Fearing a public outcry after national flooding, the Iranian regime moved Iraqi, Afghani and Pakistani mercenaries into flood-stricken areas to crush dissent.

The Hashd al-Sha’bi forces, closely linked to the Quds forces in Iran and the regime’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), were transferred to Ahvaz and Khuzestan province under the guise of providing aid to victims. However, their armored vehicles and military equipment have exposed the real reason they are lurking in Iranian towns and cities.

Public Disgust

Following the deployment, the local Iranian youth has come together to demand the immediate eviction of all militia from the affected areas.

Iranians express disgust at Hashd al-Shaabi’s presence in #Iran https://t.co/vJK5xEmj4o

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 21, 2019

The provincial governor of Khuzestan, Ghloamreza Shariati, attempted to placate the Iranian youth. He claimed that “Iraqi officials with their heavy machinery” had come to help in the flooding but had since left the country.

“No military force has entered Iran. Only some Iraqi officials with their machinery and gears came to Iran, and are now gone,” he wrote on a state-run media outlet’s website.

In an effort to explain why the mercenaries were present in the country instead of simply providing resources and machinery to the flood-affected regions, the governor wrote, “Their machinery is expensive and they wouldn’t let us operate them.”

Few Iranians were convinced. When Abu Mehdi Al-Mohandes, the head of the Hashd al-Sha’bi forces arrived in Iran and toured Khuzestan province with Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Forces, he was met with public outcry.

A Public at Their Breaking Point

On his travels around Khuzestan, Ghloamreza Shariati has also met fierce opposition from local residents. Crowds have chanted “we do not want you here, get lost!”

On one visit to a flood-stricken area, Shariati was confronted by a resident who could be heard asking the governor if he cared “only for Syria and not for us people here.” The governor responded with an angry outburst. He berated the resident, cursing at him and calling him an ignorant man. Shariati berated him and ordered him to leave the venue.

Abandoned by the Regime

The public’s anger is borne out of a profound sense of abandonment. In the wake of the flooding, the regime has been markedly absent in rescue and assistance efforts.

Flood victims have been left with limited access to food and water and cut off from the world. Rather than making the resources of the IRGC available, including helicopters, boats and emergency shelters, the regime has provided no assistance. Where it has been active, it has only engaged in suppression and the quashing of public dissent.

On behalf of the Iranian Resistance which has called for an arms and oil embargo on Iran’s religious dictatorship since 1981, Mrs. Rajavi reiterated the need to take the following measures: #Iran #BlackListIRGC pic.twitter.com/g1x3X13RHx

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) April 8, 2019

The President-elect of the Iranian opposition, Maryam Rajavi has urged the Iranian people to rally together in this testing time and offer support to flood victims wherever they can. While this is no substitute for a coordinated government effort, in the face of the regime’s inaction it is the best Iranians can hope for.

Staff writer

International law expert and former apprentice diplomat in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Perviz S. Khazai, wrote an op-ed for news site Eurasia Review. Khazai charts the nature of EU-Iran relations in the wake of the US’s designation of the regime’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).

Khazai’s point of reference begins in 2010 when the Iranian regime and Europe butted heads over the Iranian nuclear program. This rift was smoothed over by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPO), the nuclear agreement signed in 2015.

“However, since agreeing to the 2015 deal, Iran has expanded its nuclear program,” Khazai writes, “despite warnings from the United States and European Countries.” This culminated in the early months of 2019, when the Iranian regime attempted to launch a satellite into orbit.

Europe is “Gravely Concerned”

The EU expressed its concern and has called on the Iranian regime to refrain from any further missile launches. The EU Council said in a statement, “these activities deepen mistrust and contribute to regional instability.”

Then, in February, the EU discussed re-imposing select sanctions on Iran. The discussion marked the first time Iranian sanctions had been brought to the table since 2015. The sanctions were limited. The EU only chose to sanction one deputy minister of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) and two MOIS members. But they represented a cooling attitude towards the Iranian regime following several failed terror attacks on European soil.

The EU Is Resisting the US’s Economic Sanctions

Aside from its own limited sanctions, the EU has displayed a reluctance to follow the US down the road of economic sanctions. Following the re-imposition of US economic sanctions under US President Donald Trump, several European nations established INSTEX, a payment channel through which they could continue trading with the Iranian market and circumvent US sanctions.

But rifts in the regime leadership have hampered INSTEX’s methods. In March, the regime Supreme Leader issued a statement during a public speech that INSTEX was a “bitter joke” and reminded his followers that the EU cannot be trusted.

Although persevering with INSTEX to continue trading with Iran, several EU nations have sanctioned Iran’s Mahan Air. The airline is known to carry resources and equipment for the regime’s IRGC.

EU sanctions on the clerical regime are requisite to the fight on terrorism in Europe but they must be completed by blacklisting of the entire intelligence and IRGC apparatus and by prosecuting and expelling the regime's terrorist diplomats and mercenaries. #BlackListMOIS

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) January 8, 2019

“Germany imposed its ban on Mahan in January, with the German foreign ministry saying this was necessary to protect Berlin’s ‘foreign and security policy interests,’” Khazai wrote.

Iranian Hackers Are Promoting Instability

Reports from Reuters in November found that the regime systematically targeted MEK members living in European countries through online misinformation channels. The Netherlands is also accusing the regime of being behind two assassinations of political dissidents on Dutch soil last year.

“Since the 1979 Iranian revolution, the Islamic revolutionary guard’s corps (IRGC) have been dedicated to export [sic] terrorism abroad. Despite the efforts of the EU and US during past years, Iran has never terminated its support for terrorist organizations especially in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq,” Khazai writes.

Recognize the right of the Iranian people to overthrow religious fascism and to achieve freedom#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #چهل_سال #MEK #Iran@siavoshhosseini pic.twitter.com/4nIEOVbbE0

— maddJavadi (@MaddJavadi) February 10, 2019

Khazai calls on the EU to support the US’s designation of the IRGC as a terror organization. “Europe should sit up and take notice that the protests and strike action ongoing across Iran since the end of 2017 by teachers, laborers, students, truck drivers and so many more [are] already a game changer,” he writes.

Khazai concluded,

“European governments and institutions would be wise at this point to discontinue their current dialogue with Tehran while they undertake a full and in-depth review of their approach toward Iran. Full transparency and accurate information made available to the public would be an essential requirement.”

Staff writer 

 

On April 19th, Mullah Mahmoud Alavi, the regime’s Minister of Intelligence, made an appearance at Friday prayers in Tehran in which he attempted to raise morale of the country’s military forces in light of the recent designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the United States. The designation carries significant economic and political consequences for a regime that is already facing crises from all sides.

Arrests of MEK Members

Alavi focused his remarks on the regime’s suppression of the MEK during the last year in the Iranian calendar (March 21, 2018 to March 20, 2019), saying that during this time “116 teams related to the PMOI [MEK] have been dealt with.” He confusingly referred to these suppressive acts as “intelligence epic” and said that the ministry’s actions were due to “major national security reviews in light of Khamenei’s breakthrough guidelines.”

Call for the release of the arrested and sending an international delegation to meet them#Iran #HumanRightshttps://t.co/wPYVVBUS4O pic.twitter.com/KAURYVX9av

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) April 19, 2019

Alavi insisted that these achievements were carried out through Khamenei’s tailoring and said that the details of the suppressive acts should be shared with the public through “national media.” The regime’s state-run media have become widely distrusted by the Iranian people, who view the mullahs’ news agencies as propaganda. It is common for protesters to chant, “Our shame, our shame, our radio, and TV!” Regime leaders have expressed frustration at their inability to stop people from turning to the Internet and social media for unfiltered news.

Subsequent to announcement of mullahs’ intelligence minister that 116 #PMOI affiliated teams been arrested, Mrs.@Maryam_Rajavi emphasized, those arrested are facing torture& execution &called on UNSG, human rights organizations to visit the prisons & act urgently 4 their release

— Mohammad Mohaddessin (@Mohaddessin) April 19, 2019

The Minister of Intelligence has not officially released the true number of MEK members arrested during the last Iranian calendar year. He intentionally omitted arrests made by the regime’s other suppressive agencies, such as the

IRC Intelligence Organization, IRGC Intelligence Protection Organization, State Security Forces (SSF) and the Prosecutor’s Office.

 

Alavi’s choice to focus on the MEK is in keeping with the regime’s strategy of placing the blame for the FTO designation or IRGC on the resistance organization.

Regime must publish the names of all detainees and respect their rights consistent with International law.#Iran #HumanRights

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) April 19, 2019

Maryam Rajavi’s Statement

After Alavi’s Remarks on Friday, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), released a statement calling for the immediate release of MEK political prisoners in Oran. She called on the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the High Commissioner and the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, and international human rights organizations to form delegations to visit the regime’s prisons and meet with the prisoners and to take immediate action to secure their release. She emphasized that the prisoners are subject to torture and execution. Mrs. Rajavi further demanded that the regime publish the names of all of those who have been arrested and honor their rights in accordance with the international conventions it has adopted.

The Iranian regime is notorious for its mistreatment of political prisoners. Dissidents are routinely tortured while in custody, sometimes to the point of death. During the uprisings of December 2017/January 2018, at least 14 people died after being tortured while in custody.

Staff writer

 

 

 

 

On Monday, April 15, Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Brigadier General Saeed Ghassemi revealed that the Iranian regime had been present in Bosnia under the guise of the Red Crescent and had been in communication with al-Qaeda.

#Iran's IRGC Brigadier General Saeed Ghassemi, confessed for the first time on April 15, 2019 that the (IRGC) was acting in Bosnia under the cover of the Red Crescent and was in contact with al-Qaeda.#IRGCTerrorists @StateDept @USUN @USAdarFarsi https://t.co/aDOlmdzzwr pic.twitter.com/5R1PDLQxpj

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) April 19, 2019

The regime and the IRGC immediately attempted to distance themselves from Ghassemi’s comments. However, Ghassemi’s assertions were echoed on April 17 by Hossein Allah Karam, a leader of Ansar Hezbollah.

Covert Operation Under the Red Crescent Banner

The regime is no stranger to mounting covert operations through non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civilian organizations. It has even used the Red Crescent to further its political objectives before.

The People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK), the largest Iranian opposition group, has often criticized the regime’s use of the organization to export state-sponsored terrorism. In a statement following recent flooding in Iran, the Iranian opposition’s President-elect, Maryam Rajavi, said: “The Red Crescent is for the export of fundamentalism and terrorism.” She went on to say that “none of the institutions and facilities of the country is to protect the people, but to preserve the regime.”

The MEK has been revealing the regime’s illicit operations under the guise of the Red Crescent as far back as 1987. In a report entitled ‘Exposing Details and Agents of Khomeini’s Terrorist and Subversive Plan in Mecca’, the pro-democracy group revealed that the head of the Red Crescent, Yusef Vahidi, had been involved in regime terror plots.

A letter sent in 2003, later made public by the MEK, provided more evidence of the regime using the Red Crescent to carry out terror operations. The letter was written by the head of the regime’s Supreme Security Council and addressed to the head of the Red Crescent at the time, Noor Bala.

The letter explicitly stated that the IRGC’s Quds Forces would determine the needs of the Iraqi population. It instructed Bala that the Red Crescent would collect the aid and then transfer it “to Iraq with the coordination of the Quds Force.”

Most recently, in 2015, the MEK announced that the IRGC was making inroad in Yemen under the guise of providing humanitarian assistance through the Red Crescent. Under the guise of “building hospitals and delivering medicine,” the regime was able to “recruit elements for its terrorist networks”, the MEK statement read.

The regime also orchestrated the transfer of Houthi rebels between Iran and Yemen in Red Crescent airplanes.

Ghassemi’s comments confirm what the MEK has known for a long time. However, confession is significant. It has pulled the mask off of the Red Crescent for the international community and shown them what lies beneath an elaborate network of terrorist recruits hell-bent on advancing the interests of Iran’s violent regime.

Staff writer

Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rejected the possibility of using the country’s development fund to finance flood recovery. He said that funds may be withdrawn only after all other sources have been exhausted. Khamenei has earmarked the development fund for financing the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and military conflict in the region.

The deadly sixteen-day floods are estimated to have caused over $2.2 billion in damages in 25 out of 31 Iranian provinces. Hundreds are believed to have died, thousands lost their homes, and hundreds of thousands of people were affected by the destruction caused by the floods.

MEK-Iran: Floodwaters Spread through Khuzestan while Tens of Thousands of Iranians Still Wait for Disaster Aid

Regime President Hassan Rouhani inquired about using the development fund in a letter to Khamenei because of the regime’s growing alarm at the price of the disaster. The Supreme Leader replied, “You are aware that withdrawing from the development fund is only permitted when all other channels of raising fund are exhausted.”

The “other channels” referred to are components of the nation’s budget, including construction, bank reserves, and insurance. Those resources are intended to be used on services that are already sorely lacking. Iran is in the midst of an economic crisis, and robbing the budget would exacerbate a situation that was already unsustainable before the floods. It’s also uncertain that the budget could withstand a $2.2 billion hit, even if the regime was willing to bring the country to the brink of economic destruction.

Majlis Members Express Concern

The economic damage caused by the floods has caused some members of the regime’s Majlis (parliament) to express concern about the government’s ability to cover the costs of recovery without drawing from the development fund. On Sunday, one member of the Majlis Development Committee was quoted as saying, “The volume of the destruction from the floods is enormous and the government alone is incapable of covering it. So, it is necessary to withdraw from the development funds with the supreme leader’s signature.”

Khamenei Deflects Blame

Khamenei still refuses to consider drawing from the development fund until the country is completely bankrupt, ignoring his own government and the growing anger from the Iranian people, who have taken to the streets in flood-stricken areas to protest the regime’s failure to provide assistance to those whose lives and homes have been destroyed in the disaster.

April 12 – Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, SW #Iran
The protests of the Eyn-e Do (Sayed-Karim) west of Ahwaz city protesting not receiving any aid from authorities and also #IRGC directing floodwaters into the people houses and destructions of them.#IranFloods@USAdarFarsi pic.twitter.com/dH6oU69J9g

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) April 12, 2019

In a recent meeting with some of his allies, Khamenei feigned sympathy for the flood victims, but he also took the opportunity to warn those in his faction about the threat that the aftermath of the deadly disaster poses to the regime. He made sure reference “enemies” in order to deflect blame from his government’s own actions, a common strategy employed by the regime in times of crisis.

In an April 15th report broadcast on the state-run IRIB news agency, Khamenei said, “We should be aware and walk carefully, like someone who is crossing a narrow road with deep cliffs around it. You must look at each step you take. You must know that the ‘enemies’ [the MEK and the U.S.] are increasingly plotting against us.”

Staff writer

 

Protests have broken out in flood-stricken areas across Iran in response to the regime’s failure to provide assistance to its people during and after the deadly floods that affected 25 out of 31 of the nation’s provinces. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the MEK have reported on protests in Ahvaz and Poldokhtar.

No Help from the Regime

The catastrophic floods washed through Iran over a sixteen-day period ending earlier this month, leaving a path of death and destruction in their wake. After the first wave of floods, people were left stranded on rooftops waiting for help that never came. As the second wave of floods approached, the regime refused to issue evacuations or create flood barriers. Before the third round of floods, regime officials called for evacuations, but people in affected areas were not told where or how to evacuate. Many residents of areas hit in the final wave of flooding were forced to flee to neighboring hilltops. Regime officials later blamed them for not evacuating to non-existing “safe areas.”

#IranProtests Explosion of popular anger
another video of massive demos #Ahvaz. Ahwazin demos in protest against the policies of the regime.#IranFloods #Iran #رشتو#سپاه_عامل_سیل #خامنه‌ای_عامل_ویرانیhttps://t.co/taqtp2Mzsw pic.twitter.com/YUndUas0FI

— Mina (@Minajabbarian) April 15, 2019

The people of Iran did their best to survive the floods and their aftermath without the assistance of the government. Residents of hard-hit areas created flood barriers by filling bags with sand and rice and sleeping on top of them. Iranian Arab women baked bread for people in need of food, and Iranian children trekked for hours through the mountains to deliver food and supplies to residents in villages where roads were completely blocked by floodwaters.

 

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the NCRI, reiterated that the regime must make the facilities and equipment of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) available to the Iranian people to assist them in their time of need.

 

The regime has ignored these requests and has done little to address the needs of the people in recovering from the floods. Officials who made appearances for photo ops in heavily damaged areas after the floods were met by angry protesters who demanded that they provide assistance or go home. Public outrage grew against the IRGC for its abandonment of flood victims.

#Iran Regime Arrests People for Reporting on Floodhttps://t.co/Df6cmc8h7j #IranFloods pic.twitter.com/AL6xdPeg85

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 16, 2019

The regime responded to these calls for help by sending security forces to prevent protests and demonstrations. People who lost their homes and are still waiting for tents to sleep in have been greeted with armed military forces instead of housing or food. Meanwhile, the regime has refused to allow citizens to provide assistance to each other and has arrested a number of aid workers for helping those in need.

Protests in Flood-Stricken Areas

The Iranian regime’s attempts to suppress protests in order to protect itself from rebellion have backfired. Anger over the regime’s callous disregard for the welfare of its own people has led to a swell of protests. Outside of Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, residents were heard protesting the presence of IRGC commander Mohammad Reza Naghdi. They chanted, “Get out! Ahvaz will remain free!”

#Ahvaz Locals Take to the Streets to #Protest Government’s Inaction https://t.co/8QReWKU9F7 #IranFloods #IranProtests @USADarFarsi

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) April 14, 2019

Last week, a protest took place in western Ahvaz. Residents in the flood-ravaged area criticized the regime for its failure to construct flood barriers and evacuate marshes before the floods.

The regime has expressed concern that the current protests will lead to a widespread rebellion. The mullahs have been unable to suppress anti-regime protests since the nationwide uprisings in late 2017, and the MEK has grown in influence inside Iran since then. Under the MEK’s leadership, the Iranian Resistance has become larger and more organized, and the threat of regime change has become very real to the mullahs. Decades of oppression and snowballing economic crises have led to growing dissatisfaction with the ruling regime. The government’s colossal failure to provide basic aid to its citizens or show a modicum of compassion after the recent catastrophic floods could easily be the final straw for the Iranian people.

Staff writer

 

On April 8th, the United States officially designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) after months of deliberations. The measure carries significant consequences for the Iranian regime, which is already facing severe economic pressure due to U.S. sanctions.

 

One of the most pressing issues for the Iranian regime in light of the FTO designation is the diminishing possibility of the country’s acceptance into the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The FATF is an international coalition that works to prevent money laundering and funding of terrorism. The FTO designation puts the possibility of FATF approval in severe jeopardy. It would be difficult to argue that the regime should be part of an anti-terrorism task force after its military has been labeled as a terrorist organization.

Factional Infighting

The regime’s various factions have been fighting for months about whether or not to comply with the terms necessary to become members in good standing with the FATF. Hard-liners say that the FATF rules will prevent the regime from acting as it pleases, while “moderates” argue that FATF membership is essential to preventing further isolation from the international community. Bills to confirm membership in the FATF have stalled in the regime’s Majlis (parliament) for months.

The FATF dilemma lingers for #Iran, knowing it is a lose-lose situation.#IRGCTerroristshttps://t.co/GBj9fMM4S9

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 10, 2018

Ahmad Tavakoli, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, said that Iran is unlikely to gain approval for the FATF after the IRGC’s designation as a terrorist organization. He urged the regime to stop seeking FATF approval, claiming that it would be seen as a concession to the United States. He further recommended that the regime’s Majlis abandon the bill in its entirety, lest in emboldening the U.S.

 

Reza Ansari, who is close to Rouhani’s “moderate” faction, took the opposite side of the argument. He said that the FTO designation was “a trap” meant to “bait” Iran into making “harsh and angry decisions” like leaving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran nuclear deal, in order to justify further actions against the regime. He argued that abandoning the FATF bills or making other rash decisions would be the worst thing the regime could do right now. “Currently, the best gift for the hardliners is unnecessary self-harm such as boycotting the FATF bills, losing one’s ‘strategic patience’, and embarking on ill-advised action that the thinkers and propaganda machine of the warmongering party can capitalize on,” he said.

 

Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, Chair of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Relations Committee, argued a middle ground approach to the situation. He cautioned against making a decision about the FATF based on politics and said that the bill should be reviewed before an informed decision is made. He warned that a political decision would harm the country.

A Weak Position

The regime has responded to the IRGC designation with claims that it is united against the U.S. and that the terrorist label will have little effect. This is a common talking point from the mullahs when challenged, and it falls apart upon even the slightest scrutiny. The FTO designation carries significant consequences for the regime in both the short and long term, and despite the regime’s claims of unity, this most recent crisis has exposed more of the infighting between factions in the government.

Regime Reacts to Implications of IRGC Terrorist Listing with Growing Alarm and Confusion

The End of the Era of Appeasement

The MEK and the Iranian Resistance have called for the IRGC to be blacklisted by the international community for its terrorist activities for many years, and the recent action by the United States is a welcome step toward recognizing the regime’s role in domestic and international terrorism.

The FTO designation was an unprecedented action against a foreign government’s military and came as a shock to many who were not familiar with the IRGC. The Revolutionary Guards have met the criteria for a Foreign Terrorist Organization for many years though, and their inclusion on the terror list is a decisive step toward the end of the era of appeasement to the mullahs.

Staff writer

According to regime officials, a total of 28 people have been arrested for reporting news about the recent deadly floods that have devastated Iran.

Arrests in Khuzestan Province

 

24 Internet activists were arrested in Khuzestan Province for their role in publishing news of the floods in the province, according to the head of provincial cyber police, Shahin Hassanvand. Khuzestan was one of the provinces hit hardest by the disaster, and regime officials have withheld vital information about casualties and damage to the region. The news that has been provided has been patently false.

 

A report aired on the state-run ISNA news agency claimed that the activists were arrested for disturbing “public opinion by spreading news and rumors on the floods.”

 

Hassanvand described the process through which the police hunted down the publishers. “Due to the publication of rumors and fake news on the internet which has led to insecurity in the community’s psychological climate, experts of the police forces monitored social platforms and identified 24 internet users who published deviating news and rumors about the flood and disturbed public opinion.” He also noted that the publishers have been referred to the regime’s Judiciary for prosecution.

Arrests in Tehran

The head of the Cyber Police in Khuzestan said that 24 internet activists were identified and detained for reporting on the devastating floods in the southwestern province, #iran, according to the judiciary’s news agency Mizan Online.

https://t.co/c6tuGCtv8U

— IRAN HRM (@IranHrm) April 15, 2019

The previous week, four people were arrested in Tehran for “spreading rumors” about the regime’s incompetence in its response to the flood, according to the Capital city’s Chief of Police.

A Threat to Security

The Iranian regime has done everything in its power to prevent its people from seeing the full extent of the destruction from the floods and witnessing the colossal failure of the regime’s response in its aftermath. This has proved to be impossible. At least 25 out of Iran’s 31 provinces sustained heavy damage due to the floods, and survivors of the disaster shared videos and pictures on social media of the flood. Public confidence in official reports about the flood eroded quickly as anger mounted over the regime’s failure to provide emergency aid.

 

In late March, as floods raged across the country, regime Attorney General Jafar Montazeri announced that publishing “fake” news (information contrary to official regime reports) about the floods was a violation of national security and that those found in violation would be dealt with for “disrupting the security of the country.”

#IranFloods April 13 #Ahvaz W #Iran

Following the protest of the stricken area to the Iranian regime’s incompetence in dealing with the floods, the regime brought armoured vehicle to the streets fearing of rising protests. pic.twitter.com/AwEpNZIZQ9

— Iran News Wire (@IranNW) April 13, 2019

Human rights groups report that another 11 relief workers were arrested in Khuzestan by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). Another 22 rescue workers were arrested in Khuzestan by MOIS agents. The regime has banned all non state-sanctioned aid to flood victims.

Growing Protests

 

Residents of flood-stricken areas have greeted regime officials and IRGC forces who have attempted to visit with angry protests. The regime has responded to these protests with suppressive actions.

 

According to reports from MEK sources inside Iran and videos shared on social media, the regime sent security forces to suppress dissent in Khuzestan in response to protests in the Eyn-e Do and Shelang Abad regions in Ahvaz. Other reports indicate that troops from the Fatemiyoun Division, which is comprised of Afghan nationals, were dispatched to Poldokhtar, which was destroyed in the floods.

90 Flood Deaths in One Western Iranian City, According to Internal Police Report

During the floods, Iranians in some areas were stranded on rooftops for days waiting for a rescue that never came. Entire villages were left without food or drinking water. People in Shiraz were left to pull bodies out of the flooded streets. During the final wave of flooding, the regime called for evacuations, but it didn’t tell people where or how to evacuate.

 

Finally, the Iranian government is sending troops to the areas that were destroyed by floods. The regime clearly has the resources to send people and equipment quickly when it feels it is necessary. But even now, with the country in ruins, the mullahs aren’t providing aid. The troops haven’t arrived with boats and supplies. They have come with tanks and guns. And the people are angry.

Staff writer

 

On Thursday, April 11th, Sudanese dictator and war criminal Omar al-Bashir was ousted from power and arrested in what Iranian regime state media are calling a military coup. Bashir’s arrest comes after months of protests in Sudan calling for his removal.

 

Sudanese Defense Minister Awad Ibn Ouf announced that the army will remain in power for two years. He also closed Sudan’s borders and airspace and called for an end to the protests. Security officials in Sudan reported that all political prisoners have been freed.

 

Iranian regime officials have so far remained silent on the protests in Sudan and the ouster of  their former ally, but the situation is cause for concern in Tehran.

The Regime’s History with Sudan

The Iranian regime’s support for Sudan dates back to at least the 1990s, when the two countries were believed to be supporting each other’s military programs. The Iranian regime provided weapons to Sudan and sent in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to support their military. In exchange, Sudan provided naval facilities to the Iranian regime.

Maryam Rajavi Releases Statement on IRGC’s Designation as Terrorist Organization

Regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei considered Bashir to be a strong ally and showed support for him, which Bashir reciprocated. Bashir visited Iran a number of times and was treated as an honored guest.

 

In 2008, Bashir was convicted of crimes against humanity in an international tribunal. Iranian regime Majlis (parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani responded to the news by traveling to Sudan personally to tell Bashir that “the Islamic Republic’s wholeheartedly supported” him.” The regime’s Foreign Minister at the time, Manouchehr Mottaki, also expressed support for Bashir and the ruling regime in Sudan.

 

Sudan then fought a bloody civil war with South Sudan, which ended in 2011. South Sudan won its independence from Bashir and his dictatorship, leaving Sudan without the financial benefit of South Sudan’s oil wells.

The Iranian regime was facing its own financial struggles. The country was facing economic sanctions and spending enormous sums of money to support Bashar al-Assad in the war in Syria. Iran could not give money to two dictators at once.

Bashir’s loyalty to the Iranian regime ended at approximately the same time that his regime’s money ran out. Once he realized that the Iranian regime could not help Sudan, Bashir joined forces with Saudi Arabia, Iran’s biggest regional enemy. In 2015, Sudan expelled all Iranian entities from the country and joined the Saudi campaign in Yemen against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

One journalist wrote that Bashir flipped his loyalty from Iran to Saudi Arabia because his “hopes of receiving petrodollars” were dashed. In any case, the alliance between these dictatorships did not end well. The Iranian regime has made a habit of befriending dictators, which leads to further destabilization of the entire region. This is only the latest example.

 

The end of Bashir’s dictatorship means that change is possible. Dictators can be overthrown. Protests work. Incompetent rulers cannot last forever if people are willing to stand up and make their voices be heard.

Staff writer

 

The Iranian regime has come under fire from the public and opposition groups, including the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), over its inaction in the face of a national crisis.

In the wake of flooding that has hit Iranian towns and cities in recent weeks, the regime has been markedly absent from assistance and rescue efforts. Citizen groups have been left to organize relief and aid efforts to reach communities cut off by the encroaching waters.

"The mullahs’ supreme leader is terrified of escalating social dissent from the scales of flood disasters & unimaginable increase in the cost of living that could turn into an all-out uprising bringing down the regime in its entirety."#Iran#IranFloodshttps://t.co/mNZTFrGzK6

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 14, 2019

Instead of making the resources of the army and Basij forces available to the public for aid and rescue efforts, including boats, helicopters, shelters, and warehouses, the regime has channeled its efforts into suppressing protests and covering up the full extent of the damage.

The Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) colonel, Shahin Hasanwand, claimed that 24 people had been arrested in Khuzestan province for “spreading flood rumors.”

Employing Mercenaries to Help Suppress the Iranian Population

Among the most concerning aspects of regime repression in recent weeks has been the transferal of militants from the Quds forces in Iraq to areas of Khuzestan.

The Hashd al-Sha’bi forces (PMF) are closely linked to the mullahs’ Quds forces in Iraq. They have been deployed in Ahvaz and other parts of Khuzestan province under the pretext of providing assistance to flood victims. However, their military weapons and armored vehicles have betrayed the real reason they were brought into the region.

Another group of Iraqi mercenaries, known as the Nojaba, “with more than 100 light and heavy vehicles, entered the territory of Iran from the Mehran border.” According to state-run media, the mercenary group is accompanied by managers of the Nojaba forces from Iraq and the Head of the Executive Council of Movement.

They are not the only foreign mercenary units stationed in the flood-stricken areas. The MEK and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) revealed that Afghan and Pakistani militants were also present in Iran. They are reportedly working with the IRGC in Lorestan, amongst other areas.

The head of the Quds forces, IRGC General Qasem Soleimani, has also been on the ground in areas affected by the flooding to oversee the repressive measures.

A Time for Solidarity

The resources of IRGC & Army & gov’t agencies, particularly heavy machinery belong to the people must immediately be provided to them. #IranFloods

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) April 13, 2019

President-elect of the NCRI, Maryam Rajavi, issued another statement last weekend urging Iranians to stand together in this time of need. She called on the youth in flood-stricken areas to provide assistance to victims in any way they can and once again emphasized that “the facilities of the army, the IRGC and government agencies, engineering machinery, naval boats, supply depots, shelters, and barracks” available to the people “to prevent floods, protect people’s lives, save flood victims and to temporarily resettle them.”

Staff writer