(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): A brief summary of the major political events in Iran during 2020.
According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran) Mullah’s regime had a difficult 2020 as it had to deal with protests, US-led sanctions, targeted killings, and one of the region’s worst COVID-19 outcomes. It started the year 2020, with the fallout from the November 2019 fuel price increases which led to protests and crackdowns.
(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): Iran Protests that shook the foundations of the Iranian regime in November 2019, continues.
The assassination of Qassem Soleimani
The first main event of the year was the assassination of Qassem Soleimani by the US which took place on January 3rd. The regime feared there might be further attacks from an American or Israeli attack. The Iranian air defense forces reacted by shooting down by accident a Ukraine-bound civilian airliner just after it took off in Tehran. All 176 people on board lost their lives.
(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): Radio clip exposes that the Iranian regime was informed about the downing of a Ukrainian plane by IRGC
The assassination of chief Iranian nuclear scientist
Key Iranian figures appear to be easy targets for US or Israeli underground operations, as shown by the assassination of chief Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on the 27th of November. It was an AI-controlled machine gun on another vehicle that targeted his car.
3 months before this incident, Israelis killed a key Al-Qaeda commander, Abu Muhammad al-Masri, who had sought refuge in Iran. He was killed by gunfire during the day in Tehran. Al-Masri was the mastermind behind the 1998 attacks on US embassies in Africa, and he was killed on Aug. 7th which was the anniversary of the attacks on the embassies.
(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): the assassination of chief Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on the 27th of November.
Condemnation of the regime’s appalling human rights record
The economy has never been able to properly recover due to US-led sanctions so discontent continues in Iran. All the regime wanted to do was silence any protesters, so they hung popular Iranian wrestler, Navid Afkari, as an example of what could happen to anyone protesting the government’s action. Many governments and organizations worldwide voiced their anger, which led to Canada at the United Nations presenting a successful resolution in November which condemned the regime’s appalling human rights record.
(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): United Nations presenting a successful resolution in November which condemned the regime’s appalling human rights record.
This was emphasized by Amnesty International which, after completing research, concluded that the Iranian state had killed 304 people, including children, during the protests with hundreds more being arrested. Iran took no notice of the criticisms and said they had no legal backing.
COVID-19 outbreak
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, more than 196,000 people have lost their lives due to COVID-19, which has spread to 475 cities in Iran, reported by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran).
(NCRI) and (PMOI/MEK). This is one of the worst death rates in the region. Now that a vaccine is becoming available, the regime is claiming that the US is blocking their access to vaccinations as well as to international loans to help combat it.
(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): The regime provides no details on when and where the vaccine is purchased.
Iraqis, including Shiite ones, have to deal with their own interests and problems so they continue to work with Americans in Iraq.
Joint Comprehensive Plan
President-elect Biden has expressed his interest in returning to the nuclear accord’s framework agreement with Iran but it is likely he will tread carefully.
Obama and Secretary of State, John Kerry, made an effort to “encourage negotiations” but this just gave the regime the go-ahead to do whatever they wanted. The Iranians may receive at the very most a partial lifting of sanctions for obeying the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (a.k.a. the “nuclear deal”).
If the soon-to-be Biden administration acts in a savvy way it may be able to contain both Iran’s nuclear weapon proliferation and its policies that seek to destabilize the region.
(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): Joint Comprehensive Plan gave the regime the go-ahead to do whatever they wanted.
The abridged version of an article written by David Romano for Arab News.
David Romano is Thomas G. Strong Professor of Middle East Politics at Missouri State University.
and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTube