A Call on EU to end appeasement and reinstate UN Security Council resolutions against the Iranian regime

EU foreign ministers will hold emergency talks on Iran this Friday, January 10, 2019, after the Iranian regime announced it’s next move to virtually leave the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Iran announced earlier this week that it would stop abiding by several nuclear commitments, including the number of centrifuges, the capacity they have, the percent and level of enriched uranium and certain restrictions regarding research and development.

On Sunday, January 6, 2020, Iranian regime President Hassan Rouhani announced in a statement that the clerical regime would take the fifth and final step in walking away from its commitments under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), informally known as the Iran nuclear deal.

September 6th marks the 54th anniversary of the MEK’s foundation. Over the course of its history, the MEK has dealt a series of crushing blows to the Iranian regime. The following are some of the organization’s greatest hits, according to the NCRI.

Exposed Khomeini’s Human Rights Violations

When the Shah was toppled on February 11, 1979, only the MEK dared to challenge Khomeini. While six million Iranians rushed to greet Khomeini in Tehran, Massoud Rajavi (the historical leader of the MEK) began giving speeches warning the people about the freedoms they would soon lose. For the first two years of Khomeini’s rule, the MEK held peaceful meetings, rallies, and protests, which were violently attacked by the regime’s suppressive forces. over 50 MEK activists were killed and thousands more were arrested while participating in these peaceful gatherings.

On June 20, 1981, the MEK held a massive rally in Tehran. 500,000 people were in attendance when Khomeini ordered his Revolutionary Guards to open fire on the peaceful protesters. Thousands were murdered since then. There was no doubt after that point that Khomeini was a brutal dictator.

Exposed the Global Threat Posed by the Iranian Regime

After Khomeini’s death, Western leaders embraced the policy of appeasement toward the mullahs, hoping that by doing so they could reap the benefits of doing business with the Iranian regime and avoid the threat to global stability posed by the regime. The MEK sought to expose the global threat posed by the Iranian regime and their state sponsorship of terrorism. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi has gained wide international support for the right of the Iranian people to overthrow their oppressors. And in 2019, the United States designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization after years of urging from the MEK.

Exposed the Regime’s Nuclear Program

In 2002, the NCRI exposed the regime’s secret nuclear program at a press conference in Washington, D.C. MEK intelligence inside Iran uncovered evidence of a uranium enrichment site at Natanz and a heavy-water reactor in Arak, triggering an investigation by the U.N. nuclear watchdog. The MEK and NCRI released details of numerous other illicit activities, which were subsequently confirmed by the U.N. The resulting sanctions are severe and ongoing.

Negotiated an End to the Iran-Iraq War Five Years Before Khomeini

The 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War was prolonged long after Iraq withdrew its forces from Iran. The MEK, which had fought against the Iraqis since their invasion, saw no need for the war to continue after the withdrawal of forces and brokered a peace plan between the MEK and the Iraqi government. Khomeini rejected the plan, vowing to fight until Iraq or Iran were destroyed.

Khomeini was eventually persuaded to agree to a cease-fire..five years later.

Maryam Rajavi calls for formation of a movt to obtain justice for victims of #1988Massacre https://t.co/pAf9Gn25nd pic.twitter.com/nH9HPZFmU4

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) August 23, 2016

MEK’s Call for Justice for Victims of the 1988 Massacre

During the 1988 Massacre, while 30,000 political prisoners were being executed over the course of a single summer, Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, Khomeini’s heir-apparent, spoke out against the executions. He described the massacre as the “greatest crime against humanity for which history will condemn us.” Khomeini dismissed him. Montazeri was later placed under house arrest, where he remained until his death. An audiotape was found in 2016 of Montazeri’s discussions with members of the 1988 Death Commissions. In the tapes, he expressed his dismay over the immorality of the executions. The discovery of the audiotapes, and prior to that Maryam Rajavi’s call for justice and various campaigns exposing the extent of the crime and its perpetrators led to further demands for investigations into the 1988 Massacre and justice for its victims.

Staff Writer

 

 

 

 

 

Iranian regime President Hassan Rouhani rejected a European plan to save the flawed 2015 Iran nuclear deal at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The European initiative offered Tehran a $15 billion line of credit in return for an agreement that the regime would not take the third step in further violating the nuclear deal, demonstrating the Iranian regime’s deep crisis. Practicing the usual blackmail methods, Rouhani did leave a small window for negotiations open, as fully exiting the deal would endanger the regime’s standing with the EU and further isolate the regime from the international community. He agreed to give Europe two months to find a solution to save the deal.

Despite this two-month waiting period, the Iranian regime seems determined to continue with its plans to violate the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), otherwise known as the Iran nuclear deal. An official from Rouhani’s office said that the regime “will announce the third step that has an extremely important backbone and will accelerate the activities of Iran’s Atomic Energy Org.”

Having failed at piracy, Iran resorts to outright blackmail – deliver us $15 billion or we will further our nuclear developments. Sounds very similar to the threats Iran made a couple months back. It is becoming a pattern. #NuclearExtortion https://t.co/4FjC57wmsd

— Morgan Ortagus (@statedeptspox) September 4, 2019

A spokesman for Rouhani’s cabinet Ali Rabie commented on the negotiations between Europe and Iran on Monday. “The main issue of these negotiations must be that they buy oil from us. We must sell oil and the money should reach Iran easily… If prior to the set deadline Tehran’s satisfaction is not gained in regards to commitments being met, we will take a strong step in implementing the new round of reducing our commitments,” he said.

The mullahs’ nuclear & missile programs, warmongering & terrorism are consequences of the appeasement policy which must no longer continue. Just as giving immunity to the perpetrators of the #1988Massacre must also be stopped. #Iranhttps://t.co/FnzTnVG2Ro pic.twitter.com/WPWhQWxTn7

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) August 30, 2019

A spokesman for the regime’s Foreign Ministry Abbas Mousavi echoed those statements. “These measures will be stronger than our first and second phase,” he said. “If we do not witness the necessary will from the European parties to return to their JCPOA commitments, we will take our third step.”

Regime Media Coverage

A Revolutionary Guards (IRGC)-affiliated newspaper commented on the near-impossibility of crafting a deal with Europe which would allow the regime to sell oil to the EU without falling afoul of U.S. sanctions. The article wrote: “Zarif said the Europeans have nearly ended all trade relations with us and it is necessary that they take the necessary steps. INSTEX is a preliminary measure for Europe to implement its commitments. The Europeans and other JCPOA members had provided 11 commitments.”

 

The IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency quoted Zarif on the regime’s plans for the third step in leaving the Iran nuclear deal. “The third step is going through as scheduled. What the French President is continuing with his American partners is an issue between the French and the European Union. What is important to us is that Europe implements its commitments in this agreement,” Zarif was quoted as saying.

 

The state-run Farhikhtegan daily also weighed in on the issue, writing: “Considering the Europeans’ lack of cooperation, the government is forced to take its third step. This will most likely be a lethal blow to the JCPOA. As a result, Hassan Rouhani is attempting to divert public attention from the status quo in order to decrease the impact of his ideas among public opinion.”

55,000 Page Trove Reveals #Iranian Regime’s Clandestine Nuclear Development Program https://t.co/bXdUNNkqSO #IranDeal #FreeIran #MEK @USAdarFarsi

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) May 27, 2019

The MEK’s Opposition to the JCPOA

The MEK was instrumental in uncovering the mullahs’ nuclear program, which led to the sanctions which were lifted in 2015. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President of the Iranian Resistance, along with the MEK, has always called for a firm position as the only language the religious dictatorship ruling Iran will understand. Nevertheless, there has been plenty of evidence that the regime has not been in full compliance with the agreement and posed a threat to global peace and security.

It is now clearer than ever that the Iranian regime cannot be trusted and that any negotiations are doomed to fail.

Staff writer

The Iranian regime’s Atomic Energy Organization announced on Monday that it will begin the next phase of its rollback to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal. The regime will restart work at the Arak heavy water reactor facility as part of the latest reduction in its commitment to the deal.

The regime announced in April that it would no longer honor some of the terms of the JCPOA. Following this announcement, regime officials stated that Iran had quadrupled its production of low-enriched uranium.

The regime in #Iran never had the intention to abide by the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.https://t.co/bl5sFDVPsL

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 19, 2019

On May 8, 2018, the United States withdrew from the JCPOA, citing evidence that the regime was not in full compliance with its terms. The U.S. reimposed pre-2015 oil sanctions and tightened restrictions on imports of petrochemical products from the Iranian regime. Despite Europe’s efforts to save the deal, no country has been able to import oil without using the U.S. financial system and thus falling afoul of U.S. sanctions.

On the anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA this May, regime President Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran was withdrawing from the JCPOA and would no longer honor the terms of the deal.

A report aired on state-run television reported the news. “The Supreme National Security Council issued a statement in which it declared to the member states of the JCPOA that starting today, May 8, 2019, Iran will stop its measures under the agreement and will give a 60-day window to the countries remaining in the deal to implement their commitments, especially in the domain of banking and oil,” said the report.

The statement by the regime’s Security Council specifically noted that it would no longer restrict its production of enriched uranium or adhere to the restrictions on its heavy water stockpile. It also threatened that the regime would respond if its nuclear dossier were to be presented to the United Nations Security Council.

European Leaders Respond to the Regime

European officials were quick to react to the regime’s actions. On May 9th, the UK, French, and German Foreign Ministers, along with the EU Foreign Policy Chief, issued a joint statement declaring that Europe would not accept the 60-day ultimatum offered by Iran. The statement also reminded the Iranian regime of its commitments under the terms of the JCPOA.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian went further, warned the regime that resumption of its nuclear program would place Iran in breach of the JCPOA.

French President Emmanuel Macron gave a press conference on May 9th in which he stated that the JCPOA should be strengthened with complementary agreements that would address the regime’s ballistic missile program and its destabilizing activities in the Middle East.

Surprise and Complaints from the Regime

The Iranian regime was unprepared for the strong reaction from European officials. Until the May 8th announcement, EU leaders had hoped to bypass U.S. sanctions with an alternative payment system known as INSTEX. The financial tool would have allowed oil transactions to pass from European countries to the Iranian regime without going through U.S. banking institutions.

When the regime did not get the expected appeasement from the EU, it resorted to resentful complaints about the failure of INSTEX. Keyhan, a representative of regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, wrote, “We shouldn’t expect Europe to have the will to even launch a useless financial channel.”

MEK sources inside Iran initially uncovered the regime’s nuclear program at great personal risk, leading to the pre-2015 sanctions. The MEK supports a non-nuclear Iran as part of its political platform.

Staff writer

Olli Heinonen, the former Deputy Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned that the Iranian regime could develop a nuclear weapon in as little as six to eight months and that the international community would be unable to ensure global security if they are allowed to reach nuclear capability. He said that claims to the contrary by current IAEA officials are incorrect, according to a June 5th report on the Newsmax website.

The IAEA acts as a nuclear watchdog for the United Nations.

Proof of the mullahs' regime in #Iran violating the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA).https://t.co/9g92I5SsAl

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) June 6, 2019

Heinonen asked, “How will you be able to ensure your security if Iran achieves nuclear abilities?”

New Centrifuges

Heinonen also stressed that the United States’ departure from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran nuclear deal, and subsequent reimposition of oil sanctions on the Iranian regime would not be enough to prevent Iran from developing nuclear capabilities.

“The ayatollahs can handle the new sanctions, and in the meantime, they’re making new centrifuges,” Heinonen said.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) recently spoke up to say that Iran has been cheating with its nuclear program.

“In addition to secretly storing blueprints for nuclear weapons and refusing to turn over materials related to their nuclear weapons program, now they have pushed the envelope so far on centrifuges that the cheating can no longer be denied,” he said.

End of the Era of Appeasement

The United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 because the regime had continued their nuclear and missiles programs despite the terms of the deal. The U.S reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil late last year, crippling the already failing Iranian economy and adding more fuel to the flames of the Resistance movement that began in December 2017.

The move was met with outrage by the mullahs, who had long depended on the Western policy of appeasement to continue their malign activities without fear of reprisal. Regime officials boasted that they had never discontinued their nuclear program at all, even as European leaders struggled to save the nuclear deal.

Europe finally took some action against Iran after regime agents plotted a series of foiled terrorist attacks against the MEK in 2018. A number of regime Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) agents and diplomats were blacklisted and expelled from European countries, and the E.U. imposed sanctions against the MOIS.

This year, the United States eliminated all waivers to countries still receiving Iranian oil, effectively reducing Iranian oil imports to zero. The U.S. Treasury also designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

The IRGC is the entity responsible for the regime’s nuclear weapons program, as well as its foreign terrorist operations and its domestic suppression efforts.

Iran’s economy is in shambles, due to the regime’s own incompetence and corruption. The IRGC’s terrorist designation has choked off its funding for its warmongering in the region and diminished Iran’s influence in the Middle East. Anti-regime sentiment in the country has reached a fever pitch, and people are protesting on the streets for change. The mullahs are left with few options. It would be a mistake to underestimate their capacity to develop a nuclear weapon.

Staff writer

Regime President Hassan Rouhani has hit back at his critics within the regime. In a speech that was broadcast from the state media, he blasted his political rivals on Saturday evening at a meeting with reporters from state-run media, calling them “traitors” and escalating the internal disputes within the regime.

The Supreme Leaders Rebuff

Rouhani’s comments came after the regime Supreme Leader Khamenei turned down his requests for more power and authority. In the wake of tighter US economic sanctions, Rouhani argued that “the country needs an agenda and a commander.”

#Iran Infighting Shows Weakness and Fear of Mullahshttps://t.co/8uNEImTlnM pic.twitter.com/terHcfgxvT

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 3, 2019

“The fact that Iran’s ship could not dock in foreign ports for 10 days to unload is unprecedented in our history,” he said.

Rouhani believed he could be that commander and implored the Supreme Leader to amend the constitution to grant him more power. His requests were met with resistance. Khamenei insisted that there is nothing wrong with the existing constitution. He said that if Iran has problems it stemmed from “our officials.”

Squabbling Over 2015

In an unprecedented escalation of infighting between various rifts within the regime for more power, Rouhani in his rebuttal, protested recent remarks from the Supreme Leader putting the blame for the failed 2015 nuclear deal with the P5+1 squarely on his shoulders. He reminded Khamenei that in 2004, the Supreme Leader had agreed to hold a public referendum to decide if the regime should enter negotiations with the international community.

“I asked the Supreme Leader to place the nuclear issue before the people based on Article 59 of the constitution. I explained and even sent a written letter to him, in addition to expressing my thoughts in person. He considered the reference to this article as a positive measure and agreed. However, there was no mentioning of when this [referendum] would be carried out,” Rouhani complained.

A Vulnerable Regime

The regime appears more vulnerable than ever. Internal rifts have widened in the run-up to the Majlis elections (the Iranian parliament). Many in the regime are concerned that the public’s increasing impatience and distrust of the government will harm regime-affiliates in the upcoming elections.

Some voices would like to see public dissent and opposition crushed further to avoid the loss of votes. “If this is true it would be the biggest act of treason against the Iranian nation and history,” Rouhani said.

Infighting Within the #Iran Regime Factions Escalates, After the U.S. Senate New Sanctions. https://t.co/TkglNKsRbh pic.twitter.com/dwjDFzyFM4

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 19, 2017

Hossein Maghsoudi, a member of the Majlis, called the pro-Rouhani camp, “an enemy larger than America.” He suggested that Rouhani and his acolytes were gunning for a war with the US to further expand the presidential powers and plunder the country.

Another member named Hossein Ali Shahriari suggested that Rouhani’s tenure as president had engulfed the country in “corruption, bribes, injustice, and discrimination.”

Rouhani and his allies have attacked the media, questioning why they won’t disseminate his propaganda claims that his administration is supplying natural gas to ten new villages a day and providing clean water to 30 new villages each month. “You should publish the government’s successes,” he said.

Safeguarding the Regime

The only thing all factions have in common is their pursuit to save the regime at all costs. Rouhani has made it clear that he will do whatever it takes to maintain the mullahs’ grip on power. He will kill as many political opponents as it takes, run roughshod over Iranian human rights, plunder the country’s wealth and resources and watch as Iranians get increasingly poorer and more desperate.

“People may have lesser to eat at nights and live in hardships. In my opinion, this is not important. This is not our priority,” he said.

This demonstrates that under the existing regime, Iranians will not find their fate improved. They will continue to suffer at the hand of the mullahs.

Staff writer

President of the International American Council Dr. Majid Rafizedah, a leading expert on Iran and US policy, penned an op-ed in Arab News on Thursday. In his op-ed, Rafizedah stressed the importance that nuclear inspectors be permitted to visit the Iranian military site at Parchin. His article is largely a response to those advocating the Iranian nuclear deal who criticized the US government’s decision to introduce sanctions against 14 individuals and 17 entities with ties to the Iranian Ministry of Defense.

EXPOSED: #Iran being helped by NORTH KOREA over nuclear missile plot https://t.co/KIMFqc0LK2 @ncrius @Iran_Policy

— Ali Safavi (@amsafavi) May 9, 2018

Many in favor of the deal inaccurately claim that the Iranian regime has abandoned its nuclear ambitions and is complying with the terms of the deal. However, Rafizedah points out that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) did not detect the Iranian regime’s Nuclear program. It was the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) that revealed the regime’s clandestine Nuclear program at its sites in Arak and Natanz.

Despite the IAEA receiving several credible intelligence reports warning of the Iranian regime’s clandestine nuclear program, the organization failed to report on the regime’s activities on several occasions.

Repeated Mistakes

For Rafizedah, the IAEA is “repeating the same mistake by ignoring reports and revelations surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities.” He describes how the German intelligence agencies have expressed concerns over Iran’s clandestine path to nuclear weapons. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the umbrella group of the MEK, has also raised concerns over the regime’s secret activities at Parchin military base.

On July14,2015 @Maryam_Rajavi warned that #IranDeal won't close the mullahs’ path to #nuclear bomb.She also warned:"Any leniency, hesitancy &concessions by the intl community will prompt Khamenei to move toward manufacturing through deception and cheating.”https://t.co/E4ori7RwMz

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 30, 2019

Despite these valid and credible complaints, “the IAEA has not taken any action to inspect Iran’s military site at Parchin,” Rafizedah writes. According to the MEK and the NCRI, the Iran nuclear deal that came into effect in 2015 did little to disrupt the regime’s nuclear program. In a statement, the NCRI claimed, “it is now clear that in some fields its activities have even expanded.”

Even during the 2015 negotiations for the deal, there was intense resistance from the Iranian regime over Parchin’s inclusion in the list of sites that the IAEA would have the authority to visit. “Iran was determined that Parchin must be beyond the reach of IAEA inspectors,” Rafizedah writes.

“The Iranian regime has become skilled at disguising the true nature of its nuclear centers by using tactics such as labeling them as military sites or conventional research centers,” Rafizedah continues.

Even regime insiders have hinted that the regime has expanded its nuclear capabilities since 2015. The head of the regime’s Atomic Energy Organization, Akbar Salehi, said in an interview, “if we have to go back and withdraw from the nuclear deal, we certainly do not go back to where we were before. We will be standing in a much, much higher position.”

Rafizedah concluded his op-ed by calling for the immediate inspection of Parchin and all the Iranian regime’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND) centers to ensure Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal and international rules. He also called for the IAEA to conduct interviews with senior figures in the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, along with scientists and researchers in the country.

Staff writer

A senior cleric within the Iranian regime has confirmed that the Iranian regime has “the formula for creating a nuclear bomb.” Ahmad Khatami told a crowd gathered in Mashhad for the morning ceremony that although “Iran never had the intention to build an atomic bomb,” it has the necessary knowledge to do so.

Khatami, Tehran’s Friday Prayer leader, added that the Islamic Republic does “not want to use weapons of mass destruction.”

#Iran: Top Cleric Says Regime Has the Formula to Create a Nuke
A high ranking cleric in Iran has said that the mullah’s regime “has the formula for building a nuclear bomb”.https://t.co/O5ttsdecCR pic.twitter.com/KbJYuC1ACO

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 11, 2019

Confirmed Beliefs

Previous research carried out by the Iranian opposition, namely the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) revealed that the regime has developed the capabilities of enriching Uranium to 20%. It is, therefore, not inconceivable that the regime would be able to expand this process to increase enrichment to 90%.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) echoed these findings. Yukiya Amano revealed in 2017 that the Iranian regime had dedicated resources to the development of nuclear weapons between 2003 and 2009.

The Iranian nuclear deal negotiated under President Obama made the cessation of Iran’s nuclear development a precondition of the agreement. However, the MEK and the Iranian opposition has frequently raised concerns over the regime’s compliance, a sentiment echoed by US President Donald Trump.

Deception by Ali Akbar Salehi:#Iran-ian regime's chief of AtomicAgency admits that they had concealed parts of the banned nuclear equipment by not declaring the spare tubes when agreed to cement the existing tubes,under the supervision of Ali Khamenei.#IranDeal #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/eyOErKJwOd

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 30, 2019

In 2003, the Iranian opposition revealed the full extent of Iran’s nuclear program. Given the level of commitment and determination the regime displayed towards its nuclear ambitions, it is inconceivable that it would simply end its nuclear program once the JCPOA was negotiated.

Curbing Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions

Khatami has previously spoken out about US and European attempts to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions. In February, he noted that the US had curtailed the regime’s nuclear development and forced it to rely on its missiles instead.

He said, “America’s mischief decreased Iran’s nuclear power. The JCPOA ended. Our missile capability is what protects us in these conditions. If they take away our missile capabilities, the day will turn into the night for the nation of Iran.”

Following President Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, the US re-imposed strict economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic. These have further constricted the regime’s already spiraling economy, which is driving anti-regime protests across Iran. Khatami has previously admitted that the US sanctions are fuelling civic unrest in Iran and boosting the opposition movement.

After decades of corruption and misspending Iran’s finances on missile development, proxy wars in the region, and international terror activities, it’s time for the European Union to take a firm position in its policies towards Iran, and condition any trades with the regime to a halt on its missile program and an end to the terror and executions at home and abroad.

Staff Writer