Free Republic

In the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei makes all the key decisions and takes a public stance on all vital and strategic issues regarding Iran. He has the last word. He makes his public views known either in Friday Prayer sermons or in meetings with government officials. Last week, Khamenei made two public speeches and talked about the explosive state of the country. Not a day goes by that Iran’s officials and parliament members don’t talk about their concerns over the unstable state of the society and their fear of protests. Nonetheless, Khamenei tried to whitewash his concerns saying...

RIMELAN, SYRIA – “Where does all our oil go to?” my Kurdish driver asked as we drove past more than a dozen hefty trucks loaded with crude oil. The cargo convoy was heading to Syrian regime-held areas. Syria’s seven-year civil war has left the Kurds with increasing power over the oil fields in their territory, adding yet another layer of complexity to the already complicated picture of the war-torn country. The Democratic Union Party (PYD), the main party in Syrian Kurdistan, took control of most Kurdish cities in July 2012. The takeover didn’t involve fighting with Syrian regime forces as...

Map of the planned Turkish Stream (Wikipedia). Russia’s Gazprom has begun constructing the first stage of the Turkish Stream pipeline that will run gas from southern Russia across the Black Sea to Turkey, Reuters reported on Sunday.Switzerland’s Allseas Group S.A has begun laying pipes on the Russian shore of Black Sea. The pipeline will when completed by the end of 2019 allow the state-owned Gazprom company to send gas direct to southern Europe through the Turkish Stream while bypassing Ukraine.The Turkish Stream intergovernmental agreement was signed in October 2016 after having been halted for almost a year following the shootdown...

Turkey announced this morning its intention to raise tariffs on several products imported from the United States, including cars, alcohol and tobacco. .....

The United States is warning more economic pressures may be in store for Turkey if it refuses to release a jailed American pastor, a White House official said on Tuesday... if we do not see actions in the next few days or a week there could be further actions taken,” the official said. Further actions would likely take the form of economic sanctions, the official said, who added: “The pressure is going to keep up if we’re not seeing results.” ...The United States is also considering a fine against Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank for allegedly helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions.

BEIJING — China’s leaders have sought to project confidence in the face of President Trump’s tariffs and trade threats, but as it becomes clear a protracted trade war with the United States may be unavoidable, there are growing signs of unease inside the Communist political establishment. In recent days, officials from the Commerce Ministry, the police and other agencies have summoned executives from exporters to ask about plans to lay off workers or shift supply chains to other countries. With stocks slumping into bear territory and the currency dropping 9 percent against the dollar since mid-April, censors have been deleting...

Christians in Turkey were recently pressured by Erdogan’s government to sign a declaration that they face no religious persecution in the nation, according to a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared last Wednesday that Turkey has no problems with religious minorities. “Turkey has no problems related to [religious] minorities. Threatening language of the U.S. evangelist, Zionist mentality is unacceptable,” he said, according to the Andalou Agency. His statement comes on the heels of the signing the day before of a joint declaration by every non-Muslim community, including Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Jewish leaders, denying allegations of...

Kurdish groups in Iran have been increasing their activities over the summer months of 2018. An uptick in clashes, particularly with the IRGC, has been documented from published reports by the Iranian regime as well as the groups. This includes the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) and Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK). On August 11 the IRGC claimed to have killed 11 “terrorists” or “militants” in Oshnavieh. In addition the PDKI claimed to have killed a dozen of the IRGC. And in Baneh a report indicated the PAK had clashed with Iranian regime forces,...

• "We have to realize that perhaps China isn't as strong as when we at first think. China is still figuring out also how to deal with this trade situation, how to ensure the stability of its domestic economy," said Curtis Chin, an Asia fellow at the Milken Institute. • Speaking to CNBC's "Squawk Box," Chin also "totally" disagreed with the view that U.S. President Donald Trump's policies are backfiring. China's power may have been overrated and the U.S. economy is staying strong, meaning that U.S. President Donald Trump has an advantage in the trade war, according to one expert....

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) dealt a lethal blow to the so-called ‘caliphate’ a week ago, when their troops seized the last border points that were under the Islamic State’s control in eastern Syria. According to the official spokesperson for the SDF, their troops managed to capture the entire desert of eastern Deir Ezzor and secure the Al-Hasakah provincial border that weekend.

Unlike the prior administration who was more than willing to give away America’s wealth and power, President Trump understands US economic power. And he is using the wealth and power of the United States to the country’s full advantage. President Trump knows that since the US is holding all of the aces it is time to use them and really start winning. The US economy is the world’s largest America’s economy is bigger than the combined economies of the rest of the G7. Our total annual output which will exceed $20 Trillion this year, is almost 25% of the world’s...

German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier launched strong attack on Trump for his tariffs and sanctions. He told Bild am Sonntag newspaper that “this trade war is slowing down and destroying economic growth – and it creates new uncertainties.” Meanwhile, the agreement between the EU and US “can only be first step”. Altmaier emphasized “Our goal is a global trade order with lower tariffs, less protectionism and open markets.” Regarding US sanctions on Iran, Altmaier also pledged the Germany and EU will continue to support companies doing business with Iran. He warned that “we won’t let Washington dictate us with whom...

The Democrats Don’t Have a Foreign Policy, They Have A Trump Policy Not just treasonous, stupid. May 10, 2018 Daniel Greenfield Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical left and Islamic terrorism. Quick, what’s the Dem position on Syria? What about China? Don’t bother. There was once a time when Democrats could discuss Syria, North Korea, the South China Sea, economic tensions in the European Union and the future of Africa. But that was before Trump. Democrats don’t have a foreign policy anymore. They have a Trump...

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is putting on a rather fierce face in reaction to new tariffs from President Donald Trump and the plunging lira. Erdogan – ever the strongman – implored the country to show economic patriotism in response to what was going on. Via Daily Sabah in Turkey. “If you have dollars, euros or gold under your pillow, go to banks to exchange them for Turkish lira. This is a national struggle,� he said.“This will be my people’s answer to those who declare economic war against us,� he added.Erdoğan also said Turkish people should not worry, saying “We...

Reza Pahlavi is hated & feared by the Iranian regime, because he is very popular with the Iranian people & the regime view him as a huge threat. 2 days ago, Reza Pahlavi asked Iranians via social media, to use their local soccer match to show their disdain for the regime. He specifically asked Azeris, since as a whole they were not participating as much in the ongoing protests. Here is a video posted after that request: Thousands of soccer fans in Iranian province of Azerbaijan singing in praise of Reza Pahlavi in Turkish-Azeri language.

Washington (CNN)Iranian President Hassan Rouhani issued a challenge to President Donald Trump on Monday, saying the Islamic Republic would welcome talks with the US "right now." "I don't have preconditions. If the US government is willing, let's start right now," Rouhani said during an interview that aired on state television late Monday local time, just hours before the US renewed sanctions on Iran. "If there is sincerity, Iran has always welcomed dialogue and negotiations," Rouhani said. Trump's national security adviser John Bolton, when asked about the offer by CNN's Jake Tapper, dismissed it as possible "propaganda." "Let's see what really...

The Turkish government made an announcement on August 2 that is likely to increase tensions between the state and its Orthodox Christians. While the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s seminary on the island of Halki has remained closed since 1971, Turkey has announced that it intends to open an Islamic studies center on the same island. Moreover, building plans have the Global Center for Islamic Studies situated right in front of the Orthodox seminary building, reports Sedmitza. According to experts, the opening of the Islamic studies center would completely rule out the possibility of reopening the seminary, which the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been...

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A chief strategist of Venezuela's government-backed cryptocurrency is a former U.S. congressional intern who once organized protests against the same socialist administration he's now helping to circumvent U.S. financial sanctions.Gabriel Jimenez, 27, was catapulted to something of tech stardom in Venezuela last month when he stood alongside President Nicolas Maduro and two Russian businessmen on national TV signing a contract to position the petro, as the fledgling currency is known, among international investors."It's a company founded and led by young Venezuelan geniuses, boys and girls of Venezuela, who have one of the most technologically advanced blockchain...

rohl...metals tariffs on Turkey The (The Turkish lira) added to its steep losses on Friday, hitting a fresh record low, after President ( Donald Trump) authorized the doubling of metals tariffs on Turkey.

One of the instruments that the enemies use is creating discord among us. I insist that we stress and place great emphasis on this matter. Brothers, sisters, Muslims in the world of Islam, if this call reaches your ears, you should know that the day when the words “Sunni” and “Shia” appeared in the American discourse, we became concerned. Every insightful person became concerned. What does America have to do with Sunni and Shia? What does such and such a Jewish Zionist politician in America – who has done nothing except for showing malevolence against Islam and Muslims – have...