Let's talk Iran - Feb 9, 2021
NUCLEAR
Iran may pursue nuclear weapon, intel minister warns West
Iran’s intelligence minister has warned the West that his country could push for a nuclear weapon if crippling international sanctions on Tehran remain in place, state television reported Tuesday. LINK
Iran, N. Korea resumed missile collaboration in 2020: UN report
Iran & North Korea resumed cooperation on the development of long-range missiles in 2020, according to a UN report, including the transfer of critical parts, with the most recent shipment associated with this relationship taking place in 2020. LINK
Tehran is only months away from producing a nuclear weapon: US Secretary Blinken
As for a new Iran deal, Blinken doubled down on repeated comments made by him and other Biden administration officials. “If Iran returns to compliance with its obligations under the nuclear agreement, we would do the same thing, and then we would work with our allies and partners to try to build a longer and stronger agreement,” Blinken said.
He added that Washington would also bring in some of “these other issues,” such as Iran’s ballistic missile programs and its proxies around the region. LINK
Senator Torricelli: Biden admin has some serious thinking to do when it comes to negotiations with Iran’s regime.
On February 4, a court in Belgium convicted Iran’s diplomat-terrorist Assadollah Assadi to 20 years in prison for his attempt to bomb the opposition rally in 2018 in Paris. Assadi’s arrest, his case, particularly how he used its diplomatic privileges to spread terrorism in Europe confirmed how the regime’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its diplomats are involved in terrorism. In other words, the 2018 bomb plot showed the regime’s state-sponsored terrorism. LINK
Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and Embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit Enter Arabian Gulf
After the USS Nimitz was ordered home, the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island along with the guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal and dry cargo ship USNS Carl Brashear transited the Strait of Hormuz, entering the Persian Gulf on February 8. LINK
TERRORISM
Tehran’s state terror has reached Europe – is the West ready to confront it?
Last week a Belgian federal court gave its verdict on the prosecution of a high-ranking Iranian diplomat, Assadollah Assadi for terrorism. Assadi was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The question now is what an appropriate response is for Western governments on both sides of the Atlantic?
The scale and extent of Iran's terror network is deeply concerning. The 2018 Paris terror plot shows how misguided it is to offer reconciliation with Tehran. LINK
US will maintain pressure on Iran-backed Houthis: State Department
The U.S. will “keep up” pressure on the Iran-backed Houthi militia, the State Department said Monday. “The Houthis are malign actors,” State Dept. spokesperson Ned Price told reporters, adding that their conduct was “reprehensible.” LINK
HUMAN RIGHTS
Execution of a young woman in the Prison of Ardabil, NW Iran
Execution of a young woman in Ardabil prison, northwest Iran, marks the execution of the 113th woman during the "moderate" President Hassan Rouhani’s tenure. The unidentified young woman, 23, was executed at dawn on Monday. She had been imprisoned for five years. LINK
Iran: The Number of Executions in January Reached 27
The regime’s recent inhumane actions show Iran’s deteriorating human rights violations and require an international effort to prevent the regime from mistreating Iranians. LINK
20-year-old Kurd man killed under torture in Tehran
Confession under torture is not credible evidence even based on Iran's laws. Yet many have been forced to confess to crimes they did not commit and are then given heavy prison terms. Reports show torture during interrogation leading to deaths. LINK
Iran sentences 8 Bahais to 14 years of prison in southern city
Eight Bahai men & women in southeast Iran are sentenced to a total of 14 years of prison for following the banned religion. The persecution of Iran’s Bahais is still ongoing with dozens of Bahais languishing in prisons throughout Iran. LINK
Genius Iranian students remain in solitary confinement after 10 months
Ten months on, elite Iranian students Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi are still detained in the Intel Ministry Ward 209 of Iran’s notorious Evin Prison without trial. Reports indicate Ali Younesi had been under pressure to make televised false confessions. LINK
ECONOMY
Iranian Workers’ Salaries Don’t Reach the Poverty Line
Nowadays, officials frequently speak about the “erosion of the state’s social capital,” meaning public distrust toward the entire ruling system. This distrust appears in the shape of constant social and economic protests, which have engulfed the whole country today. This may ignite Iran’s powder keg every moment and bring fundamental changes in this country. LINK
Iran’s Economic Crisis: Sanctions or the Regime, Which One To Blame?
Iran’s economic crisis has been at the center of attention of both domestic and foreign media. While the regime and its apologists try to blame sanctions, a closer look at the facts on the ground proves the regime is the real source of Iran’s economic crisis. LINK