{"id":319329,"date":"2024-05-11T06:27:50","date_gmt":"2024-05-11T05:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=319329"},"modified":"2024-05-11T12:02:27","modified_gmt":"2024-05-11T11:02:27","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-may-11-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-may-11-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 May 11, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

UPDATE: 1:00 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Top Secret Iranian Drone Site Used By IRGC, Terror Proxies Exposed By Opposition Group<\/h3>\n

\"Fox-News\"<\/p>\n

The People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), an exiled Iranian resistance group, provided a report to Fox News Digital presenting evidence of a top-secret unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) site in the Islamic Republic of Iran, north of Qom City in the Ganjine region.<\/p>\n

According to the report, members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps<\/a> (IRGC) are trained to use “all kinds of drones” at the base, including the Mohajer series, manufactured by Qods Aviation Industry. Employees of Qods Aviation Industry also reportedly use the site to train small groups of Iranian proxy operatives of Hezbollah, as well as members of Iranian proxy groups from Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, to use the Mohajer-4 drone platform.<\/p>\n

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), based on information from the MEK, told Fox News Digital that the site is a proving ground for Mohajer-4, Mohajer-6, and Mohajer-10 drones.<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 10:30 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

FinCEN Issues Advisory on Iran-Backed Terrorist Organizations<\/h3>\n
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WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, in light of intensified terrorist activity in the Middle East, the U.S. Department of the Treasury\u2019s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an Advisory<\/a>\u00a0to assist financial institutions in detecting potentially illicit transactions related to Islamic Republic of Iran-backed terrorist organizations. The Advisory highlights the means by which certain terrorist organizations receive support from Iran and describes several typologies these terrorist organizations use to illicitly access or circumvent the international financial system to raise, move, and spend funds. It also provides red flags that may assist financial institutions in identifying related suspicious activity.<\/p>\n

\u201cTerrorist organizations and activity supported by and aligned with Iran should not benefit from access to the U.S. or international financial systems,\u201d said FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki. \u201cAs we witness continuing instability and violence in the Middle East, we are issuing this Advisory to help financial institutions protect the financial system from abuse by terrorists and to encourage financial institutions to stay vigilant in identifying and reporting related suspicious activity.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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How State Corruption Is Damaging Iran\u2019s Economy<\/h3>\n

\"Iran<\/p>\n

On April 27, Dideban Iran news website quoted Mohammad Hossein Azimi, the Secretary-General of \u201cIslamic Iran Front\u201d, as saying, \u201cWe have many people similar to\u00a0Kazem Sediqi<\/a>, but their issue has only become a media sensation. There are members within mafia groups, government forces, Hezbollah, and others whom I cannot elaborate on further.\u201d Azimi was referring to Sediqi, a high-profile cleric in the regime who was recently involved in a major land embezzlement scandal in Ozgol.<\/p>\n

This is just the latest admission from an Iranian official that indicates that all kinds of corrupt and criminal elements exist in the power structure of this regime, whose leaders pretend to be devoid of any sin.<\/p>\n

As Azimi said in his interview, \u201cThe worst plague of the Islamic revolution in the past 45 years has been the issue of pretense, and this pretense has damaged of the nation and the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 7:00 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Ward of Evin Prison: Three Political Prisoners Detained in Limbo<\/h3>\n

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Three political prisoners are still detained in the women\u2019s ward of Evin Prison under legally undecided conditions. Varisha Moradi and Pakhshan Azizi have been held in a state of limbo for more than 280 days since their arrests, and Atena Farghdani has been detained for 26 days in the women\u2019s ward of Evin Prison in uncertain circumstances. Varisha Moradi is a women\u2019s rights activist and a member of the Free Women\u2019s Society of Eastern Kurdistan (KJAR). She was abducted on August 1, 2023, in Kermanshah, on her way to\u00a0Sanandaj<\/a>\u00a0in western Iran.<\/p>\n

She was transferred from the Sanandaj Intelligence Department detention center to Ward 209 of Evin Prison by the end of August. On December 26, 2023, after the interrogation process was completed, Moradi was transferred to the women\u2019s ward of Evin Prison.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran\u2019s Stalled Economy: A Struggle for Sustainability<\/h3>\n

\"Iran\u2019s<\/p>\n

For decades, Iran\u2019s economic performance has been far from satisfactory. While headline figures like the average economic growth rate might have looked acceptable between 1989 and 2017, a closer look reveals a troubling reality \u2013 a lack of productivity improvement. This fundamental weakness has severe consequences, turning economic underperformance<\/a> into a ticking time bomb.\u00a0Iran\u2019s economic growth has been heavily reliant on capital account inflows. Periods with strong capital inflows saw sluggish growth, highlighting an unsustainable dependence on external factors. This vulnerability is particularly concerning considering Iran\u2019s vast natural resources, talented population, and strategic geographical location. These advantages haven\u2019t translated into stable, long-term growth. Instead, as capital inflows waned, Iran\u2019s fragile growth sputtered and went into freefall.<\/p>\n

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

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Heightened Tensions: US Vows to Block Iran\u2019s Nuclear Weapon Aspirations<\/h3>\n

\"iran-nuclear-centrifuges\"<\/p>\n

Tensions are escalating between the United States and Iran regarding the latter\u2019s nuclear program. Recent statements by Iranian officials raise concerns about potential policy shifts, prompting a firm response from the US State Department.<\/p>\n

On May 9th, Kamal Kharrazi, a senior advisor to Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, hinted at a possible change in Iran\u2019s nuclear stance if the country\u2019s existence is threatened.<\/p>\n

Matthew Miller, the US State Department spokesperson, condemned these remarks as irresponsible. Miller reiterated the US position that Iran will never get a nuclear weapon, emphasizing that diplomacy remains the preferred path forward. However, he stressed that all options are still on the table.<\/p>\n

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

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Price of Housing in Tehran at $1,340 Per Square Meter<\/h3>\n

\"iran<\/p>\n

Despite the housing market recession, the price of housing in Tehran increased in March 2024, with the average price of a square meter of residential units traded in the capital reaching 820 million rials (approximately $1,340).<\/p>\n

According to media reports in Iran, the Central Bank\u2019s Office of Economic Studies and Policies announced that in March, the number of residential apartments traded in the city of Tehran reached 1,500 units, indicating a 75.6% and 14.2% decrease compared to the previous month and the same month last year, respectively.<\/p>\n

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

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Execution of 40 Prisoners in Iran in Ten Days May 1-10, 2024<\/h3>\n

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During the first ten days of May 2024, the Iranian judiciary carried out the execution sentences of 40 prisoners in Iranian prisons. On average, four prisoners are executed daily in Iran, which means that every six hours, one prisoner is executed in Iran. This comes at a time when compared to the ten days of April, the number of executions has grown close to 160 percent. The increase in the number of executions in Iran is highly concerning.<\/p>\n

Among the executed individuals, there is also a political prisoner and a female prisoner. Over 90 percent of the executions during the first ten days of May have not been reported by any state media or institutions affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, and they have been carried out in silence. These executions have taken place in the prisons of Urmia, Semnan, Kerman, Isfahan, Qom, Kermanshah, Zanjan, Tabriz, Qazvin, Shiraz, and Ardabil.<\/p>\n

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

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Cologne, Germany\u2014May 8, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution<\/h3>\n
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Cologne, Germany\u2014May 8, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution.<\/div><\/div>
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