Turkish banker convicted for helping Iran slip past U.S. sanctions

Turkish banker convicted for helping Iran slip past U.S. sanctions

On Wednesday a Turkish banker, Mehmet Hakan Atilla age 47, who had been accused of aiding Iran to circumvent economic sanctions was convicted by a U.S. court on four counts of conspiracy including conspiracy to defraud the United States and one separate count of bank fraud. The situation has put a strain on U.S.-Turkish relations since […]

Syrian Rebels Counterattack Government Forces in Idlib Province

Syrian Rebels Counterattack Government Forces in Idlib Province

Syrian rebels have launched a counter-attack against government forces and their Iranian-backed allies in Idlib province. The fighting, which is raging right along the Turkish border is a source of rising tension for Turkey’s government. Fighting raged in Idlib, where a government offensive helped by Iran-backed militia has gathered pace in the last two weeks, […]

US Will Reinvestigate Hezbollah for Suspected “Narcoterrorism”

US Will Reinvestigate Hezbollah for Suspected “Narcoterrorism”

The US Justice Department has announced that they will create a task force and investigate alleged drug trafficking by Hezbollah, the terrorist group that is state-sponsored by Iran. Justice Department officials are trying to crack down on what they labeled “narcoterrorism” by the terror group that is based in Lebanon. The announcement follows reports that […]

The spark behind Iran’s unrest: Millions of defrauded investors

The spark behind Iran’s unrest: Millions of defrauded investors

The call to protest came through a group channel on the smartphone app Telegram. Younes, a 42-year-old accountant at a saffron-importing company, like most of the group’s thousand or so members, had lost his savings when a financial firm promising huge returns went bankrupt amid bad investments and corruption. Younes, who lives in Iran’s northeastern […]

Thousands eligible to escape the death penalty under new Iranian law

Thousands eligible to escape the death penalty under new Iranian law

The laws surrounding several types of drug offenses in Iran have been repealed, possibly saving approximately the 5,000 prisoners who are currently on death row in the country. Iran has historically had a hard stance on drugs, and getting caught with 30g of cocaine would automatically warrant the death penalty — that’s just over an […]

Kirkuk to send oil to Iran as early as January

Kirkuk to send oil to Iran as early as January

It has been made known by Jabar al-Luaibi, Iraq’s Minister of Oil, that Iraq will begin sending Iran approximately 30,000 barrels of oil a day around the end of January. Jabar was quoted  saying, “God willing, we will start before the end of the month.” The plan to sell the oil to Iran was announced in […]

Iran accuses KRG of collaborating with the CIA to fuel nationwide protests

Iran accuses KRG of collaborating with the CIA to fuel nationwide protests

A top advisor for the Iranian Government, Mohsen Rezaee, announced that his administration had obtained viable intelligence that the United States Central Intelligence Agency had orchestrated the anti Iranian Regime protests alongside the “Barzanis”; referencing the largest Kurdish family/political party in Kurdistan, the KDP or Kurdish Diplomatic Party. On December 28, Iran experienced an eruption […]

Saudi warplane crashes in Yemen, crew rescued: Coalition

Saudi warplane crashes in Yemen, crew rescued: Coalition

A Saudi warplane from the coalition battling rebels in Yemen crashed on Sunday because of “technical failure”, the coalition and state media said, adding that both crew were rescued. The plane “had a technical failure at 15:40 (1840 GMT) and crashed… in an area of operations” in Yemen, Turki al-Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi-led […]

CIA chief denies agency role in Iran unrest, predicts new violence

CIA chief denies agency role in Iran unrest, predicts new violence

The head of the CIA on Sunday denied his agency had any role in fomenting the recent anti-government protests in Iran but predicted the violent unrest “is not behind us”. Mike Pompeo, appointed a year ago by US President Donald Trump to head the intelligence agency, told Fox News on Sunday that economic conditions in […]

After mass protests, Iran bans English in schools to fight Western ‘cultural invasion’

After mass protests, Iran bans English in schools to fight Western ‘cultural invasion’

Iran has banned teaching English in primary school classrooms as the country tries to quell Western influence. The Iranian government has blamed the West for provoking recent mass protests against the country’s regime, which have at least left 21 dead.  Iran claims the protests have ended, however social media still points to signs of unrest. Iran […]

Iran Revolutionary Guards Say Unrest the Work of Foreign Enemies

Iran Revolutionary Guards Say Unrest the Work of Foreign Enemies

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that the recent unrest, the most serious facing the regime since 2009 was the work foreign enemies and was put down the countries security forces. But the crisis has the government and security forces meeting to discuss this latest development. There has been more than a week of unrest […]