“Seeking clarification” means that Iran is really mad at Indonesia today. Indonesia could have continued to look the other way. “Iran seeks clarification from Indonesia on seizure of its tanker,” Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera, January 25, 2021.
A top Israeli expert on Iran and the Arab world, Mordechai Kedar, said “They saw what happened to Libya and Muammar Gaddafi after he stopped his nuclear program while at the same time, they see how the world gently treats North Korea now that is has a bomb. The lesson for Teheran is very clear.” See “Israelis Say They’ll Attack Iran If US Eases Sanctions,” Arie Egozi, Breaking Defense, January 25, 2021.
“Rouhani says U.S. suffered defeat in economic war on Iran,” Tehran Times, January 25, 2021.
“Iran: Regime Intimidates Public In Bid To Prevent Uprisings – OpEd,” Hassan Mahmoudi, Eurasia Review, January 25, 2021.
“Iran says 30 volunteers have no side effects from 2 doses of a homemade vaccine,” Times of Israel, AP, January 25, 2021.
“Iran To Receive First Shipment Of COVID-19 Vaccines From COVAX Soon – State Media,” Umer Jamshaid,Urdu Point, January 25, 2021.
Iranian MP Ali Asgar Annabestani got out of his car and insulted and slapped a police officer because he would not allow Annabestani’s car to use the lane designated for buses. See “Iranian lawmaker under fire for slapping traffic cop,” Al Monitor, January 25, 2021.
“Iran Close to Passing New Laws Against Domestic Violence,” Cassie Ransom, Organization for World Peace, January 25, 2021.
China and Russia have certainly helped. But the pressure has certainly been felt, and there’s been less money for bad acts. “Maximum pressure policy is a failed policy, Javani says,” Tehran Times, January 25, 2021.
Former hostage Xiyue Wang said he thought Biden should “take advantage of leverages provided to him through the maximum pressure policy of the Trump administration.” See “US General Says US, Iran Entering ‘Period of Opportunity;’ Former Prisoner Warns Against Softening Stance,” VOA, January 25, 2021. BTW, British, German and French governments all have citizens currently held hostage in Iran. And BTW, it looks like Xiyue Wang will have soon made more warning statements about hostages than the new Biden administration.
“In an unprecedented interview, a former senior Iranian cleric and current opposition figure spoke with an Israeli television news channel Monday night from Tehran, and called for an end to hostilities between the countries. “It is time for the Iranian regime to stop inventing enemies that don’t exist,” the former ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani told Israel’s Channel 12 news. Masoumi-Tehrani, who had the honor of the “ayatollah” title revoked by Tehran due to his disagreements with the regime, said he has “no problem” with the Jewish state. He also derided the Islamic Republic’s frequent declarations of its intention to destroy Israel: “Don’t forget, these slogans were also said by [late former Iraqi leader] Saddam Hussein, and we know where he is today.” Masoumi-Tehrani said the Islamic Republic is a dictatorship that stifles dissenting opinions and freedom of speech. Asked if he feared for his life for speaking to an Israeli TV station, he told interviewer Ohad Hemo: “I have been speaking clearly for 20 years. If they don’t like that I’m talking to you or anyone else, it’s their problem.” “Iranians and Jews have many years of friendship,” he said. “I haven’t met Iranians who don’t have a positive opinion of Israel.” See “From Iran, cleric tells Israel TV hostility between the two countries should end,” Times of Israel, January 25, 2021.
Now the Iron Dome moves beyond defending against Iran-sponsored Hamas and Hezzbollah. “Israel Approves Use of Iron Dome to Protect US Bases Against Iran,” Asharq al-Awsat, January 25, 2021.
“Iran crumbling under Islamic fundamentalism,” Struan Stevenson, op-ed, UPI, January 25, 2021.
When you read enough news you see the same excuses, even on the same days, and by the same FM spokesman Notice the reference to “technical issues.” Gets comical. “Iran has asked Indonesia to provide details about the seizure of an Iranian-flagged vessel, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday, a day after Jakarta said it had seized Iran and Panama-flagged tankers in its waters. Khatibzadeh said that the seizure was over a “a technical issue and it happens in shipping field”. Second, the ships involved were the Iranian-flagged MT Horse and the Panamanian-flagged MT Freya. In that Iran sent the MT Horse vessel to Venezuela last year to deliver 2.1 million barrels of Iranian condensate, someone needs to i.d. the captain—he’s up to no good. And the captain of the Freya. “Over the past few months, MT Freya has delivered two crude oil cargoes totalling about 4 million barrels into Qingdao port on the east coast of China and northeast Yingkou port.” Sounds like Iran and China got caught skirting U.S. oil sanctions. See “Iran asks Indonesia to explain seizure of tanker accused of illegal oil transfer,” Parisa Hafezi and Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Reuters, January 25, 2021. Here’s the second “technical issue.” “We don’t accept political mediation on technical issues and we informed the South Koreans of this issue,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said in an interview with the Iranian ISNA news agency, noting that the South Korean-flagged ship was seized because it polluted the maritime environment. … “Based on initial reports coming from local authorities, the issue is completely technical, and the vessel was led ashore upon a judicial order because the vessel had been polluting the sea,” Khatibzadeh said in a statement following the seizure of the ship.” Thus, Iran is again saying the SK ship was polluting. I wonder if they think the Iran tanker was leaking in Indonesia? No. See “Iran rules out mediation on South Korean-flagged tanker,” Tehran Times, January 24, 2021.
“Iran’s intelligence minister warns US and Israeli bases in Kurdistan,” MEMO, September 25, 2021.