Iran news in brief, April 19, 2019

Iran news in brief, April 19, 2019

Iran Regime's Terror Network Exposed in Central Africa

The media reported on Thursday that Chad and the Central African Republic have uncovered an Iranian terror network operating in their territories as well as in other countries.

The members of the network have been arrested.

According to the report, the unit called "Saraya Zahara" established an infrastructure of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Central Africa, with the aim of attacking Western targets in these countries.

The Iranian network has also tried to establish additional terror cells in African countries and help pro-Iranian elements take control of various countries on the continent.

Locusts Attack Threatening Crops and Food Security in Iran

A locust outbreak in the Arabian Peninsula has been spreading to Iran, threatening crops and food security in large areas of the coastal province of Hormozgan, an official said.

The chairman of agriculture office in Bushehr province says that in the most optimistic scenario, the locusts that have attacked six southern provinces of Iran will remain in the area for at least 4 years.

The Plant Protection Organization criticized the authorities ignoring the issue and warned about the increase in the number of the desert locusts and the danger of food shortage.

In this regard, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran stated:

As the catastrophic flooding continues, people in Southern and Eastern Iran, destitute farmers, especially in flood-stricken areas are facing a swarm of locust.

She added: The mullahs have destroyed the environmental equilibrium, putting agriculture and people’s daily food staples at great risk. The mullahs will do nothing. UN Food and Agriculture Organization must rush to help the farmers to spray their fields.

Iran Sinks in Press Freedom Index After Jailing More Journalists

Media rights group Reporters Without Borders says Iran has slipped further toward the bottom of its World Press Freedom index because of an increase in arrests of Iranian journalists and citizen-journalists.

In its annual press freedom ranking published Thursday, the Paris-based group also known as RSF said Iran dropped six places to 170th out of 180 countries and territories. It attributed the drop to Iran's increased arrests of "professional and non-professional journalists, especially those posting on social networks" in 2018.

The report described Iran as one of the world's biggest jailers of journalists.

Bulgaria Seizes 288 Kilos of Heroin in Truck From Iran

Bulgarian customs officials confiscated more than 288 kilograms of heroin hidden on a truck from Iran, prosecutors announced Thursday.

The haul was the biggest amount of heroin seized at Bulgaria's borders this year, the customs agency said.