Iran Nation or Cause

Hmmm, we start with opposing stories about China today.  “China’s top legislator Li Zhanshu held talks on Monday with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf via video link, saying the two countries should implement the important consensus by the two heads of state and promote the continued development of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership.”  See “Chinese top legislator calls for advancing China-Iran ties,” Xinhua, January 26, 2021.

“Bitcoin Mining and Blackouts Add to Anti-Chinese Sentiments in Iran,” Reza Khaasteh, The Diplomat, January 26, 2021.

“NYT writer accused of promoting Iran’s policies in US,” Tobias Siegal, Jerusalem Post, January 26, 2021.

Another hostage, now up to five again.  The seizure is the first such since the inauguration of Pres. Biden.  Emad Shargi was out on jail and was caught as he tried to leave the country at a western border.  See “Iranian-American facing spying charges arrested as he tried to leave Iran,” Reuters, January 26, 2021.

“One of the extremely unpopular moves he [the Supreme Leader] recently made was that he personally banned the import of coronavirus vaccines from France, Britain, and the US. Average Iranians, who have lost tens of thousands of loved ones to the virus and are reeling under the severe economic ramifications, are furious.”  See “Sign of a Volcano Erupting in Iran,” Hamid Enayat, Modern Diplomacy, January 26, 2021.

“Brother of Iranian senior vice president gets 2 years in jail for corruption,” AP, Times of Israel, January 26, 2021.  Mahdi Jahangiri was sentenced for currency smuggling.

“Iran will take steps next month to curb short-notice IAEA inspections: official,” Reuters, January 26, 2021.

“Paragliding in Iran,” Tehran Times, January 26, 2021.

“Game-changing Iranian Pipeline Set To Launch In March,” Simon Watkins, OilPrice.com, January 26, 2021.  “The geopolitically game-changing Goreh-Jask pipeline project saw a major advance last week with the commencement last week of offshore pipe-laying operations. … “The initial focus of the oil-transfer chain across the Goreh-Jask pipeline will be the huge oil fields cluster in the West Karoun region, which are the current focus of plans between Iran and China to boost short-term oil production as part of the two countries’ 25-year plan. … Phase 2 will involve the transfer more than one million barrels of crude oil to export terminals. … for later loading on to very large crude carriers (VLCCs) headed from the Gulf of Oman and into the Arabian Sea and then on to the Indian Ocean. … Over and above the technical details involved in the Goreh-Jask pipeline project, the key point is that the pipeline will allow Iran another method by which it can export huge amounts of oil without being prey to U.S. sanctions and it will also allow Iran to do this whilst at the same time causing chaos for a third of the rest of the world’s oil shipments through blockading the Strait of Hormuz, should it wish to do so again. “The logistical model Iran has at present is not sustainable in the current circumstances, with around 90 per cent of all of its oil for export currently loaded at Kharg Island – with most of the remaining loads going through terminals on Lavan and Sirri – making it an obvious and easy target for the U.S. and its proxies to cripple Iran’s oil sector and therefore its economy,” a senior oil and gas industry source who works closely with Iran’s Petroleum Ministry told OilPrice.com.”

“Soleimani film ‘insult’ to Peshmerga,” Al Monitor, January 26, 2021.

“Iran threatens to curb short-notice IAEA inspections next month,” Arab News, January 26, 2021.

Thank you China.  “Iran’s oil exports rise in January despite sanctions – trackers,” Alex Lawler, Reuters, January 26, 2021.

“With Signal shut down, WhatsApp and Instagram remain the only two unblocked major social media platforms” in Iran.  “Iran blocks Signal messaging app after WhatsApp exodus,” Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera, January 26, 2021.

“Iran executes another wrestler despite US, international outcry, reports say,” Greg Norman, Fox, January 26, 2021.

“US tries to seize oil shipment it says came from Iran,” Verity Ratcliffe, Bloomberg, Houston Chronicle, January 26, 2021.

“Iran: Biden won’t have infinite time to rejoin nuclear deal,” Nasser Karimi, AP, January 26, 2021.

“Seeking clarification” means that Iran is really mad at Indonesia today.  Indonesia could have continued to look the other way.  “Iran seeks clarification from Indonesia on seizure of its tanker,” Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera, January 25, 2021.

A top Israeli expert on Iran and the Arab world, Mordechai Kedar, said “They saw what happened to Libya and Muammar Gaddafi after he stopped his nuclear program while at the same time, they see how the world gently treats North Korea now that is has a bomb. The lesson for Teheran is very clear.”  See “Israelis Say They’ll Attack Iran If US Eases Sanctions,” Arie Egozi, Breaking Defense, January 25, 2021.

“Rouhani says U.S. suffered defeat in economic war on Iran,” Tehran Times, January 25, 2021.

“Iran: Regime Intimidates Public In Bid To Prevent Uprisings – OpEd,” Hassan Mahmoudi, Eurasia Review, January 25, 2021.

“Iran says 30 volunteers have no side effects from 2 doses of a homemade vaccine,” Times of Israel, AP, January 25, 2021.

“Iran To Receive First Shipment Of COVID-19 Vaccines From COVAX Soon – State Media,” Umer Jamshaid,Urdu Point, January 25, 2021.

Iranian MP Ali Asgar Annabestani got out of his car and insulted and slapped a police officer because he would not allow Annabestani’s car to use the lane designated for buses.  See “Iranian lawmaker under fire for slapping traffic cop,” Al Monitor, January 25, 2021.

“Iran Close to Passing New Laws Against Domestic Violence,” Cassie Ransom, Organization for World Peace, January 25, 2021.

China and Russia have certainly helped.  But the pressure has certainly been felt, and there’s been less money for bad acts.  “Maximum pressure policy is a failed policy, Javani says,” Tehran Times, January 25, 2021.

Former hostage Xiyue Wang  said he thought Biden should “take advantage of leverages provided to him through the maximum pressure policy of the Trump administration.”  See “US General Says US, Iran Entering ‘Period of Opportunity;’ Former Prisoner Warns Against Softening Stance,” VOA, January 25, 2021.  BTW, British, German and French governments all have citizens currently held hostage in Iran.  And BTW, it looks like Xiyue Wang will have soon made more warning statements about hostages than the new Biden administration.

“In an unprecedented interview, a former senior Iranian cleric and current opposition figure spoke with an Israeli television news channel Monday night from Tehran, and called for an end to hostilities between the countries. “It is time for the Iranian regime to stop inventing enemies that don’t exist,” the former ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani told Israel’s Channel 12 news. Masoumi-Tehrani, who had the honor of the “ayatollah” title revoked by Tehran due to his disagreements with the regime, said he has “no problem” with the Jewish state. He also derided the Islamic Republic’s frequent declarations of its intention to destroy Israel: “Don’t forget, these slogans were also said by [late former Iraqi leader] Saddam Hussein, and we know where he is today.” Masoumi-Tehrani said the Islamic Republic is a dictatorship that stifles dissenting opinions and freedom of speech. Asked if he feared for his life for speaking to an Israeli TV station, he told interviewer Ohad Hemo: “I have been speaking clearly for 20 years. If they don’t like that I’m talking to you or anyone else, it’s their problem.” “Iranians and Jews have many years of friendship,” he said. “I haven’t met Iranians who don’t have a positive opinion of Israel.”  See “From Iran, cleric tells Israel TV hostility between the two countries should end,” Times of Israel, January 25, 2021.

Now the Iron Dome moves beyond defending against Iran-sponsored Hamas and Hezzbollah.  “Israel Approves Use of Iron Dome to Protect US Bases Against Iran,” Asharq al-Awsat, January 25, 2021.

“Iran crumbling under Islamic fundamentalism,” Struan Stevenson, op-ed, UPI, January 25, 2021.

When you read enough news you see the same excuses, even on the same days, and by the same FM spokesman  Notice the reference to “technical issues.”  Gets comical.  “Iran has asked Indonesia to provide details about the seizure of an Iranian-flagged vessel, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday, a day after Jakarta said it had seized Iran and Panama-flagged tankers in its waters. Khatibzadeh said that the seizure was over a “a technical issue and it happens in shipping field”.  Second, the ships involved were the Iranian-flagged MT Horse and the Panamanian-flagged MT Freya.  In that Iran sent the MT Horse vessel to Venezuela last year to deliver 2.1 million barrels of Iranian condensate, someone needs to i.d. the captain—he’s up to no good.  And the captain of the Freya.  “Over the past few months, MT Freya has delivered two crude oil cargoes totalling about 4 million barrels into Qingdao port on the east coast of China and northeast Yingkou port.”  Sounds like Iran and China got caught skirting U.S. oil sanctions.  See “Iran asks Indonesia to explain seizure of tanker accused of illegal oil transfer,” Parisa Hafezi and Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Reuters, January 25, 2021.  Here’s the second “technical issue.”  “We don’t accept political mediation on technical issues and we informed the South Koreans of this issue,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said in an interview with the Iranian ISNA news agency, noting that the South Korean-flagged ship was seized because it polluted the maritime environment. … “Based on initial reports coming from local authorities, the issue is completely technical, and the vessel was led ashore upon a judicial order because the vessel had been polluting the sea,” Khatibzadeh said in a statement following the seizure of the ship.”  Thus, Iran is again saying the SK ship was polluting.  I wonder if they think the Iran tanker was leaking in Indonesia?  No.  See “Iran rules out mediation on South Korean-flagged tanker,” Tehran Times, January 24, 2021.

“Iran’s intelligence minister warns US and Israeli bases in Kurdistan,” MEMO, September 25, 2021.

The principle of FIRST releasing hostages needs to be followed by the Biden Administration to hold Iran accountable.  Note what Xiyue Wang says about Malley and Rhodes and the import of stopping the human rights violation of hostage taking.  See “American Who Was Political Prisoner in Iran Slams Possible Appointment of Robert Malley as Special Envoy,” Algemeiner, January 24, 2021.

“Indonesian authorities said that they seized an Iranian tanker and Panamanian tanker suspected of carrying out the illegal transfer of oil in their country’s waters Sunday. The tankers — the Iranian-flagged MT Horse and the Panamanian-flagged MT Frea — were seized in waters off Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province, said Wisnu Pramadita, a spokesman for the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency. He said the tankers are suspected of a variety of violations, including not displaying national flags, shutting off their identification systems, anchoring illegally as well as the illegal transfer fuel between ships and spilling oil. “Indonesia says it has seized Iranian and Panamanian tankers,” Edna Tarigan, AP, Click2Houston, January 24, 2021.

“Nukes, terror, Syria, Iraq, Hezbollah – Iran’s tentacles are spreading,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, January 24, 2021.  “Iran has often used the nuclear program to distract from its real desire: Regional hegemony.”

A country that was planning to use nuclear power for peaceful means or as a tool for regional hegemony would not have these conditions.  “Iran said to lay out 7 preconditions to US for renewal of nuclear deal,” Lazar Berman, Times of Israel, January 24, 2021.  “Iran will not accept a partial lifting of sanctions because Tehran considers the JCPOA an indivisible agreement. The report said that Iran would demand that the US implement all aspects of the deal, including the full lifting of sanctions, if it wants to re-enter the accords. Secondly, any disagreements over the accords must be discussed within the framework of the official negotiating committees. One of these anticipated disagreements is Tehran’s demand for compensation for financial losses it incurred due to the Trump administration’s exit from the deal, notably the financial impact of the sanctions. The third condition was said to be that Tehran will not accept linkage between the nuclear deal and other issues, including its missile program and activities throughout the Middle East. The fourth demand was reportedly that Iran will not accept any new members into the deal beyond the P5+1, including any Gulf Arab states. Fifthly, any issues involving other regional states must be discussed separately, and not as part of the nuclear talks. The sixth point was said to be that while Iran will not discuss its missile program, it is open to talking about regional arms control under the supervision of the United Nations and was said to be especially concerned about Israeli missiles and nuclear weapons. Finally, Iran will not accept a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, and insists on a UN referendum of Palestinians and Jewish Israelis on “land.” There were no further details given on the content of the potential referendum.”

“Iran, Armenia ink MOU on expansion of trade ties,” Tehran Times, January 24, 2021.

“Who Is Quds Force Chief Esmail Qaani?,” Erfan Fard, BESA, January 24, 2021.

“No, Twitter Did Not Suspend Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader,” Haaertz, January 24, 2021.

“Iran must prove it is serious before Gulf talks can begin,” Mohammed Al-Sulami, op-ed, Arab News, January 24, 2021.

“Trials of Locally-Made COVID-19 Vaccines to Start in Iran,” Ilham Karimli, Caspian News, January 24, 2021.

Mossad Chief “Cohen will present the following demands that Israel’s government believes must be incorporated, Channel 12 said: That Iran must halt the enriching of uranium; stop producing advanced centrifuges; cease supporting terror groups, foremost Lebanon’s Hezbollah; end its military presence in Iraq, Syria and Yemen; stop terror activity against Israeli targets overseas; and grant full access to the IAEA on all aspects of its nuclear program. Israel fears a revived deal under which Iran will be able to both continue enriching uranium and be granted financial relief that will enable the Islamist regime to repair the economy, the TV report said. It did not name sources for the story, but cited “messages” conveyed between the Biden administration and Israel.”  This is a good list for the West to work from for itself and the world.  And compare it to Iran’s seven negotiating demands.  See “TV: Mossad chief to meet Biden, set out terms for overhaul of Iran nuclear deal,” Times of Israel, January 23, 2021.

Smoking Gun.  And proof positive why Sudan’s recognition of Israel is so important.  “Islamic Jihad says late Iranian general Soleimani gave ‘direct orders’ in Gaza,” Times of Israel, January 23, 2021.  “A senior figure in the terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad said the organization received “direct orders” from the late Iranian Quds force commander Qassem Soleimani up until his assassination in a US airstrike last year, and that rockets supplied by the Iranians were used to attack Israel. Speaking during a December interview with the Iranian al-Alam TV, the secretary-general of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ziyad al-Nakhaleh, said “nothing happened [in Gaza] without his direct orders and supervision,” according to a translation this week by the Middle East Media Research Institute. This came in addition to Soleimani’s efforts to supply the PIJ with modern missiles, and weapons, including those used to attack Israel’s economic and technological hub, Tel Aviv. “It was almost miraculous. It was very expensive in terms of technology, security, and capabilities” al-Nakhaleh said, adding “I can say that the missiles that [Soleimani] delivered to the Gaza Strip were the ones used to attack Tel Aviv. I can say that Hajj Qassem played a pivotal role in the fact that the Palestinians ventured to attack the capital of the Zionist entity.” The PIJ chief explained that Soleimani personally supervised and managed the transport of missiles in “complex operations” from Syria, to Sudan, to the Gaza Strip, adding that he personally visited Sudan to ensure the shipments were a success. In 2009, three airstrikes destroyed a convoy of trucks in western Sudan reportedly carrying long-range Iranian missiles to the Gaza Strip. A mysterious explosion in a weapons plant in Khartoum in 2012, which killed four people, was believed to be the result of an Israeli airstrike targeting arms destined for terror groups in Gaza. In 2014 a large explosion occurred in a Sudanese ammunition warehouse, in an alleged Israeli attack targeting weapons intended for Gaza. The local manufacturing of rockets in the Gaza Strip is also attributed to Soleimani’s guidance, according to al-Nakhaleh. “This is a great and important issue, and without a doubt played a role in strengthening the Palestinian resistance.” adding that, “[Soleimani] did not train [the Palestinians] himself, obviously, but he gave instructions to the experts who supervised these matters.” The Quds Force, headed by Soleimani until his assassination in January 2020, is one of five branches in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, designated a terrorist organization by the US. Hamas, the PIJ and several smaller terror factions held a joint military drill in December, during which several rockets were fired toward the sea, in an effort to send a “clear message to the Zionist enemy.” … Hamas has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, when it expelled its rival Fatah following a bloody struggle for control of the coastal enclave. Israel has fought three wars against terror groups in the Strip since Hamas took control of the area, along with dozens of smaller exchanges of fire.”

Pressure can work, whether from the U.S. or Israel (or Russia or China if they so choose).  “Iran’s Zarif open to oil, Gulf security contacts with U.S., not on Israel,” Reuters, January 23, 2021.

“Germany Investigates Spy Activity in Europe Linked to Former Iranian Diplomat,” Asharq al-Awsat, January 23, 2021.  “The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence has a network of agents in Europe that are managed with the help of Iranian embassies, and the misuse of diplomatic capabilities.”

“Iran Quranic Community to Pay Tribute to Imam Khomeini,” IGNA, January 23, 2021.

“Iran to begin COVID-19 vaccinations in coming weeks: President Rouhani,” Reuters, January 23, 2021.

“Iran, Russia Discuss Completion Of North-South Corridor,” Tasnim, January 23, 2021.

“Iran to start projects for constructing 2 major petrochemical complexes,” MENAFM, January 23, 2021.

“Maduro sent letter to Iran’s leader accrediting US fugitive,” Joshuar Goodman, AP, Star Tribune, January 22, 2021.  Think about it—Venezuela attempted to designate one of its terrorists to serve as a diplomat, directing them directly toward the Supreme Leader.  “Maduro sent letter to Iran’s leader accrediting US fugitive,” Joshua Goodman, AP, ABC, January 22, 2021.

Based on the very recent article in this blog, the UN disagrees with Iran.  “U.S. blocking Iran’s payment of overdue UN membership fees, Zarif says,” Tehran Times, January 22, 2021.

Should have done this years ago.  “Twitter permanently banned an account believed to be linked to Iran’s supreme leader Friday after it posted a threatening image that included former President Donald Trump. The account, @khamenei_site, was linked to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s website, The Associated Press reported.”  See “Twitter Bans Account Linked To Iran’s Supreme Leader,” Dustin Jones, NPR, AP, January 22, 2021.

“You’ve got to at least admire the effort that was put into this. Iran’s supreme leader has threatened Donald Trump with assassination by posting a pretty high-quality drawing of a drone looming over the former president while he tarump teeing off with a drone shadow above him. It’s captioned with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks from December, in which he said “Revenge is certain” over the Trump-ordered killing of top Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani last year. No action has been taken against the tweet yet, even though it seems likely to have broken any number of the social-media’s company’s rules.”  See “Iran’s Supreme Leader Posts Drawing of Drone Strike on Golfing Trump FORE!,” Jamie Ross, Daily Beast, January 22, 2021.

“Iran, China to Continue Fight Against Donald Trump, Officials as Private Citizens,” David Brennan, Newsweek, January 22, 2021.

“Iran starts on Qeshm bitumen plant,” Argus, January 22, 2021.

“Iran: 33 Executions in Iran in the Past Month Alone,” NCRI, January 22, 2021.

How do you sue yourself?  “Iran’s president to sue state TV after guest called him ‘opium user’,” Ahmed Vahdat, Telegraph, January 22, 2021.

“Arab Coalition thwarts two terrorist attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militia,” Saudi Gazette, January 22, 2021.

Makes you wonder who else is doing the same thing inside America, working with the Iran Mission to the UN (who just complained last week about restrictions placed by the U.s. on their movement—now we know more).  This is the second article on this topic, but I’m including it hear because of the picture with the FM.  “Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the U.S. branch of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the MEK’s parent organization, said the move to arrest Afrasiabi and hold him to account was  “welcome and long overdue”, but warned that there are more like him across the U.S. “Unfortunately, for the past three decades, the Iranian regime has been running an extensive network of agents and operatives, many of them U.S. persons, in clear violation of American law. The impunity with which Tehran has run its emissaries in the United States had emboldened them,” Jafarzadeh said.”  See “FBI Arrests Tehran’s Agent,” Iran Focus, January 22, 2021.

Note that the chief diplomat for Iran says nothing of hostages, terror, missiles, or human rights violations.  Or the nuclear weapon program.  But Iran wants the U.S. to move first, and to return to the troubled JCPOA.  “Iran Wants the Nuclear Deal It Made,” Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, January 22, 2021.

Iran’s nuclear weapons program and the JCPOA are very much part of the reason to create this blog, as regular readers know or if you select the tabs on the blog to read about its history.  Here is a story at the start of the Biden Administration laying out some of the difficulties of treating with Iran through the JCPOA—the authors say “ Reviving the JCPOA will ensure either the emergence of a nuclear Iran or a desperate war to stop it.”  See “The Case Against the Iran Deal,” Michael Oren and Yossi Klein Halevi, The Atlantic, January 21, 2021.

It’s not Iran’s responsibility, it is apparently the responsibility of the U.S.  Shirking responsibility for one’s actions.  “Iran’s Rouhani says “ball in U.S. court” over nuclear dispute,” Parisa Hafezi, Reuters, January 20, 2021.

“Iranian Rights Groups Call on Khamenei to Allow Purchase of U.S. and UK COVID-19 Vaccines,” Center for Human Rights in Iran, January 20, 2021.

Let’s compare how Kaveh Afrasiabi is treated during detention and how Iran treats hostages.  “Tehran Denounces ‘Hostage Taking’ After Iranian Accused Of Being Agent Arrested in U.S.,” RFE/RL, January 20, 2021.

FM is heading to Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia, and Georgia.  “Iran’s Foreign Minister to visit Armenia next week,” Public Radio of Armenia, January 20, 2021.

Uh oh.  If you’re a political scientist who is on the Iran Government payroll, you should tell others who is paying your salary.  Otherwise you probably won’t be a supposedly unbiased commentator again or teach again at a college.  The other really interesting thing here is that the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of NY has emails from the defendant, Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi, one of which is to Foreign Minister Javad Zarif himself about these payments.  See “Political Scientist Author Charged With Acting As An Unregistered Agent Of The Iranian Government,” Press Release, Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, Tuesday, January 19, 2021.  The FM will, as is his practice, describe the email as a fabrication.  See also “Political scientist accused of secretly working for Iran,” Alanna Durkin Richer, AP, January 19, 2021.  This story reminds other political scientists about objectivity and openness and bias.

Not “in the news” today, but I’m posting this in the news section because it just came out, and is part of the long-standing historically unjustified position of the IRI to this day.  See “The Iran Coup That Never Dies,” RayTakeyh, Orbis, Winter Issue 2021, released January 19, 2021.  Here is the “Abstract:  The 1953 coup in Iran that toppled the nationalist Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq stands as one of the most controversial episodes of the Cold War. It is often referred to as the original sin where U.S. meddling poisoned relations between the two sides and even made the Islamist revolution of 1979 possible. But recent evidence suggests that America’s role in the coup was a minor one and the key actors determining the course of events were the Iranians themselves. It was Iranian generals, clerics and everyday citizens who put an end to Mossadeq’s premiership. All the Western lamentations aside, this was very much an Iranian affair.” See https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0030438720300697 for the article.

Iran leads the world by far in dues owed to the United Nations.  Diplomats who attend Iran-sponsored seminars and events in NYC need to remember this (peer pressure can have some affect).  Iran by far tops the list and needs to pay over $16 million.  See “UN chief says 9 African nations, Iran in arrears on UN dues,” Everything Lubbock, January 18, 2021.

And then they lost their vote.  “The UN charter calls for such a voting rights suspension for countries whose arrears equal or surpass the amount of the contributions due from them to UN coffers in the previous two years”  See “Iran, six other nations lose right to vote in UNGA over unpaid dues,” Business Standard, January 19, 2021.  Note the article records that Iran could not prove to the UN that it was incapable of paying, and that Iran’s blaming U.S. sanctions for blocking the Islamic Republic from paying its required contribution to the UN was also not convincing to the U.N.  Iran has the money.  “Iran, Turkey block rivals from joining U.N. disarmament talks,” Emma Farge, Reuters, January 19, 2021.

“Iran’s military kicked off a ground forces drill on Tuesday along the coast of the Gulf of Oman, state TV reported, the latest in a series of snap exercises that the country is holding amid escalating tensions over its nuclear program and Washington’s pressure campaign against Tehran. According to the report, commando units and airborne infantry were participating in the annual exercise, along with fighter jets, helicopters and military transport aircraft. Iran’s National Army chief Abdolrahim Mousavi was overseeing the drill.”  Not IRGC.  See “Iran Kicks Off Ground Forces Drill on Coast of Gulf of Oman,” Military.com, The Canadian Press, January 19, 2021.

“Iran Reportedly Seizes 45K Bitcoin Mining Machines After Closure of Illegal Operations,” Sebastian Sinclair, Yahoo Finance, January 18, 2021.  And a similar article reminding us that you reap what you sow—bitcoin production added to brownouts and blackouts.  “The Iranian police have confiscated some 45,000 bitcoin mining machines that were illegally using subsidized electricity.”  See “Iran Seizes Thousands Of Illicit Bitcoin Mining Machines,” January 18, 2021.

“Iran buys 16.8 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX: report,” Xinhua, January 18, 2021.

Notice how Russia seems to have Iran’s back in this article, only criticizing Israel for the conflict in Syria, and not asking anything of Iran.  This is one of the factors not resulting in Iran acting as a normal country.  See “Russia’s FM: Syria must not be an Israel-Iran battlefield,” Jerusalem Post, January 18, 2021.

It is fine for Al Thani to call for discussions, but will Qatar or Iran actually be willing to give anything up?  The basis for this call by Qatar is the recent partial reconciliation with Saudi Arabia in which Qatar gave up nothing according to media accounts.  “Qatar Says It’s Time Gulf Arabs Start Talks with Iran,” Simone Foxman, Bloomberg, January 18, 2021.

Remember, in every public statement and any negotiations, the first words from the U.S. representative each time should be “Release the Americans before anything else is discussed.  We’re waiting.”  Now Iranian-American Emad Shargi was summoned to a Tehran court Nov. 30 and informed he was convicted of espionage without a trial and sentenced to 10 years.  Three other Iranian-Americans are held hostage: Siamak Namazi, his aged father, Baquer, and Morad Tahbaz.  The hostage taking continues.  See “Iran jails U.S. businessman, possibly jeopardizing Biden’s plans for diplomacy with Tehran,” Dan De Luce, NBC, January 17, 2021.

This reads almost like a headline out of The Onion.  “Iran asks watchdog not to publish ‘unnecessary’ nuclear details,” AP, Stars and Stripes, January 17, 2021.

There’s good reason(s) to not let Iran’s diplomats have the same free reign that other countries’ diplomats have on U.S. soil.  And, under international law, host countries (and countries that host international forums) have every right and legal authority to limit such things as diplomatic travel due to national security, espionage, and worse.  This news article does not explain that or detail Iran’s past actions in NYC, D.C., etc.  “Iran warns Washington to stop “illegal actions” against diplomats on U.S. soil,” Xinhua, January 17, 2021.