Month: February 2022

“Iran say West must resolve three issues in nuclear talks to revive deal,” New Arab, February 28, 2022.

Will Iran be honest?  “U.S., Iran Split Over Key Nuclear Issues as Deal Deadline Nears,” Laurence Norman, Wall Street Journal, February 28, 2022.

“Iran: Women Banned From Riding Motorcycles,” Iran News Wire, February 28, 2022.  “On Sunday, February 15, Hossein Rahimi, the police commander of Greater Tehran, while explaining the police’s plan to deal with motorcyclists, reiterated that since women are not given motorcycle licenses, they are not allowed to ride one.  …  In the regime’s judicial laws, there is no law prohibiting women from cycling. However, religious scholars in the religious dictatorship enforce this ban every year and routinely prevent women from using bicycles in urban public spaces. The last example is from 2021. The Prosecutor of Torghabeh and Shandiz in northeastern Iran announced that “In accordance with the decree of the Headquarters to Promote Virtue and Prohibit Vice, and according to the fatwa of some religious leaders who forbid women’s bicycling in public, women cyclists have been banned in the city. The head of the Cycling Board of Khorasan Razavi in northeastern Iran also announced the ban on women’s cycling in public spaces in the province, indicating that the Headquarters to Promote Virtue and Prohibit Vice was responsible for this decision.  … For more than four decades, the mullahs propaganda machine and the network of its Friday prayer leaders, all representatives of the regime’s Supreme Leader, have wasted no time in demonizing Iranian women to find ways to limit their rights and capabilities. In the regime of ayatollahs, women do not have the right to ride a horse, women do not have the right to ride a bicycle, women do not have the right to ride a motorcycle, women do not have the right to file for divorce or receive the custody of their children in case of a divorce, women do not have the right to become judges or presidents, and women are not allowed to choose certain fields of university studies, to name just a few.”

“Iran Plans To Invest $50 Billion In New Nuclear Power Plants,” Iran International, February 27, 2022.

“Iranian ambassador to UK removed from post over hijab incident,” Patrick Wintour, Guardian, February 27, 2022.  “Mohsen Baharvand ordered back to Tehran after video shows some women with heads uncovered at embassy reception.”

The police had already formed a ring around the Russian embassy in Tehran, so the protesters went to the Ukrainian embassy.  “After a summons to protest on social media, those assembled also chanted “Russian Embassy Is Den of Spies,” “Death to Warmongers and Putin Supporters,” “Putin Murders, the Stupid Ones Support,””Long Live Ukraine,” and “Long Live Peace.””  See “Iran Police Disperse Crowd Chanting ‘Death To Putin And Supporters’,” Iran International February 26, 2022.

“Why US Should Pull The Plug On Iran Nuclear Talks,” Luke Coffey, op-ed, Arab News, February 26, 2022.

“Who are the Americans held by Iran?,” Al Monitor, February 26, 2022.

“’MuddyWater’: Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security running malicious cyber campaigns, warns US,” WION, February 25, 2022.

“Why Iran’s Hardliners Welcome Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine,” Iran International, February 25, 2022.

In this barely noticed article, Iran courts (often done with bribes, etc.) a small country, Trinidad and Tobago, to join its orbit.  This is facilitated by the regime in nearby Venezuela.  “Iran’s president says country ready to share oil, gas experience with T&T,” Guardian, February 25, 2022.

“Iran to enrich uranium to 20% even after nuclear deal – nuclear chief,” Reuters, February 25, 2020.  Reuters, to its credit, does include this key point—“The 2015 deal restricts the purity to which Iran can enrich uranium to 3.67%, far below the roughly 90% that is weapons-grade or the 20% Iran reached before the deal. Iran is now enriching to various levels, the highest being around 60%.”  Only 3-4% is needed for electricity production and isotopes, so clearly Iran wants to continue to work toward weapons enrichment.

“Russian Invasion Puts Endgame of Iran Nuclear Talks in Jeopardy,” Jonathan Tirone and Golnar Motevalli, Bloomberg, February 24, 2022.

“Iran Blames NATO for Russian Attack on Ukraine,” Sune Engel Rasmussen, Wall Street Journal, February 24, 2022.

The headline says it all.  “Putin, Raisi Speak Amid Ukraine Invasion, Say Iran Deal Would ‘Help Maintain Stability’,” Haaretz, February 24, 2022.

“Iran-Linked Hackers Conducting Operations Against Government Networks, Intel Agencies Warn,” Nextgov, February 24, 2022.

“FBI, CISA, Cyber Command take aim at cyber-espionage by Iran’s MuddyWater group,” Tim Starks, Cyberscoop, February 24, 2022.

It would be best if Brazil does not enable the Regime with purchases of urea, walnuts, chestnuts, dried fruits, saffron, pistachio, and wheat.  “Brazil ensuring greater urea supplies from Iran in a fertilizer short world,” Merco Press, February 24, 2022.

“Prominent blogger Seved Hossein Ronaghi Maleki arrested in Iran after critical tweets,” Committee to Protect Journalists, February 24, 2022.

“Iran, Qatar sign major agreements on Raisi’s Doha trip,” Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera, February 23, 2022.

“Iran nuclear deal: ‘Agreement or collapse next week’,” The Jerusalem Post, February 23, 2022.

“American Military Diffidence Handed Iran the Bomb,” Wall Street Journal (WSJ), February 23, 2022.

One of the major ways, perhaps the most important, that Iran terrorizes is the use of its military, the IRGC.  Certainly as part of a reborn JCPOA the U.S. Administration wouldn’t empower Iran by de-classifying Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization!  See “The lessons for Israel from a new Iran nuclear deal – analysis,” Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post, February 22, 2022.  I paste below the following comments on 2-24-22 from the Counter Extremism Project, and fully concur.  “Concern Mounting That U.S. Will Lift Terror Designation Against IRGC For Nuclear Deal” — “Speculation is increasing that the United States could agree to Iran’s demand to remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations as a condition of a nuclear agreement. Senior officials in Israel including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid are warning that Iran is “now asking to let the biggest terror organization on earth off the hook.” The IRGC is Iran’s main link to its terrorist proxies and is responsible for plotting or executing attacks on military personnel, diplomats, and civilians around the globe. In October 2017, the U.S. government labeled the IRGC as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, citing support for its Quds Force as well as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Taliban. This action was followed by an April 2019 decision by the U.S. Department of State to add the IRGC to its list of U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations. In so doing, the United States opened the possibility of levying additional sanctions on IRGC-related businesses, which reportedly dominate the Iranian economy. Outside its borders, Iran utilizes front companies to facilitate the flow of money to the IRGC, which then provides financing to Iran’s terror proxies. In January 2020, a U.S. airstrike in Iraq killed Major General Qasem Soleimani, then the commander of IRGC-Quds Force. At the time of his death, Soleimani was accused by the United States of commanding militants responsible for the deaths of more than 500 U.S. service members in Iraq between 2005 and 2011. Soleimani was also reportedly linked by U.S. intelligence to a 2011 assassination attempt of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States in Washington. Following Soleimani’s death, Iran appointed Ismail Ghaani as the new head of the Quds Force. However, Ghaani has allegedly been unable to exert the same influence over Iran’s proxies as Soleimani, creating opportunities for other parts of Iran’s proxy network—for example, Hezbollah—to assume larger roles in managing Iran-backed militant groups in the region.”

This is the unjust and illogical and mismanaged sort of decision that Iran’s Regime regularly presents for its people.  They turned away good meds.  “State media reports Tehran sent AstraZeneca doses back to Poland due to 2020 decree by supreme leader to not allow any American- or British-made vaccines into the country.”  See “Iran spurns over 800,000 donated COVID shots because they are made in US,” AP, February 22, 2022.

“Gantz claims Iran giving Venezuela attack drone know-how,” Emanuel Fabian, Times of Israel, February 22, 2022.  “Defense Minister tells US Jewish leadership group that Tehran also gave South American nation precision-guided missiles to be used with Mohajer-6 drone.”

“Iran is squeezing Christians and other minorities out of the Middle East, researcher says,” Jonah McKeown, CAN, February 22, 2022.

“To Stop Iran’s Proxy Terrorists, Stop Iran,” Bradley Bowman, Joe Truzman, and Ryan Brobst, DefenseOne, February 22, 2022.

Quote of the Day.  “The fact that a deal cannot go anywhere without crippling sanctions and the credible military threat is something I said over and over again to then-president Obama,” Netanyahu said. “Unless you have this combination… you cannot stop these rogue regimes by agreements.”  See “Netanyahu urges US Jews to fight Iran deal or risk nuke threat on NY, LA,” Carrie Keller-Lynn, Times of Israel, February 22, 2022.

“Back to the Future,” and back to disaster.  Kicking the can down the road does not keep Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.  “The terms of a restored deal would be almost identical to the 2015 pact, Iran’s “breakout time”—the duration needed to amass enough nuclear fuel for a bomb—could fall to as low as six months, down from about a year in the original deal.”  See “U.S. Nears Return to Iran Nuclear Deal,” Laurence Norman, Wall Street Journal, February 21, 2022.

“Iran’s president meets Qatar emir in Doha ahead of gas forum,” AP, February 21, 2022.

“Advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has also called on Princeton “to dismiss him from any association or affiliation with the university without delay”, noting that “Mousavian’s affiliation with Princeton is a stain on the university’s reputation and credibility”.”  “Iran Court Sentences Princeton’s Mousavian In Corruption Case,” Iran International, February 21, 2022.

A major enabler.  “Iran, Qatar to sign major agreements on Raisi’s Doha visit,” Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera, February 21, 2022.

“What the US is saying about Iranian drone threats in Iraq and Syria,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, February 21, 2022.

A headline capturing large corruption at the top of Iran’s decision-making pyramid.  “Cargo Ship Reportedly Owned By Iran Security Chief Impounded In India,” Iran International, February 19, 2022.  “A cargo ship reportedly belonging to the sons of Iran’s top security official Ali Shamkhani has been impounded in one of India’s ports. The container vessel, named Kabul, belongs to the Admiral Shipping Company that Iranian media said is owned by Hassan and Hossein Shamkhani, the sons of the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. ILNA news agency reported on Friday that an Indian court has ordered the seizure of the ship and cargos originating or destined to Iran about 10 days ago. The container ship is impounded on charges of possessing false documents.”

“Israel said readying for signing of ‘spectacularly bad’ Iran deal next week,” Times of Israel, February 18, 2022.  “TV network cites Israeli security officials warning that revived agreement won’t take into account the nuclear gains Tehran has made since Trump withdrew from the accord in 2018.”… “Referring to a leaked draft of the imminent accord, the source said Iran will not be required to destroy its advanced centrifuges under the revived agreement. Tehran will have to reduce its uranium enrichment levels, but it has already developed the capability to enrich at high levels. It will also be required to cease producing uranium metal, a crucial component of the bomb-making process. However, the source noted that Iran now has the knowledge to be able to manufacture such materials in the future. In essence, it is an agreement that leaves Iran as a nuclear threshold state,” the network said, citing the security source. “[T]he Biden administration has told Israel that Trump enabled Iran to become a “nuclear threshold state” in terms of uranium production and that a failure to revive the old agreement — as Jerusalem is hoping — would leave Tehran weeks away from accumulating enough nuclear material needed for a bomb, rather than months away from the bomb under the terms of the deal.”