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Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Iran: Amir-Kabir industrial complex (Shapour) demonstrating in Isfahan

Hundreds of people are demonstrating in the Amir-Kabir industrial (New Shapour) complex

Reported by PMOI/MEK

July 31, 2018 - Hundreds of people are demonstrating now in the Amir-Kabir industrial complex (Shapour) of Isfahan, central Iran, protesting skyrocketing prices and continuous power outages.

Bazaar merchants protest in the New Shapour, Isfahan

Protesters are chanting:

“Death to high prices”

“Proud bazaar merchants, support, support”

"No to Gaza, no to Lebanon, my life for Iran"

All store owners in this area have closed their shops and are on strike.

The Amir-Kabir industrial park was established back in 1990 west of the city of Isfahan, eight kilometers outside of the city on “Khomeini” highway and Ata’olmolk Boulevard. The area is around 127 hectares in size where industrial, city and municipality workshops are located.

Protest by people and public transportation drivers in Isfahan

Isfahan Shapour storeowners' protest due to high cost of living

The first phase of this complex consisted of 18 blocks with 950 industrial workshops beginning their work in the early 1990s. The second phase was launched afterward with five blocks.

The people of this area are currently facing numerous problems with lack of services, and critical crises including water and electricity shortages.

Monday, July 30, 2018

The strike of Iran’s truck drivers expands to 125 cities on seventh day

Isfahan & Shahr-e Kord on the seventh day of truck drivers’ strike

Reported by: PMOI/MEK

Iran, July 30, 2018 - The truck drivers of Iran put behind the seventh day of their nationwide strike on Sunday. Their strike spans over many of Iran’s major cities, including Isfahan, Shar-e Kord, Mashhad, Qazvin, Urmia, Kazerun, Chalus, Arak, Kermanshah, Baneh, Shiraz, and Tabriz.

At the terminal of Tarq, Isfahan, the Iranian regime’s agents had put several truck tires on sale at lower prices to break the truck drivers’ strike. But the truck drivers ignored the regime’s offers. The regime is also using trucks and organizations tied to the Revolutionary Guards to counter the effects of the truckers’ strike.

In the past seven days, truck drivers from 125 cities and 30 provinces of Iran have joined the strike and stopped their operations.

The expansion of the nationwide strikes

The second wave of nationwide strikes by truck drivers started on July 22^nd. Despite the ruses, sabotage, and threats of the Iranian regime, Iran’s truckers decided to start and continue their strike.

In the past days, the Iranian regime has tried to end the strike at any price. In Mashhad, the regime’s agents tried to trick the truck drivers to end their strike by selling them cheap tires. However, Mashhad’s terminal remained empty and no truck driver came to buy tires.

In Sarbandar, Khuzestan, the regime’s officials started using the transportation ministry’s trucks to counter the effects of the nationwide strike. The regime took similar measures in Shar-e Kord. In Kermanshah, the regime’s agents tore off the license plates of truckers’ vehicles to threaten them, but the families of the truckers confronted them.

In Bandar Abbas, the regime tried to infiltrate their own agents among the truckers and normalize the situation.

Iranian opposition NCRI President Maryam Rajavi praised the truckers’ nationwide strike.

Background

The first round of the truck drivers’ strike began back in May and continued for 12 days. Truckers in seven provinces began the strike by refusing to deliver any goods and this movement quickly spread to 274 cities across the country, transforming to a general strike shaking the regime’s corrupt pillars.

This movement brought to a halt a large portion of the country’s transportation network, placing deep impact on the regime’s already fragile economy.

Despite resorting to a variety of pretext and crackdown methods, Iranian regime officials were forced to give into a portion of the drivers’ demands, including a 20 percent rise in load rates, averaging load commission percentages between 12 to 14 percent, and stopping plans to launch tracking measures on the truckers’ commuting.

The drivers’ main demands include increased load rates, retirement rights after 25 years of work experience, taking into consideration the drivers’ harsh working conditions, lowering insurance fees, lowering prices of spare parts, especially tires and oil as the market experiences numerous ups and downs, increasing the drivers’ daily diesel fuel ration, decreasing authorities extortions, including road commissions and further charges upon delivery of goods in ports and load terminals stations to companies owned by influential figures, and stopping all repressive measures by authorities against the drivers.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Maryam Rajavi calls for action to prevent Iran from destroying graves, removing traces of victims of 1988 massacre

The Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

The President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, urged the UN Secretary-General, the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and international human rights organizations to immediately take action to prevent the Iranian regime’s systematic destruction of the graves of victims of the 1988 massacre in Iran and removal of the traces of this massacre throughout the country, particularly in Ahvaz.

As the clerical regime’s efforts to prevent the growth of the Call-for-Justice movement has failed and it has not managed to send the massacre of Iranian political prisoners into oblivion, the ruling mullahs are desperately trying to remove the traces for this massacre in a bid to evade the consequences of this genocide and great crime against humanity, Mrs. Rajavi added.

She warned that the destruction of the graves of the martyrs --whether aimed at inflicting a vicious psychological torture on their families or at removing the evidence of this crime against humanity-- is a major crime in itself whose masterminds and perpetrators must face justice and be held accountable.

The inhuman clerical regime has in recent weeks razed the graves of the victims of the 1988 massacre and other victims of execution in the 1980s in Ahvaz, capital of Khuzestan Province (in southwestern Iran), and is constructing roads in their place in order to remove all traces of these graves.

In late June, the regime had demolished the graves of PMOI martyrs in Vadi-e Rahmat Cemetery in Tabriz, capital of East Azerbaijan Province (northwestern Iran). In the previous month, the mass graves of the martyrs of the 1988 massacre and other PMOI martyrs in Behesht-e Reza Cemetery in Mashhad, capital of Razavi Khorasan Province (northeastern Iran), had been destroyed on the orders of the clerical regime’s officials.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

July 27, 2018

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Iranian Government Tries to Make People Believe That Sanctions Will Have No Effect Economy 17 July 2018

Iran Focus

London, 17 July - Ever since U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Iran would once again face the sanctions that were lifted when the 2015 nuclear deal was signed, officials in the country have tried to downplay the impact that they will have. Several officials have publicly said that sanctions are nothing more than a minor inconvenience and other officials have said that Iran is perfectly capable of adapting to sanctions and finding ways around them, as it has done in the past.

However, the Health Minister of Iran, Hassan Ghazizadeh, said at the weekend that the impact will not be quite as easy to deal with as some officials are making out. The Health Minister is a very outspoken official that is not a fan of President Hassan Rouhani. He said that the upcoming sanctions are a “storm” that will “rattle our lives” and said that there is no point in pretending that it is not the case.

He said: “Two choices lay ahead - either to deny the status quo and say that everything is set in peace until the storm hits and shatters everything, or accept that the storm is definitely coming.”

The Rouhani government is going to great lengths to reassure the public that the situation is under control and that sanctions are not going to have an adverse effect on the country’s economy. However, the Iranian people are not easily fooled and they know that the sanctions will have an impact.

There has been a campaign set up with the aim of making the population feel reassured, and there is a lot of talk about resilience. This is something that the people have become used to over the years, and they know that the promises made by the government mean nothing.

Despite the messages of positivity and the fudged reports that attempt to portray the economic situation as being positive, the market is showing that the situation is anything but good. Prices for gold are on the increase. In one trading session alone, there was a 6 per cent rise.

The national currency of Iran, the Rial, has also fallen way below the dollar – around 8,400 Rials to the dollar.

Food products in the country have also been significantly impacted and poultry has hit its highest cost ever – approximately 9,200 Rials per kilo. This is an increase of 80 per cent since last year. Grains and milk are also being affected by a major price increase.

The Iranian government cannot hide these facts and of course the average Iranian has noticed and been affected.

The Iranian government is saying that inflation is below 10 per cent, but experts in the field are saying that inflation in the country is at more than 130 percent.

Although the people of Iran are affected by all of this, they are actually supportive of the sanctions. They know that the Mullahs need to be pressured and finally toppled by them and their organized Resistance.

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Who is the alternative to Iran’s regime?

The Iranian Diaspora is planning to hold its annual convention on June 30th in Paris

Analysis by PMOI/MEK

June 22, 2018 - Following the ongoing Dec/Jan protests aimed at bringing freedom for Iran’s suffering people, there are two vital issues at hand:

Overthrowing the mullahs’ dictatorship
The alternative to this regime

The more we trek forward, the question of who is this regime’s alternative becomes all the more imperative. In such sensitive circumstances it is quite natural to see many parties claiming to be the alternative to Tehran’s mullahs.

It is also natural that all groups and individuals, associated or non-associated to a third party, those willing to sacrifice and opportunists seeking to jump at the opportunity, are surfacing and claiming to be patriotic in nature and opposing the ruling apparatus.

This resembles the end of winter and the arrival spring, bringing about the birth of plants. Alongside flowers, however, we also witness the growth of weeds. Next to flowers we see tall and powerful trees full of leaves and blossoms.

When the air speaks of a revolution and change, there are many parties seen rising from their sleep ready to hijack the ruling state, and willing to resort to any and all deceptive measure necessary.

They begin to claim of having a long struggle history against the ruling regime, forging records of years in jail and enduring torture. Worst of all, through demonizing propaganda, they begin to hinder the efforts of truly democratic entities seeking to bring about real change.

In such circumstances, the question is who is the true alternative to Iran’s regime?

The history of revolutions across the globe provide the following realities:

1) An alternative organ has members willing to sacrifice their all, and its enmity against the ruling regime is crystal clear for all parties.

This entity, involved in a continuous war against the enemy, has seen many of its members lose their lives fighting for their people.

This entity also has seen many of its members imprisoned by different regimes ruling their country. These prisoners are resilient in the face of torture and harsh conditions, leading to their execution.

This entity has complete faith in its objective, being freedom for its people.

2) This alternative has roots in its nation and has risen for their cause.

3) This alternative has access and relies on popular sources for its intelligence. When the enemy launches massive clampdowns, this alternative’s roots amongst the people allows it to obtain intelligence from the ruling regime and expose their true nature to the outside world.

For example, the revelations made by the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) regarding the Iranian regime’s clandestine nuclear program.

4) A true alternative should not be associated to any foreign power. It must be independent to the very meaning of the world and especially rely financially on its people and supporters.

5) This alternative must have a strong, democratic organization.

6) This alternative must have a specific leadership established around the cause of opposing the ruling regime and through the years proving its honesty and competence. The leadership must be fully involved in the struggle against the ruling dictatorship, paying the very price of all the sufferings.

7) This alternative must represent people from all walks of life in society and focus its efforts to establish a democratic state.

8) This alternative must be recognized on a global scale and establish this recognition through years of struggle.

Looking at Iran, the only entity fitting such criteria is the Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a parliament-in-exile led by NCRI President Maryam Rajavi.

The Iranian Diaspora is planning to hold its annual convention on June 30^th in Paris to express their support for democratic change in Iran.

Visit this website for more information about the Iranian opposition convention.

Saturday, June 23, 2018

EU choosing Iran over the US is illogical, to say the least

European Unoin flags

Analysis by PMOI/MEK

June 22, 2018 - Following the U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to exit from the highly flawed Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the European Union is striving to somehow safeguard the pact. EU’s main objective appears to be further normalizing trade and economic relations with Tehran.

This is already sending influential signs to other global parties, indicating the EU has chosen to side with the Iranian regime and not the U.S., and as a result not the Iranian people. While the Trump administration is reinstalling sanctions against the mullahs’ regime and warns further and more effective measures are in the making, Brussels continues to only take its short-term economic benefits into consideration.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – making significant noise recently with four tweets focusing on the Iranian regime in a mere 36 hours – specifically made it clear that Tehran would come under the “the strongest sanctions in history” if the mullahs refuse to alter their Middle East behavior that is wreaking havoc across the region.

The attempts made by the EU are unprecedented, as the bloc is seen appeasing the mullahs’ demands by succumbing to their economic and political demands. Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is clearly listing new conditions for Tehran to remain loyal to the deal. Needless to say the regime’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has recently described theJCPOA as being in ICU and hinting the regime will likely be exiting the deal within weeks.

Khamenei has gone as far as demanding Europe to guarantee “Iran’s oil sales will not suffer, Tehran would resume enrichment activities that are currently prohibited.”

Certain is the fact that the EU will be considering the benefits of siding with Iran, while going against Washington’s wishes and being left to face the consequences. It goes without saying that the Green Continent’s relations with the U.S. is of strategic importance.

This political miscalculation by the EU will most definitely render significant setbacks for the bloc as the Trump administration remains steadfast on its firm policy vis-à-vis Iran’s rogue regime.

Unfortunately, what EU leaders are failing to understand is the fact that such a policy of siding with Tehran plays into the hands of Iran’s mullahs, causing a rift between the EU and the U.S.

Instead, the EU should be holding Iran’s mullahs responsible for their human rights violations at home and regional ambitions that has left millions in numerous countries suffering in misery.

Knowing the EU considers its partnership with the U.S. very dire, and the dismal $25 billion annual trade relation with Iran’s regime is nothing in comparison to the $600 billion exports to the US., the outcome is quite palpable.

Obvious is the fact that the EU’s interest lies in siding with the U.S., geopolitically, strategically, militarily and economically speaking.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Iranians opposition supporters inside Iran supporting #FreeIran convention

MEK supporters inside Iran campaign for #FreeIran

Report by: PMOI/MEK inside Iran

Iran, June 20, 2018 - With only 10 days left to the Iranian opposition convention planned for June 30^th in Paris, a long list of videos are arriving from inside Iran showing many groups of people going against all odds to voice their support for this movement and the upcoming event.

People in numerous cities from provinces across the country are increasing their efforts and showing the world how they yearn for regime change. This initiative is gaining strength significantly following the Dec/Jan protests that swept over 140 cities throughout Iran.

Najaf Abad – Zarrin Shahr – Fulad Shahr

Footage from Isfahan Province show PMOI/MEK supporters holding posters reading, “Free Iran – 1,000 Ashrafs – Paris, 2018” with the Iranian flag and the embedded lion and sun symbol.

Ahvaz

A member of the PMOI/MEK network in Ahvaz has provided footage of writing graffiti in support of the Free Iran convention.

Another video from Khorramabad shows PMOI/MEK supporters distributing posters of the Free Iran convention throughout this city in western Iran. One of these posters contained this writing:

“I have a dream: Free Iran”

Shahr-e Rey

More graffiti writing by PMOI/MEK supporters in support of the Free Iran rally in Paris.

Shiraz

A PMOI/MEK supporter is seen distributing leaflets of the Free Iran convention throughout the Shiraz Engineering School and writing graffiti on various walls throughout the city during the night.

Mashhad

“Free Iran – Uprising to Victory” is the slogan written on the hand of a PMOI/MEK supporter in the city of Mashhad.

Tehran/Karaj

PMOI/MEK supporters in Tehran, the capital of Iran, and the city of Karaj are seen distributing Free Iran leaflets and raising the lion and sun flag.

Arak

In a courageous measure, leaflets in support of the Free Iran convention was distributed and put up by PMOI/MEK supporters in various areas of the city.

Bushehr

PMOI/MEK supporters put up posters of the Free Iran convention and Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi in this city, filming and voicing their support for the upcoming rally.