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Following a U.S. strike on a Syrian air
base, Iran has sought to buttress ties with a key ally: Russia. On
Saturday, several Iranian military officials and diplomats discussed
the conflict in Syria with Russian counterparts, after dozens of U.S.
Tomahawk cruise missile strikes on Thursday targeted the Shayrat
Airfield near Homs, Syria The U.S. strikes marked the first time
during Syria's civil war that the U.S. directly targeted the regime
of Iran's close ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and
represented the most significant display of American military force
under President Donald Trump. The Syrian regime has remained defiant.
Its warplanes continued to take off from the Shayrat Airfield on
Friday following hasty repairs there, according to the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based monitoring group.
A statement released by "the joint
command operation center of Syrian allies," a group that
includes Russia and Iran, warned the U.S. against further military
actions in the war-torn country, following a missile strike on a
Syrian air base last week. Referring to its defense of Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad's regime, the group warned that they would
support Syria and its people "with all means that we have."
"The United States crossed red lines by attacking Syria, from
now on we will respond to anyone, including America if it attacks
Syria and crosses the red lines," the statement read.
"America knows very well our ability and capabilities to respond
well to them, [and] we will respond without taking into consideration
any reaction and consequences." The statement did not include
critical details like what kind of military operation would cross
such a red line, or what kind of response would be made on the part
of Syria and its allies, but noted that they would work to
"liberate" Syria from occupation.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on
Saturday that "terrorists" were applauding his US
counterpart Donald Trump for launching a missile strike on an airbase
of his Syrian government ally. But he backed calls for an independent
inquiry into a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held town
in northwestern Syria on Tuesday that Trump blamed on the Damascus
regime. "This man who is now in office in America claimed that
he wanted to fight terrorism but today all terrorists in Syria are
celebrating the US attack," Rouhani said in a speech aired by
state television. "Why have you attacked the Syrian army which
is at war with terrorists? Under what law or authority did you launch
your missiles at this independent country?" Iran and Russia are
the closest allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
NUCLEAR & BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAM
Iran on Sunday celebrated the National
Nuclear Technology Day with an exhibition of the latest
accomplishments of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, which
included devices jointly produced with international partners. In a
separate ceremony on Sunday, President Hassan Rouhani lifted the
curtain on two nuclear-related products, a stone centrifuge and a
high temperature condensate pump, his official website reported. The
machine is used for oilfield exploration and the pump will be
deployed in Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in southern Iran. Three nuclear
centers were also inaugurated by Rouhani through a video linkup: one
for the production and development of nuclear medicine in Alborz
Province; another designed to host industrial irradiation in Qazvin
Province; and one for upgrading uranium ore in Yazd Province.The president also visited the AEOI
exhibition and was briefed by experts of Iran's atomic industry on
their advancements.
Iran's nuclear chief highlighted the
positive developments following the 2015 nuclear agreement, citing
among other things the recent injection of uranium gas into Iran's
latest generation of centrifuge machines. The landmark accord between
Iran and P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council
plus Germany) has been in effect since January 2016 to scale down
Tehran's nuclear work in return for relief from international
sanctions. The interim curbs on the nuclear program included a pledge
to keep the uranium stockpile under 300 kg of up to 367% enriched
uranium hexafluoride, also known as UF6, the form in which uranium
can be enriched in centrifuges. The Atomic Energy Organization of
Iran released a statement in late January, announcing that it had
begun injecting UF6 into advanced IR-8 centrifuges. AEOI Director Ali
Akbar Salehi has said the process has advanced more smoothly than
expected.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS
Iran's exiled crown prince wants a
revolution. Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah to rule before the
1979 Islamic Revolution, has seen his profile rise in recent months
following the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, who promises a
harder line against the Shiite power. Pahlavi's calls for replacing
clerical rule with a parliamentary monarchy, enshrining human rights
and modernizing its state-run economy could prove palatable to both
the West and Iran's Sunni Gulf neighbors, who remain suspicious of
Iran's intentions amid its involvement in the wars in Iraq, Syria and
Yemen. But the Mideast is replete with cautionary tales about Western
governments putting their faith in exiles long estranged from their
homelands. Whether Pahlavi can galvanize nostalgia for the age of the
Peacock Throne remains unseen.
American runner Charlie Barkowski had
everything lined up ahead of what would've been his 52nd marathon on
Friday. He had a flight picked out; his hotel was ready; he looked
forward to revisiting some of the same cafes and sites he had seen in
2013 when he first traveled to Iran. On Tuesday, however, Barkowski,
who currently lives in Greece, learned he wouldn't be getting a visa
for his second trip. I was literally ready to go to the airport and
get my visa in Athens," the 35-year-old told The Washington Post
on Friday, just hours after what was being billed as Iran's first
marathon in Tehran had concluded. "It was kind of sad," he
said, noting that because he remained on the email list of
participants he had seen photographs of the event, as well as the
medals each entrant received. "I'm sorry I couldn't participate."
BUSINESS RISK
Iran's top security body is still
reviewing the Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) model, Oil Minister Bijan
Zanganeh was quoted as saying on Sunday, as the contracts aimed at
attracting foreign investors appear to face fresh delays. In January,
Iran named 29 companies from more than a dozen countries as being
allowed to bid for oil and gas projects under the IPC, which Tehran
hopes will boost production after years of sanctions. But the IPC
model has been delayed several times due to opposition from hardline
rivals of President Hassan Rouhani. "The new oil contracts
(IPCs) are currently being reviewed by the Supreme National Security
Council," Zanganeh told parliament, the students' news agency
ISNA reported. Zanganeh did not elaborate or say how long the review
might take, ISNA and other agencies reported.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on Sunday said
a new multi-billion dollar deal between Boeing and an Iranian airline
"should be canceled." "We should be increasing
sanctions significantly on Iranian and Russian interests that are
helping Assad. In particular, this Boeing deal should be
canceled," Rubio said. Last week, Boeing said it had agreed to
sell $3 billion in airplanes to an Iranian airline, though President
Trump could thwart the deal. Rubio also said Sunday he is
"concerned" about the Trump administration's Syria strategy
following Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's comments about tackling
the Islamic State before stabilizing Bashar Assad's country. The
Foreign Relations Committee member is worried that new comments by
Tillerson do not take the necessary steps against helping Syria and
its allies.
SANCTIONS RELIEF
IranAir may get its first new Boeing
jetliner a year earlier than expected under a deal to take jets
originally bought by cash-strapped Turkish Airlines, Iranian media
and industry sources said. Iran had been expected to receive the
first of 80 aircraft ordered from the U.S. planemaker in April 2018,
but at least one brand-new aircraft is reported to be sitting unused
because it is no longer needed by the Turkish carrier. Industry
sources said Boeing was in negotiations to release at least one
777-300ER originally built for Turkish Airlines, which is deferring
deliveries due to weaker traffic following last year's failed coup
attempt in Turkey. Boeing said it never comments on talks with customers.
The airlines involved were not immediately available for comment.
Iran's Deputy Roads and Urban Development Minister Asghar
Fakhrieh-Kashan told the semi-official Mehr news agency the first
Boeing 777 aircraft would reach Tehran within a month. It would be
the first new U.S.-built jet delivered to Iran since the 1979 Islamic
revolution.
Iran will cut some benefits to Indian
state-run refiners on crude purchases after the South Asian country
decided to reduce the amount of oil it buys from the Persian Gulf
nation, people with knowledge of the matter said. National Iranian
Oil Co. will cut the credit period on crude oil sales to 60 days from
90 days for refiners such as Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals
Ltd. and Indian Oil Corp., the people said, asking not be
identified as the matter isn't public yet. Iran will also reduce the
discounts it offers on the shipping of crude to 60 percent from 80
percent, they added. The lower incentives will make Iranian purchases
costlier and less competitive in a world awash with crude oil where
rivals such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq are seeking to expand their
market share. Iran's crude sales to India more than doubled in 2016
after the lifting of sanctions over its nuclear program. India is
Iran's second biggest customer and the emerging center of global oil
demand.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Jordan's Foreign and Expatriates Affairs
Ministry summoned on Sunday the Iranian ambassador to Jordan, Mojtaba
Ferdosipour, and protested the remarks made by an Iranian foreign
ministry spokesperson against Amman and its leadership. In a
statement issued on Sunday, the foreign ministry said the comments
delivered by the Iranian foreign ministry official "reflected a
failed attempt to distort the pivotal role of Jordan in pursuing
regional security and stability, fighting terrorism, countering
attempts to sow strife or using Arab causes for own benefit."
The ministry stressed that Iran should adhere to a good neighborly
relationship with Arab countries, non-interference in their affairs
and show respect for international conventions and norms in its
action and approach towards Arab countries, Petra news agency said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi had said last week
that the Jordanian king made a "strategic mistake" in
defining terrorism.
SYRIA CONFLICT
Syrian state media says President Bashar
Assad has spoken with his Iranian counterpart following last week's
U.S. missile strike on a Syrian air base. Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani called the strike on Friday a "blatant violation"
of Syrian sovereignty and affirmed his country's support for Assad's
government. Assad accused the U.S of trying to boost the morale of
"terror groups" in Syria. The government refers to all those
fighting against it as terrorists. The U.S. says the strike was in
response to a nerve gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan
Sheikhoun last week, which has been widely blamed on government
forces. The Syrian government has denied using chemical weapons. Iran
has provided crucial military and economic assistance to Assad
throughout the six-year civil war.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Fears are growing for a jailed
journalist and political activist whose health has deteriorated
sharply after 30 days on hunger strike, said Amnesty International.
Hengameh Shahidi, 41, who has a pre-existing heart condition, went on
hunger strike on 9 March in protest at her arbitrary arrest that day.
She is in a critical condition in Tehran's Evin prison where she is
being held in solitary confinement. She has also stopped taking her
medication and is refusing intravenous fluids. "Hengameh
Shahidi's arbitrary arrest and detention shows again the Iranian
authorities' utter contempt for human rights. They must release her
immediately and unconditionally as she appears to be held solely for
exercising her rights to freedom of expression and association,"
said Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East
and North Africa at Amnesty International.
Over two hundred female participants of
Tehran's first international marathon were barred from jogging the
streets and forced to run a short distance in a closed-off stadium
away from their male counterparts. While men ran through Iran's
capital in the morning, women were allowed to run just 10 kilometres (six
miles) in Azadi stadium in the afternoon with no male spectators or
officials permitted. Many were baffled by the move, since there are
no rules against men and women running together in Iran and joggers
of both sexes are often seen in parks and public areas.
DOMESTIC POLITICS
Hardline Shi'ite cleric Ebrahim Raisi
announced on Sunday he would run in Iran's May presidential election,
challenging moderate President Hassan Rouhani's economic record and
his policy of detente with the West. The former prosecutor-general
may struggle for recognition among voters though analysts say Raisi,
thanks to the support he enjoys from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, could pose a real challenge to Rouhani's bid for a second
term. Raisi has faulted Iran's economic performance under Rouhani and
his pursuit of detente that in 2015 yielded a landmark deal with
world powers under which Tehran curbed its disputed nuclear program
in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. "People are asking why
despite all our resources and human talents ...our country is in this
situation," Raisi said in a statement published by Iranian news
agencies.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called
on Saturday for an impartial probe of this week's suspected chemical
weapons attack in Syria and warned that U.S. missile strikes in
response risked escalating extremism in the region. Washington
accused the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of the
attack and on Friday launched cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase
that the Pentagon said was involved. "We are asking for an
impartial international fact-finding body to be set up... to find out
where these chemical weapons came from," Iran's Rouhani said in
a speech on Saturday. Tehran is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's
main regional ally and has provided military and economic support for
his fight against rebel groups and Islamic State militants. While the
Syrian opposition applauded the U.S. cruise missile attack on the
airbase near Homs, it said it should not be a one-off and was not
enough on its own to stop government warplanes from hitting
rebel-held areas.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani defended
his economic record in a press conference Monday but stopped short of
formally announcing his candidacy for next month's presidential
election. Rouhani pushed back against criticism from conservatives
over his economic performance, saying there had been measurable
improvements in agriculture, healthcare, energy and internet
coverage, especially in villages and poor suburbs. He also focused on
his key achievement, a nuclear deal with world powers that ended some
sanctions in return for limits to Iran's atomic program. "In
every aspect that you consider, figures tell us that after the
(nuclear deal), there is more space for movement and progress,"
he said. Rouhani is expected to run for a second term on May 19, but
said this press conference was "not about elections".
OPINION & ANALYSIS
A consensus has developed in Washington
for some "push back" against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Democrats and Republicans would be well-advised to learn from the
Cold War: Don't compromise the battle on the ground for fear of
compromising arms control. We should contain and roll back Iran and
its growing army of proxy militias. We should target the clerical
regime's Achilles' heel - popular disgust with theocracy. Human
rights ought to be a priority for American Iran policy.
Iran's presidential election will be
held on May 19th. Many in the West are interested to
know if the so-called "reformist" Hassan Rouhani, the
incumbent, will be reelected, or will he be replaced by a candidate
of the "hardliners"? And will Iran head towards real change
following this presidential election? Ever since the current
theocracy rose to power back in 1979, the mullahs established an
Islamic caliphate or "Islamic state" and brought to life
one of the most ruthless and repressive dictatorships in modern
history. Despite such a characteristic, they continue to hold
presidential elections. The 38-year history of this regime and
structure clearly shows nothing will change in this theocracy with
Rouhani being reelected, or a new face like Ebrahim Raisi, the new
candidate who was appointed as a member of the "Death
Commission" tasked to supervise the 1988 massacre of thousands
of political prisoner, taking over. The question is why don't
elections render any changes in Iran's religious dictatorship, and
why does this regime even resort to holding elections?
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