{"id":323273,"date":"2024-08-16T07:44:30","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T06:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=323273"},"modified":"2024-08-16T18:52:10","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T17:52:10","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-august-16-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-august-16-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 August 16, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

UPDATE: 7:30 PM CEST<\/span><\/p>\n

Stevenson: The EU Tried to Appease Iran – It Didn’t Work<\/h3>\n

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Western appeasers are turning cartwheels in their attempts to woo Masoud Pezeshkian, the new president of Iran. Convinced that the 70-year-old Islamic loyalist is a “reformist” and a “moderate,” the appeasers are covering their eyes and ears to the ongoing repression and tyranny in Iran and the mullahs\u2019 wider sponsorship of terror in the Mideast, and globally.<\/p>\n

So desperate has Josep Borrell, the EU\u2019s deluded high representative for foreign affairs become, that he even dispatched his chief of staff, Enrique Mora, to attend Peseshkian\u2019s inauguration ceremony in Tehran. The hapless EU diplomat found himself seated ignominiously in the second row, immediately behind the leaders of Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 1:00 PM CEST<\/span><\/p>\n

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U.S. Envoy Accuses Iran of Directly Enabling Houthi Attacks in Yemen, Urges Global Accountability<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In a recent briefing to the UN<\/a> Security Council, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, directly accused the Iranian regime of enabling the ongoing attacks by the Houthi rebels in Yemen. She emphasized that Iran has played a crucial role in facilitating these actions, which have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and destabilized the region.<\/p>\n

Thomas-Greenfield highlighted that the Houthis\u2019 continued escalation, particularly their obstruction of humanitarian aid and use of Iranian-supplied weapons, is a clear indication of the destructive influence Tehran exerts in the region. “Make no mistake: Iran has directly enabled these attacks,” she stated, pointing out the use of Iranian drones in recent aggressive actions. The Ambassador called for increased efforts to enforce the UN arms embargo and urged the international community to hold Iran accountable for its role in fueling the conflict in Yemen.<\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 7:30 AM CEST<\/span><\/p>\n

Iranian Regime Presidents Hand Empty Coffers and Scorched Lands to Each Other<\/h3>\n

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These days, as the transfer of power from the Ebrahim Raisi administration to the regime\u2019s new president Massoud Pezeshkian administration is underway, shocking truths about the country\u2019s \u201cdevastated economy\u201d are coming to light amidst the infighting within the regime.<\/p>\n

On August 7, referring to the internal conflicts within the regime over these very realities during a gathering of the \u201cmedia professionals,\u201d Pezeshkian said: \u201cIn the messages for both the endorsement and inauguration ceremonies, we were told to criticize. I could have mentioned many of these problems, but I did not allow myself to stand up and talk about our flaws in front of foreign observers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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Iranian-Backed APT42 Intensifies Phishing Campaigns<\/h3>\n

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In a recent report, Google\u2019s Threat Analysis Group (TAG<\/a>) has highlighted a significant increase in phishing campaigns by APT42, a hacking group backed by Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).<\/p>\n

These campaigns have primarily targeted U.S. presidential election officials and Israeli military, government, and diplomatic institutions. The report, released on August 14, 2024, provides detailed insights into the tactics and targets of APT42, underscoring the persistent threat posed by state-sponsored cyber activities.<\/p>\n

APT42 has been active in conducting phishing attacks against various high-profile targets. Between May and June 2024, the group targeted around 12 current and former senior U.S. government officials, as well as officials from both Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns. TAG reported that it successfully blocked numerous attempts by APT42 to access these individuals’ personal email accounts.<\/p>\n

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

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Sara Jahani: Denial of Medical Treatment and Human Rights Violations<\/h3>\n

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Political prisoner Sara Jahani\u2019s recent ordeal in Lakan Prison,\u00a0Rasht<\/a>, highlights severe human rights abuses. Despite her medical condition and legal requirements for her treatment, prison authorities have neglected her urgent healthcare needs, raising serious concerns about the treatment of political detainees in Iran.\u00a0On Tuesday, August 13, 2024, Sara Jahani, who suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS), experienced a severe muscle spasm in\u00a0Lakan Prison<\/a>, causing her to lose control of her legs and fall face-first onto the ground. This incident resulted in a head injury above her eye, requiring immediate medical attention. Her head also struck a wall during the fall, necessitating an examination in a hospital outside the prison.<\/p>\n

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

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The Tehran Stock Exchange Index Has Dropped Twenty Times in the Last 24 Days<\/h3>\n

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Reports indicate that the Tehran Stock Exchange index once again fell on Tuesday, August 13, dropping to 1,991,000 points.<\/p>\n

Over the past 24 days, the overall index has been negative for 20 days, with the total index declining by 210,000 points, equivalent to more than a 10% drop. In two separate rounds, the National Development Fund recently injected 6 trillion rials (approximately 10 million dollars) into the stock market, but this action failed to prevent the index from declining.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, following a 7,568-point drop in the overall index, Mohammad Reza Farzin, the Governor of the Central Bank, announced that in today\u2019s Supreme Council of the Stock Exchange meeting, it was agreed that support from the banking system for the capital market would begin on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

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

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Halt in Iran\u2019s Oil Production Growth Since Early Spring, Per OPEC, IEA<\/h3>\n

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New statistics from the International Energy Agency and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) show that Iran\u2019s oil production experienced significant growth last year, but this growth has stalled since the beginning of this spring.<\/p>\n

The International Energy Agency estimated Iran\u2019s daily\u00a0oil production<\/a> in July to be around 3.35 million barrels, while OPEC\u2019s assessment placed it at about 3.27 million barrels.<\/p>\n

Before U.S. sanctions, Iran\u2019s daily crude oil production was 3.8 million barrels, but this figure dropped to less than 2 million barrels towards the end of Donald Trump\u2019s administration. However, production started to rise again after Joe Biden took office.<\/p>\n

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

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Execution of 70 Prisoners in 15 Days Since Start of August 2024<\/h3>\n

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Based on the registered statistics at the Center for Statistics and Documentation of Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM), From the beginning of the month until mid-August 2024, the Iranian judiciary has carried out the death sentences of 70 prisoners in Iranian prisons over a fifteen-day period. On average, nearly 5 prisoners in Iran are being executed each day. While the previous record stood at 4 daily executions in Iran. Compared to the month of July, during which 53 individuals were executed, the number of executions has seen an increase of nearly 180% up to mid-August. An unprecedented record was set this month with the mass execution of 29 prisoners in a single day on August 7, 2024. The escalating trend of executions in Iran during the month of August is highly alarming.<\/p>\n

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

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Zurich, August 12, 2024: MEK Supporters Hold Exhibition to Condemn Wave of Executions by the Mullahs\u2019 Regime in Iran<\/h3>\n
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Zurich, August 10: MEK Supporters Exhibition to Condemn Wave of Executions by the Mullahs\u2019 Regime-1<\/div><\/div>
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