Month: February 2021

Any foreign hostages or Baha’i or Zoroastrians in the group?  “Iran Leader Grants Clemency to 3,840 Prisoners on Revolution Anniversary,” IFP, February 8, 2021.

With the FBI arrest of Iranian academic Kaveh Afrasiabi for failing to register as a foreign agent, it brings to mind allegations of other actors appearing to act in accord with Iran’s positions on regime opposition and anti-sanction, such as the National Iranian American Council and Trita Parsi.  “An Arrest in the US Shows the Islamic Republic’s Influence in the West,” Ardavan Khoshnood, BESA, February 8, 2021.  See also “Iran’s Emboldened U.S. Lobby,” Michael Rubin, Commentary, March 20, 2017.

This statement by the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, speaking of Iran, Russia, and China, speaks volumes.  “We must stand next to each other and [cooperate] in all directions: from environment, sociology, culture, and bilateral relations, to politics, defense and security,” the Iranian speaker added.  See “Iran’s Khamenei thanked Putin for Russia’s position on JCPoA,” TASS, February 8, 2021.

The International Observatory for Human Rights has produced a 29-min. documentary “Iran’s high stakes game of hostage diplomacy.”  The link to the documentary is included in this article.  Remember, Iran does hostage taking because it works—they get a prisoner swap or cash or a political deal.  See “Human rights group releases documentary on Iran’s hostage-taking,” Arab News, February 8, 2021.

“U.N. Envoy, Iran’s Zarif Discuss How to End War in Yemen,” Reuters, USNWR, February 8, 2021.

“Iranian Workers’ Salaries Don’t Reach the Poverty Line,” Mehdi Hosseini, Iran Focus, February 8, 2021.

“Dormant for Years, Iranian Cyber Sleeper Cell Awakens,” Omer Benjakob, Haaertz, Febreuary 8, 2021.

Why isn’t this international news?  “Iran and North Korea Resumed Cooperation on Missiles, UN Says,” David Wainer, Bloomberg, February 8, 2021.  “Iran and North Korea cooperated on long-range missile development projects last year, according to a confidential United Nations report that may pressure the Biden administration to respond to one of its first major geopolitical crises. “This resumed cooperation is said to have included the transfer of critical parts, with the most recent shipment associated with this relationship taking place in 2020,” an independent panel of experts monitoring sanctions on North Korea said in the report, citing a member state. Frequently on the fringes of international diplomacy, North Korea and Iran have long had a secretive, mutually beneficial relationship. The UN panel received information showing that Iran’s Shahid Haj Ali Movahed Research Center received “support and assistance” from North Korean missile specialists for a space launch vehicle, and that North Korea was involved in certain shipments to Iran.”

Don’t call it the Arabian Gulf.  “Iran protests to Russia’s use of fake name for Persian Gulf,” Mehr News, February 8, 2021.

“Iran ‘hides spyware in wallpaper, restaurant and games apps’,” Gordon Corera, BBC, February 8, 2021.

And Iran was warned.  “US warns Yemen’s Houthi rebels after terrorism delisting,” Matthew Lee, AP, February 8, 2021.

Best article today, and for some days seen on why authoritarian government mismanage and do not keep pace.  Part of it is due to corruption, part of it is due the nature of the regime involved—they don’t let people have freedom in business and in their lives.  This article is also not a product of the West—it is based on investigative reporting by Fars itself.  “Inside Iran’s failure to become a gas hub,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, February 7, 2021.

“Iran to start human trials on second local COVID vaccine,” Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera, February 7, 2021.

Good, if Iran claims no knowledge, they won’t contest at court.  “Iran Claims No Knowledge of Oil Cargo U.S. Trying to Seize,” By Arsalan Shahla, Bloomberg, February 7, 2021.

I am sensing the wheels are coming off some with regard to the Leader’s comments.  Already Zarif is having conversations about the JCPOA or whatever comes after it.  And already the Health Ministry ignored (at their peril?) the Leader’s directive to not take Western Covid meds and only take Russian or Chinese.  “U.S. must lift curbs before Iran rejoins deal: Khamenei cites ‘final’ stance,” Parisa Hafezi, Reuters, February 7, 2021.

“Iran cleric: People who are vaccinated for COVID have ‘become homosexuals’,” Benjamin Weinthal, Jerusalem Post, February 7, 2021.

“European officials and people familiar with discussions in Washington say there is likely to be a series of carefully sequenced steps leading both sides back to compliance in parallel.”  See “Biden Won’t Lift Iran Sanctions to Bring Tehran Back to Negotiating Table,” Andrew Restuccia and Sune Engel Rasmussen, Wall Street Journal, February 7, 2021.

“Iran calls for UN response over Israeli military action threat,” Al Jazeera, February 7, 2021.  But Iran doesn’t mention its own many threats against Israel.

“The Iranians are also creative in how they take advantage of religious and cultural institutions and events in Iraq for intelligence purposes. Many of their Iraqi agents are, like Iranians, Shia Muslims, and so personal visits to Shia religious sites in Iraq provide the MOIS with good cover for their spy meetings.”  See “Spying on the U.S.:  How Iran Tried to Recruit Spies Against the U.S. in Iraq,” James Risen, Intercept, February 7, 2021.

Persepolis is the most followed pro soccer team in Iran.  “Mehrdad Minavand, 45, and Ali Ansarian, 43, played professionally in Iran’s Pro League for Persepolis Football Club and were cherished by fans across the country. The former teammates are believed to have contracted the coronavirus when they co-hosted an online television special on the derby match between Persepolis FC and Esteghlal FC, according to Iran’s state news agency, IRNA.”  See “Two former Iranian national team footballers die from Covid-19 within a week of each other after appearing on a TV special aired online,” Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN, February 6, 2021.

“Iran Asks Madagascar To Help Protect Its Fishermen From Pirates,” Tasnim, February 6, 2021.

76 died Friday, officially.  “Iran reveals COVID-19 data for February 6,” MENAFN, February 6, 2021.

“Iran U.N. Inspectors Find Radioactive Traces, Raising Fresh Concerns,” Lawrence Norman, Wall Street Journal, February 5, 2019. “United Nations inspectors have found new evidence of undeclared nuclear activities in Iran, according to three diplomats briefed on the discovery, raising new questions about the scope of the country’s atomic ambitions. Samples taken from two sites during inspections in the fall by the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency contained traces of radioactive material, the diplomats said, that could indicate Iran has undertaken work on nuclear weapons, based on where it was found. The diplomats said they didn’t know the exact nature of what was found. Last year, Iran blocked IAEA inspectors from checking the sites involved for seven months, leading to a standoff. Tehran has long denied that it has sought to make an atomic bomb and said all of its nuclear work is for peaceful purposes such as power generation and health care. … The IAEA listed in a report in June questions it was asking Iran to clarify on a range of work that could be used for nuclear weapons. One suspicion was Iranian drilling of a uranium metal disc that could be used to create material for a neutron initiator, experts say, a key component of a nuclear weapon. A second suspicion was that nuclear material had been introduced at a site where Iran may have tested high explosives that can be used to detonate a nuclear weapon. … All the suspected activities took place in the early 2000s or earlier, according to the agency. Two of the sites were razed years ago. Another site was sanitized by Iran in 2019, the IAEA reported. The IAEA said it has not ruled out that materials from this nuclear work have been used more recently. “The discovery of radioactive material at these sites would indicate that Iran does indeed have undeclared nuclear material, despite its denials,” said David Albright, a former weapons inspector and president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington. “It would indicate that Iran did have a nuclear weapons program in the past, likely leading the IAEA to call for access to more sites and more explanations from Iran.”

This criminal procedure followed is odd as the public was excluded from sentencing arguments.  “California millionaires sentenced for violating Iranian sanctions with auto parts manufacturing business,” Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, February 5, 2021.

“Iran Is Rich, So Why Are People Selling Their Organs to Survive?,” Pejman Amiri, Iran News Update, February 5, 2021.

“Iran arrests journalist Reza Taleshian Jelodarzadeh,” Committee to Protect Journalists, February 5, 2021.

And in Sudan.  “Report: Ethiopia arrests 16 in an Iranian cell planning attack on UAE embassy,” Times of Israel, February 5, 2021.

Uh oh.  This is why security services are on alert for violent retribution from Iran.  “Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh issued a statement on Thursday saying that Iran strongly condemns the 20-year jail term issued by a court in the Belgian city of Antwerp against the Iranian diplomat. “As we have repeatedly announced earlier, all the procedures that have so far been taken against the diplomat, including his arrest, the case brought against him or the conviction, were all unlawful and amounted to blatant violation of international law, especially the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will never recognize it,” Khatibzadeh asserted.”  See “Iran ‘strongly’ condemns Belgian court’s ruling against Iranian diplomat,” Tehran Times, February 5, 2021.

The main point of this blog appears again in the news—Iran has been refusing to act as a “normal” country, and instead a Revolution (a dangerous one at that).  The article below begins with the subtitle—“Iran’s use of diplomats to plan terror attacks is very unusual – most countries do not use diplomats to plan terror attacks.”  See “Belgian conviction of Iran diplomat for bomb plot is a milestone,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, February 4, 2021.

“Following Iranian authorities’ approval of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, health experts in Iran rejected the vaccine, saying that they would not use the jab for themselves and their family members. Last week, Iran’s Zarif announced that Tehran would import two million doses of Russia’s vaccine by 20 March. However, Minoo Mohraz, a member of Iran’s national coronavirus task force, immediately denounced the officials’ decision to buy the Russian vaccine. “It’s only because of Iranians’ bad luck that the government is going to import a vaccine from Russia,” Mohraz was quoted by the Jahane Sanat daily as saying. “I, as a healthcare professional, would not take Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine, because so far we don’t have any information about it,” she added. After Mohraz’s rejection of the Sputnik V vaccine, Hossein Ali Shahriari, head of Iranian parliament’s health committee, announced that he would likewise not take the vaccine made by Russia. Meanwhile, in a letter to President Hassan Rouhani, 98 members of Iran’s Medical Council, responsible for registration of all healthcare professionals in the country, urged the government to carry out more research before buying vaccines that are not approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).”  “Iran’s health professionals reject Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine,” Middle East Eye, February 4, 2021.

Terror conviction against Iran in Belgium.  “Iranian diplomat convicted of planning attack on opposition,” Samuel Petrequin, AP, February 4, 2021. “An Iranian diplomat identified as an undercover secret agent was convicted Thursday in Belgium of masterminding a thwarted bomb attack against an exiled Iranian opposition group in France and sentenced to 20 years in prison, a legal outcome that infuriated Tehran. A Belgian court rejected the Vienna-based official’s claim of diplomatic immunity. The official, Assadollah Assadi, contested the charges and refused to testify during his trial last year, invoking his diplomatic status. He did not attend Thursday’s hearing at the Antwerp courthouse. Prosecutors had requested the maximum prison sentence of 20 years on charges of attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group. Defense lawyer Dimitri De Beco said Assadi would likely decide to appeal the verdict and sentence. Three other defendants were also found guilty and received lengthy jail sentences after the court ruled that they belonged to the same network. During the trial, lawyers for the plaintiffs and representatives of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq opposition group, or MEK, claimed without offering evidence that the diplomat set up the attack on direct orders from Iran’s highest authorities. Tehran has denied having a hand in the plot. A spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, condemned the court decisions and said Iran did not recognize the sentence because it considers the Belgian proceedings against Assadi to have been illegal. The court in Antwerp rejected Assadi’s claims of individual immunity and said the case did not violate state immunety principles since neither Iran nor an Iranian security service stood trial. In its ruling, it made clear Iran was not on trial, but insisted the quartet of defendants were members of a cell operating for Iran’s intelligence services gathering information about the opposition group to identify targets and set up an attack. Assadi’s conviction comes at a critical time and has the potential to embarrass his country as U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration weighs whether to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. Iran also said last month it expects Washington to lift economic sanctions that former President Donald Trump imposed on the country after pulling America out of the atomic deal in 2018. The European Union centered its reaction on Assadi specifically and did not draw in Iran as a nation. “The acts committed by this person are completely unacceptable. That’s a fact. The other aspect I can add is that the person in question is already on the EU counter-terrorism list,” said EU spokesman Peter Stano. The Belgian government said the ruling stood on its own, separated from diplomacy and international relations. “What matters is that today the justice system has ruled on facts of terrorism and made a clear statement about it. And it must be able to do that in complete independence. Otherwise, we no longer live in a constitutional state,” said Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne. On June 30, 2018, Belgian police officers tipped off by intelligence services about a possible attack against the annual meeting of the MEK, stopped a couple traveling in a Mercedes car. In their luggage, they found 550 grams of the unstable TATP explosive and a detonator. Belgium’s bomb disposal unit said the device was of professional quality. It could have caused a sizable explosion and panic in the crowd, estimated at 25,000 people, that had gathered that day in the French town of Villepinte, north of Paris. Among dozens of prominent guests at the rally that day were Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani; Newt Gingrich, former conservative speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; and former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt. Assadi was arrested a day later in Germany and transferred to Belgium. The court said since Assadi was on vacation at the time of his arrest — and not in Austria, where he was accredited — he was not entitled to immunity. A note from Belgium’s intelligence and security agency seen by The Associated Press identified him as an officer of Iran’s intelligence and security ministry who operated undercover at the Iranian Embassy in Austria. Belgium’s state security officers said he worked for the ministry’s so-called Department 312, the directorate for internal security, which is on a European Union list of organizations the EU regards as terrorist groups. Prosecutors identified Assadi as the alleged “operational commander” of the planned attack and accused him of recruiting the couple — Amir Saadouni and Nasimeh Naami — years earlier. Both were of Iranian heritage. Saadouni was sentenced to 15 years in prison while Naami received an 18-year prison term. According to the investigation, Assadi carried the explosives to Austria on a commercial flight from Iran and later handed the bomb over to the pair during a meeting at a Pizza Hut restaurant in Luxembourg. The ruling confirmed that the explosives were made and tested in Iran. The fourth defendant, Mehrdad Arefani, was sentenced to 17 years in prison.”

It is not normal country behavior to retaliate with force when it loses a court case.  “Intelligence officials fear revenge attacks from Iran after its diplomat was sentenced for trying to blow up a Paris rally,” Mitch Prothero, Insider, February 4, 2021.

“Iran Carries Out Surgical Strike Deep Inside Pakistan, Frees Two Soldiers: Reports,” Aanchal Nigam, Republic World, February 4, 2021.

So much interesting news on Feb. 4.  Here’s another.  “Iran may reverse fatwa banning nukes if Israel, US act dangerously: ex-official,” Times of Israel, February 4, 2021.  The problem is that Leader never issued a fatwa.  No one has ever seen it.  Such a document was never published or released.  Iranian officials have been saying this for years, to make the world think that Shia Islam does not allow a nuclear weapon.  But the fatwa has never been seen or read aloud.  Thus, it doesn’t exist.

“Iran Defends Hosting Taliban Delegation Despite Decades-Old Attacks In Afghanistan,” Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL, February 4, 2021.

Confusion in Iran you’ll see when you read the excerpt below.  “Iran receives its first batch of foreign coronavirus vaccine,” Amir Vahdat, AP, February 4, 2021.  “Iran on Thursday received its first batch of foreign-made coronavirus vaccines as the country struggles to stem the worst outbreak of the pandemic in the Middle East. The shipment consists of 500,000 doses of Russian-made Sputnik V vaccines which arrived at Tehran’s Imam Khomeieni International Airport from Moscow, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. Also Iranian state TV quoted Tehran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, as saying that Iran has ordered 5 million doses from Russia. The next batches are to arrive on Feb. 18 and Feb. 28, said Jalali. However, a report on the semi-official ISNA news agency appeared to contradict Jalali’s statement and the Fars report. ISNA quoted Mohammadreza Shanehsaz, head of Iran’s food and drug organization, as saying Thursday’s shipment included only 10,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine. The conflicting reports could not be immediately reconciled. Shanehsaz also said that Iran had purchased 2 million dozes, not 5 million.”

“Russia, Iran Among Leading States Practicing Repression Abroad, Says Rights Watchdog,” RFE/RL, February 4, 2021.  The group says the Iranian regime has been linked to five assassinations or assassination attempts in three countries, and plots were thwarted in at least two others. The campaign targeted dissidents and journalists the authorities often labelled “terrorists.”

“Iran Expands Foreign Assassinations While Decrying U.S. Killings: Report,” David Brennan, Newsweek, February 4, 2021.  “The Freedom House non-profit released a report into what it called “transnational repression” on Wednesday, naming several authoritarian nations that have used a variety of tactics in recent years to intimidate and kill critics living beyond their borders. The report is based on 608 cases of direct, physical transnational repression since 2014 by at least 31 origin states. The cases took place in 79 countries, including the U.S. and other liberal democracies. Freedom House said some 3.5 million people had been affected by direct attacks or secondary tactics since 2014.”

Part of the problem in dealing with Iran is The West, and the mindset of some, which keeps Iran from moving much (even though it is now under great pressure—but China and Russia help relieve some of that pressure).  The advice from some in The West, such as this editorial from CSM, is indicative.  “The Iranians were complying” with the JCPOA that editorial proclaims.  Yes and No and No.  An argument can be made they were complying with the technical aspects of the agreement.  An argument can be made they were also cheating (i.e, they limited or prevented some key inspections, and were continuing their nuclear weapons ambitions).  And the JCPOA through sunset and other provisions allowed them at the end of the agreement’s period to become a nuclear power that was poised to use their then-developed missiles and expanded oppression to be the new version of Hussein of the Middle East.  So Yes and No and No.  The Trump Administration, not just Donald Trump himself, saw through the poor temporary “fix” the JCPOA was advertised to be and realized that kicking the can down the road wasn’t the answer, because that can was getting heavier and more explosive.  The U.S. was right, for itself and the world, to say the “diplomatic answer” of the JCPOA was not what was needed.  A different agreement, or set of incentives was needed.  See “Can diplomacy deter Iranian nuclear ambitions a second time?,” Editorial, Christian Science Monitor, February 3, 2021.

I really don’t know what open defiance of the Supreme Leader will buy for the health minister, especially from the hardliners.  I wonder what the Leader will say?  “Iran Buys AstraZeneca-Oxford Vaccine Despite Leader’s Ban on Western Shots,” Arsalan Shahla, Bloomberg, February 3, 2021.  “Iran has bought 4.2 million doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University coronavirus vaccine, despite a ban on British and U.S.-made shots. Health Minister Saeed Namaki told state TV the shipment is expected later this month and was secured through the global vaccine procurement system backed by the World Health Organization. In January, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced a ban on importing British and U.S. Covid-19 shots, saying they couldn’t be trusted. But the country’s top epidemiologist later signaled a loophole when she said she was looking to import the British-made vaccine from outside the U.K.”

So the health minister has a scheme (plan) to increase the quantity and quality of immunizations.  Wonder what the Leader is thinking about this?  What are his closest followers thinking about the Leader’s position on blocking drugs from the West?  “Iran expects 4.2 million AstraZeneca shots under COVAX scheme,” Reuters, February 3, 2021.

“US seizes another Iranian oil cargo,” Argus, February 3, 2021.  “Washington-based sanctions experts point out that Iran’s oil exports have rebounded last year as Tehran has found ways to bypass US sanctions through ship-to-ship transfers and use of front companies. US court documents dealing with Iranian cargoes back that view, alleging that Tehran has managed to make use of facilities at Fujairah and other Mideast Gulf ports to export cargoes. China’s imports of Iranian crude averaged 78,000 b/d in 2020, based on Beijing’s customs data. The cargo aboard the Achilleas was transferred from ship to ship three times since being loaded into the Iran-flagged Sarak and Sonia I at the Sirri Island oil terminal in Iran in May 2020, according to court documents. The cargoes were then transferred to the Cook Islands-flagged Lubov — also known as the Ethan — and then to Panamanian-flagged Trident Liberty, before being loaded into the Achilleas.”

Just a month after taking a South Korean ship and crew hostage, FM Zarif says, “”Iran has always fully respected int’l law,” he wrote on Twitter.  BTW, the Treaty of Amity between the U.S. and Iran (from the 1950s) does not prevent the U.S. from issuing sanctions, regardless of what the ICJ ruled.  And if you don’t believe me, then hopefully you’ll see the logic that the treaty has stayed around as a relic of the past (it has not been terminated) despite the terrorism and other acts of Iran against the U.S. over the past 40 years.  See “UN court says it can hear case brought by Iran against US,” Mike Corder, AP, February 3, 2021.

Both of these stories are about signaling.  How will Iran respond?  “Biden orders USS Nimitz aircraft carrier home in possible signal to Iran,” Zachary Keyser, Jerusalem Post, February 3, 2021.  “U.S. signals Biden’s tough stance on Iran with new oil seizure attempt,” Verity Ratcliffe, World Oil, February 3, 2021.

From Tehran to London, he escaped.  He didn’t provide many details, and probably won’t to protect others’ abilities to flee.  “Released on bail, British-Iranian academic flees Iran through mountains,” AFP, Times of Israel, February 3, 2021.

Notice that they kept a human hostage, the captain.  Reminds us of the movie “Captain Phillips.”  See “Iran to release all crew but captain of seized South Korean ship,” AFP, VN Express, February 3, 2021.

“What is Iran’s mega-missile and what does it mean for nuclear deal?,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, February 3, 2021.  “Iran launched a new satellite-carrying rocket recently, according to reports on February 3. Forbes has reported that it could carry a nuclear warhead, while other media have pointed out that the launch was done as the new Biden administration is discussing the Iran deal. The importance of the launch looks to be multilayered, both signaling to the US the power of Iran’s missile program, and also potentially threatening Israel. Tal Inbar was the head of the UAV research center at the Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies until 2019, and he is an independent analyst on missiles, UAV and space. He frequently covers new Iranian missile technology. “This is an important development,” he told The Jerusalem Post in an interview. Iran introduced a totally new launch vehicle, according to Inbar. “We knew about it from Iranian sources more than a year ago, and it was fired and launched without a satellite as a test flight, and it is a three-stage launch vehicle.” It is called Zoljanah. … Tal Inbar: Recent launch was Iran signaling its missile program is off the table for Iran deal discussions.”

Iran-loyal militias in Syria are now more than 18,000.  “Syrian monitor says Iran continues military recruitment operations,” Arab News, February 3, 2021.

Don’t forget—“Assadi warned authorities in March of possible retaliation by unidentified groups if he is found guilty, according to apolice document obtained by Reuters.”  See “In first for Europe, Iran envoy faces sentencing over bomb plot,” Robin Emmott, Reuters, February 3, 2021.

“Iran Ranked 95 Among 98 Countries in Coronavirus Response,” Jubin Katiraie, Iran Focus, February 2, 2021. “The Lowy Institute released a Covid performance index on January 27. In its index, the institute sorted countries by regions, political systems, population size, and economic development to provide a real view of states’ performance to counter the novel coronavirus. Based on the availability of data across the six indicators used to construct the index, the Lowy Institute ranked 98 countries compared to the average performance over the time in managing the Covid-19 pandemic in the 36 weeks following their hundredth confirmed case of the virus. In this context, New Zealand showed the best performance with a 94.4 score while Brazil stood at the end of the table with only 4.3 points. Iran was ranked as the 95th country in managing the pandemic before Colombia and Mexico. The Lowy Institute, of course, used official figures for ranking countries. This is while not only have the people and opposition rejected the statistics provided by the Iranian Health Ministry but also health officials have strongly challenged official figures. For instance, in late April 2020, as the government officially declared that 5,877 people had lost their lives to the coronavirus, Mohammad Reza Mahboub-Far, member of the National Covid-19 Task Force, admitted that the health ministry’s stats were fabricated. “The current stats of the coronavirus illness are 20 times higher than what is being announced by the Health Ministry. This has resulted in the people not taking this lethal illness seriously,” Vatan-e Emrouz daily quoted Mahboub-Far as saying on April 28, 2020.”

Great news!  The environmental spill from the SK ship has been cleaned up!  Of course, we never saw any oil in the Strait of Hormuz.  But we did see on Jan. 4 photos of IRGC speed boats taking the MT Hankuk Chemi (carrying 7,200 tons of chemicals) and its crew hostage, taking them to Bandar Abbas naval port.  Oh, but wait, they’re only releasing the crew.  Iran continues to hold the ship hostage.  See “Iran Agrees to Free South Korean Ship’s Crew,” New York Times, February 2, 2021.  “In return, South Korea pledged speedy action to address Iran’s complaints about $7 billion impounded there as a result of U.S. sanctions.”  It is not clear at this point what “to address” means.  But the foreign ministry of SK said the crew release was humanitarian.  See also “Iran Agrees To Release Crew Members Of Detained South Korean Ship,” Radio Farda, February 2, 2012.

“Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sketched out a path on Monday to overcome the US-Iran impasse over who goes first in returning to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying the EU foreign policy chief could “choreograph” the moves. “There can be a mechanism to basically either synchronise it or coordinate what can be done,” Zarif told CNN when asked in an interview how to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran. Each government wants the other to resume compliance first.”  See “Iran hints at way to bridge nuclear deal impasse with US,” Reuters, South China Morning Post, February 2, 2021.

“UN: Iran, breaching deal, installs 2nd batch of advanced centrifuges at Natanz,” Times of Israel, February 2, 2021.

We can hope a little that economics will drive the Regime to a little more normalcy, and the realization that you can’t entice airplanes into your airspace if you take ships and people captive who come into your territory.  See “Iran offers discounts for flights using its airspace: minister,” Xinhua, February 1, 2021.

“Iranian agents scouted Israeli, US, UAE embassies in East Africa for attack — TV,” Times of Israel, February 1, 2021.

“Iran Calls On U.K. Muslims To Act Against ‘Divisive’ Film,” RFE/RL, February 1, 2021.

“Bahrain jails 18 men for forming Iran-backed cell,” Middle East Monitor, February 1, 2021.

A threat?  “Iran ready to help Iraq, Leader’s advisor tells UN envoy,” Tehran Times, February 1, 2021.

“Iran state TV airs launch of new satellite-carrying rocket,” Nasser Karimi, AP, February on U.S. military and contractors stationed in Iraq between 2006 and 2009, a federal trial court in Washington ruled Monday. The court issued a default judgment against Iran under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act for an Oct. 22, 2006, attack on a Humvee driving to the Baghdad hospital, a March 23, 2008, attack during a patrol outside Baghdad, a May 17, 2009, attack on a patrol, and a Jan. 20, 2007, attack on the Karbala Provincial Joint Coordination Center.” See “Iran Held Liable by U.S. Court for Attacks on Soldiers in Iraq,” Bloomberg Law, February 1, 2021.

“Iran to send 50 Pra athletes to Tokyo: Chef de Mission,” Tehran Times, February 1, 2021.

Mistake in this article—the rocket is not meant to carry satellites. And as it records, it did not launch a satellite into orbit. “Iran state TV airs launch of new satellite-carrying rocket,” AP, February 1, 2021.

“The dangerous, disappearing Persians,” David Goldman, David Goldman, February 1, 2021.

A nice way to start February, asking Iran to consider how normal countries look toward the future for their peoples. “Is peace between Iran and Israel inevitable?,” Victoria Coates, Len Khodorkovsky, Jerusalem Post, February 1, 2021. In its entirety.  “The recent momentum toward peace in the Middle East has been breathtaking. Multiple US-brokered deals between Israel, UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, known as the Abraham Accords, are creating a new reality in one of the world’s most combustible neighborhoods that, with US leadership, promises a more prosperous and secure future for Arabs and Jews alike. An impetus behind this historic normalization of relations between the Jewish state and its Muslim neighbors is practical. They face a common threat from the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been labeled by the State Department as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism for nearly four decades. Driven by a revolutionary theology, the Islamic Republic’s regime has been metastasizing across the region since its founding in 1979. From funding and arming anti-Israel terrorists, to blowing up Saudi oil facilities, to pirating commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf, Iran is the Middle East’s preeminent menace. Not only is it out of step with the Abraham Accords, Iran is the neighborhood’s chief purveyor of discord. The regime in Tehran, however, does not represent the Iranian people. A glaring example of this chasm was on display after a US drone strike killed Iran’s top terrorist, Qasem Soleimani. Despite the mullahs’ efforts to turn this murderer into a martyr, Iranians ripped down the propaganda posters glorifying him. They also rejected the regime’s attempts to stir up hate against the United States and Israel. Videos from Iran showed average citizens going out of their way to avoid stepping on the US and Israeli flags printed on the ground outside of shopping malls, schools, and mosques – even on the day of Soleimani’s funeral.The fact of the matter is that the Iranian people have more pressing issues at hand than the regime’s clumsy attempts at propaganda. Tehran’s sponsorship of terrorism, pursuit of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles to deliver them, and unconscionable hostage taking triggered the most crushing economic sanctions in history, crippling Iran’s energy, financial and industrial sectors, among others. Despite the immense resources of Iran, Iranians cannot even find the basics of food and housing, let alone dream of economic opportunities. But this does not have to be. One of the motivating factors behind the Abraham Accords was a new realization in the Arab world that their populations are more interested in pursuing hi-tech and entrepreneurial opportunities than they are in hating the Jews – and that Israel is actually the regional partner of choice in these areas. In coming months, the Iranian people will see ever more lucrative deals and new enterprises emerging that may well make them wonder why Tehran relentlessly pursues bigotry, violence and hate instead of peace. This would hardly be surprising. The Islamic Republic’s antipathy toward Jews, Christians, Baha’is and, for that matter, Sunni Muslims stands in contrast with Iran’s otherwise long, rich tradition of tolerance dating back to Cyrus the Great. The ancient Persian leader was known for his openness and acceptance. He was a proponent of human rights and religious freedom. And unlike Ayatollah Khamenei, who seeks to annihilate the Jewish State of Israel, Cyrus liberated the Jewish people from Babylonia. It’s no wonder the leadership of the Islamic Republic considers Cyrus Day a “Western-Zionist” plot, and attempts to prevent Iranians from visiting his tomb. Wouldn’t it be poetic if the era of Abraham Accords could be followed by the era of Cyrus Accords? After all, Israelis and Iranians have a lot in common. Both peoples are highly educated. Both are technologically savvy. Both have millennia-old traditions that have successfully intertwined in the past. And both crave peace in the (not-too-distant) future. Given the Iranian regime’s pathological antisemitism and belligerence, the notion of Cyrus Accords may seem far-fetched. But this regime is a historical anomaly. The day when the descendants of Abraham and the descendants of Cyrus will reconnect in peace and prosperity may be much sooner than we think. The United States should be ready to provide the bridge between these two great peoples and lead the Middle East into a new era.