Iran Votes To Join International Treaty To Counter Terrorism Financing

Iran’s parliament has voted to join an international convention that aims to cut-off terror financing, in a decision described as Orwellian by opponents of the Islamic Republic. The Iranian regime is widely considered the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism, providing hundreds of millions of dollars annually to its proxies throughout the Middle East such as Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Nevertheless, lawmakers in Tehran approved the bid to sign on to the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, a 1999 United Nations treaty. Analysts are construing the move as an effort to demonstrate moderation as European countries, in particular, an attempt to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal by devising mechanisms to circumvent re-imposed American sanctions. United States President Donald Trump cited the Islamic Republic’s support for terrorism as one of the reasons for pulling Washington out of the pact in May. Earlier this month, France froze the assets of an Iranian ministry and two individuals—including an Austria-based diplomat—connected to a foiled terrorist attack on members of a dissident group near Paris last June. The scheme reportedly was masterminded by Saeid Hashemi Moghadam, Iran’s director general of intelligence.