Let's talk Iran - Feb 20, 2021
NUCLEAR
U.S. says it won't bow to pressure from Iran on more sanctions relief before potential talks
The United States plans to take no additional actions in response to pressure from Iran before talks with Tehran and major powers about returning to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the White House said on Friday. LINK
U.N. nuclear chief arrives in Iran ahead of deadline
The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog Saturday arrived in Tehran ahead of Iran’s plan for partly suspending inspections by the agency to the country’s nuclear facilities. Rafael Grossi will meet a series of senior Iranian officials. LINK
U.S.-Iran Standoff Shows Difficulty of Salvaging Nuclear Deal
"A senior European diplomat said there’s now a realistic chance of a breakthrough but cautioned that a lot will depend on what steps Iran is willing to take, noting that Tehran has so far not given a strong signal that it wants to come back into compliance." LINK
Biden’s Art of the Iran Concession
President Biden’s stronger relationship with allies and partners could give him an advantage over Donald Trump in foreign affairs. But his Iran strategy will test whether appeasement with friends produces better outcomes than standing strong alone. LINK
Biden's Bid to Revive Iran Nuclear Deal Faces Long Road, Should Involve US Pressure, Analysts Say
Biden should use the financial leverage that Trump built with tightened U.S. sanctions to indefinitely restricts Iran’s uranium enrichment and other nuclear activities that it could weaponize. LINK
Retaliatory Arrests Underscore Iran’s Exploitation of Weak European Policy
It was recently revealed that two Europeans—a German citizen & an Iranian-French dual national—were arrested in #Iran sometime before the February 4 conviction on terrorism charges for a high-ranking Iranian diplomat. LINK
HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran hanged an already-dead woman, says lawyer
An Iranian lawyer said Friday that prison authorities hanged his female client despite suffering a heart attack and dying moments before the sentence was carried out. Iran has the highest number of executions in the world after China. It has executed 42 people since the beginning of this year. LINK
Zahra Esmaili was a victim of domestic violence and had murdered her husband in self-defense. Her husband, a high ranking intel official frequently battered her. LINK
Intl Community Should Not Ignore Increasing Human Rights Violations in Iran
Dozens of recent executions in Iran are a sign of deteriorating human rights. On Feb 17, the regime hanged at least seven people, including a woman identified as Zahra Esmaili, the 114th woman executed during the "moderate" Hassan Rouhani’s tenure. LINK
Mother language in Iran another aspect of injustice against minority communities
Regime restricts cultural & political activities among ethnic minorities. Several activists have been detained for taking part in peaceful cultural gatherings. LINK
TERRORISM
Iranian-backed militias likely behind deadly rocket attack on U.S.-led base, experts say
Recent attack on Irbil in northern Iraq bore the telltale signs of militias supported by Iran, with tactics, weapons and online posts that resembled previous assaults on U.S. targets in Iraq. LINK
UK Lawmakers Call for Maximum Pressure on Iran’s Regime for Its Terrorism
Mr. Bob Blackman, Member of Parliament from the United Kingdom, issued a statement on February 19, on behalf of the International Committee of Parliamentarians for a Democratic Iran, condemning the European Union’s inaction in the face of the Iranian regime’s state-sponsored terrorism, mainly after a court in Belgium on February 4 convicted Iran’s diplomat-terrorist Assadollah Assadi to 20 years in prison for his attempt to bomb an opposition rally in 2018 in France. LINK
Yemen's most stable city threatened by Houthi takeover
Houthi militias have renewed their military campaign to take over Marib, Yemen. Nadwa al-Dawsari, a scholar at the Middle East Institute, tells The World what’s at stake with this new push to take control of Marib. More reason why the Iran-backed Houthis should be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). LINK
Yemen: Houthi militias use refugees as 'human shields'
Yemen's gov accuses Iran-backed Houthi militias of using civilians as human shields in their renewed offensive against a strategically important mountainous region in the north. The Houthis want to capture the oil-rich city of Marib to strengthen their hand in eventual peace talks. LINK
ECONOMY
State-Run Media: Regime’s Mismanagement Drives Iran’s Economy Crazy
Iran’s state-run media acknowledge the country’s economic crisis and its various aspects. The core message of all these articles is that Iran’s economy is collapsing due to the regime’s institutionalized corruption & wrong policies. LINK
DOMESTIC ISSUES
Locals protest downplay of earthquake damage following 5.6 earthquake in SW Iran
The earthquake rocked the southwestern city of Sisakht and surrounding villages on the evening of February 17. State-run news agencies announced 64 injuries yesterday, 25 of which were transferred to hospitals. The earthquake affected a diameter of 10km from its epicenter. LINK
