“A fire at Iran’s main nuclear fuel enrichment site caused significant damage, setting back the country’s nuclear program by months, the government acknowledged on Sunday, after initially saying the destruction was minor. A Middle Eastern intelligence official with knowledge of the episode said Israel was responsible for the attack on the Natanz nuclear complex on Thursday, using a powerful bomb. A member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps who was briefed on the matter also said an explosive was used. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity when discussing sensitive intelligence and operational topics. … Though there was no way to verify its involvement independently, Israel’s intelligence network has shown its ability to strike in the heart of Iran, breaking into a warehouse in Tehran in 2018 and stealing half a ton of secret records documenting Iran’s nuclear project and spiriting them out of the country. Many of these records were given by Mossad, the Israeli spy agency, to the International Atomic Energy Agency, with many new clues of where Iran might be hiding forbidden equipment and raw material. … Just since Thursday, explosions occurred at two power plants in Iran, and there was a chlorine gas leak at a chemical plant, all of which the government described as accidents. The previous week, an explosion hit a missile production facility at the Khojir military complex in eastern Tehran, which officials said was caused by a gas tank’s detonating. The Middle Eastern intelligence official who said Israel was responsible for the explosion on Thursday also said it had nothing to do with the other recent incidents. Iranian officials have said publicly that they know what caused the damage at Natanz, but that they are withholding the information for now. Iran is using high-speed centrifuges to process, or enrich, uranium. Uranium enriched to lower levels is used in nuclear reactors, but highly enriched uranium can be fuel for an atomic bomb. Work has been underway at Natanz to build more advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium much more quickly.” See “Iran Admits Serious Damage to Natanz Nuclear Site, Setting Back Program,” Farnaz Fassihi, Richard Pérez-Peña, and Ronen Bergman, New York Times, July 5, 2020.
“Iran reports new record one-day virus death toll of 163: official,” AFP, July 5, 2020.
Before you read further, for emphasis sake remember that the Supreme Leader himself has said that criticism of the Leader is allowed. Now to the quote from the story. “Kamfirouzi used to be a regular guest at Khamenei’s annual gatherings with university students. Those allowed to attend Khamenei’s gatherings are hand-picked students who are instructed what to say and how to behave while in the presence of the Supreme Leader. They are deemed to be politically reliable and ideologically loyal. However, during one of these meetings on July 2, 2016, Kamfirouzi dared to remind Khamenei that the Islamic Republic authorities arrest and violate citizens’ rights despite statements by Khamenei himself that the criticism of the Supreme Leader is allowed. The statement was deemed as an afront to the country’s ruler and Kamfirouzi has been harassed by intelligence services and Revolutionary Courts ever since.” See the story at “A Young Lawyer Is Acquitted Of Political Charges In Iran, Helped By Social Media,” Radio Farda, July 5, 2020.
FM Javad Zarif let the cat out of the bag when recently addressing Parliament. “You can say whatever you want, but the martyr Suleimani and I had weekly meetings. We coordinated with each other every week. In regional talks, whatever we did we coordinated with each other. Those who know Suleimani … and the Iraqi, Lebanese and Palestinian resistance, they know, and not you.” Do you understand this? Terrorist acts, conducted by Gen. Suleimani and the Quds Force, were coordinated with FM Zarif. It is a violation of diplomatic immunity and international law and despicable that a foreign minister would allow himself and his office to be used for terrorism. See the story at “Iran’s foreign minister heckled and called a liar in parliament,” Patrick Wintour, The Guardian, July 5, 2020.
“The Immortals: Iran’s Elite Cyberwarfare Unit,” Jeremy Walker, Grey Dynamics, SOFREP, July 5, 2020.
“Danger, Will Robinson!” But joking aside, why not Brazil? Why not Columbia? Why not El Salvador? Pick your country. Why does Iran want to have closer relations with Venezuela? Answer that and you understand the danger of this declaration by the President of Iran. See “Rouhani says Iran, Venezuela should deepen ties,” Tehran Times, July 5, 2020.
“Iran confirms damaged nuclear site was centrifuge facility,” AP, Politico, July 5, 2020.
“Iran’s foreign minister heckled and called a liar in parliament,” Patrick Wintour, The Guardian, July 5, 2020.
“Iran Says Accord Under Negotiation With China ‘Not Secret’,” Bourse and Bazaar, July 5, 2020.
“Iran looks to break US sanctions through 25-year memorandum with Beijing,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post July 5, 2020.
Ekta is owned by the IRGC. This is an attempt by Iran to further its footprint in Latin America, and to worm its way into controlling Venezuela (remember Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, … a lengthening of the Shia Terror Crescent). See “Iranian Military-Owned Conglomerate Sets Up Shop in Venezuela,” Ian Talley and Benoit Faucon, Wall Street Journal, July 5, 2020.
This is why. “An award-winning Israeli journalist and military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai also told Channel 13 TV that by using the new generation of centrifuges Iran could have acquired a nuclear bomb with staggering speed, within weeks or months. “Tehran has received and understood the message,” Ben-Yishai maintained. According to the Israeli commentator, whoever is focusing on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program has tried to relay a message to Tehran, and saying, “Stop enriching uranium more than the level set in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Stop building new, faster centrifuges and stop developing long-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.”” See “Israeli Analysts Say Incident At Nuclear Facility A Message To Iran,” Radio Farda, July 05, 2020.