Month: June 2020

Another attempted attack in Europe on a critic of Iran.  “Iranian dissident wounded in stabbing in the Netherlands, says report,” Reuters, June 20, 2020.  Here’s a related story, and its not the first time Iran has tried to assassinate him–“Kurdish Iranian politician survives assassination attempt in the Netherlands: Local media,” Wladimir van Wilgenburg, Kurdistan24, June 20, 2020.

Organ sales are legal in Iran and among Palestinians, a terrible public policy.  Here’s how this article begins, quoting, “Iran is ranked first for organ donation among Asian countries, Mehdi Shadnoush, head of the Health Ministry’s center for transplantation and disease management, has announced.  “The country’s organ donation rate is 14.34 per 1 million people,” he noted.  The occupied Palestinian territories that claim to have the most advanced scientific and technical facilities are at the second place with 10.8 donors per a million population, he explained.”  See the story at “Iran tops Asian countries in organ donation,” Tehran Times, June 20, 2020.

“An Arsenal Of Hypocrisy: Iranian Mistreatment Of Peaceful Protesters,” Marjan Keypour Greenblatt, op-ed, Radio Farda, June 20, 2020.

“The book ends with a study of the radical movements during the student protests and the students’ relations with the community of Iranian students in overseas universities, which led the 1979 revolution.”  And that’s all you need to know, that protests during the Regime’s 41 years are not part of this book, they’re not part of the narrative Iran wants it youth since 1979 to know.  See “Book on history of student protests in Iran published,” Tehran Times, June 20, 2020.

Read and laugh.  A spokesman criticizes another country for testing a ballistic missile.  “Iran criticizes France over nuclear ballistic missile test,” AP, June 20, 2020.

“Iranian port spared from US sanctions in rare cooperation,” Zein Basravi, Al Jazeera, June 20, 2020.

“Iran has withheld confirmation of its apparent recent execution of a Kurdish activist, in the latest example of its long-running practice of secretly executing ethnic minority dissidents.”  See “Iran Silent on Kurdish Activist’s Execution,” Michael Lipin and Ramin Haghjoo, VOA, June 19, 2020.

The rial has fallen from 32,000 rials to $1 at the time of the 2015 JCOPA agreement to its lowest value ever at 190,000 rial amid severe U.S. sanctions.  And since 2011, Iran’s oil revenues have fallen from $100 billion to $8 billion.  “Iran’s currency hits lowest value ever against the dollar,” Hindustan Times, AP, June 20, 2020.

This headline and story have it wrong.  Airlines don’t want to fly over Iran because they don’t want to get shot down, not because the overflight fees are too expensive.  See “Iran may offer discounts to lure airlines to fly through its airspace,” KFGO, Thomson Reuters, June 20, 2020.

“Iran urges IAEA not to rely on unreliable information,” Tehran Times, June 20, 2020.

“Iran: IAEA’s Report and Zarif’s Scary Reaction,” Pooya Stone, Iran Focus, June 20, 2020.

“The Disappearance of Iran’s Middle Class, Its Assimilation Into the Lower Classes,” Jubin Katiraie, Iran Focus, June 20, 2020.

“On Syria Iran criticizes United States sanctions,” MENAFN, June 20, 2020.

And here’s the response to the IAEA condemnation story from yesterday.  “Spokesman Says IAEA Resolution On Full Inspections Sets ‘No Obligation’ For Iran,” Radio Farda, June 20, 2020.

“U.N. Condemns Iran Over Nuclear Activity, Fueling U.S. Calls to End Deal,” Laurence Norman, Wall Street Journal, June 19, 2020.  Here is an extended quote from this major story.  “Member states from the United Nations atomic agency board voted Friday to condemn Iran for failing to cooperate with its probe of Tehran’s nuclear activities, a move that gives the Trump administration fresh ammunition in its push to kill the Iranian nuclear deal. The resolution, the first since 2012 to call out Iran for not cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency, comes as the U.S. mounts a multi-front campaign to press Iran to come back to the negotiating table and agree a new, stricter and broader agreement on nuclear and other activities. The U.S. is currently pressing for an indefinite extension to a conventional weapons embargo on Iran, due to expire in October under the 2015 nuclear deal. U.S. officials have warned they will move to reimpose international sanctions unilaterally on Iran if the embargo isn’t continued, a move seen by Russia, China and some European diplomats as illegal. The U.S. argues that Iran’s noncooperation with the IAEA, its arms transfers to proxy groups and Tehran’s noncompliance with many of the nuclear deal’s constraints are grounds for killing the nuclear deal. However, Iran only started to breach the agreement’s terms after President Trump exited the deal in May 2018 and imposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran. The IAEA board resolution centers on Iran’s refusal to grant access to inspectors to two sites the agency wants to see and to answer questions about largely past nuclear activities. The agency’s probe mostly concerns suspected nuclear weapons work Iran did in the early 2000s, long before the 2015 nuclear deal. However the agency says Iran moved to cleanse traces of those activities as recently as 2019. It says Iran’s refusal to grant access to the sites breaches Iran’s pledge to implement an IAEA protocol allowing for widespread inspections that Tehran agreed to implement in the nuclear deal. The resolution drafted by Britain, France and Germany called on Iran to “fully cooperate with the Agency and satisfy the Agency’s requests without any further delay.” There was no deadline set for cooperation. The issue could be escalated to the U.N. Security Council if member states approved. In a sign of the international divisions over Iran, 25 countries voted in favor of the resolution. Russia and China, veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council, opposed it. Seven countries, including India, abstained.”  This is the first formal condemnation of Iran for IAEA noncooperation since 2012.

“Differing Police Accounts On Death Of Iran Judge In Romania,” Radio Farda, June 19, 2020.

“International nuclear inspectors and the United States accused Iran on Friday of hiding suspected nuclear activity, the first time in more than eight years that Tehran has been accused of obstructing inspections.”  See “Iran accused of hiding suspected nuclear activity,” David Sanger and Lara Jakes, New York Times, June 19, 2020.

Two quotes.  “Espionage in Germany has reached a level that we have not seen since the Cold War.”  And “Germany has allowed lax oversight of Iranian espionage activities over the years, according to critics. Iran’s regime uses its vast espionage structure and agents to conduct surveillance on Iranian dissidents and political opponents in Germany, multiple intelligence reports have noted. Prosecutors and Germany’s foreign ministry have tended to avoid confrontation with countries that engage in espionage within the territory of the federal republic. Germany has long remained a hotbed of spying activities.”  See “Germany accuses Iran, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Russia, China of espionage,” Benjamin Weinthal, Jerusalem Post, June 19, 2020.

Suicide?  “Iranian Ex-Judge Dies in Romania, Falls From Hotel Window,” AP, US News, June 19, 2020.

So, Mansouri was about to be returned to Iran, and he commits suicide?  He is a former Iranian judge sought by Iran to face corruption charges.  See “A Qeshm Airplane Will Fly to Sofia Thursday Night to Return Mansouri and Two Prisoners to Iran,” Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, June 18, 2020.

“Government In Iran Bans Tourism To Region Where Many ‘Human Mules’ Die,” Maryam Sinaiee, Radio Farda, June 19, 2020.

“Iran rejects US sanctions on Syria,” Reuters, Daily Star, June 19, 2020.

“Iran says it successfully tests new naval cruise missile,” Reuters, June 18, 2020.

“Iran’s Latest Misadventure Destabilizes the Caucasus,” Stephen Blank, War on the Rocks, June 18, 2020.

“Iranian rial drops to lowest rate since September 2018 against dollar,” Reuters, June 18, 2020.

“Iran ready to send black boxes from downed UIA plane to Ukraine if it provides necessary conditions,” Ukrinform, June 18, 2020.

“Majority of House members back resolution supporting Iranian opposition, condemning regime’s terror,” Adam Shaw, Fox News, June 18, 2020.

“Rockets targeted US embassy in Baghdad in sixth recent incident,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, June 18, 2020.

“Iran Political Prisoner Forced to Watch Executions As Form of Torture,” Iran Focus, June 18, 2020.

“Iran test fires cruise missiles resistant to ‘electronic war,’ says naval chief,” AP, Military Times, June 18, 2020.

“Iran Pilot Says He Carried 7 Tons of Prohibited Cargo To Syria With Soleimani On Board,” Radio Farda, June 18, 2020.  A U.S. sanctioned Mahan Air pilot has told an IRGC-linked website in Tehran that he has once carried seven tons of “prohibited cargo” to Syria in 2013 with former Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani also on board. Amir Assadollahi, the Mahan Air pilot, says he carried the prohibited cargo, most probably weapons and ammunitions on board a passenger aircraft with some 200 passengers. Mahan Air was first sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2011 for secretly carrying weapons and IRGC forces to Syria. In December 2019. U.S. Treasury imposed new sanctions on Mahan Air and its shipping company, accusing it of “transporting lethal aid from Iran to Yemen.” … Assadollahi told the Razmandegan-e Eslam Association website, that Soleimani was seated in the pilot’s cabin. The Razmandegan-e Eslam Association is an IRGC body that organizes eulogists for religious ceremonies and other occasions including crackdown on protesters. Reminiscing about his association with Soleimani, the Mahan Air pilot told the website that he was ordered to land at Baghdad airport while he was flying to Syria with the cargo and Soleimani. He claimed that the airport in Iraq was being controlled by U.S. forces and that the situation was not normal, adding that Soleimani took off his outfit and dressed as a flight engineer sitting all the time in the pilot’s cabin while the Americans scanned the faces of all passengers, missing Soleimani.”

“Video of Iran’s long-range missiles that could target Israel – WATCH,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, June 18, 2020.

“UK dual national beaten, drugged in Iranian prison,” Arab News, June 17, 2020.

“Half Year on, Activists Fear No Justice for Iran Protest Killings,” Asharq al-Awsat, June 17, 2020.

Alex Saab was detained in Cape Verde when his jet made a refueling stop on a flight to Tehran, where he was negotiating deals to exchange Venezuelan gold for Iranian gasoline.  The businessman is a front representative for Pres. Maduro.  See “Venezuela demands release of Maduro associate detained en-route to Iran,” Arab News, June 17, 2020.

120 died Monday.  “Iran reports over 100 virus deaths for fourth day,” AFP, Wihon, June 17, 2020.

“Iran rocked by three honor killings in one month,” Al Monitor, June 17, 2020.

“Human Rights Organizations Warn UN Over Widespread Human Violations In Iran,” Radio Farda, June 17, 2020.

“Iran Warns IAEA against Adopting Resolution to Allow Access to Disputed Sites,” Asharq al-Awsat, June 17, 2020.

“Europeans push for Iran rebuke at nuclear watchdog over inspections,” Reuters, June 16, 2020.

“Tensions between Iran and Afghanistan rise over police killing of migrants,” Hikmat Noori, The National, June 16, 2020.

“Iran remains hell-bent on developing the deadliest weapons on the planet, according to a damning German intelligence service report released Monday. In a section titled “Proliferation,” the 181-page Baden-Württemberg state intelligence agency document reviewed by Fox News states that Iran, Pakistan, North Korea and Syria are “still pursuing” such efforts. “They aim to complete existing arsenals, perfect the range, applicability and effectiveness of their weapons and develop new weapon systems,” the report said. “They try to obtain the necessary products and relevant know-how, among other things, through illegal procurement efforts in Germany.” “The term ‘proliferation,’” the report continued, “refers to the further spread of atomic, biological, and chemical weapons of mass destruction –­ or the products and know-how required to manufacture them –­ and corresponding delivery systems.””  See “German intel report lays bare Iran’s attempts to obtain nuclear proliferation technology,” Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, June 16, 2020.

“In general, Iraqis neither favor Iran nor the United States, but for the first time in a long time we see the favorability of the United States among Iraqis [being] double the favorability of Iran,” Munqith Dagher, president of IIACSS, said at an event hosted by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.  See “New Poll: Iran Losing Support of Majority in Iraq,” Namo Abdulla, Mehdi Jedinia, VOA, June 16, 2020.

“At a time of heightened debate over Twitter’s policies regarding content the company deems dangerous or misleading, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei continues to abuse his Twitter account to promote violence, terrorism and dehumanization. His tweets are not only a clear violation of Twitter’s rules, but directly endanger lives. Twitter must apply its own rules in a consistent and unbiased manner, and take action against Khamenei’s account.”  See “Twitter must apply its own rules and take action against Khamenei,” Asher Fredman, Jerusalem Post, June 16, 2020.

“Iran’s Zarif seeks Russian support as US pressure builds,” Al Monitor, June 16, 2020.

115 new deaths Monday, reported Tuesday.  Many days there is no report of deaths by the Health Ministry.  See “Iran says virus death toll tops 9,000,” AFP, June 16, 2020.

“Iranian judge arrested in Romania,” Arab News, June 16, 2020.

“Iran reins in family planning as population ages,” BBC, June 15, 2020. “Iran has limited the provision of family planning services at state-run hospitals as it tries to boost its population size. Vasectomies will no longer be carried out at state-run medical centres and contraceptives will only be offered to women whose health might be at risk. … Annual population growth has dropped below 1% and, if no action is taken, Iran could become one of the world’s oldest countries in the next 30 years, the health ministry says. Just two years ago, the country was recorded as having population growth of 1.4%. The rate in neighbouring Iraq was 2.3% and 1.8% in Saudi Arabia, according to World Bank data. Marriage and children within marriage are both in decline, Iran’s state-run news agency Irna reports, largely because of economic hardship. Last month, Deputy Health Minister Seyed Hamed Barakati reported that the marriage rate had dropped by 40% in a decade. “With this trend, we will be one of the oldest countries in the world in the next 30 years,” he said. Iran enjoyed a population boom after the Islamic Revolution in 1979 but went to on implement an effective population control policy. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been calling for people to have more children, saying he wants the current population population of 80 million to grow to 150 million.”

“UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief Asks Iran for Access to Disputed Sites,” Jastinder Khera, Bourse & Bazaar, June 15, 2020.

“Afghans allege Iran police involved in attacks on refugees,” Rahim Faiez and Tameem Akhgar, AP, June 15, 2020.

Sunday had 113 deaths, claimed on Monday.  “Iran’s coronavirus deaths near 9,000,” AA, June 15, 2020.

“Iranian oil reaching Malaysia somehow changes ownership and send to another destination, possibly China.”  See “Iranian Oil Shipments To China Rebranded In Malaysia To Circumvent Sanctions,” Dalga Khatinoglu, Radio Farda, June 15, 2020.

After Iranian police and border patrol terrorize and kill Afghan immigrants, when Afghanis and the Afghan government complain, the Iran FM Spokesman says “Such actions and insults will not be tolerated”.  See “Tehran Denounces Protests By Afghans Against Iranian Government,” Radio Farda, June 15, 2020.

“New details on Iran’s drones as UN confirms Tehran’s role in Saudi attack,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, June 14, 2020.  The determination puts Iran on its back-foot regarding implementation of UN Resolution 2231, associated with the 2015 Iran Deal.

“Iran edging closer to nuclear bomb, Israeli defense officials assess – report,” Times of Israel, June 14, 2020.  “Israeli defense officials believe Iran hasn’t increased the pace of its nuclear enrichment in recent months, but nevertheless could be just two years from producing an atomic weapon, a report said Sunday. The Walla news site quoted the unnamed senior officials as saying Jerusalem estimates the Islamic Republic continues to enrich uranium at a four percent level, the same as when the coronavirus crisis hit earlier this year. However, the report said Defense Minister Benny Gantz has been presented with an assessment that Tehran is just six months away from producing all the components of an atomic bomb, and two years away from assembling such a bomb.”

107 died Saturday, reported on Sunday.  “Iran’s daily virus death toll tops 100 for first time in two months,” Reuters, June 14, 2020.

“Iran denies involvement in attacks on Saudi oil facilities,” Daiji World, June 13, 2020.

“Iran Continues Harassing Minorities Says US Religious Freedom Report,” Radio Farda, June 13, 2020.

“Iran Says Ties With Russia Serve International Security,” Orkhan Jalilov, Caspian News, June 13, 2020.

“Iran asks France to decrypt PS752’s black boxes,” 112 Ukraine, June 13, 2020.

“Missiles used to attack Saudi Arabia of ‘Iranian origin’: UN,” Al Jazeera, June 12, 2020.  And the Secretary General said the same of the drones.  What restraint by the Saudis for what appears to be an act of war.

“Iran Might Have Executed A Kurdish Prisoner In Secret – Amnesty,” Radio Farda, June 12, 2020.

“Iran Official Tells US ‘You Will Soon Kneel In Front Of Iranian Nation’,” Radio Farda, June 12, 2020.

Thank you Germany.  “Germany condemns Iran’s ‘spread of antisemitism’ in a policy reversal,” Benjamin Weinthal, Jerusalem Post, June 11, 2020.

“’Afghan Lives Matter’: Gruesome Deaths Of Afghan Migrants In Iran Unleash Outrage,” Frud Bezhan, RFE/RL, June 11, 2020.

“Global Peace Study Shows Iran Has Dropped In Rankings,” Radio Farda, June 11, 2020.

Thanks to the new Iraq PM, Iran does not have as much influence as before.  “Iraqi militia factions expected the usual cash handout when the new head of Iran’s expeditionary Quds Force made his first visit to Baghdad earlier this year, succeeding the slain Gen. Qassim Soleimani. Instead, to their disappointment, Esmail Ghaani brought them silver rings. For his second visit, Ghaani had to apply for a visa, something unheard of in Soleimani’s time — a bold step by Baghdad’s new government effectively curtailing Iran’s freedom of movement inside Iraq.”  See “Troubled Iran struggles to maintain sway over Iraq militias,” Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Samya Kullab, AP, June 11, 2020.

“Iran ‘imposed its will’ with Venezuela fuel shipment: Top general,” Al Jazeera, June 11, 2020.

The protesters were given an Israeli flag to burn, not an Armenian flag.  Iran is careful to hand out the right flag.  See “Armenia Tries to Reassure Iran Over Embassy in Israel,” Asbarez, June 11, 2020.

“Report: Iran Spying on Hamas,” Hamodia, June 11, 2020.  In a way this article is really funny, but also deadly serious.  It is an example of “you just can’t trust a fellow terrorist organization.”  Iran has been spying on a senior Hamas official–Hamas deputy Moussa Abu Marzouk was under surveillance by an Iranian spy employed on the Marzouk staff.  He and other men reported back to Iran on Marzouk’s activities.  Immediately we assume there are more spies embedded in Hamas.

“Chairman Of Iran-UAE Chamber Denies Reports Of Halt in Trade,” Radio Farda, June 11, 2020.

Iran on Thursday confirmed 78 deaths form coronavirus.  “Iran’s death toll from coronavirus surpasses 8,500,” Ali Abo Rezeg, AA, June 11, 2020.

“Wang says he learned an important lesson during his ordeal that he’d like to see other scholars follow — that it’s not a “good idea” for U.S. nationals to visit Iran until the relationship between the two countries stabilizes.”  Absolutely correct!  See “Released From Iranian Prison, U.S. Student Xiyue Wang Says He Was Held As A ‘Hostage’,” NPR Morning Edition, June 11, 2020.