After Hamas fired more than 2,000 Iranian-supplied/promoted rockets at Israel in the last several days, the government of Austria decided to fly the Israeli flag on Friday over the federal chancellery in Vienna as a sign of solidarity. Vienna is the seat of the UN-nuclear watchdog IAEA and the site of JCPOA negotiations. On Saturday, a meeting had been scheduled between Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and Austrian FM Alexander Schallenberg, but Zarif (and the Regime) decided to cancel the meeting in protest. Austria is making a brave statement against terrorism and the Shia Crescent. “Iranian minister cancels Austrian visit over Israeli flag,” Reuters, May 15, 2021.
As the June 18 presidential elections approach, the Supreme Leader through the Guardian Council is right now removing candidates from the application pool in the most recent step of shaping the ballot. Remember, the Leader holds practically 100% ability to choose who the President of Iran is, regardless of whether there is an “election.” “Conservative Ebrahim Raisi tops Iran’s presidential candidates,” Maziar Motamedi, May 15, 2021. It is becoming more apparent that Raisi, the head of the judiciary (shall we say more?), is considered by many to be the Leader’s choice to succeed him. The question is also what happens when the Leader dies–will the Assembly of Experts (really the IRGC) select the President (Raisi) as the new Leader?
If we have to pick between Amnesty International and Oberlin College on this, vote AI. Did Oberlin really do a background check before hire? AI says current Oberlin College religious studies professor Mohammad Jafar “Mahallati committed crimes against humanity by covering up the mass murder of at least 5,000 Iranian political prisoners during 1988 at the UN.” The article includes this—“Gregg Levine, chair of the Community Relations Committee for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, told the Post in the community’s first public comment about Mahallati: “The Jewish Federation of Cleveland appreciates Oberlin College taking immediate action to investigate the serious allegations against Professor Mahallati. If these allegations prove to be accurate, we are hopeful that the college will move just as quickly to remove this individual from its faculty.”” See “After ‘Post’ query, NGO scrubs notice of event with ex-Iran ambassador,” Benjamin Weinthal, Jerusalem Post, May 15, 2021.
Raisi versus Larijani. No contest. “Two main contenders sign up for Iran’s presidential election,” Reuters, May 15, 2021.
“Iran reveals its strategy advising Hamas on war against Israel,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, May 15, 2021.
“Iran’s Government Removes Health Insurance and Services,” Mahmoud Hamidi, Iran News Update, May 15, 2021. “Iran’s government after a long and quiet move has removed the health insurance and medical services for the insured and announced that all health insurance booklets will be removed within the next two to three months. … all Iranians can now receive free or semi-free government medical services by presenting a national card or an identity card. That is, are we really moving towards a health insurance paradise? The answer, of course, is no, because this official then said, that only those who are entitled to receive these services can benefit from these services by presenting a national card or any other valid ID card. … only certain people which the government recognizes as “worthy” by their “merit” can benefit and use the government’s insurance services. Another reality is that before this government’s decision the insurance service was not free at all. Because every villager had to pay 800,000 tomans in cash to the government to renew his or her rural health insurance. That is, even the health insurance of the villagers was not free, despite being one of the poorest strata in Iran. And even last year the government had removed the insurance service of the pharmacies and medical centers. As an example, in Tehran, until the half of the year, only 800 pharmacies accepted the insurance and the rest of them did not accept any insurance prescription. And in the counties, specialist doctors did not accept to become a party to the insurance. Meanwhile, the members of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) are covered by many government insurances services like: Khomeini’s relief committee, Isaar foundation, Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution, Khordad Foundation.”
“Joe Biden’s Iran Policy Is One Giant Nuclear Mistake,” Anthony Ruggiero, op-ed, National Interest, May 15, 2021.
“Alert: Iran’s judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line cleric linked to 1988 mass executions, registers to run for president,” Telegraph, May 15, 2021.