U.S. Treasury steps up pressure on Iran; Russia weighs boost for regime’s oil sector

U.S. Treasury steps up pressure on Iran; Russia weighs boost for regime’s oil sector

by WorldTribune Staff, September 6, 2019 As the United States ramped up its “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran via energy sector sanctions, Russia said it was considering offering a $10 billion lifeline to Teheran’s vital oil industry. The U.S. Treasury Department on Sept. 4 announced sanctions on 25 Iranian entities and 11 vessels while offering […]

Report: Israeli strikes on Iraq greenlighted by U.S., Russia

Report: Israeli strikes on Iraq greenlighted by U.S., Russia

FPI / August 28, 2019 Geostrategy-Direct.com The United States and Russia gave the go-ahead for Israel to launch airstrikes on Iranian weapons warehouses in Iraq, a report said. Citing a Western diplomatic source, the Arabic-language Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported on Aug. 21 that an understanding between the nations stresses that Israel should not officially declare […]

Not funny: Iran satirist sentenced to 23 years in prison

Not funny: Iran satirist sentenced to 23 years in prison

by WorldTribune Staff, August 25, 2019 Writer and satirist Kioomars Marzban has been sentenced to 23 years and nine months in prison by an Iranian Revolutionary Court which convicted him of charges including cooperation with the United States. Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, lawyer for the 28-year-old Marzban, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Aug. 24 that […]

Iran cyber offensives abroad distract attention from worsening homefront

Iran cyber offensives abroad distract attention from worsening homefront

by WorldTribune Staff, July 30, 2019 Iran’s leadership has deployed an army of hackers to launch cyber attacks and spread false news abroad as a distraction from an economy in shambles and an increasingly angry citizenry which seeks to break free from the shackles of mullah rule and re-join the international community, analysts say. While […]

Iran seizes tanker owned by UAE in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran seizes tanker owned by UAE in the Strait of Hormuz

by WorldTribune Staff, July 18, 2019 Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on July 14 seized a foreign tanker with 12 crew members on board in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported. “With a capacity of 2 million barrels and 12 foreign crew on board, the vessel was en route to deliver contraband […]

Israel vs Iran: Weekend strikes hit targets despite operational S-300 shield

Israel vs Iran: Weekend strikes hit targets despite operational S-300 shield

FPI / July 3, 2019 Geostrategy-Direct.com The Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck Iranian and Hizbullah targets in Syria on June 30 in one of its largest missions in the neighboring country to date. IAF warplanes launched a large number of air to surface missiles at targets in the town of Kisweh, which houses the headquarters […]

Trump sanctions forced Iran proxies to focus on fundraising

Trump sanctions forced Iran proxies to focus on fundraising

FPI / June 26, 2019 Geostrategy-Direct.com Less than two years after Forbes declared it the richest terror group in the world, Hizbullah is strapped for cash amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s sanctions which have crippled the economy of Iran, the organization’s main benefactor. The revenue stream from Iran has been cut so drastically, in fact, […]

Covering for Iran: Hizbullah’s London cache ‘hidden from public’

Covering for Iran: Hizbullah’s London cache ‘hidden from public’

FPI / June 16, 2019 Geostrategy-Direct.com Only months after the signing of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, British security forces found several Hizbullah weapons caches which held thousands of explosives in northwest London. The discovery was kept “hidden from the public” so as not to “raise eyebrows,” the Daily Telegraph reported on June 10. Meanwhile, […]

Iran tries conflict resolution with Gulf states but analyst says its war with U.S. already started

Iran tries conflict resolution with Gulf states but analyst says its war with U.S. already started

FPI / May 31, 2019 Geostrategy-Direct.com Iran has responded to mounting U.S. economic and military pressure by attempting to calm its Persian Gulf neighbors by hinting at improved relations. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, during a May 26 joint press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Ali Alhakim in Baghdad said that Iran “wants […]

U.S. ‘sitting by the phone’ as Gulf tensions mount

U.S. ‘sitting by the phone’ as Gulf tensions mount

by WorldTribune Staff, May 19, 2019 The United States has made overtures for talks with Iran to “de-escalate” the current situation and is reportedly “sitting by the phone” awaiting the Islamic Republic’s response. President Donald Trump’s overtures for direct talks with Iranian leadership comes as tensions between the two countries and their allies in the […]