Iran is in arrears on paying dues to the UN operating budget and will lose voting rights in the 193-state General Assembly.  I believe they owe 16M, from a posting some months ago.  This is an indication that the U.S. sanctions do bite because Iran does not want to lose face at the UN—lots of receptions and of course Nowruz.  But now they will.  “Iran, Central African Republic lose voting rights in UN General Assembly,” Business Standard, AP, June 3, 2021.

It is quite rich (excuse the pun) for FM Zarif (he makes an appearance!) to claim that U.S. sanctions prevent Iran from paying its UN bill.  Just look at how much Iran is spending to spin centrifuges!  Or look at any other unnecessary expense that Iran is making against its neighbors or against Arab states or in Syria or in Yemen, the list is billions of dollars long.  And Iran has money in its sovereign funds.  And the Ayatollah is worth billions.  They’ve got the money.  See “U.N. Suspends Iran’s Voting Rights for Delinquent Dues. Iran is Furious,” Rick Gladstone and Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, June 3, 2021.

“The Iranian Navy IRINS Makran supposedly headed to Venezuela is ordered back home as a result of IRIS Kharg sinking in the Gulf of Oman. She will replace Kharg in the IRIN training mission to Russia. It won’t be officially confirmed as they weren’t officially headed to Venezuela.”  See “Loss of Iranian Navy Ship Mutes Tehran’s Global Ambitions,” 3rd Warship Lost Since 2018,” H.I. Sutton, USNI News, June 3, 2021.

“Why Iran’s Presidential Election Is a Sham,” Eli Lake, op-ed, Bloomberg, June 3, 2021.

“U.S. sees sixth round of Iran nuclear talks and likely more,” Reuters, June 3, 2021.

“Opinion: The way forward on containing Iran’s nuclear ambitions,” Bob Menendez and Lindsey Graham, op-ed, Washington Post, June 3, 2021.