International

Western efforts to isolate Iran backfired – Khamenei

Published

2 years ago

March 26, 2023

Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei

Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said on Tuesday that the West exerted pressures on Iran in order to isolate it but their efforts in this regard backfired.

Ayatollah Khamenei delivered a speech on Tuesday afternoon at the holy shrine of Imam Reza on the occasion of the New Iranian year.

The leader started his speech by focusing on the concept of “transformation” as meaning “the strengthening of advantages and the elimination of weak points and flaws.” The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described this kind of “transformation” as an essential need of the country.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution pointed out that the main objective of the enemies in broaching the concept of “structural transformations” is to change the identity of the Islamic Republic. “The goal of the enemy is to eliminate the country and establishment’s points of strength and to get issues that remind the people of the Revolution, pure and revolutionary Islam fade into oblivion,” Ayatollah Khamenei noted.

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Underlining that the ultimate goal of the apparently pro-change and transformation statements by the Arrogant Powers is to turn Islamic democracy into one-man and submissive government or one that is superficially democratic but is submissive to the West in practice, he said, “In everything they do, they seek to politically and economically dominate Iran and plunder it.”

The Leader considered “the strong and firm internal foundation of the Iranian nation” as one of the country’s prominent points of strength. “This intrinsic firmness and strength stems from the people’s faith because even those of individuals who apparently do not fully practice some of Islam’s laws, they do believe in God, the Qur’an, and the [Twelve] Imams,” he added.

In explaining the overt indications for the internal cohesion and strength of the Iranian nation, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution pointed to “the overcoming by the nation over the cycle of the enemy’s consecutive and decades-long hostilities of the world’s Arrogant Powers.” He further stated, “Which country and revolution do you know that has been able to resist the blows of the world’s most powerful countries? The Iranian nation has stood firmly against a long chain of the enemy’s schemes, including coup attempts, sanctions, and media assaults.”

Supreme Leader considered “coups, political pressures, unprecedented media assault, security conspiracies, and unprecedented economic sanctions” as being dimensions of the enemies’ nonstop conspiracies. “During recent unrest, US president and heads of states of certain European countries openly offered weapons, and financial and security support to rioters to at least weaken the Islamic Republic. But what happened was the opposite,” he said.

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The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described making progress under economic siege and the most severe pressures possible as indicative of the Iranian nation’s bright performance. He stated that the US said the economic pressures they’ve put on Iran are unprecedented in history. Despite all their lies, they were true on this.

Supreme Leader highlighted the progress made in science and technology and Iran ranking among the top countries of the world in fields such as Nano and Biotechnology, health, aerospace, nuclear, defense, infrastructure, medical centers, oil refineries, etc. “With regard to foreign relations, the West’s efforts to isolate Iran have failed,” he said.

The Leader added, “Our relations with Asia became 100 percent stronger and we will continue to do so.” Referring to Iran’s membership in important treaties, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said the strengthening of ties with Africa and Latin America is one of the definite plans. “We haven’t refused to have any relations with Europe. We are ready to work with any European country or government that does not blindfoldedly follow US polices,” the Leader said.

In this regard, Leader emphasized that dependence on the US dollar is one of the problems the country’s economy is suffering from. He continued, “Some of the sanctioned countries put an end to their dependence on the US dollar and their situation got better. We know certain countries, which I won’t name, that have been heavily sanctioned by the West. Their link to SWIFT, which is a Western-led international mechanism, was cut. They then put aside the US dollar and conducted transactions and imported and exported with national currencies, and their situation got better. We should do the same thing.”

Ayatollah Khamenei also underlined the need for raising awareness among the people regarding hybrid warfare and the enemy’s policies in this regard. “There is no military attack in hybrid warfare. But foreign propagandists and their followers in the country attack the political and religious beliefs of the people with temptation so that they undermine the nation’s will, sow despair among the youth, and make them disappointed at the future, work, and progress by fudging the facts,” he said.

He further said, “In a hybrid warfare, the enemy uses the media and cultural, security, and economic elements as well as its influence to bring blockades against the nation, to cause despondency, and to cause a people to ignore their own potential.”

Dismissing the allegations of the ill-wishers, Leader noted, “It’s been years that the enemy vociferously asserts that they want to bring the Islamic Republic to its knees. But the Leader says in response that ‘You can’t do a damn thing.’ This is not a repetition but perseverance.”

Emphasizing Iran’s support for the Axis of Resistance, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution rejected the lie that Iran is involved in the Ukraine war. “We categorically deny any presence in the Ukraine war. And such a thing is not true at all,” he said.

The Leader also referred to America’s role in the Ukraine war, stating that America waged the Ukraine war in order to expand NATO to the east and now while the people of Ukraine are in trouble and grappling with problems, America and its weapons manufacturing companies are making the most of this war in terms of profits. And for this reason, they stand in the way of the necessary things to end this war.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also pointed to the Americans’ confusion in the region. “The path and policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran toward the region is clear and we know what we’re doing. But the Americans are confused and desperate because if they stay in the region, like in Afghanistan, they will face the increasing hatred of nations and will be forced to leave the region. And if they leave, they will lose their ambitions. This confusion is indicative of their obvious weakness,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

Tehran Times

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International

US to Nigerians: Overstaying visa attracts permanent ban

Published

13 hours ago

March 25, 2025

Trends Admin

US to Nigerians: Overstaying visa attracts permanent ban

The US government has issued a harsh warning to Nigerian travelers about the serious repercussions of overstaying their visas, underlining that violators may face lifelong bans from re-entering the nation.

The US Mission in Nigeria issued the warning on Monday via its X.

The immigration authorities stressed that consular officials have access to an individual’s entire immigration history, making it practically impossible to dodge sanctions for previous infractions.

They also stated that passengers are responsible for conforming to the restrictions of their visa and that ignorance of visa regulations will not be recognised as an explanation.

“If you overstay your US visa, you could face a permanent ban on travelling to the United States. Consular officers have full access to your immigration history and will know about past violations. There is no such thing as an ‘honest mistake’ – it is your responsibility to use your visa correctly,” the US Mission stated.

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It was gathered that those who overstay their visa for more than 180 days but less than a year may face a three-year re-entry ban. If the overstay exceeds one year, the penalty could be a 10-year ban.

Repeat offenders and those with major offences face a permanent lifetime ban.

Since Trump’s return as president, America’s immigration policies have been stricter.

On February 16, 2025, the federal government expressed great concern regarding the deportation of its people from the United States, requesting Washington to follow international treaties and ensure a dignified repatriation procedure.

During a meeting with the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, underlined the emotional and financial hardship that these deportations are putting on Nigerians in the US and their families at home.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu stated that “about 201 Nigerians are currently detained in US immigration centres, with around 85 cleared for deportation,” adding that the government was advocating for a more humane approach to the process.

“With the new US administration in place, we expect commitments to ensure that, if repatriation occurs, it will be done with dignity,” she said.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasised that many Nigerians in the US rely on remittances to support their families and education back home.

She also emphasised that deportations, particularly for those with no violent criminal history, should not be abrupt or traumatic.

“We are asking as a country whether they will be given ample time to handle their assets, or will they just be bundled into planes and repatriated?” She questioned.

US to Nigerians: Overstaying visa attracts permanent ban

International

2 Nigerians in US face heavy jail term over fraud

Published

2 days ago

March 24, 2025

Trends Admin

2 Nigerians in US face heavy jail term over fraud

Two Nigerian nationals based in the United States, Solomon Aluko and Nosakhare Nobore, alongside four others, are facing a possible 62-year prison sentence each after being arraigned before a New York court for allegedly defrauding the U.S. government of $50 million.

It was gathered from a court document obtained on the US Department of Justice website on Sunday that the suspects were arraigned on four counts bordering on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity, conspiracy to defraud the government, and aggravated identity theft.

The court document indicated that the suspects committed the offences between March 2020 and March 2025, in the Southern District of New York and across other places in the US.

The charge sheet noted that “the defendants, and others, worked together to steal money that did not belong to them by passing counterfeit, stolen, and fraudulently obtained cheques. They submitted the cheques to banks and then withdrew or transferred funds before the banks could determine that the cheques were counterfeit, stolen, or fraudulent.”

According to the document, the defendants allegedly stole information and identities of different individuals and businesses and used the information and identities to open bank accounts through one of their members, who was a bank teller at the time.

The bank accounts were allegedly used to deposit fraudulently obtained cheques from different US agencies.

It continued, “Once the cheques were deposited, the defendants withdrew the fraudulently obtained funds in cash or transferred them to other bank accounts under their control.

“Throughout their scheme, the defendants attempted to obtain approximately $80 million in total. They succeeded in depositing approximately $50 million.”

In a statement accompanying the document on the DoJ website, it was revealed that the suspects created a ‘fraud bible’, which contained specific instructions on how each member of the syndicate would operate.

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It further noted that the syndicate also openly communicated its operations via a Telegram group where discussions on their operations were held.

Commenting on the activities of the syndicate, the statement quoted the US FBI Acting Assistant Director, Leslie R. Backschies, as saying, “These six defendants allegedly used sham businesses, stolen, and fake identities to operate a multi-year cheque fraud scheme, resulting in $50 million in illicit funds being deposited into their accounts.

“The defendants brazenly attempted to exploit multiple United States government programmes in their attempts to illegally enrich themselves. The FBI will continue to ensure fraudsters attempting to lie, cheat, and steal from the government answer for their crimes in the criminal justice system.”

Similarly, the US IRS Special Agent in Charge of the case, Harry Chavis, said, “This group of suspects openly communicated about their fraud, taking pride in the multiple schemes that stole nearly $50 million from the American public.

“They lied and cheated a benefits system meant to help struggling businesses that need it, all while stealing cheques from agencies that assist the elderly and veterans. This gang of ‘bag hunters’ will now face justice for multiple charges.”

Following their indictment, the statement noted that the suspects could be sentenced to 62 years imprisonment each for the four counts.

It acknowledged that the defendants were presumed innocent until proven guilty by the court.

“Anand, 34, of Queens, New York; Nobore, 29, of Edgewater, New Jersey; Pappas, 28, of Miami, Florida; Ujkic, 44, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Aluko, 29, of Hackensack, New Jersey; and Gonzalez, 28, of North Bergen, New Jersey, are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; conspiracy to commit money laundering and engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specific unlawful activity, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; conspiracy to defraud the government, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.

“The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

“The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” the statement concluded.

2 Nigerians in US face heavy jail term over fraud

(Punch)

International

Canada denies 13,000 Nigerians refugee status

Published

2 days ago

March 23, 2025

Trends Admin

Canada denies 13,000 Nigerians refugee status

Over 13,000 Nigerians who applied for refugee protection in Canada from January 2013 to December 2024 were rejected.

According to data from the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, this figure includes 811 Nigerians whose applications were turned down in 2024.

The board placed Nigeria among the top five countries with the most rejected claims.

Mexico tops the list with 2,954 rejections, followed by India and Haiti, which have 1,688 and 982 rejected claims, respectively.

Colombia is in fourth place with 723 rejected claims, while Nigeria is in fifth place with 13,171 rejections.

In Canada, asylum seekers get refugee protection if the RPD satisfactorily confirms that their claims meet the United Nations definition of a Convention refugee.

In its definition of the Status of Refugee, the 1951 UN Convention states refugees are persons who have a substantiated fear of persecution because of their race, nationality, religion, political ideology or membership in a particular social group, which can include sexual orientation, gender identity, being a woman and persons living with HIV/AIDS.

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However, in Canada, asylum seekers are expected to show evidence that they are in danger of torture, risk to their life or risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment if they return to their country of nationality.

According to the Refugee Board’s application guideline, if an applicant’s “claim is eligible, it is sent to the RPD to start the claim for refugee protection process.”

The breakdown of the rejections showed that 127 Nigerian claims were rejected in 2013, 241 in 2014 and 248 in 2015.