Iran news in brief, January 21, 2018

Iran news in brief, January 21, 2018

Germany to Sanction Iranian Airliner Over Spying Claims

For months now, European countries have called for concrete action against entities linked to Iranian intelligence. Mahan Air reportedly maintains close ties to an elite group of Iran's security services.

The German government has prepared sanctions against Iranian airline Mahan Air in connection to Iran's illegal activities in Europe, including the discovery of a spy working as a translator for the country's armed forces, German media reported on Monday.

European authorities have imposed punitive measures against Iran's Intelligence and Security Ministry for thwarted attacks and assassination attempts against Iranian opposition in France, Denmark, the Netherlands and other EU countries.

Israel Confirms Launching Air Strikes Against Iranian Forces in Syria

The Israeli military confirmed early on January 21 that it attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, hours after Israeli forces carried out rare daylight air strikes near Damascus International Airport.

The statement was issued shortly after Israeli missile defenses intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights in the wake of the Israeli air strikes.

The bombardment hit Iranian and Syrian targets around Damascus as well as near a military airport to the south of the capital, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory," the Israeli military statement said.

Mother of Iranian Protester Who Died in Custody Says Her Son Was Murdered

Mother of Sina Ghanbari, a 23-year-old man who suspiciously died in the “quarantine” ward of Evin prison in January 2018, says her son was murdered in prison.

Regretting her one-year silence Fatemeh Malayan Nejad said: “My son did not commit suicide, he was beaten in prison. when I took my son’s body, they did not allow me to speak, but I would have spoken, I was to prove Sina’s innocence so that I can finally find peace in my heart.”

“Sina was planning for his birthday, and it is not possible that a young man with such a spirit would commit suicide,” she said.

“Six days after Sina’s arrest, just on his 22th birthday, an officer called me and said that your child had committed suicide. My son had planned his birthday a month earlier, how could he take his own life on his birthday?” she added.

Iran's Chief of Police Warns of Unrest on Regime's 40th Anniversary

Iran’s Chief of police said that “dissidents” were planning to create unrest in the regime’s 40th anniversary ceremony on February 11.

In a report titled “Chief of police reveals the enemy’s efforts in disrupting February 11 ceremony” the ISNA state-run news agency quoted Hossein Ashtari as saying that the regime had to be “alert” in case of street protests.

“Dissident groups and the enemy intended to create unrest and insecurity in the country in 2018 but they failed to reach their goals due to divine powers,” the Chief of police said without mentioning that there were more than 9,000 protests in 2018 which were crushed by security forces.

Iranian MP: Removal of 4 Zeroes From Currency Has No Effect on Citizens' Purchasing Power

The removal of four zeros from Iran’s national currency has no effect on the economy and the purchasing power of the citizens, Chairman of Iranian Parliament’s Economic Commission Mohammad Reza Pour-Ebrahimi said in an interview with ISNA, Trend reports.

“This only simplifies our calculations and keeping accounts,” he said.

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