Of note from this piece, the Leader continues his complete absence from public life, protecting himself from Covid. He is medically fragile. Also, the logistics for impeachment would about 9 months, and Rouhani will be automatically out of office in 10. Also, the Leader called the parliament “the strongest and the most revolutionary Iranian parliament of all times” and said the turnout in its election was acceptable. But the Majles election in Feb. had the lowest turnout in 40 years, with a national turnout of 42%. See “Khamenei Strikes A Balance, Telling Iran’s Parliament Not To Impeach Rouhani,” Radio Farda, July 12, 2020.
ANOTHER explosion, this one outside of Mashhad. Cheetahs of the Homeland strike again. “Explosion as fire breaks out at Iranian industrial complex,” Reuters, July 13, 2020.
Lebanon is having a financial meltdown which marks the biggest threat to stability since the 1975-90 civil war. For the second sermon in a row, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai stressed the importance of Lebanon’s neutrality, which is implicit criticism of the heavily armed Hezbollah over its support for Iran in conflicts with Sunni-led Gulf Arab states. The President of Lebanon must be drawn in this sectarian system of government from the Maronite Church. See “Lebanese Christian cleric seen to criticize Hezbollah, allies over crisis,” Reuters, July 12, 2020.
“Iran-backed Houthis fire ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, July 13, 2020.
Iran, PIJ, and Hamas are all threatened in their terror strategies by expansion of Israel and its political system. Hamas and Islamic Jihad are working right now to have as good relations as possible with Tehran, and Iran has “announced that it will provide all necessary support to the Palestinians facing the Israeli annexation plan of the West Bank.” That support is never in the form of diplomacy. See “Iran offers unconditional support to Hamas, Islamic Jihad,” Rasha Abou Jalal, Al Monitor, July 13, 2020.
It is not reassuring to read this story about Iran in China’s media. The Iranian army aviation will be soon equipped with missiles with ranges of 20 km and 100 km, Iranian Army Aviation Chief Yousof Ghorbani announced. “Iran’s army aviation to be soon equipped with new missiles: commander,” Xinhua, July 13, 2020.
Another sign of America’s geopolitical foes aligning. “China-Iran deal envisions massive investments from Beijing,” Dave Lawler, Axios, July 13, 2020.
Will Iran act as a normal country, or as a revolutionary? “US Secretary of state Mike Pompeo has said the US will back Lebanon as long as it carries out reforms and is “not subordinate to Iran.” Tehran is not about to allow the US to engineer a breach with its allies in Beirut ….” See “Iran vulnerable to sabotage on several fronts,” Michael Jansen, op-ed, Gulf Today, July 13, 2020.
This arrest of a Quds spy occurred in February, 2019 in Germany but is now making news. “Report: German intelligence captured Iran Quds’ Force spy,” Cleveland Jewish News, July 13, 2020.
“Fire breaks out at gas plant in eastern Iran,” Muhammet Kursun, AA, July 13, 2020.
One of those stories that feels like it can’t be true, and is fallacious. “US ‘begged’ Iran not to retaliate for Soleimani killing, deputy FM says,” Aaron Reich, Jerusalem Post, July 13, 2020.
Under the 25-year agreement, Beijing and Tehran to increase military cooperation, including weapons development and intel sharing; China would receive discount oil. “China ‘strategic accord’ could give Iran a $400 billion boost, up military ties,” Times of Israel, July 13, 2020.
“Iran’s Rohani Calls For Temporary Ban On Weddings, Funerals As Coronavirus Cases Rise,” RFE/RL, Payvand, July 13, 2020.
Rare video of Saudi air force in action, but not a rare of Iranian missiles and drones to attack the Kingdom. “Saudi F-15 jet shoots down Iranian drones above Yemen,” Josh Spires, Drone DJ, July 13, 2020.
“Iranian forces have been constructing a new heavily fortified base at Abu Kamal in eastern Syria since the summer of 2019. Iran has been expanding its military presence in Deir ez Zor province since 2017, when an Iranian, Russian, and Syrian Arab Army offensive took control of the area from the Islamic State. The Abu Kamal base is the first military facility of this scale that Iranian forces have built in Syria. The base has a new level of fortification, featuring a 400-foot-long underground tunnel and housing facilities for thousands of troops. Its underground storage facilities and large personnel encampment represent a long-term effort to entrench Iranian-controlled military assets and personnel in Syria.” See “Iran’s entrenchment of strategic infrastructure in Syria threatens balance of deterrence in the Middle East,” Kyra Rauschenbach, Critical Threats, July 13, 2020.
It just occurred to me, and I haven’t seen this anywhere publicly, that after the multiple explosions in Iran during the past month and the massive loss of many advanced centrifuges at Natanz that Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, must be under tremendous pressure. He is the one person most responsible for the nuclear weapons project. This article also reminds readers that since the U.S. exited the JCPOA in May 2018, Iran has breached the agreement multiple terms—“it has enriched uranium beyond the permitted level, refused to ship out its enriched uranium, accelerated research and development of advanced centrifuges, and denied the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to two facilities.” See “Did Iran Suffer a Nuclear Setback?,” Ray Takeyh, Council on Foreign Relations, July 13, 2020.