a nuclear warhead\u201d and threatened that during this period, the Iranian government could \u201cincrease the production of uranium from 60% to 90%.\u201d<\/p>\n

Javad Karimi-Qodousi, a figure close to the regime\u2019s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who some observers call the unofficial spokesman of the leadership office, emphasized in a video he published on the social network \u2018X\u2019 on Tuesday, April 23, that although still in the fatwas of the leader of the Islamic Republic \u201cthe production of\u00a0nuclear weapons<\/a>\u00a0is unacceptable,\u201d if he were to recognize it once, it would be possible to produce it.<\/p>\n

He quoted experts as saying that \u201cwe need half a day to increase the amount of uranium produced from 60% to 90%.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iran Faces Severe Medicine Shortage and Lack of Government Funding<\/h3>\n

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The Health and Treatment Commission of the Iranian regime\u2019s Majlis (parliament) recently released a report highlighting the dire situation of medicine availability in the country. According to the report presented on April 23, nearly 150 essential drugs<\/a> are facing shortages and severe limitations, with approximately 65 of them experiencing acute scarcity.\u00a0The commission urged for legal action to address its findings, but members of the regime\u2019s Majlis opposed referring the matter to the judiciary, with the majority preferring to keep it within the legislative branch.<\/p>\n

Another aspect of the report addresses the failure of the Organization of Planning and Budget to reconcile the preferential exchange rate (42,000 rials) with the NIMA system rate (the currency allocated for managing and promoting the country\u2019s imports and exports) over the past two years, resulting in a staggering debt of 840 trillion rials (approximately $1.3125 billion) to the Central Bank. Currently, the exchange rate for the dollar in Iranian markets stands at 640,000 rials.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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From Crisis to Negotiation: Iran\u2019s Strategy Amidst Middle East Turmoil<\/h3>\n

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Amidst the crisis between Iran and Israel in the Middle East, while tensions are at a critical point, Khamenei is pursuing his agenda. He has taken up the challenge to seize the opportunity of the tensions to catch the fish of JCPOA negotiations in troubled waters of the Middle East.<\/p>\n

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There is no doubt that Khamenei always wants to sit at the negotiation table with Western governments and gain concessions from them. Occasionally, when negotiations break down, he resorts to crises, like hostage-taking, bombings, terrorism, and regional interventions to force the parties involved to negotiate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Leipzig, Germany\u2014April 20, 2024: MEK Supporters Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution<\/h3>\n
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Leipzig, Germany\u2014April 20, 2024: MEK supporters exhibition in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution<\/div><\/div>
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