iran panorama

Take a look at the analysis of my friend Heshmat Alavi. By Heshmat Alavi Iran has recently witnessed increasing pressures from both sides of the Atlantic, especially over its ballistic missile ambitions. After weeks of deliberations, the US Congress passed initiatives imposing unprecedented restrictions on Tehran. Just one day after Iran test-launched a satellite-carrying rocket, the Europeans on Friday joined their American allies in sharpening their tone on Iran’s mullahs, demanding an immediate cessation. The US Treasury Department also responded sharply, imposing even further sanctions on six companies owned or supervised by the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, known to play a central role in Tehran’s ballistic drive. All their US assets have been frozen and US citizens barred from dealing with the six firms. As expected, Iran has continued its refusal to cooperate. “We will continue with full power our missile program,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bah...

 By Donya Jam Two recent shootings in Iran left two dead and once again brought the cruelness of the country’s security forces to light.A 46-year-old man identified as Asghar Nahvipour was shot and killed last Saturday when an officer opened fire at point-blank range. The victim was shot in Iran’s Shahr-e-rey metro station, south of Tehran. Reports indicate  the man protested a government mullah “harassing a number of young women under the bogus pretext of improper hijab.” He was heard yelling, “We don’t want these mullahs. We don’t want this Islam. What kind of a country is this? What kind of Islam is this?” The shooting was captured on tape and posted extensively on the web. Nahvipour is seen yelling while a turban is in his hands. Seconds later, a member of the security forces shoots him with an assault rifle. Iranians were appalled after hearing the brutality of the country’s security forces and launched a campaign on  social media  t...

By Ray Downs July 30 (UPI) -- Amazon told investors it is under federal investigation after the web-based retailer admitted to selling products to at least one Iranian on the U.S. government's black list of people allegedly associated with terrorism, a violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran.In its  quarterly report  to investors, Amazon said it sold approximately $300 worth of goods to an individual blacklisted by the U.S. government under  Executive Order 13224 , which was signed by President  George W. Bush  in 2001 and aims to "disrupt the financial support network for terrorists and terrorist organizations." The products Amazon sold included "books, other media, apparel, home and kitchen, jewelry, office, toys, health and beauty, consumer electronics, lawn and patio, automotive and musical instruments," according to the quarterly report. The individual was not identified in the report. In addition to the $300 in items potentially sold in v...

Let's get to know another picture of Evin Prison. By Tony Duheaume

A good read by @shahriarkia explaining the new US sanctions on #Iran # BlackListIRGC Shahriar Kia New sanctions on Iran are a step towards taking power away from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, but there is much more the US and its allies can do. The US House of Representatives on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to rally  major new sanctions  on Iran, parallel to measures on North Korea and Russia. To impose additional sanctions on Iran’s defense sector, The House voted 419-3, moving the bill forward to be signed by President Trump. Coming after three weeks of negotiations, this bill “tightens the screws on our most dangerous adversaries,” explained House Speaker Paul Ryan. The bill sanctions anyone associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or anyone whom the US determines is complicit in Iranian human rights violations. Anyone sanctioned under the act may later have sanctions removed after a five-year review. Iranian opposition l...

"the consequence of the nuclear deal was #Iran being able to buy sophisticated weapons and #Russia having the cash to stay in the #MiddleEast as a military power." Great read by L. Todd Wood By  L. Todd Wood  

Important read by @aalrashed on #Iran 's meddling in the #MiddleEast  The brothers in Kuwait always need to discover the truth themselves and they’re very sensitive to any Gulf or regional warning. Relations with Iran are not the first when it comes to this matter. Fortunately, Tehran’s harm which targeted Kuwait was aborted at early stages either when the Hezbollah cell was discovered or when its members fled. The Kuwaiti government acted without being advised or incited, and it expelled Iranian diplomats in the country reducing their number to four. It also shut down the Iranian embassy’s technical offices and missions as it was proven they are dens for espionage and arranging terrorist operations. Terrorism is nothing strange to Iran as its terrorist activities can be seen in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and even Latin America. The surprise is that Iran targeted Kuwait which is one of the most reconciled countries with it. Kuwait’s emir visited Tehran three years ago despite...

Mahyar Harsini

Dr. Raymond Tanter The Hill, July 26, 2017 - Consider three quotes that provide a way of looking back to look forward:President Obama in 2013 address to the  United Nations  :“We are not seeking regime change, and we respect the right of the Iranian people to access peaceful nuclear energy.”When asked whether the Trump administration supports “a philosophy of regime change in Iran, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. would work with Iranian opposition groups toward the “peaceful transition of that government.” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) echoed Tillerson’s view, saying “it’s time the Iranian people had a free and open society and a functioning democracy,” effectively a call for regime change. The Obama quote reassuring the Iranian regime that its survival was not on the table stands in marked contrast to those of Tillerson and McCain, for whom the idea of regime change from the people of Iran is on the table, or at least under the table in and around th...

An excellent insight read by Shahriar Kia on the true nature of the #Iran & Total gas deal despite all of Iran's brouhaha . by Shahriar Kia The $4.8-billion-dollar deal between Iran and France's Total, the huge multinational oil and gas company, has become very controversial. Considering the unilateral U.S. sanctions and increasing measures against Iran, why has Total risked signing such a deal? There are a variety of possibilities. Total will be developing phase 11 of Iran's mammoth South Pars gas field, the largest in the world, along with a state Chinese firm and an Iranian subsidiary. The project is set to render 2 billion cubic feet of gas per day, equivalent to 400,000 barrels of oil. Iran's domestic market will receive the supply in 2021. The first stage is set to cost $2 billion, with an end price of up to $5 billion and production forecasted to start within 40 months. As we speak, however, Washington continues to impose sanctions on Tehran an...

An excellent insight read by Shahriar Kia by Shahriar Kia

I suggest you Read this article from a famous writer Dr. Majid Rafizadeh by Dr. Majid Rafizadeh Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, Contributor President of the International American Council and board member of the US-Middle East Chamber of Business and Commerce and Harvard IR. Senior Former U.S. Officials Reject War With Iran, Urge Reaching Out To The Iranian People, Organized Opposition n he heels of the major   gathering   of the Iranian opposition in Paris on   July 1 , some thirty prominent American luminaries and former officials   issued   a joint statement   expressing   bipartisan support for the Iranian resistance and underscoring the need for a more firm approach towards Iran’s ruling clerics. Among  the signatories were former House Speaker  Newt Gingrich  and former New York City Mayor  Rudy Giuliani . The letter  scolds  the ruling clerics of Iran for causing regi...