The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) U.S. Office hosted a panel on Thursday to discuss the findings of a new report on the Iranian regime’s nuclear program from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iranian regime’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif threatened the international community, on January 20, saying that if European powers triggered the dispute mechanism of the 2015 nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, then Iran would pull out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The Iranian regime announced on January 5 that it was taking the fifth and final step to reduce its commitments to the 2015 international nuclear deal, otherwise known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and stated that it would no longer abide by any JCPOA obligations.

Since the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as it is known, took effect, many have been concerned about the Iranian regime’s compliance. The nuclear deal is already quite ambiguous in certain parts and the deal is very one-sided in the Iranian regime’s favor, especially when it comes to inspections of nuclear facilities.

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