{"id":6440,"date":"2019-04-11T14:48:23","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T11:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/?p=6440"},"modified":"2019-04-11T14:48:23","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T11:48:23","slug":"the-us-designates-the-irgc-as-a-terrorist-organization-floods-cause-77-deaths-and-damages-worth-3000-billion-tomans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/monitoring-and-translation\/iran-in-a-week\/the-us-designates-the-irgc-as-a-terrorist-organization-floods-cause-77-deaths-and-damages-worth-3000-billion-tomans\/","title":{"rendered":"The US Designates the IRGC as a Terrorist Organization; Floods Cause 77 Deaths, and Damages worth 3000 billion Tomans"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-5060\" src=\"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/06\/editorial.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"301\" height=\"55\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>US measure and FATF\u2019s destiny<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nAfter America designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization, a member of Iran\u2019s Expediency Council said that this US measure will decrease the chances of the Council ratifying FATF. The editorial of Aftab Yazd argues that it is necessary for Iran to ratify the FATF bills so that it can maintain its relationship with the international community.<br \/>\nIt must be acknowledged that through sanctions and pressure, the US aim is to ensure that the nuclear deal fails and to impede Iran\u2019s relationship with the world. Any measure that leads to FATF not being ratified will help the White House in realizing its goals.<br \/>\nNo decision must be made to suddenly cut off relations with the west or in rejecting FATF bills, as FATF is the only path to international trade and transactions. By ratifying these bills, no excuses will be given to the US, as all its efforts are to ensure that Iran\u2019s economic programs fail.<br \/>\nAs such, any effort to pull out of the nuclear deal or not to ratify FATF bills is in alignment with US plans. The US was the first country that believed in disconnecting Iran\u2019s economy from the world, which is why it sought to isolate Iran\u2019s economy by imposing sanctions on its oil and non-oil products.<br \/>\nWhile some people in the country disagree with the FATF bills, if Iran does not ratify FATF it will have to meet all its requirements from the black market as it will be cut off from the world. Naturally, under such conditions, it is not clear if the country will benefit from such a decision.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pishkhaan.net\/Archive\/1398\/01\/13980121\/AftabYazd6510298971165049492060.pdf\"> Aftab Yazd \u2013 April 10<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong> Dire situation in the Forex market<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nThe editorial of Jahan Sanat focuses on how the Forex market in Iran, as well as the country\u2019s economy, is deteriorating due to the government\u2019s wrong policies.<br \/>\nBy looking at Iran\u2019s economy, we can see that a dire situation exists in the field of policymaking, and with its policymakers planning to increase the Forex rate, this will result in more human suffering.<br \/>\nIn this dire situation, the Central Bank of Iran has failed to inject currency into the country\u2019s economy due to a decrease in Forex revenues, also, because it wants to preserve its reserves. On the other hand, of exports worth $50 billion, only $30 billion has entered the country\u2019s economy. Still, we are witnessing an increase in uncontrolled imports that will prepare the ground for Forex dealers.<br \/>\nAccordingly, the ruling policies are not only aiming to enforce the most obvious economic principles but also to limit the supply of Forex. By increasing demand, they will result in increasing Forex prices. Meanwhile, policymakers cannot even think of any solutions for controlling Forex prices, and their priority is to extensively increase these prices.<br \/>\nIt seems that a lack of measures, inefficiency, and government corruption have prevented policymakers from controlling the situation, while under the conditions of economic war, the government must think of special measures to save its Forex reserves.<br \/>\nAs a result, as long as the government\u2019s inefficient, neo-liberal policies continue to rule over the country\u2019s Forex market and policymakers are unable to stop an increase in the Forex price, an acceleration in prices will be inevitable.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/jahanesanat.ir\/1398\/01\/19\"> Jahan Sanat \u2013 April 9<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong> The US measure against the IRGC is not binding on other countries<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nThe United States designated the IRGC as a \u2018foreign terrorist organization\u2019. The editorial of Setareh Sobh urges that even though this measure will not be binding on other countries, it is only natural that other countries will decide in this regard in accordance with their own interests.<br \/>\nThe US Congress new legislation, called CAATSA (Countering America\u2019s Adversaries through Sanctions Act), mentioned the issue of putting the IRGC under sanctions. It is an unprecedented move as no official army has been ever sanctioned by another country. As it is a new, rare phenomenon, we should wait and see its fallout.<br \/>\nNaturally, there will be different kinds of reactions from Iran. It will inevitably affect Iran\u2019s relationships with other countries; as such, this measure will have consequences for the IRGC and Iran\u2019s relationships with other countries.<br \/>\nOn the other hand, there is a principle in international relations according to which a country can take retaliatory measures against another. It means that if the United States designates the IRGC as a terrorist group, Iran too is entitled to enlist the US official military forces as a terrorist group. Whether such a measure will be to the advantage of Iran\u2019s national interests or not is a different issue, and it must be considered carefully and in accordance with Iran\u2019s national interests.<br \/>\nThe US possible measure in this regard might have an impact on the presence of Iran and America in the Gulf and other places such as in Iraq and Afghanistan, while it increases the chance of direct confrontation between the two countries.<br \/>\nEven if the US administration\u2019s decision will not be binding on other countries, it is only natural if they decide in accordance with their own national interests.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/setaresobh.ir\/fa\/news\/main\/43781\/\"> Setareh Sobh \u2013 April 8<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong> What is the goal of the Iraqi PM\u2019s trip to Iran?<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nThe Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi chose Tehran for his second destination after Cairo, while there where many diplomatic trips between Iraqi and Iranian leaders last year. \u2018What is the goal of his trip to Iran?\u2019 asks the editorial of Arman Emrooz.<br \/>\nIn recent years, Iraq has become one of the most significant trade partners of Iran especially after May 8, 2018, when Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal and sanctions were re-imposed on Tehran. The significance of Iraq even multiplied and it seems that during the past 11 months, Iraq has followed the sanctions imposed on Iran by the US Treasury Department.<br \/>\nThis is because the new Iraq after the collapse of Saddam Hossein is shaped in such a way that it is significantly dependent on the US economy and its dollar. Even though the ministers of trade, foreign affairs, planning, road\/transportation, health, electricity\/infrastructure, and Iraqi lawmakers, as well as 30 people from Iraq\u2019s private sector, accompanied Adel Abdul Mahdi in this trip; yet, numerous problems \u2013 including a lack of banking relations, an elimination of the US dollar from the trade cycle between the two countries, and the negative consequences of Iran not accepting FATF bills \u2013 have resulted in delaying the enforcement of most of the contracts between the two countries.<br \/>\nIt also seems that the new Iraqi government is after a balance of power in the tensions that exist between Tehran and Washington, as well as in its regional relationships, so it can serve its own interests amidst these rivalries. That is why Adel Abdul Mahdi, just like the Iraqi President Barham Saleh, would immediately go to Riyadh to follow the same policy of building relationships with both sides.<br \/>\nThe new policy of Iraq shows that this country is after a more significant role in the Middle East so it can stop any diplomatic efforts to take Baghdad as a hostage in the Tehran-Washington rivalry or any other rivalry in the region.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.armandaily.ir\/fa\/news\/main\/252820\"> Arman Emrooz \u2013 April 7<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-5061\" src=\"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/06\/news.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"282\" height=\"50\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong> The IRGC designated as a terrorist organization; the Islamic Republic\u2019s officials react<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-6441\" src=\"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1189\" height=\"736\" \/><br \/>\nWith the official announcement of the US President Donald Trump, the IRGC was designated as a \u2018Foreign Terrorist Organization\u2019 (FTO). In his statement, President Trump wrote: \u2018This unprecedented step recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a state sponsor of terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft.\u2019<br \/>\nThe US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on his Twitter account \u2018In an important step to counter the Iranian regime\u2019s terrorism, the US has designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the Qods Force, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. We must help the people of Iran get back their freedom.\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018With the rightful designation of the IRGC as a FTO, it should be clear to all that there are risks to supporting the IRGC in any way,\u2019 tweeted the US National Security Adviser John Bolton.<br \/>\nAs expected, this US move didn\u2019t go down very well with Iranian officials, and they unanimously announced support for the IRGC and threatened the US with retaliatory measures.<br \/>\nThe Iranian parliament, in a retaliatory measure, ratified legislation to \u2018boost the IRGC\u2019s position against America\u2019, in which Iranian lawmakers called the US military forces in western Asia \u2018terrorists\u2019.<br \/>\nThe day after the designation of the IRGC as a FTO, Iranian lawmakers, in a symbolic move, wore the IRGC uniform to show support for this organization.<br \/>\nPreviously, THE Iranian Supreme National Security Council had announced that it would consider the US Central Command in western Asia, CENTCOM, and all forces affiliated with it, as a \u2018terrorist group\u2019.<br \/>\nIran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reacted to the designation by calling it \u2018mischievous\u2019 and \u2018deceptive\u2019. He defended the IRGC performance during the past 40 years both in and out of Iran.<br \/>\nThe Iranian president Hassan Rouhani went so far in threatening America with launching more advanced centrifuges. He pointed out to the IRGC missile arsenal, urging that \u2018if your intention in these sanctions was to decrease Iran\u2019s military capability, you should know that since last year, we have been able to achieve missiles and weapons that you cannot even think of.\u201d<br \/>\nMohsen Rezaee, Secretary to Iran\u2019s Expediency Council, wrote on his tweet account, \u2018Mr. Trump, tell your fleets not to pass by the IRGC boats\u2019.<br \/>\nIn reaction to the Islamic Republic\u2019s officials threatening a possible attack against US forces, the US Secretary of States Mike Pompeo said that \u2018an attack on the United States of America is something that they ought to think more than twice about\u2019.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/kayhan.london\/fa\/1398\/01\/19\/\u0633\u067e\u0627\u0647-\u067e\u0627\u0633\u062f\u0627\u0631\u0627\u0646-\u0627\u0646\u0642\u0644\u0627\u0628-\u0627\u0633\u0644\u0627\u0645\u06cc-\u062f\u0631-\u0622\u0633\u062a\u0627\u0646\u0647\"> Kayhan London<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong> Mike Pompeo: Qassem Soleimani is a terrorist<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6442\" src=\"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/AP-Explains-Iran-Revolutionary-Guard.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" \/><br \/>\nThe US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in an interview with Fox News after the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization, said that Qassem Soleimani, the IRGC Qods Force Commander, \u2018is a terrorist\u2019.<br \/>\nIn response to the question asking if Qassem Soleimani is deemed the same as Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, the ISIS leader, Mike Pompeo urged \u2018yes, he is a terrorist.\u2019<br \/>\nPompeo\u2019s remarks were made after the US President Donald Trump designated the IRGC as a \u2018Foreign Terrorist Organization\u2019.<br \/>\nThis step instigated angry responses from the Islamic Republic\u2019s lawmakers and officials, who called the US forces and bases in the region \u2018terrorist\u2019, urging that these forces will no longer be immune.<br \/>\nAbbas Araghchi, the Political Deputy to the Iranian Foreign Minister, stated that after the IRGC was designated as a terrorist organization, the Islamic Republic retaliated by designating the US forces as terrorists in the region. He added that from now on, the US forces and the US military bases are no longer ordinary troops or ordinary military forces. US bases in the region would be recognized as terrorist bases; American forces will be recognized as terrorist forces.<br \/>\nQassem Soleimani and many other IRGC commanders have been already put on the US sanctions list.<br \/>\nThe tension between Iran and the United States has constantly increased since last year when Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions against Iran.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/persian\/iran-47880758\"> BBC Persian<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong> Tehran-Caracas direct flight; who will be the possible passengers?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-6443\" src=\"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/\u0645\u0627\u0647\u0627\u0646.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1107\" height=\"732\" \/><br \/>\nAn Iranian official announced the launch of a direct flight from Tehran to Caracas, the capital of Iran and Venezuela, by Mahan Airline.<br \/>\nMahan Airline is the first Iranian private airline established in 1992. However, since 2011, the United States has put this airline on its sanction list for \u2018moving the IRGC Qods Force\u2019 and \u2018moving force and arms\u2019. Germany and France later followed suit and revoked Mahan\u2019s permit for flying to these countries.<br \/>\nAccording to Reuters, one of the White House\u2019s officials has written that launching a direct flight between Iran and Venezuela has no commercial justification and is politically motivated, adding \u2018to us, there is no clear commercial reason for launching a direct flight under current conditions\u2019.<br \/>\nCurrently, Venezuela is in critical condition and Madura\u2019s government is on the verge of collapse. Therefore, it is not clear why the Islamic Republic has decided to launch a direct flight from Tehran to Caracas. Given the Forex rate and the high cost of foreign trips, particularly to Latin America, it doesn\u2019t seem that many Iranians will be able to afford to travel to this country.<br \/>\nIt has been said that the IRGC uses Mahan airline for moving arms and forces to Syria.<br \/>\nIran, China, Russia, and Turkey back Madura\u2019s government that is facing a serious political and economic crisis.<br \/>\nIt is possible that after the war in Syria and backing Bashar Assad, the Iranian regime is thinking of opening a new battleground in Latin America, this time in the US backyard, in support of Madura\u2019s government. One should also remember that the United States has just designated the IRGC as a \u2018Foreign Terrorist Organization\u2019, which has provoked strong reactions from the IRGC commanders and from the Islamic Republic\u2019s officials.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/kayhan.london\/fa\/1398\/01\/19\/\u067e\u0631\u0648\u0627\u0632-\u0645\u0633\u062a\u0642\u06cc\u0645-\u062a\u0647\u0631\u0627\u0646-\u06a9\u0627\u0631\u0627\u06a9\u0627\u0633\u061b-\u0645\u0633\u0627\u0641\u0631\u0627\u0646-\u0622\"> Kayhan London<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong> Floods in Iran: 77 dead, a thousand injured, 3000 billion tomans in damages<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6444\" src=\"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/7A7E5ADA-421A-47EE-A2AC-D644B1162E5C_cx0_cy11_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1023\" height=\"575\" \/><br \/>\nFloods continue to take more victims and destroy more places in Iran. Pir-Hassan Kolivand, head of Iran\u2019s Emergency Organization, announced that so far in the flood-stricken areas in Iran, 1076 people were injured, and 77 lost their lives.<br \/>\nIt has been three weeks since devastating floods in 24 provinces of Iran have recurrently hit roughly half a million people and now officials are talking of the possibility of an outbreak of malnutrition and epidemic diseases in the flood-stricken areas.<br \/>\nMeanwhile, the Minister of Road and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami has announced that as the result of the recent floods, the country\u2019s infrastructure has suffered 3000 billion tomans of damages so far. He added that these damages include the destruction of roads, bridges, and other infrastructure because of landslides.<br \/>\nAccording to Eslami, the recent floods hit 24 provinces, 231 towns, 269 cities, and 5000 villages; Iran has never experienced such a severe, extensive flood.<br \/>\nMohammad Bagher Nobakht, head of Iran\u2019s Budget and Planning Organization, has confirmed that the government might withdraw money from the National Development Fund to compensate for the damages caused by the recent floods.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiofarda.com\/a\/iran-flood-update-77-dead\/29870547.html\"> Radio Farda<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>US measure and FATF\u2019s destiny After America designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization, a member of Iran\u2019s Expediency Council said that this US measure will decrease the chances of the Council ratifying FATF. The editorial of Aftab Yazd argues that it is necessary for Iran to ratify the FATF bills so that it can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":6281,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[3022,3021,1637,355,267,798,3020],"class_list":["post-6440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-iran-in-a-week","tag-77-deaths","tag-floods-cause","tag-iran-in-a-week","tag-irgc","tag-terrorist","tag-tomans","tag-us-designates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6440"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6440\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6445,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6440\/revisions\/6445"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rasanah-iiis.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}