The Clash of Civilizations continues. This partly explains Iran’s actions. “China says it will safeguard Iran nuclear deal, defend Sino-Iran ties,” Jerusalem Post, Reuters, March 25, 2021.
Under direct orders of the Leader, and explicitly to not be open. “IRGC forms group to monitor internet in Iran,” Al Monitor, March 25, 2021.
Carefully selected and planned, with a small missile resulting in light damage. Iran is sending a message. “Iran missile hits India-bound Israeli ship in Arabian Sea, says report,” Reuters, The Hindu, March 25, 2021.
This article is not for the squeamish. “Iranian dissidents accused the Islamic Republic of Iran’s National Olympic Committee chairman, Seyed Reza Salehi, of killing Kurdish and Azerbaijani political prisoners via torture while he served as an intelligence officer. “Is the Olympics aware that there are horrific reports about Seyed Reza Salehi, the president of the NOC of Iran? During his time as senior director at the ministry of intelligence, he went by the name of Seyed Reza Fallah and was involved in the torture and murder of prisoners,” tweeted Sardar Pashaei, the former head coach of Iran’s Greco-Roman team and a world gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling, last week. Pashaei added that “We, the Iranian athletes, call on the Olympics to ban the entry of the President of the Iranian NOC from attending the Tokyo 2020 because of his security record in the Ministry of Intelligence. He has arrested and tortured many opponents of the Iranian regime.” … In a 2018 Persian language article by Pedram Ghaemi on the website of IranWire, he reported on a Voice of America TV broadcast in which an Iranian regime historian named Abdollah Shahbazi told someone close to the administration of then-president Mohammad Khatami that Ebad (Ali Rabei) told him about the suffocation of Azerbaijanis in coffins. Ali Rabei, who used the name Ebad while an intelligence official, worked with Salehi. According to the US government outlet VOA report, Rabei and Salehi placed Azerbaijanis in coffins and nailed the coffins shut and sent them from Astara, Azerbaijan to Tehran. When the Azerbaijanis arrived in Tehran, they had suffocated to death. The VOA broadcast also reports on Salehi’s presence in Kurdistan and Azerbaijan as a reconnaissance force officer in 1980’s.” Thus, “We, the Iranian athletes, call on the Olympics to ban the entry of the president of the Iranian NOC from attending the Tokyo 2020.”” See “Head of Iran’s Olympics implicated in murder of prisoners via torture,” Benjamin Weinthal, Jerusalem Post, March 26, 2021.
“China says it will safeguard Iran nuclear deal, defend Sino-Iran ties,” Jerusalem Post, Reuters, March 25, 2021.
Whomever provides opposition is wrong. “Iran Denounces Human Rights Council’s ‘Illegitimate’ Resolution,” IFP, March 25, 2021.
“Interrogations in Iran’s Judicial Systems: Law vs. Reality,” Center for Human Rights in Iran, March 25, 2021.
“Brussels universities call for government action over lecturer jailed in Iran,” The Brussels Times, March 25, 2021.