Let's talk Iran - March 1, 2021
Protests in SE Iran are just the tip of the iceberg
Five days of protests by locals in Sistan-Baluchestan, Iran’s most impoverished province, shows how volatile Iran is. The Mostaghel state-run daily wrote on Feb 23 that Iranians would use “weapons & explosives” to counter the regime in future protests. LINK
Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan: the abandoned province
Locals Sistan & Baluchestan province have no option but to rise & defend their dignity. It is their right to protest & in recent days Iranians from across the country are showing their support & solidarity. LINK
Protests in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan: Overview and Origins
People across Iran have expressed solidarity with the risen people of Sistan & Baluchistan province. The resulting uprising & national unity have terrified the regime’s leaders. LINK
Time for U.S. diplomacy with Iran is over
The U.S. must not fall into the trap of seeking to appease Iran's mullahs by lifting sanctions. Instead they should punish the regime for its human rights violations, support for terrorism & ongoing nuclear weapons drive. LINK
EU Business Forum Legitimizes Iran’s Terror-Supporting Regime
Western permissiveness has only emboldened Iran's regime, and the Business Forum promises to give Tehran the impression that even in the wake of a foiled terror plot in the heart of Europe, nothing has changed. LINK
NUCLEAR
Europeans push IAEA Iran resolution despite warnings by Russia, Tehran
Britain, France and Germany are pressing ahead with a U.S.-backed plan for a resolution by the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s board criticizing Iran for curbing cooperation with the agency, despite Russian and Iranian warnings of serious consequences.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors is holding a quarterly meeting this week against the backdrop of faltering efforts to revive Iran’s nuclear deal with major powers now that U.S. President Joe Biden is in office. LINK
1,800 former IDF officers, Mossad agents urge Biden not to reenter Iran deal
“What is needed is not to succumb to the false brinkmanship and nuclear blackmail of Iran, and to use the maximum pressure sanctions to demand Iran accept a more effective deal that will not include sunset clauses, and will guarantee that Iran shall never have the capability to produce nuclear weapons. A deal that dismantles the military nuclear facilities, provides for real inspections anywhere anytime, limits enrichment for a very long time or prevents it and takes care of delivery systems (ballistic missiles).” LINK
Former Iranian Hostage Says Obama Payments to Iran Led to His Arrest
Xiyue Wang, a Chinese-American academic who was freed in 2019 by the Trump administration, said in a recent interview that Iran viewed the Obama administration's 2016 decision to send the country nearly $2 billion in cash as a signal that hostage-taking could lead to sanctions relief. LINK
Netanyahu blames Iran for blast on Israeli-owned ship which Tehran denies
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran is clearly responsible for the attack targeting an Israeli-owned ship in the Gulf of Oman last week. The vehicle-carrier MV Helios Ray was hit between Thursday night and Friday morning by a blast above the water line that a U.S. official said ripped holes in both sides of its hull. An Israeli official said limpet mines were used. LINK
HUMAN RIGHTS
Ahwazi Arab political prisoner tortured and executed in southwest Iran
Iran's authorities executed political prisoner Jasem Heydari of the Ahwazi Arab minority along with three other inmates on Sunday, February 28. The regime seeks to prevent escalation of popular protests through executions & social crackdown. LINK
Kachouii Prison authorities deny medical treatment to Monireh Arabshahi
Latest reports indicate Iran authorities are refusing to grant medical leave to Monireh Arabshahi who is suffering from thyroid malfunction & needs to undergo an operation. This is torture. LINK
ECONOMY
Iran's oil exports drop in February - consultant SVB
Iran’s crude oil exports dropped by about 238,000 barrels per day in February, according to an assessment by consultant SVB International provided to Reuters. The estimate is the second to suggest a rise in Iranian shipments ran out of steam last month. Must be quite damning for Tehran during the Biden era when they expected sanctions reliefs. LINK
An Overview of Iran’s Complicated Crises
Iran’s economic collapse and its direct effects on political, living, environmental, educational, immigrational affairs have become the main talking points inside the country and abroad. LINK