Let's talk Iran - April 21, 2021
NUCLEAR
Congressional GOP Introduces Largest Package of Iran Sanctions in History
Congressional Republicans unveiled on Wednesday what they described as the largest package of Iran sanctions in history, a largely symbolic move meant to handicap the Biden administration's diplomacy with Tehran and send a message that GOP lawmakers will not roll over as crippling economic sanctions on the hardline regime are lifted. LINK
U.S.-Israel tensions bubble up as Iran talks progress
As nuclear talks in Vienna enter a critical stage, the gaps and suspicions over Iran between the Israeli government and the Biden administration are growing. LINK
Israel says Iranian missile could have 5,000 km range
A ballistic missile based on Iran’s new Zoljanah satellite launch vehicle would be able to carry a 1 ton warhead 5,000 km, according to an estimate of the rocket’s capabilities that Israel submitted to the UN Security Council in a letter dated 7 April. LINK
Iran Is a Daily Threat as U.S. Dominance Wanes, General Says
Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen have launched more than 150 ballistic missile, cruise missile and drone attacks against military, infrastructure and civilian targets in Saudi Arabia since January.
And the State Dept. revoked their terror designation. LINK
U.S. says Iran support to Yemen's Houthis 'significant, lethal'
Iran's support for Yemen's Houthi militia is "quite significant and lethal" and there is no real evidence that Tehran wants to support a constructive resolution to the conflict.
Question: So why did the State Dept. revoke the Houthis' terrorist designation? LINK
INSIDE IRAN
Protests Continue Across Iran as Economic Crises Deepen
As economic problems deepen in Iran, protests from all walks of life continue across the country. Iranians consider the regime’s wrong policies and corruption as the real reason for their problems. LINK
Watch the leading role of Iranian women in protests across Iran
Teachers, farmers, and defrauded investors held protests in Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, Mashhad, and Ardabil, among others. Again, Iranian women played their leading role in these protests. LINK
A Precise Point About the Situation in Iran
Iran's society is in turmoil, and all signs suggest the situation is ripe for an uprising nationwide protests that rattle the regime to its core.
“There are all kinds of grievances in our country, and these should be removed, not aggregated. If they are aggregated, they will make problems for us. A new revolution must be prevented in the country. This polarization of social relations becomes a revolutionary situation if it intensifies too much.” (Etemad Online website quoting Hamid Reza Jalaeipour, April 16, 2021) LINK
Iran’s Suicide Cases on the Rise
As more Iranians, particularly women, feel increasingly helpless in the face of so many crises and societal issues, suicide rates in Iran are going up. LINK
Fuel carrier killed by Iran’s IRGC forces in southeastern border region
An annual report by the Baloch Activists Campaign said that at least 46 fuel carriers were killed by the IRGC and the state security forces in 2020. LINK
Iran-China agreement impact on domestic, regional environment
Iran’s regime has also granted Chinese companies a fishing license on Iranian maritime borders in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, emphasizing that the presence of Chinese fishing vessels in the southern waters of Iran began in 2015. LINK