{"id":323975,"date":"2024-09-12T07:16:28","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T06:16:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=323975"},"modified":"2024-09-12T20:28:57","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T19:28:57","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-september-12-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-september-12-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 September 12, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

UPDATE: 9:00 PM CEST<\/span><\/p>\n

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Western Powers Condemn Tehran\u2019s Lack of Cooperation with IAEA on Nuclear Safeguards<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"Iran-IAEA-flag\"<\/p>\n

France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States have issued a joint statement<\/a> to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressing serious concerns over the Iranian regime\u2019s failure to cooperate with nuclear safeguards. The statement, delivered on September 12, criticized Tehran for not providing “technically credible explanations” regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at sites like Turquzabad and Varamin.<\/p>\n

British representative Corinne Kitsell stated, “The IAEA continues to report that it is unable to assure that Iran\u2019s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.” The statement also condemned Iran’s refusal to implement modified Code 3.1, which hinders the IAEA’s ability to monitor new nuclear facilities.<\/p>\n

The four nations warned that continued Iranian non-compliance could lead to further action by the IAEA Board of Governors, including a comprehensive report that may invoke Article 19 of the Safeguards Agreement, escalating the matter further.<\/p>\n

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

Treasury Designates Actors Facilitating Iran\u2019s Transfer of Lethal Aid to Russia<\/h3>\n

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WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, in response to Iran\u2019s ongoing military support, including the recent delivery of ballistic missiles, to Russia for its war of aggression against Ukraine, the U.S. Department of the Treasury\u2019s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating ten\u00a0individuals and six entities based in Iran and Russia and identifying four vessels as blocked property that are enabling Iran\u2019s delivery of weapons components and weapons systems, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and close-range ballistic missiles (CRBMs), to Russia. In late 2023, Iran and Russia signed a contract for the supply of hundreds of missiles. In the summer of 2024, Russian military personnel were trained on the use of Iran\u2019s Project 360 CBRMs by Iranian personnel, and as of early September 2024, Russia received the first shipment of these CBRMs from Iran.<\/p>\n

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

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Pakistani Charged in Alleged Iran Plot to Kill US Official<\/h3>\n

\"FRANCE_24_logo\"A Pakistani man with ties to Iran has been charged for allegedly plotting to assassinate a US official in retaliation for the US killing of Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani, prosecutors said Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Asif Raza Merchant, 46, allegedly sought to hire a hitman to assassinate a politician or a US government official in the United States, the Justice Department and prosecutors said in a statement.<\/p>\n

“As these terrorism and murder-for-hire charges against Asif Merchant demonstrate, we will continue to hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against Americans,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Soleimani, the head of Iran’s foreign military operations, was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020. Iranian officials have repeatedly vowed to avenge his killing.<\/p>\n

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

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Islamic Centre Head Leaves Germany After Deportation Order<\/h3>\n

Agence France Presse (AFP) – The former head of an Islamic Center in Germany banned for its alleged links to extremist groups has left the country after being served with a deportation order, local authorities said Wednesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh, who was the head of the Hamburg Islamic Centre before it was banned in July, left Germany on Tuesday evening, the Hamburg interior ministry said in a statement. Mofatteh, 57, had been ordered two weeks ago to leave Germany by Wednesday or face being deported at his own expense. He will not be allowed to re-enter Germany for 20 years and could face up to three years in prison if he does, the ministry said.<\/p>\n

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

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

Conference at the UK Parliament in Defense of Human Rights in Iran<\/h3>\n

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On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, on the eve of the anniversary of the\u00a0September 2022 nationwide uprising<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in Iran, a conference titled \u201cHuman Rights in Iran and Securing Accountability: A Call for Justice\u201d was held in the UK Parliament. The event featured members of both Houses of Parliament from various political parties, as well as representatives of the Iranian diaspora in the country. Maryam Rajavi delivered a speech and participated via video conference.<\/p>\n

In their speeches, members of the UK Parliament referred to the escalating human rights violations and the wave of executions under the clerical dictatorship. They expressed their support for the call by Professor Javaid Rehman, the former UN Special Rapporteur, in his landmark report for the establishment of a mechanism to hold the regime accountable for four decades of atrocity crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran\u2019s Economy Continues to Worsen as Massoud Pezeshkian Takes The Reins<\/h3>\n

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The beginning of the tenure of Massoud Pezeshkian, the new president of Iran\u2019s regime, clearly reveals the quagmire that has engulfed the regime. The implementation of the hollow Seventh Development Plan hasn\u2019t even started yet, but to compensate for the losses suffered by nurses, wheat farmers, and government employees, the regime has\u00a0emptied the last reserves of the National Development Fund<\/a>. Regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, ever generous when it comes to building bombs, missiles, and supporting proxy terrorist groups in the region, gave his approval. However, the crisis runs deeper. Public schools, still closed due to disrepair, have had their water cut off because they can\u2019t pay their 6 trillion rial debt.<\/p>\n

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

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Widening Rifts Within Iran\u2019s Regime<\/h3>\n

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On September 3, during a mourning ceremony in Mashhad attended by the Majlis (parliament) speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Iranian regime president Masoud Pezeshkian, cleric Alireza Panahian accused Kayhan newspaper, a known mouthpiece of regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei, of lying and creating polarization. He said, \u201cGovernment-funded newspapers, from\u00a0Kayhan<\/em>\u00a0to\u00a0Ettela\u2019at<\/em>, from\u00a0Jomhouri-e Eslami\u00a0<\/em>to other media outlets\u2026 they have no right to play the polarization game\u2026\u201d Panahian then called on the speaker of the parliament to pass a law against the media inciting polarization and to \u201cshut down these newspapers. Lying is bad, but polarization by newspapers is worse than spreading falsehoods.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the issue of \u201cpolarization\u201d is not something that can be solved through legislation, and Panahian\u2019s remarks opened the door to a new conflict within the regime. During the days when newspapers were not being published due to official holidays, one of\u00a0Kayhan\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0writers called Panahian\u2019s remarks \u201cunwise and inappropriate,\u201d claiming that he \u201cmisjudged and fired at his own side\u201d (Source: Khabar Online, September 5).<\/p>\n

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

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Tensions Rise Over Iran\u2019s Nuclear Program Ahead of Key Deadline<\/h3>\n

\"IAEA\"<\/p>\n

Once again, Iran\u2019s controversial nuclear program has taken center stage at the latest meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency\u2019s (IAEA) Board of Governors. The meeting, which began on September 9 and runs until September 13, has raised renewed concerns about the Iranian regime\u2019s nuclear activities.\u00a0At the meeting, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, expressed alarm over the latest developments in Iran\u2019s nuclear program, specifically highlighting concerns about centrifuge production and the operation of the country\u2019s heavy water reactor. Grossi also expressed a desire to meet with Iran\u2019s newly appointed president, Masoud Pezeshkian, hoping that such a dialogue could help resolve ongoing tensions between Iran and the IAEA. However, this hope seems misplaced, as the real decision-maker in Iran\u2019s nuclear policy remains Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, not Pezeshkian or other officials.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran\u2019s Elusive Goal of 8% Economic Growth: Challenges and Realities<\/h3>\n

\"Iran's<\/p>\n

For more than two decades, the Iranian regime has set an ambitious target: achieving 8% annual economic growth. This goal has been a cornerstone of the country\u2019s development programs and is enshrined in its 20-Year Vision document, which extends to 2025. However, despite repeated efforts across multiple development plans, Iran has consistently fallen short of this objective.<\/p>\n

As the deadline for the 20-Year Vision approaches, the gap between aspiration and reality has only widened. Iran\u2019s economic growth has been plagued by fluctuations, resulting from both internal mismanagement and external pressures. While certain periods have seen temporary growth spurts, these have not been sustainable, and the overall trend has been one of stagnation\u2014particularly since the mid-2000s.<\/p>\n

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

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Activists in Evin Prison Protest with Hunger Strikes<\/h3>\n

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Recent weeks have seen multiple political prisoners and civil rights activists in Evin Prison, launch hunger strikes in protest of their mistreatment.<\/p>\n

These individuals, many of whom were convicted on charges related to their activism, are raising serious concerns about the conditions of their detention, denial of basic rights, and lack of access to medical care and family visits. Three prominent cases involve Sarvnaz Ahmadi, Parivash Moslemi, and Houra Nikbakht, all of whom are demanding better treatment and the fulfillment of their legal rights as prisoners.<\/p>\n

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

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The List of Women and Girls Who Laid Down Their Lives During Iran Protests<\/h3>\n

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Women are leading a revolution in Iran. The Iranian people\u2019s nationwide protests started on September 16, 2022, after the death of a young Kurdish woman,\u00a0Mahsa Amini<\/a>, in the custody of the Morality Police, or Guidance Patrols. The NCRI Women\u2019s Committee publishes a list of women and girls who have lost their lives in the fight for freedom and equality in Iran.<\/p>\n

The People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) has obtained and published the\u00a0names of 647 protesters\u00a0<\/a>who laid down their lives for Iran\u2019s freedom until Day 140. The Iranian regime\u2019s security forces and IRGC have killed at least 750 persons during Iran protests.<\/p>\n

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

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The Former Champion of Iranian Wrestling, in Prison in Nowshahr, Was Executed<\/h3>\n

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In the early morning of Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the death sentence of Morteza Yousefi, a 41-year-old prisoner from Sangtajen village in Nowshahr, was carried out in Nowshahr Central Prison.<\/p>\n

According to reports received by the Iran Human Rights Monitor (IranHRM), Morteza Yousefi was a graduate of physical education and a former champion of Iranian wrestling. He was also a wrestling coach. Previously, he had been arrested for drug-related crimes and sentenced to death by the Iranian judiciary.<\/p>\n

He had previously written a letter to Mohseni Ejei, the head of the judiciary in Iran, stating that three judges in his case had requested a reduction in the sentence for this prisoner and that the death sentence issued by the Supreme Court of the country had been violated.<\/p>\n

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

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Brussels, Belgium: MEK Supporters Celebrate PMOI Founding Anniversary \u2013 September 2024<\/h3>\n
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Brussels, September 2024: Celebration of the Anniversary of the PMOI's Founding.<\/div><\/div>
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