No, Iran won’t cooperate. And they don’t do diplomacy. “According to US news site Politico, the Biden administration will ask Tehran to reduce work on advanced centrifuges and stop enriching uranium to 20% purity, while Washington would offer some sanctions relief.” See “Report: New US proposal seeks to break nuclear deadlock with Iran,” Neta Bar, Israel Hayom, March 30, 2021.
Yes, the Iran-China Deal is not about economics or empowering citizens. It is about keeping the people at the top in power. National Security Council member Ali Shamkhani has it right. “Shamkhani Says Iran-China Deal Part Of Active Resistance Policy Against West, US,” Tasnim, March 30, 2021. But wait, there’s more! Shamkhani says it leads to the end of the United States! “Senior Iranian official: strategic deal with China expedites end of America,” Arab News, March 29, 2021.
“Asked why the latest measures were being taken now, one of the diplomats said the EU was seeking to take a tougher stance to uphold human rights. This month, the EU sanctioned 11 people from countries including China, North Korea, Libya and Russia. … The United Nations has regularly complained that Iran arrests political opponents in a clampdown on freedom of expression. On March 9, U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, presented a report documenting Iran’s high death penalty rate, executions of juveniles, the use torture to coerce confessions and the lawful marriage of girls as young as 10 years old.” See “Exclusive: EU set to sanction more Iranians for rights abuses, first since 2013, diplomats say,” KFGO, Thomson Reuters, March 30, 2021.
Schueftan is exactly right. “The 25-year agreement effectively neutralizes U.S. economic pressure, seriously bolsters Tehran’s bargaining position and could herald the regime’s renewed effort to achieve regional hegemony.” See “The Iran-China deal is cause for Israeli concern,” Dan Schueftan, op-ed, JNS, March 30, 2021.
“Iran puts pressure on outspoken political prisoners with jail swaps,” Paul Peachey, The Nation, March 30, 2021.
“Iranian leaders pressed to disclose details of 25-year China pact,” Patrick Wintour, The Guardian, March 30, 2021.
Two quotes. “Close to 1 million barrels per day of Iranian crude could arrive at China this month, nearly half the volume that the world’s top exporter Saudi Arabia supplied to China in the first two months this year.” And “China, Iran’s top oil client, said last week it will work to safeguard the Iran nuclear deal and defend the legitimate interests of Sino-Iranian relations.” See “China’s oil imports from Iran hit new high, curbing OPEC options,” Nikkei Asia, March 30, 2021.
“How long this relative free speech atmosphere will last is unclear. Other countries in the Middle East are already pushing back against Clubhouse. In Oman, the app was banned for not having a “proper license.” In the United Arab Emirates, there have been reports of internet throttling, making it hard to access the app. Egyptian state television reported the application is a place for “terrorists” to gather—referring to the banned Muslim Brotherhood. There have also been reports of intimidation in Saudi chatrooms, perhaps a sign of things to come in Iran, where participants are threatened with naming and shaming, and conversations are screen-recorded and posted on Twitter. So far, in the Persian language media, there have only been written and video explainers on how the app works, meaning it hasn’t gone mainstream in Iran—yet. Clubhouse has the potential to get citizens more politically engaged and spark larger public debates on hot button issues, but like all social media in Iran, it’s only a matter of time before authorities see it as a national security threat and ban the audio-only app. After the 2009 post-election protests known as the Green Movement, social media—such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter—were blocked, forcing Iranians to resort to accessing them via Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). In 2018, the popular messaging app Telegram was also banned after a popular channel played a role in helping coordinate protests that occurred from December 2017 to January 2018. Lately, there’s been an ongoing debate about whether Instagram should be banned, which, if happens, will be under Jahromi’s watch. The ICT minister was partly responsible for a November 2019 internet shutdown during nationwide protests in which security forces arrested and killed thousands. Clubhouse is only available for the iPhone.” See “An Iranian cleric, rights activist, and hacker entered a room—on Clubhouse,” Iran Source by Holly Dagres, Iran Source, March 30, 2021.
He is apparently close to a tortured death. “Calls to release Swedish-Iranian scientist in Iran,” Will Nott, The Pie News, March 30, 2021.
“It shows that the Quds Force and the regime have not altered their objectives or tactics since the 2013 assassination attempt of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US Adel al-Jubeir, which would have killed hundreds of civilians if the US hadn’t thwarted it.” See “NSA Reveal Chatter About Planned Iran Terror Attack in DC,” Esmaeil Mohades, Iran Focus, March 30, 2021.
“State TV: Iran Rejects Ending 20% Enrichment Before US Lifts Sanctions,” Reuters, VOA, March 30, 2021.
More proof of Anti-Semitism by the Regime. “As 13 Yemeni Jews leave pro-Iran region for Cairo, community of 50,000 down to 6,” Aaron Boxerman, Times of Israel, March 30, 2021.