By Editors of The Free Iran Herald
Updates on events unfolding in Iran
Iranian activists outside Iran have woefully noted that most Iranian journalists working for mainstream media outlets continue to display clear bias in reporting on the recent round of protests in Iran and the brutality with which the Khomeinist regime has dealt with protesters.
The most glaring case in point is that of CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, who remained silent about the protests in Iran, and when eventually she did speak up, she bizarrely slanted her reporting in order to make it appear as if Donald Trump, and not the regime, is responsible for the unrest in Iran.
Finally when on December 3rd Amanpour broke her silence, she chose to interview Hadi Ghaemi, a man who runs a whitewashing façade human rights group branch of Tehran’s DC-based lobby group, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), to claim that the primary issue Iranians care about is repealing the US’s travel ban. The other interviewee was NY-based Iranian artist, Shirin Neshat who has never participated in any political action, though along with figures like Noam Chomsky, has signed petitions calling on Trump to save the failed JCPOA or Iran Nuclear Deal.
Iranians took to social media to condemn Amanpour’s callousness towards reality and objectivity and for being the source of fake news on behalf of a brutal regime.
Ms. Amanpour, I believe that it is time to support the real voices of #Iran; voices of people such as Pouya Bakhtiari’s father, whose son was shot dead in the street while peacefully protesting in a demonstration this November, and also, to hear the voices of thousands of https://t.co/PMA1NnGCwK
— Mitra Jashni (@JashniMitra) December 4, 2019
Shame on you @camanpour ! Another proof that #CNN & journalists like you are enemy of people! #EyesOnIran
After weeks of silence what you are doing is pure deflection! No one in #iran cares about damn #travelban! Damn you! 😈🤬 https://t.co/yJrW4gS27p— Peace98 (@AynRiedel98) December 3, 2019
The interview of @Amanpour and @ShirinNejat shows how clueless, spoiled/out of touch these 2 little Marie Antoinettes are of Iranian ppl’s lives and struggles when they reduce the slaughter of 400 ppl in Iran in persue of a better life to their American version and “travel ban”.
— mina bai (@bai_mina) December 4, 2019
Christiane Amanpour has 3 million followers on Twitter & more than 700,000 on Facebook and hasn’t had a single tweet, retweet or news of the #IranProtests.
اسم خودشم گذاشته خبرنگار !@camanpour
— Salome Seyednia (@SalomeSeyednia) November 26, 2019
Mohammad Javad Zarif Resigns, Or Did He?
Iranian news outlets reported this morning that regime foreign minister Zarif had resigned. Zarif denied that he had, telling reporters, “if I had resigned, I would not be here.” However, soon afterwards, Hamid Rasaee, a former member of the Islamic Parliament (Majles), Tweeted: “News of Zarif’s resignation is in fact true. He refers to his participation in govt meetings, and claims his resignation to be a rumor, while his presence at the meeting is irrelevant to resignation. You have resigned, you’re not sulking. Naturally you are waiting for your resignation to be acknowledged. Be clear & admit: The #JCPOA is at a dead-end ”
خبر #استعفای_ظریف درست است. ظریف با اشاره بحضورش درجلسه دولت، آن را شایعه دانسته درحالی که حضور وی در دولت منافاتی با استعفا کردن ندارد. استعفا کرده‌اید ، قهر که نکرده‌اید. طبعا پیگیر پذیرش استعفا هستید. خب دلایل را #شفاف بگویید.#بن_بست_برجام https://t.co/AkMBwrIaz8
— حمید رسایی (@hamidrasaee) December 4, 2019
US Intelligence Warns Regime Is Planning Further Provocations
Unnamed US Intelligence officials have stated that they have gathered information showing that regime troops and weaponry are moving into position for an attack against US soldiers in the region. The US government hasn’t yet publicly commented about these developments. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, currently in the Persian Gulf, is also said to be taking precautionary measures to avoid being fired upon.
Tehran has a long history of initiating aggressive acts and foreign conflicts when it is internally unstable, and its survival precarious. Some analysts speculate that Tehran feels President Trump would be hesitant to respond to their attacks during the reelection campaign.
Meanwhile, the US Navy announced today that, last week, they seized a gunboat carrying Iranian-made missile components to Tehran’s Houthi Shi’a militia proxies in Yemen or Ansar Allah.
Regime President Hassan Rouhani Confirms Televised “Tortured Confessions” Coming
During a speech in Tehran today, Rouhani reiterated the standard regime propaganda line that the protests were an “organized plot” led by “forces from abroad” and that protestors currently under detention would soon be appearing on TV to “air their confessions.” As mentioned previously by The Free Iran Herald, Tehran frequently uses severe torture to induce political prisoners into repeating the conspiracy theories and lies they are told to repeat by their torturers.
Khamenei Representative’s Son Campaigns for UK Parliamentary Seat
The Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom are running Ali Avaei, the son of regime supreme leader Khamenei’s representative in Manchester, as their candidate for the constituency of Newcastle in the upcoming UK general election. Avaei’s uncle, Ali-Reza Avaei, is the minister of justice in Hassan Rouhani’s cabinet, and the elder Avaei is held responsible for crimes against humanity for his role in the 1988 massacre of Iranian political prisoners. Iranian journalists have humorously remarked that if the younger Avaei wins election to Parliament, he will have to then swear allegiance to the UK’s Queen – a reference to the history of Shi’a clerics in Iran having acted as pawns and agents of UK colonial interests there.
His father is Iran Supreme Leader’s representative in #Manchester his uncle is Iran’s Minister of Justice & he is standing as a #LibDems candidate in the coming #GE2019 If he wins the son of Supreme Leader’s representative will have to swear allegiance to the Queen :)@JoeSwinson https://t.co/zZXMyUi1kT pic.twitter.com/X3u3ZxHbLt
— Potkin Azarmehr (@potkazar) December 4, 2019
IAEA Continues to Go Easy on Tehran
The new director of the International Atomic Energy Association, Rafael Grossi, said that he would not give the regime a deadline to explain why uranium particles were found in a Tehran warehouse that had not been previously reported to the agency as a nuclear site. “To put deadlines might not be the best idea. This would for me mean that we would be in a very … antagonistic relationship,” Grossi said. Analysts are stating that this is another example of an international organization allowing Tehran to defy its obligations and escape punishment for doing so. Questions are also being raised about whether Grossi, who is from Argentina, might have any ties to the Tehran-linked corrupt political network there that covered up Tehran’s role in several terrorist attacks in Argentina during the early 1990s.
Iraqis Burn Iranian Consulate for Third Time
As the Iraqi Parliament remains deadlocked over choosing a new prime minister, the people of Najaf stormed the Iranian consulate there for the third time. They lit tires alight and hurled them at the building, which is now damaged and unoccupied after protestors attacked it for the first time last week. This was done in order to show Tehran that the Iraqi people will not tolerate any further interference in their country. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the IRGC Qods Force, is said to be currently in Baghdad, attempting to ensure that he has final choice over the new Iraqi government’s composition.
Yesterday, Najaf was the scene of a tense standoff, as crowds of protestors demanded access to a Shi’a shrine that the locals believe is center for the IRGC’s intelligence operations in the city. A few elderly community leaders were eventually allowed to enter the shrine.
The demonstrators are flooding near the Al-Hakeem shrine#BaghdadPost #IraqProtests #saveIraqipeople #FreeIraq#save_the_iraqi_people pic.twitter.com/UMHJkaSMxv
— The Baghdad Post (@BaghdadPostPlus) December 3, 2019
The brave Iraqi’s know the real threat comes from Iran.
In Najaf, #Iraq they got hold on one of the thugs shooting at the ppl and realized he was Iranian! Security forces coming to Iraq from Iran to kill protesters. They showed no mercy to their murderer!pic.twitter.com/VHgwd5vFzh— Mahya Saber (@mahya_saber) December 3, 2019
Iranians cheered for Iraqi protestors and jeered at Tehran’s leaders and their U.S. embassy hostage-takers, now getting a taste of their own medicine.
Iranian to the Khomeinist regime: “You were the ones who taught people how to climb the gates of embassies!” You reap what you sow. Now eat it! https://t.co/pjoO0ZjnlC
— Sophie E. (@LadySuninEast) December 4, 2019
