Two thoughts. The CIA head and Mossad head are “up to the heads” in planning an appropriate and firm response to Iran’s drone attack against the ship off of Oman. Second, both administrations (U.S., Israel) are now planning what to do stymie Iran’s race for the bomb. Here’s a quote. “Israel — along with Iran’s Arab Gulf opponents — have long opposed the JCPOA and are against its revival, and the Israeli government believes a key principle of the nuclear deal, which Burns helped to negotiate for the Obama administration, has now been shattered — namely, to keep Iran at least a year away from having the capacity to make a nuclear bomb. Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz told the U.N. Security Council that Iran has enough nuclear material to build a bomb in a few weeks. “Iran is only around 10 weeks away from acquiring weapons-grade materials necessary for a nuclear weapon,” he said.” See “CIA Director in Israel as Biden Administration Mulls Interim Iran Deal,” Jamie Dettmer, VOA, August 10, 2021.
“The real ‘Iran deal’ should be with the people of Iran,” Rob Sobhani, op-ed, The Hill, August 10, 2021. “[T]he Islamic Republic of Iran has been practicing systemic discrimination, corruption, environmental degradation and abuse of its citizenry for 42 years. For example, although most governments work hard to protect their citizens from the coronavirus, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, successor to Khomeini, is denying the import of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for the people of Iran. In short, for four decades dictators have put their knees on the collective peoples of Iran. By doing so, the Islamic regime has suffocated the nation. In1978, the Iranian economy was almost 40 percent larger than the economy of South Korea. Today, South Korea’s economy is more than four times the size of Iran’s — and the distance is widening. As for neighboring Turkey, its economy was about 20 percent smaller than Iran’s in 1978, but today it is twice as large, despite having little of the rich oil and gas resources of Iran. Clearly, this is colossal mismanagement and squandered potential — a fact that many Iranians likely understand. The key question facing President Biden is not whether to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or limit Iran’s nefarious activities. It is a far more fundamental question: Do the people of Iran deserve to live in peace and be free? Do they deserve to join the community of nations? Ronald Reagan’s historic speech at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, urging former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” is within the grasp of President Biden, who should demand: “Mr. Khamenei, take your knee off the necks of the innocent people of Iran.” Supporting the Iranian people in their quest for democracy, dignity and greater human rights should be the defining feature of U.S. policy.”
“Iranian official on trial in Sweden for war crimes tied to new president Raisi,” AFP, August 10, 2021. “Hamid Noury is charged with murder for role in ordering mass executions of political dissidents in 1988, a purge Iran’s new leader is claimed to have led.”
“Two Kurdish Iranian journalists sentenced to 2.5 years in jail, 90 lashes,” Committee to Protect Journalists, August 10, 2021.
“Hezbollah Is an Iranian Strategic Tool,” Raphael Bouchnik-Chen, Algemeiner, August 10, 2021.
Although China befriends Iran, it also uses Iran for its own purposes, further teaching a lesson to the IRI. “Chinese hackers disguised themselves as Iran to target Israel,” Patrick Howell O’Neill, Technology Review, August 10, 2021.
“Reduction of Iranian gas supplied to Iraq leads to power system loss–ministry,” Reuters, August 10, 2021.
Not a good idea. “Creation of Russian-language TV channel discussed in Iran, Ambassador to Russia says,” TASS, August 10, 2021.
