As tensions rise between the USA and Iran, US Defence Secretary James Mattis has called the Iranian Regime the “biggest state sponsor of terrorism” in the world.
He told reporters in Japan: “We have seen their [Iran’s] misconduct, their misbehaviour, from Lebanon and Syria to Bahrain and to Yemen and it’s got to be addressed at some point.”
On February 3, 2017 article in Yahoo News stated that The United States sanctioned 13 individuals and 12 entities on Friday. This occurred just days after the White House put Iran “on notice” over a ballistic missile test and other activities. These sanctions were written so as not to violate the Nuclear Deal with the country. The White House declined comment.
On February 2, Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson reported that US Navy Commander Mark Davis, the commanding officer of the USS Mahan, the American destroyer that recently fired warning shots, said that the number of “unsafe and unprofessional” interactions jumped from 23 in 2015 to 35 last year, a troubling upswing.
“We tend to abide by the international rules of the sea and also the international norms and laws. And part of that is: if you’re closing a vessel that you’re supposed to, you know, establish communication, let them know what your intentions are and then you come to an agreement as to how you’re going to pass so that it’s not unsafe and does not make people nervous,” Davis told The Associated Press.
In his first White House press briefing, Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Flynn, said that Iran has become emboldened rather than grateful. With regards to consequences for Iran, he said: “As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice.”
On Monday, Iran-allied Houthi militants attacked a Saudi naval vessel off the coast of Yemen. Flynn said that this and the test-firing was another example of “Iran’s destabilizing behavior across the Middle East”.
Only a few days ago, the Iranian regime test-fired a ballistic missile. It went more than 900 kilometres and exploded before it got to the intended target – a “failed experiment”, describes a Pentagon official.
The UN Resolution 2231 prohibits Iran from taking part in such activities for eight years. The Iranian regime clearly violated this resolution.
So, the question is – was the regime testing President Trump and his administration? Was it seeing what it could get away with and trying to see how bold Trump would actually be?
Prominent lawyer, author, and steadfast defender of the People’s Mojahedin of Iran, Mr. Thierry Levy, died Monday in Paris. Mr. Levy’s works are among the best-selling books in France.
He was an steadfast defender of the Iranian Resistance and its members. After the attack to the offices of the Iranian Resistance on June 17, 2003, and the case of the Iranian regime laughed against them, he courageously defended them, and along with other prominent lawyers, won a humiliating defeat of the Iranian regime, and proved the legitimacy of the Iranian resistance.
The Iranian regime has treated the Iran nuclear deal with less seriousness than required. One would imagine that signing an agreement with several world powers would not be taken so lightly. It is evident that the Iranian regime was looking for a quick fix to its serious financial problems when it signed the deal.
It has continually shown disregard for the terms of the deal and for international resolutions by test firing missiles and by continuing its murderous rampage throughout the Middle East, in Syria in particular.
The Iranian regime, its Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and its paramilitary Basij militia have been targeting dissidents for decades. They suppress the population of Iran and arrest or torture people as they see necessary. In other words, people with a voice.
The founder of the Iranian regime, Ruhollah Khomeini, vowed to put all his energy into remaining in power and set about cracking down on the population. The IRGC were soon enlisted to train proxy groups that could spread terror under the name of Islam.
The Obama administration dealt with the Iranian regime leniently, to say the least. President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry provided concession after concession to Iran to the point that even supporters of the Iran nuclear deal were concerned.
Large sums of cash were sent to Iran in return for the release of Americans held there. Kerry was in favour of letting the Iranian regime access the US banking system. A top diplomat tried to persuade US businesses to start dealing with Iran. The Iranian regime must have laughed at the passivity of the Obama administration.
Not long after officially becoming President of the United States, Trump issued a statement saying that he plans to develop a “state-of-the-art” missile-defence system in order to protect US allies against potential attacks from North Korea or Iran.
Iran is already concerned about the changes in foreign policy that Trump will make, so this news has just added to its existing anxiety. Trump spoke frankly about the Iran nuclear deal, calling it the worst deal he has ever seen. It is safe for the mullahs in Tehran to presume that the Obama “golden era” has officially ended.
