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UPDATE: 9:30 PM CET<\/span><\/p>\r\n Iran’s extensive use of the death penalty has become a severe human rights issue, sparking global concern and diplomatic pressures.\u00a0 President\u00a0Joe Biden<\/a>‘s administration warned President-elect\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0that Iran is the most “immediate threat” to national security, in a White House meeting on Wednesday.<\/p>\r\n Biden’s Security Advisor\u00a0Jake Sullivan<\/a>\u00a0told reporters escalating tensions in the Middle East due to the conflict in Gaza made the Tehran regime and its associated militia groups a continuing risk for the U.S. and its citizens.<\/p>\r\n “There’s the most immediate issue, which is Iran and its proxy groups continue to take actions that directly threaten Americans and American interests in the Middle East, and that has to be dealt with on an urgent basis,” said Sullivan.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n WASHINGTON\/CARACAS Nov 13 (Reuters) – President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio for\u00a0secretary of state<\/a>\u00a0could signal stricter enforcement of oil sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, but concerns about retaliation by China could temper any efforts, analysts said on Wednesday.<\/p>\r\n Rubio, a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has long pushed for a tougher U.S. policy on Iran and China. Rubio, whose parents immigrated from Cuba to the U.S., is also a critic of Venezuela’s socialist President Nicolas Maduro, whose two re-elections have been disputed by Washington, leading to oil sanctions on the OPEC nation.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury Department said on Thursday that New York-based insurer MetLife’s\u00a0(MET.N), opens new tab<\/a>\u00a0unit, American Life Insurance Company, agreed to settle its potential civil liability for over 2,300 apparent violations of sanctions against Iran.<\/p>\r\n The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a $178,421 settlement with the MetLife unit.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n Suspected Iranian hackers impersonated recruiters on LinkedIn to target the aerospace industry in a new espionage campaign, researchers have found.<\/p>\r\n So-called \u201cfake worker\u201d schemes are typically\u00a0associated<\/a>\u00a0with North Korean threat actors. However, the Israel-based cybersecurity company ClearSky has\u00a0attributed<\/a>\u00a0this latest campaign to the Iranian operation tracked as TA455, likely a subgroup of the Iranian government cyberwarfare group\u00a0Charming Kitten<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n Researchers suggest that TA455 either impersonated Pyongyang-backed hackers to mask its activities or that North Korea shared attack methods and tools with Iran.<\/p>\r\n During the campaign, which has been active since at least September 2023, the hackers used fake recruiting websites and LinkedIn profiles to distribute seemingly legitimate documents containing malicious files, including the SnailResin malware, which activated the SlugResin backdoor.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n UPDATE: 7:30 PM CET<\/span><\/p>\r\n WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, the Department of the Treasury\u2019s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 26 companies, individuals, and vessels associated with the Al-Qatirji Company, a Syrian conglomerate responsible for generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and the Houthis through the sale of Iranian oil to Syria and the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC). Previously designated for its role in facilitating the sale of fuel between the Syrian regime and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Al-Qatirji Company has morphed into one of the main channels through which the IRGC-QF generates revenue and funds its regional proxy groups. OFAC is expanding its targeting of Al-Qatirji\u2019s network and its fleet of vessels to inhibit the IRGC-QF from benefiting from this relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n UPDATE: 12:30 PM CET<\/span><\/p>\r\n PARIS\/VIENNA, Nov 13 (Reuters) – European powers are pushing for a new resolution against Iran by the U.N. atomic watchdog’s board next week to pressure Tehran over its poor cooperation, as the world awaits the return of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, diplomats say.<\/p>\r\n Such resolutions risk further diplomatic tension with Iran. It has retaliated to previous ones and other criticism at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors by\u00a0stepping up<\/a>\u00a0its nuclear activities and\u00a0barring<\/a>\u00a0top IAEA inspectors<\/a>, heightening Western concerns about its aims.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n On a sea of oil and gas, as autumn deepens and winter sets in, Tehran and other major cities grapple with daily power outages. How much worse must it be for smaller towns and villages!<\/p>\r\n The people\u2019s lives, livelihoods, and health are all in jeopardy. Iran\u2019s ruling clerics have either looted the nation\u2019s wealth or diverted it into security operations, military agendas, and warmongering ventures. Over $2 trillion has been wasted on nuclear weapon development under the pretense of nuclear energy! The people gained no electricity, power plants went unrepaired, and there was no investment in solar energy.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n One hundred days have passed since Masoud Pezeshkian assumed office as the Iranian regime\u2019s president. Globally, it is customary to assess the first 100 days of a new government, during which administrations generally present their 100-day report for public review. However, Pezeshkian\u2019s government has not done so. It is clear that even if they had achieved a passing grade, it would have been closely scrutinized and amplified many times over.<\/p>\r\n The government-affiliated newspaper Jahan-e Sanat wrote on November 12, \u201cThe government and Masoud Pezeshkian have chosen, so far, to refrain from issuing an analytical statement on their record, as well as on what their successes and failures have been. Some political analysts say that this lack of an analytical report by Pezeshkian itself should be considered one of his failures.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n Where are the billions in Iran\u2019s annual budgets being spent, providing no return or benefit in securing housing for most of the country\u2019s people? Why don\u2019t these vast and astronomical resources, derived from Iran\u2019s mineral wealth and treasures, go to these people so they may have safe and stable shelter?<\/p>\r\n \u2013 On May 13, 2023, the state-run Entekhab news website quoted housing expert Ahmad Reza Sarhadi as saying, \u201cSome people cannot even rent a house in lower-class areas of Tehran. Renting a 50-square-meter home in Naziabad now requires 1 billion rials down payment and a monthly rent of 100 million rials.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u2013 On July 29, 2023, Faraz website wrote, \u201cIt is rare to find anyone in Iranian cities who does not worry about housing. Thousands of families have put their household items in storage and are now homeless.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, cautioned on Tuesday that diplomatic opportunities to negotiate a renewed international agreement on the Iranian regime\u2019s nuclear program are diminishing. This statement came as he prepared for an upcoming visit to Tehran.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \u201cThe Iranian regime must understand that the international situation is becoming increasingly tense,\u201d Grossi stated in an interview with AFP. \u201cIt is imperative to explore diplomatic solutions before the space for negotiation disappears.\u201d<\/p>\r\n The IAEA, which is responsible for monitoring the Iranian regime\u2019s nuclear activities, currently has inspection access to Iranian facilities. However, Grossi emphasized that this access remains insufficient. \u201cWe need to see more,\u201d he asserted, citing the expanding scope and ambition of the regime\u2019s nuclear program. Grossi called for increased transparency, adding, \u201cWe need to find ways of giving the agency more visibility.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n The Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs of Iran\u2019s Ministry of Agriculture, Akbar Fathi, has highlighted a significant $11 billion trade imbalance in the country\u2019s agricultural sector. He revealed that approximately 80% of Iran\u2019s livestock feed inputs are reliant on imports, signaling a troubling dependency that has steadily grown alongside the nation\u2019s rising demand for meat.\u00a0In an interview with ILNA news agency on Sunday, November 10, Fathi explained that the country\u2019s increased meat consumption has led not only to higher imports of agricultural products but also a surge in livestock-related imports. According to Iranian customs data, Iran imported $17.4 billion in agricultural products last year while exporting only $6.2 billion\u2014indicating a substantial shortfall. Key imports include soy, corn, barley, and other essential livestock feed ingredients.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n On the morning of Wednesday, November 13, 2024, a woman, along with six men, was executed by hanging at Ghezel Hesar Prison in\u00a0Karaj.<\/p>\r\n At the time of this report\u2019s release, the woman\u2019s identity has yet to be confirmed. She had been sentenced to death for \u201cpremeditated murder,\u201d and her sentence was carried out at Ghezel Hesar Prison.<\/p>\r\n In the past five days, at least three women have been executed by hanging in various prisons across Iran, including\u00a0Tabriz Central Prison,\u00a0Lakan Prison in Rasht, and Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n The Tehran Electricity Distribution Company announced that \u201cscheduled and rotational power cuts\u201d began across Tehran at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Fatemeh Mohajerani, spokesperson for the Masoud Pezeshkian administration, stated that the burning of fuel oil (mazut) will not be stopped, only reduced, and that power cuts will continue.\u00a0Each\u00a0power outage is scheduled to last two hours, but citizens report that the announced schedule and areas of the outages are not consistently followed, causing problems for residents. According to the website Filterban, with the onset of power outages in Tehran, mobile networks have also gone down in some areas. The backup batteries of BTS (Base Transceiver Station) antennas, which should provide power for up to three hours, are underperforming and in need of maintenance.<\/p>\r\nIran’s Use of Death Penalty Frequent, Unbounded<\/h3>\r\n
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With Iran responsible for 74% of all recorded executions globally in 2023, according to Amnesty International, this systematic approach to capital punishment has raised the alarm for numerous human rights organizations, Western governments, and the United Nations.
The NCRI has called for immediate international intervention to save these lives, stressing that Iran\u2019s expedited trials lack transparency and fairness, contravening both the\u00a0ICCPR\u00a0and the\u00a0Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary.
Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n
\r\nJoe Biden Tells Trump Iran ‘Most Immediate’ Threat: Report<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nTrump Pick Rubio Could Harden Oil Sanctions on Iran, Venezuela<\/h3>\r\n
\r\nUS Treasury Department Says Metlife Unit Settles over Iran Sanctions Violations<\/h3>\r\n
\r\nIran-Linked Group Aims Malware at Aerospace Industry Through Fake Job Recruiters<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nTreasury Targets Syrian Conglomerate Funding Qods Force and Houthis<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nEuropean Powers Pushing for Resolution Against Iran at IAEA, Diplomats Say<\/h3>\r\n
\r\nDaily Power Outages In Iran<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nPezeshkian\u2019s Disastrous First 100 Days in Office<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nIran\u2019s Marginalized Population Is on The Verge of Another Social Explosion<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nIAEA Chief Warns of Narrowing Diplomatic Window on Iranian Regime\u2019s Nuclear Program<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nIran\u2019s Agricultural Trade Imbalance and Dependence on Imports Reach Critical Levels<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nWoman Hanged at Ghezel Hesar Prison: 27th Female Execution in 2024<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nPower Outages Begin in Tehran; Government Spokesperson: Fuel Oil Burning in Power Plants Continues<\/h3>\r\n
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