Let's talk Iran - September 13, 2021
UN nuclear watchdog chief on Iran
-Iran not answering key questions
-major concerns remain over nuclear material in undeclared locations
-safeguard issues regarding four locations remain unresolved
-Iran has provided no promises
-IAEA activities being undermined
And Biden/Europe continue to appease Iran. LINK
Iran escapes rebuke at IAEA despite no 'promise' on open questions
"Western powers on Monday scrapped plans for a resolution criticizing Iran at the U.N. atomic watchdog after Tehran agreed to prolong monitoring of some nuclear activities, even though the watchdog said Iran made no 'promise' on another key issue… Iran played its cards well. The promise to continue high-level discussions on the outstanding issues managed to deflate the pressure for a resolution, even if what Grossi brought back from Tehran was pitifully little."
During a last-minute visit to Tehran this weekend by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, Iran agreed to grant his agency overdue access to its equipment in Iran that monitors some sensitive areas of its nuclear program. Inspectors will swap out memory cards more than two weeks after they were due to be replaced.
Grossi said on Sunday that the agreement solved "the most urgent issue" between the IAEA and Iran. He made clear on Monday, however, that on another source of concern - Iran's failure to explain uranium traces found at several old but undeclared sites - he had obtained no firm commitments.
"I did not receive any promise," Grossi told a news conference when asked about the uranium traces, the first of which were found more than two years ago at a site in Tehran that Iran has described as a carpet-cleaning facility.
More Biden/Europe appeasement vis-a-vis Iran. LINK
Why Iran’s 1988 Massacre Still Matters
Today, as in 1988, Iran is defined by authoritarian brutality and the people’s resilience.
“It would be difficult to overstate the dismay I felt when Ebrahim Raisi was inaugurated as the next president of Iran , last month. It was a harsh reminder of seeing him as a member of the “Death Commission” in the 1988 massacre of thirty thousand political prisoners,” a survivor of Iran's 1988 massacre recalls the horrifying details of over 30,000 inmates being executed in just three months. LINK
Iran: Whether International or Unilateral, Ebrahim Raisi Must Face Prosecution for Genocide
Unless the West is committed to arresting Raisi and putting him on trial under universal jurisdiction, then their first steps should be to deny him legitimacy on the world stage while pushing for a formal commission of inquiry into Iran's 1988 massacre. LINK
Time To Hold Iran Regime To Account For 1988 Massacre Of Dissidents
In the summer of 1988, while living as a refugee in France, I received an alarming phone call from my father, who was a lawyer in Iran.
"All the families are worried about their loved ones languishing in prison," he said. "Visits have been banned for the past month. Still no news about your brother. They say the regime is eliminating all prisoners. It's unbelievable." LINK
One year after executing Navid Afkari, Iran’s regime continues to harass his family
Elham and Saeed, two of Navid Afkari’s siblings, were stopped by Iran's security forces as they were heading to his grave in his native village of Sangar, Fars province. The two were beaten by security forces. Saeed was arrested and released later. LINK
Iran: Mother of Navid Afkari appeals to the world over the fate of her sons
“One year past [Navid's execution], my [other sons] Vahid and Habib have been confined in solitary. The authorities have told Vahid to speak out against his brother as a condition for his release.” LINK
Kurd political prisoner killed under torture in NW Iran
A Kurd political prisoner was killed under torture today in an Intelligence Ministry detention center in Piranshahr northwestern Iran. According to Kurdish human rights groups, the man was identified as 31-year-old Yasser Mangouri, who worked as a lathe operator. Yasser was married and father to three children. According to the Human Rights Monitor Annual report, at least four prisoners were killed because of torture and ill-treatment in Iranian prisons in 2020. LINK
Article: Women are leading the battle for Iran’s future
Thousands of resistance units, small teams of activists, continue to carry out acts of defiance against the regime. More Iranians are turning their efforts, struggles and attention to defying the regime and establishing a free, inclusive and democratic government, with women playing a leading role in the future. That prospect will not only transform Iran’s political landscape, but also bodes well for a region threatened by the Tehran regime, and the resurgence of misogynist and fundamentalist forces. LINK
Iran training terror groups to operate advanced UAVs
Iran is training militias from various countries to operate advanced unmanned aerial vehicles at Kashan Base, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Sunday.
Gantz, who was speaking at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism Policy at Reichman University in Herzilya, said that the Islamic Republic is training militias from Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and Syria at the airbase north of the city of Isfahan and is trying to teach them how to manufacture Iranian drones. LINK
N. Korea tests first 'strategic' cruise missile with possible nuclear capability
North Korea has tested its latest cruise missile, reportedly hitting a target at a distance of about 1500 km. The latest test highlighted steady progress in Pyongyang's weapons program amid a gridlock over talks aimed at dismantling the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programs in return for U.S. sanctions relief. More signs of Biden/Europe's appeasement emboldening dictatorships. LINK
