IRAN: New Admissions Regarding 1,000 Missiles Fired at MEK Hheadquarters

That 1,000 missiles were launched to target the opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) bases in Iraq back in 2001 has been acknowledged by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).

The IRGC also admitted that due to specific reservations this measure was not acknowledged publicly for many years.

According to a June 19th report by Fars news agency, “Eighteen years ago the IRGC launched a retaliatory attack and fired 1,000 missiles and long range artillery targeting PMOI/MEK bases deep inside Iraq. This included Camp Ashraf and a base in the city of al-Emara. However, this was a strategic act and sent a message.”

Also significant is a similar acknowledgement made on April 9th, 2010, by former IRGC chief Rahim Safavi. “The IRGC executed an operational plan from 4 to 8 am targeting all PMOI/MEK bases, from Camp Ashraf to a base in the city of al-Emara, by launching 1,000 missiles and long range artillery, destroying all bases and inflicted heavy casualties to them,” he said.

Chief of plainclothes agents, and a member of the faction loyal to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Hassan Abbasi, also made reference to the attack. He said, “… the IRGC missile system staged an attack on Camp Ashraf, raining rockets on this base. We delivered a severe blow to the PMOI/MEK.”

Camp Ashraf was located in Iraq's Diyala province. It was similar to a small city, in that it had basic infrastructure. It was the headquarters of the exiled People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The population was approximately 3,400 in 2012 but nearly all resident were subsequently located to Camp Liberty near Baghdad International Airport. Recently, all residents were again relocated, this time to countries in Europe.

Camp Ashraf (aka US Forward Operating Base Grizzly) was situated 27.6 km northeast of the Iraqi town of Khalis, about 80 kilometers west of the Iran border and 40 kilometers north of Baghdad. On January 1, 2009, the US Government formally transferred control over to the Iraqi government.

What Is the Right U.S. Policy on Iran?

Iranian women protest election irregularities in 2009 

Iran is terrified of such a stance and responded immediately. In a tweet, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed that 75 percent of Iran’s population voted in the recent election farce back in May.

Iran’s wrath was not limited to this very issue. Following the twin ISIS attacks targeting Iran’s parliament and the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Islamic revolution in Iran, senior regime officials sought to portray their apparatus as a victim of terrorism.

Failing to do so, Iranian regime officials accused the US, Saudi Arabia and the main opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), of this terrorist plot. A few days ago, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out at the US and accused Washington of bringing ISIS to life.

Khamenei personally intervened last week, first acknowledging the 1988 massacre, defending the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), and those involved in the murder of over 30,000 political prisoners. Most of the victims, all executed in mass groups, were PMOI/MEK members and supporters.

Khamenei’s second concern and that of his entire apparatus is focused on the upcoming Iranian opposition’s annual convention in Paris scheduled for July 1 this year. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the main entity representing the Iranian opposition, hosts more than 100,000 Iranians from across the globe each year alongside hundreds of prominent dignitaries delivering their support and speeches seeking true change in Iran.

Iran’s Impasse and the “Sanctions Black Hole”

The current plan for sanctions against Iran leaves the regime between a proverbial rock and hard place, since its choices are comply or die.

“Section 5 of this bill is related to new sanctions against the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). This new bill is dubbed the ‘sanctions black hole’ considering the fact that based on Executive Order 13224, any individual providing services to an identified organization in this Executive Order, that individual or his/her entity will be placed on the US sanctions list or the SDN… with the adoption and implementation of this bill, we can forecast that a few thousand individuals will be placed in the SDN sanctions list…,” according to IRGC-affiliated semi-official Fars news agency.Iran is engulfed in domestic crises and escalating popular dissent. Any measure even slightly provoking Iran’s already powder keg society and sending people into the streets is considered a red line.

During the past few months, supporters of the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) have increased their activities in cities across the country. They are seen putting up images of Maryam Rajavi, President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the mother coalition of the PMOI/MEK, in public places and writing slogans on walls expressing their support for Rajavi’s 10-point plan.

Iranian opposition (PMOI/MEK) supporters are also busy spreading the word about the upcoming NCRI convention in Paris scheduled for July 1st. Millions of Iranians are awaiting this year’s event.