With an electoral “mandate” in his pocket, Rouhani can double down on persecution of dissidents. A second term for Rouhani is unlikely to bring about any significant policy changes. The regime is more divided and thus weaker and more vulnerable; in addition, the NCRI has gained much more public standing.

By Raymond Tanter
Friday, 16 Jun 2017 12:14 PMCurrent | Bio | Archive

Iran held its latest national elections in May 2017, resulting in a second term for President Hassan Rouhani. But the country’s banned democratic opposition groups, mainly the National Council for Resistance of Iran (NCRI), universally dismissed the elections as a mere parody of democracy.

 The People’s Mujahedeen of Iran, (PMOI) aka the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq or MEK, is the largest unit within the NCRI. Such dissenting voices are always barred by clerical authorities who select candidates who can run.

About a week after the elections, President Trump delivered a major speech to leaders of 55 Muslim-majority countries; it marked his first effort to reach out to the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims.

 In his address, Trump made a gesture to the Iranian people but did not provide a mechanism for doing so. Here is 

http://nws.mx/2rGmFmM  -Read more on this ling

It is the common belief of our nations in the region that we regard one another as sisters and brothers. We follow the words of God in the Quran: إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَة, indeed all believers are brothers.

MARYAM RAJAVI ADDRESSES “INTERFAITH SOLIDARITY AGAINST EXTREMISM”

Our call is to unite in solidarity, based on a strong foundation over which the overwhelming majority of Muslims concur. Ideologically, this foundation, which derives from the truth of Islam, is to deny religious compulsion and compulsory religion.

Politically, it is to stand up to the religious tyranny ruling Iran, which is the common enemy of all nations in the Middle East and is the epicenter of belligerence and export of fundamentalism to other countries in the region.

This is the “bond” and the word that can unite us: Rejection of religious compulsion and standing up to the Velayat-e Faqih regime in Iran.

Of course, we do not intend to overlook the very real differences existing among our nations in the region. Despite such differences, however, everyone believes that Islam does not approve of using force to impose an opinion or a religion.

 Once coercion, compulsion and vengeance are rejected, the prospect will arise for brotherhood and sisterhood - the historical and collective conscience of our nations - to spread.

Iran: Protests Staged Across the Country by Workers and Investors

Iran’s deprived workers also rallied in numerous cities, including:

On the morning of Tuesday a high number of investors in Isfahan continued their protests from the day before and launched a demonstration. The protesters rallied outside the Parsian Bank, in charge of their investments, and chanted:

 “The bankrupt Parsian is sitting on our money,” “Down with Seif,” (referring to Caspian’s chief executive), “Seif, answer to our demands,” “Seif is incompetent,” and “This is treason.” State police attacked but failed to disperse the protesters. Similar protesting investors in Tehran staged a rally outside the international exhibition.

In Nieshabour, northeast Iran, protesters rallied outside the Caspian branch, holding placards written, “The corrupt must be executed,” “One embezzlement less, will it resolve our problems?”

On Monday these protesters staged numerous rallies in different cities. This rally in Tehran was staged outside the Central Bank, in Mashhad (northeast Iran) outside the Khorasan Razavi governorate office, in Neishabour outside the parliament branch office, in Ardebil (northwest Iran) outside the Caspian branch and in Lahijan (northern Iran) outside the Caspian central office. On Sunday protesters demonstrated in the cities of Babol (northern Iran), Hamedan (western Iran) and Ardebil, demanding their money returned

The remarks made by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei can be viewed as seeking to capitalize on the recent attacks in Tehran that left 17 dead and dozens more wounded.

This February 17, 1989 Tehran photo shows Iranian people gathered in front of the Azadi Tower for the 10th anniversary of the plan, marking the Islamic revolution. (AFP)

The ultimate foe
The IRGC also sought to target the main source threatening the very existence of the mullahs’ regime. “This terrorist incident is similar to the crimes committed by the infidels in the 1980s,” the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency wrote.

 Infidels is the term used in the Iranian regime apparatus for the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

“Now we must decide what actions must be taken to confront the terrorists. The judiciary and security forces must arrest these criminals, prosecute and execute them,” the piece reads, further signaling how the IRGC will seek to justify upcoming crackdown measures against an already restive Iranian society.

“Those who are against our struggles in Iraq and Syria should come to realize how sweet security is, and how bitter is insecurity,” the piece continued.

Questions
Eyewitness have pressed on the suspicious nature of this attack, especially armed assailants being able to enter the parliament building with assault rifles and vests full of explosives.

“They wouldn’t even allow us take a pen inside. They just said we will take your papers and documents upstairs.

 How can armed men come into the legislative building? There were no security guards and no security equipment,” one injured man said to Iran’s Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi. Similar conflicting reports were also witnessed in other state and IRGC media outlets.

http://bit.ly/2tg1DwI-  Refer to this ling for further reading

ISIS claimed responsibility for the recent attacks in Iran, but it’s important to consider history before offering sympathy to the Iranian regime.

Iran: ISIS Terrorist Attacks and Mullahs’ Crisis

For the first time on June 7th ISIS claimed responsibility for staging an attack in Iran, involving a twin assault on two sites in Tehran, the capital. This terrorist attack left 17 killed and dozens of others wounded in the parliament and the tomb of former Iranian regime leader Ruhollah Khomeini.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, condemned the shedding of innocent people’s blood under any pretext.

 “ISIS’s conduct clearly benefits the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader Khamenei, who wholeheartedly welcomes it as an opportunity to overcome his regime’s regional and international impasse and isolation. The founder and the number one state sponsor of terror is thus trying to switch the place of murderer and the victim and portray the central banker of terrorism as a victim,” Mrs. Rajavi added.

What is known as ISIS was established in 1999 in Iraq under the leadership of Abu Masab al-Zarqawi. After a very mysterious attack on a very famous prison in Iraq, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and many other senior ISIS members were able to flee. 

This took place under the watch of former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, who himself was under the intense influence of Tehran.