French and British intelligence chiefs warn about Iran's nuclear threat

The film, called “Ahmad” is scheduled to play November 30 at the Muslim International Film Festival (MIFF) in Toronto.

The Canadian government listed the IRGC as a terrorist entity in July. The listing means police can charge anyone who financially or materially supports the IRGC and banks can freeze its assets.

“I think it's absolutely abhorrent,” Toronto Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Kevin Vuong told Iran International.

Vuong said he was looking into what avenues were available to address this issue including bringing this up in the House of Commons.

“For us to have worked so hard for the Iranian diaspora to have demanded for so many years to finally see the IRGC designated as a terrorist that they are. And now, for their permission of a video that glorifies a IRGC leader. It makes no sense,” he told Iran International over zoom.

The film festival website described the main movie character Ahmad Kazemi as a hero and a martyr who mobilized the IRGC Air Force (AF) to save lives after the devastating 2003 Bam earthquakes in southeastern Iran.

Kazemi was appointed as to the IRGC AF in 2003, and as Commander of the Ground Forces of the IRGC in 2005 by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to the Tehran Times. He was killed in a plane crash that year.

He also had close ties to Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani who was killed by a US airstrike at Baghdad airport in 2020.

“"How is it possible that IRGC is designated as a terrorist organization in Canada? But now a movie that's praising one of the is former generals will be on this screens in Canada. This is shocking for me,” Mehdi Moradi, a human rights advocate in Ontario told Iran International.

Moradi is one of dozens of activists in the community who helped push the Canadian government to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity.

Representatives for MIFF responded to Iran International's inquires saying they have received messages from the Iranian diaspora expressing concern and are currently evaluating their next steps.

The Canadian government, Public Safety Canada, and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Iran International's request for comment.

The purpose of the Geneva meeting, the first such talks since Trump's election victory, was to assess the feasibility of engaging in serious negotiations before the official inauguration of the new US president on January 20, Reuters reported. The United States had previously announced it would not participate in the Geneva meeting.

Iran's deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi represented Iran in the negotiations. He was a member of the Iranian team that negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the JCPOA. In his previous term in office, Trump withdrew the US from the deal.

Following the Friday meeting in Switzerland, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, wrote on X: "Another round of candid discussions with Political Directors of France, Germany and UK. We discussed and took stock of recent bilateral, regional and international developments, particularly nuclear and sanctions lifting issues."

"We are firmly committed to pursue the interests of our people, and our preference is the path of dialogue and engagement. It was agreed to continue diplomatic dialogue in near future," he added.

‘Nothing new, little progress’

The Geneva talks revolved around serious issues, including Iran's nuclear program, but resulted in little progress, Reuters reported citing diplomats.

There had been nothing of note in the meeting but that Tehran had shown an eagerness to explore how diplomacy could work in next few weeks, it added quoting a European official.

The Wall Street Journal also cited a European official saying "there was basically nothing new."

The Geneva talks were held after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors passed a resolution, proposed by the UK, France, and Germany, criticizing Iran's lack of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

The resolution emphasized the urgent need for Tehran to cooperate with the IAEA, and called on IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to prepare a comprehensive report on the status of Iran's nuclear program.

The censure resolution has set the stage for a new phase in the dispute over Iran's activities which could lead toward more sanctions through the activation of so-called "snapback mechanism".

"Baran Arjmand, a 15-year-old member of Iran's youth national team who participated in the World Championships in Sweden, left the delegation after the competition concluded," the Iranian Table Tennis Federation said Friday.

"This young athlete, without notifying or coordinating with the federation, introduced herself to police in Copenhagen while the team was returning to Iran," the statement added, without describing her potential motivations.

Many Iranian athletes have sought refuge while abroad in international sporting competitions in recent years.

Forty percent of the 36 athletes selected for the 2024 Refugee Olympic Team hailed from Iran.

The considerable presence of Iranian refugees on the team followed a surge in the emigration of athletes, artists, and skilled workers from Iran, driven by increasing economic pressure and anti-government sentiment.

Despite having received her boarding pass for her flight home, Arjmand refused to return to Iran, a report by the Tasnim News agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said.

Arjmand asked for the Danish police's help to prevent her return to Iran, it added. Neither Arjmand nor her family has issued a statement regarding her decision.

Many Iranian athletes who remain abroad have cited political pressures, social restrictions, or personal reasons for their actions. In January 2023, Iranian alpine skier Atefeh Ahmadi applied for asylum in Germany after traveling to Europe for training.

In December 2021, Shaghayegh Bapiri, a member of the Iranian women’s handball team, refused to return to Iran after a tournament in Spain, citing the country’s mandatory hijab rules and other restrictions she faced.

Similarly, in 2019, judoka Saeid Mollaei sought asylum in Germany after alleging pressure from Iranian authorities to withdraw from competitions to avoid facing Israeli opponents.

A fresh ceasefire in neighboring Lebanon between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel could make Syria, Tehran's main ally in the Arab world, a more important theater in the Islamic Republic's long confrontation with the Jewish state.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a phone call with his Syrian counterpart Bassam Sabbagh, reaffirmed Tehran’s backing for the Syrian government, saying it stands by the country in combating what he called terrorism, according to a statement from Iran’s foreign ministry on Friday.

Araghchi described the resurgence of Syrian rebels’ activities in the country as part of a US-Zionist scheme while Sabbagh said Syria was determined to “thwart the sinister plans of terrorists and their supporters”.

Iran's ambassador to Damascus Mojtaba Amani also said Friday that Tehran has a military presence in Syria and, along with Russia and the "Resistance" groups, will continue to support the Assad government against armed opposition groups.

The Syrian army is engaged in clashes with armed groups opposing Assad and has been able to contain them "to some extent", said Amani.

In a separate statement, Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the Islamic Republic and its allied groups in the region will continue to stand with the Syrian government.

"After defeating the Zionist regime, [we] will continue to stand, as always, with the Syrian government," he said in a post on X, adding that the new movements of Syrian rebels are part of the designs of the United States and Israel.

Iran has played a major role in the Syrian civil war, aligning itself with President Bashar al-Assad's government against various opposition groups since the conflict began in 2011.

Tehran provided substantial military support, including advisors, ground troops, and militia fighters from across the region, helping Assad win back much of the territory his forces had lost.

On Wednesday, Syria’s armed opposition factions, including the Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - designated a terrorist organization by the United States - launched an incursion on Wednesday into a dozen towns and villages in the northwest Aleppo province against forces backed by Bashar al-Assad and allies.

The rebel forces pierced the outskirts of Aleppo, HTS declared in a statement and anti-government monitors said.

On Friday, Russian and Syrian air forces carried out 23 airstrikes on the Idlib region, targeting armed groups opposing Bashar al-Assad, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Earlier on Thursday, Reuters reported, citing sources from both the Syrian military and rebel groups, that Russian and Syrian warplanes targeted rebel-controlled areas near the Turkish border in an effort to push back insurgents.

27 civilians, including eight children, have been killed in the fighting since the rebels incursion into northwest Syria, Reuters reported Friday quoting United Nation’s Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, David Carden.

A taster of the blend was presented by Trump’s nominee for National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, in his interview with CNBC on November 26 2024, where he said the Middle East is key to resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Waltz contends that Trump will mobilise all resources to dismantle Iran’s destabilising hegemony, emboldened under Biden’s administration. This aligns with Trump’s broader strategy to untangle the global crises bogging down American power.

To achieve this, Waltz suggests leveraging Russia’s influence over Iran’s IRGC praetorian guard to advance lasting peace in the Middle East, a vision epitomised by the Abraham Accords. This necessitates a face-saving resolution to the Russo-Ukrainian War, safeguarding American interests in Europe while enabling détente with Russia. Waltz confirms collaboration between the Biden and Trump teams to address these crises—as suggested by the author a few weeks back.

Trump's November Days: a pivotal moment in American history?

The span of 5–26 November 2024—Trump’s November Days— can be compared to the critical days of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Though the world public opinion may not be apprised of the threat the outbreak of a world war, Trump seems to be convinced, and he has so exclaimed several times, if left uncontained both the conflict in the Middle East and the Russo-Ukraine War could lead to World War III.

Putin’s Russia just tested a “conventional” multi-warhead missile, Oreshnik, against Ukraine. Not only has lowered the threshold of Russia’s nuclear doctrine but he has also threatened to use Oreshnik against Kiev.

These weeks reflect a reckoning for America’s allies and adversaries. Through calls with the leaders of Israel, Ukraine and Russia, president-elect Trump signals a readiness to address global crises with bold leadership. Equipped with intelligence uncovering Iranian plots against his life, Trump could cite Iran’s machinations in his talks with the Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has been Tehran’s biggest ally in recent years.

Trump appears to be steadfast in his conviction that the delicate bifurcation of a proactive strategy—one that seeks to neutralise Iran’s regional by co-opting Putin—can be achieved only through a blend of transactional acumen and the unyielding application of military strength. Put simply, to Trump, providing Putin with a dignified exit from his Ukrainian quagmire may well furnish the United States with a potent “Russian leverage” to counter Tehran’s ambitions with the greatest efficacy.

Trump’s National Security Strategy

Trump is, above all, guided by the America First ideology. This conviction was first vividly displayed in his interview with CNN’s Larry King on September 2, 1987, a day after the publication of his now-famous advertisement condemning America’s foreign defence policies as profligate and misguided.

At that moment, Trump offered a glimpse into his vision of America’s place among its allies—particularly the oil-rich monarchies of the Persian Gulf and Japan—and its adversaries, laying bare his disdain for arrangements he deemed unequal and detrimental to the American taxpayer. His first term cemented this doctrine, articulated in his 2017 National Security Strategy as "peace through strength."

Trump’s approach—transactional, unpredictable, and grounded in interpersonal chemistry—relies on the judicious use of economic sanctions, military power, and alliances. His approach to Iran showcased his strategy: withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal to counter Iran’s ambitions, imposing tough sanctions to curb its regional activities, and authorising the elimination of IRGC top commander Qassem Soleimani following attacks on US forces.

His pragmatism also allowed reluctant alignment with Iran against ISIS, contrasting with Obama’s reliance on the nuclear deal. Through the Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab monarchies, Trump fostered a regional alignment against Iran. In stark contrast, Joe Biden’s de-escalation policy emboldened adversaries, culminating in Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel and the collapse of Saudi-Israeli negotiations.

Nominees as emissaries and instruments of strategy

Trump regards loyalty not as blind fealty but as the bedrock of an effective administration, especially in what he perceives to be one of the most critical junctures in American history. His nominees reflect this concern, embodying a calculated alignment of expertise and allegiance to his vision.

Beginning with Mike Waltz as National Security Adviser, Trump has assembled a cadre of officials poised to execute his agenda with precision. Among his appointees is Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired general and former advisor to Vice President Pence, who will serve as Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg’s extensive military experience positions him as Trump’s most trusted ambassador plenipotentiary, tasked with navigating delicate negotiations at the intersection of European and Middle Eastern crises.

The suite of nominees also includes Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik as Ambassador to the United Nations, and John Ratcliffe as CIA Director. The trio of Waltz, Rubio and Stefanik share Trump’s vision for containing Iran, including Tehran’s influence network in DC, and securing regional stability, demonstrated through their congressional leadership.

Ratcliffe’s prior tenure as Director of National Intelligence further equips him to advance Trump’s agenda with strategic insight. Tulsi Gabbard's nomination as Director of National Intelligence is a bold but contentious choice, reflecting Trump’s embrace of unconventional diplomacy—and perhaps a green light to Putin. Complementing her are Mike Huckabee, named Ambassador to Israel, and Steven Witkoff, special envoy for the Middle East, both exemplifying Trump’s transactional and results-driven strategy.

The Road Ahead

Trump’s return takes shape amidst unyielding crises: the Russo-Ukrainian War rages in Europe, while tensions between Israel and Iran threaten to ignite the Middle East. This world, far more intricate than the one he left in 2020, demands sharp strategy and steadfast resolve.

In these November Days, Trump has been gathering a team that he hopes can achieve what the Biden administration could not: to square the national security circle between the Middle Eastern maelstrom and the stalemated Russo-Ukrainian conflict. Guided by America First and peace through strength, his loyal and expert nominees offer him an opportunity to steer the world from chaos toward a semblance of stability and peace.