[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Iran and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Iran Page co-editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each roundup to Iran@Jadaliyya.com.]
Crisis in the Gulf
Inquiry into oil tanker attacks stops short of blaming Iran (7 June)
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Norway presented preliminary findings to the United Nations Security Council concerning the attacks on four oil tankers in the Gulf last month. Though the United States and Saudi Arabia have claimed that Iran was behind the attacks, the United Arab Emirates remained publicly indecisive.
Two tankers struck in apparent attack in Gulf of Oman (13 June)
An oil tanker and a tanker transporting a cargo of chemicals were attacked in the Gulf of Oman. The crew of the USS Bainbridge reported seeing an unexploded limpet mine on one of the ships. Limpet mines were also suspected to have been behind the attacks in the Gulf in May. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of being behind the attacks, though offered no evidence supporting his claim. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the attacks were “suspicious.”
Trump administration steps up efforts to show Iran carried out tanker attacks (14 June)
US Central Command released grainy footage that apparently depicted someone attempting to remove an unexploded mine from one of the tankers, claiming that it proved Iran was behind the attacks. President Trump disseminated Central Command’s accusation through mass and social media circuits.
Japanese oil tanker owner disagrees with US military that a mine caused blast near Iran (14 June)
Yutaka Katada, president of the shipping company Kokuka Sangyo, contradicted Central Command, claiming that they had received reports that their tanker had been struck by a flying projectile.
Independent intelligence experts cast doubt on the Trump Administration’s claim that Iran was behind the attacks in the Gulf. William Church, former military investigator of the UN Security Council, recalled that the United States lied about a North Vietnamese attack on a US Navy Ship in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964 prior to the Vietnam War and, more recently, lied about weapons of mass destruction prior to the Iraq War.
Pompeo Says 'There's No Doubt' Iran Attacked 2 Tankers (16 June)
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo doubled down on his claim that Iran was behind the attacks in the Gulf. The US military also accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp of attempting to shoot down a US drone that was surveilling one of the tankers.
US releases new images from suspected attacks on Gulf tankers (18 June)
The US military released new images to further support their claim that Iran was behind the attacks.
Tehran fumes as Britain seizes Iranian oil tanker over Syria sanctions (3 July)
British Royal Marines seized an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar for attempting to export oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions.
Saudi Arabia holds Iranian oil tanker in Jeddah (5 July)
Saudi Arabia is holding an Iranian oil tanker in the Port of Jeddah after it docked there for emergency repairs two months prior. Saudi authorities are demanding two hundred thousand dollars per day that it is docked there.
Gibraltar obtains order extending detention of Iranian tanker by 14 days (5 July)
The government of Gibraltar received orders to hold the Iranian tanker for an additional two weeks.
Egypt detains Iran oil tanker, arrests 6 for espionage (9 July)
Egypt’s media reported that it had detained a Ukrainian tanker carrying Iranian oil in the end of June as it was passing through the Suez Canal. The news was released a day after Egypt’s Supreme State Security Criminal Court tried six people for allegedly spying for Iran.
U.S. wants military coalition to safeguard waters off Iran, Yemen (9 July)
The United States is planning on organizing a military coalition to safeguard waters off the coasts of Iran and Yemen. The United States would provide command ships. Allies would patrol waters around them and escort commercial vessels with their nation’s flags.
Iranian boats attempted to seize a British tanker in the Strait of Hormuz (11 July)
IRGC boats attempted to seize a British tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, according to British and US officials. US officials said five ships approached the vessel. British officials said three approached it. The IRGC denied that the incident happened.
Why is the Strait of Hormuz so strategically important? (11 July)
The Strait of Hormuz is the world's single most important oil passageway, forming a chokepoint between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The thirty-nine-kilometer strait is the only route to the open ocean for over one-sixth of global oil production and one-third of the world's liquified natural gas (LNG).
Are private armed guards escalating violence in Middle East Gulf? (12 July)
The past decade’s rise in Somali piracy prompted shipping companies to hire and use enlist private armed security teams in the Gulf of Aden. Shipping companies sailing through the Gulf of Oman are being urged to avoid using private armies.
US fears Iran seized UAE-based tanker in Strait of Hormuz (16 July)
The United States suspects that Iran seized a UAE oil tanker after its tracker unexpectedly turned off.
Iran's guards say it seized a foreign oil tanker in the Gulf - TV (18 July)
Iran’s state television reported that the Revolutionary Guard had seized a foreign tanker. It did not specify to which country the tanker belonged. Later, they would reveal that it was from India.
Iran stokes Gulf tensions by seizing two British-linked oil tankers (19 June)
Iran seized two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. One tanker is registered in the United Kingdom, the other in Liberia, though both are British operated.
Crew of British oil tanker captured by Iran are safe, say ship’s owners (24 July)
The owner of the British tanker Stena Impero said that its crew was safe and that there had been good cooperation with Iranian personnel on board.
British navy to escort all UK vessels in Strait of Hormuz (25 July)
The United Kingdom’s warships will escort all British-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Previous Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt stated that the Montrose had escorted thirty different vessels through the strait in seventeen separate transits.
Iran Releases 9 Indian Sailors From Seized Tanker (26 July)
Iran released the nine of twelve Indian mariners aboard the Riah two weeks after suspecting it was smuggling Iranian oil.
South Korea to send naval unit to Strait of Hormuz: newspaper (28 July)
South Korea agrees to join the US maritime efforts to safeguard the Strait of Hormuz by sending a navel unit, including a destroyer, to escort oil tankers. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had asked South Korea, Japan, France, Germany, Australia, and others to take part.
Iran seizes Iraqi oil tanker smuggling fuel in Gulf: TV (4 August)
Dubai (Reuters) - Iranian Revolutionary Guards seized an Iraqi oil tanker in the Gulf which they said was smuggling fuel and detained seven crewmen, Iran’s state media reported on Sunday, in a show of power amid heightened tension with the West.
UK joins US in mission to protect oil tankers in Gulf (5 August)
Britain is to join the United States in a naval mission to protect oil tankers in the Gulf from seizure by Iran, as London shifted away from plans for a European-led mission proposed by former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
The head of the Iranian armed forces has warned that Israel joining a US-led coalition in the Persian Gulf region would upset regional stability and sought more support from Arab states in resisting the initiative.
Gibraltar releases Iran supertanker that US sought to seize (15 August)
Madrid (AP) - The British overseas territory of Gibraltar released a seized Iranian supertanker Thursday over last-minute objections from the United States, potentially easing tensions between London and Tehran, which still holds a British-flagged vessel.
US unveils warrant to seize Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar dispute (16 August)
The US Justice Department has issued a warrant for the seizure of the Iranian oil tanker at the center of a weeks-long diplomatic dispute, just a day after a Gibraltar judge allowed the release of the detained vessel.
Iranian oil tanker at center of a standoff between the UK and Iran leaves Gibraltar (19 August)
An Iranian oil supertanker seized by the United Kingdom in Gibraltar last month amid escalating tension between Tehran and the West was released Sunday, according to local media and a maritime tracking site. The Adrian Darya 1, formerly known as the Grace 1, set sail under an Iranian flag for an unknown destination.
Iran sends warship to Gulf of Aden amid tension (26 August)
Iran has dispatched a destroyer and a helicopter-carrying support ship to the Gulf of Aden “to provide security for Islamic Republic vessels in international waters”, according to the Iranian army chief on Monday, Anadolu reports. Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the “Sahand” destroyer, which was inducted into the navy last year, has been sent on its first overseas mission to the Gulf of Aden, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Drone Wars
Iran strikes opposition positions on border with Iraqi Kurdistan - Tasnim (12 July)
The Revolutionary Guard used drones and missiles to strike the headquarters of two militant Kurdish groups at Iran’s borders. They were apparently reacting to a Kurdish attack that took the lives of five Revolutionary Guards.
Yemen’s Houthis say they launched drone attack on Saudi’s Jizan airport (17 July)
Houthis stated that they launched an attack on Jizan airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia, as part of the longer strategy of cross-border attacks.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard shoots down US 'spy' drone: Report (19 June)
Iran shot down an unmanned aircraft that the IRGC claims was flying over the southern coastal province of Hormozgan. US officials claim that the drone was flying in international territory. On state television, General Hossein Salami stated that while Iran does not intend on going to war, it is prepared for it.
The IRGC shot down was an MQ-4C drone, otherwise known as the Global Hawk. The Global Hawk is one of the most advanced high-altitude drones in operation, reaching heights of sixty-five thousand feet and has a price tag of 123 million dollars. By contrast, the F-35 stealth fighter costs eighty-nine million dollars.
Oil prices surge after Iran shoots down US drone (20 June)
Oil prices increased by three percent in the wake of the IRGC’s destruction of the Global Hawk. In the week prior, US crude stocks had fallen by 3.1 million barrels, following a two-year high.
Airlines avoid Iran drone strike area due to fears of 'miscalculation' (21 June)
British Airways, Qantas, Lufthansa, and KLM and a few other airlines decided to reroute flights away from Iran after the US Federal Aviation Industry issued a warning about the “potential for miscalculation or misidentification” and blocked US-registered airplanes from flying over Iranian waters.
Houthi drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha Airport leaves nine injured (2 July)
Houthis carried out a large operation on Abba airport, injuring nine people with a drone attack. The Houthi attack on Abba airport was not the first in the past month. On 12 June, Houthi missiles killed twenty-six people at the airport.
From Iraq to Yemen, drones raise U.S. alarm over Iranian plans (17 July)
US officials observed an increase in the use of drones by Iran and its allies. They stated that the drones could be used to conduct surveillance, to drop missiles, and as “kamikazes.”
Trump says US Navy destroys Iranian drone in ‘defensive action,’ Iran dismissed the report (18 July)
President Trump claimed that the USS Boxer had downed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz just hours after Iran state television claimed that it had seized a foreign tanker. Iran refuted Trump’s claim.
Iranian-backed militia blames US and Israel for attacks on bases in Iraq (21 August)
An Iranian-backed militia in Iraq has accused the United States and Israel of involvement in an alleged drone strike on a munitions warehouse near Baghdad last week, the latest in a series of mystery explosions at similar bases.
Israel Says It Struck Iranian ‘Killer Drones’ in Syria (24 August)
Jerusalem - Israeli warplanes struck targets in Syria where Iran was preparing to attack Israel using explosive-laden “killer drones,” Israel’s military said, and top commanders were on alert early Sunday to see how Iran might respond.
Cyber Wars
Twitter removes thousands of accounts linked to Iran government (13 June)
Twitter removed 4,800 accounts with apparent ties to Iran’s government as part of its continuing effort to counteract election interference and misinformation. Twitter justified the implementation of its policy by stating that the accounts had shared nearly two million tweets sharing “global news content, often with an angle that benefited the diplomatic and geostrategic views of the Iranian state.”
Iran says it dismantled a U.S. cyber espionage network (17 June)
Iran said that it had exposed a large cyber espionage network that was allegedly run by the CIA. Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani claimed that US spies had been arrested in several countries, though he did not provide specific details.
Pentagon secretly struck back against Iranian cyberspies targeting U.S. ships (21 June)
US Cyber Command attempted to compromise the Revolutionary Guard’s capacity to digitally track and target military and civilian ships in the Strait of Hormuz in direct retaliation against the Revolutionary Guard for successfully shooting down a US spy drone.
White House Is Pressing for Additional Options, Including Cyberattacks, to Deter Iran (23 June)
Following Cyber Command’s attack on Iran, the White House told military and intelligence officers that it wants to counter-act the Revolutionary Guard in the shadows of cyberspace.
US cyber attacks on Iranian targets not successful, Iran minister says (24 June)
Mohamad Javad Azari Jahromi, Iran’s minister for information and communications technologies, reported that the US cyberattacks were not successful. He described the attacks as “cyber-terrorism,” in reference to Stuxnet, the cyberattack against Iran’s nuclear facilities in 2007.
Twitter suspends accounts of Iran news sites (22 July)
Twitter suspended the accounts of the Young Journalists Club, run by the state-run IRIB, in addition to state-run IRNA and Mehr, allegedly due to their harassment of members of the Baha’i faith. The sites stated that Twitter’s response was motivated by Iran’s seizure of Britain’s oil tanker.
Iran's government recognises cryptocurrency mining with caveat (4 August)
As approved and notified by the government, mining cryptocurrencies is legal both inside and outside metropolises, in addition to free and special trade zones, provided applicants obtain a permit from the Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade. The electricity required by cryptocurrency miners will be provided either from the nationwide grid or through establishing new power plants outside the grid.
Israel army launches Farsi social media amid Iran escalation (28 August)
The Israeli army has launched several Farsi language social media accounts against the backdrop of mounting tensions with Iran. In a press release yesterday, the Spokesperson’s Unit of the Israeli army said it has now launched Farsi language accounts on Twitter, Instagram and encrypted messaging service Telegram. The army also announced the move via Twitter, writing that “the people of Iran deserve to hear the truth and that’s exactly what we will share. Iranians can follow @IDFFarsi to see for themselves that they are not the enemy, the oppressive Iranian regime is.”
Regional Tensions
Iran marks International Quds Day (31 May)
This year, International Quds Day centered around the “failure of the deal of the century and the stabilization of the Palestinian cause.” Participating in the rallies, President Rouhani stated that he had no doubt that the deal of the century would “turn into the ‘failure of the century.’”
Saudi king draws Muslim leaders to Mecca amid Iran tensions (31 May)
Fifty-seven members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) gathered in Mecca following two emergency meetings concerning the Islamic Republic. President Rouhani sent a letter to the OIC urging them to remain focused on the rights of Palestinians and complained that Iran had not been invited.
Qatar expresses reservations over Mecca summit outcome (3 June)
Qatar lightly criticized the emergency summits in Mecca preceding the OIC’s congregation. Qatar’s foreign minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman stated that they had “adopted Washington’s policy towards Iran and not one that takes the neighborhood into consideration.”
Saudi Arabia says Iran behind Houthi missile attack on airport (12 June)
Saudi Arabia accused Iran of orchestrating an attack by Houthis on a Saudi Arabian international airport that took twenty-six lives. Iran denied Saudi Arabia’s claims. Houthi spokesman Mohamad Abdel Salam stated that the attack was in response to Saudi Arabia’s “continued aggression and blockade on Yemen.”
Israel strikes Iran targets in Iraq (30 July)
Israeli F-35 fighters were responsible for airstrikes on Iranian targets in Iraq over the past eleven days. The strikes killed members of the Revolutionary Guard and members of Hizballah.
Explainer: Separatist takeover of Yemen's Aden leaves Saudi Arabia in a bind (11 August)
Riyadh/Dubai (Reuters) - The southern separatists’ takeover of Aden, the interim seat of Yemen’s government, could leave Saudi Arabia struggling to hold together a military coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis.
The U.S. Has Joined Secret Talks With Israel and the U.A.E. The Topic? Iran. (15 August)
Washington - The United States is participating in secret talks between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to confront threats posed by Iran, a shared adversary among the three countries.
Two Israeli drones fall in Beirut suburbs, one explodes: army, Hezbollah (24 August)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - An Israeli drone fell in the Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs of Beirut and a second one exploded near the ground early on Sunday, the Lebanese army and Hezbollah said, in the first such incident in more than a decade.
Revolutionary Guards commander denies Iranian targets hit in Syria air strikes (25 August)
DUBAI (Reuters) - A senior Revolutionary Guards commander denied on Sunday that Iranian targets had been hit in Israeli air strikes in Syria, the semi-official ILNA news agency reported.
Lebanon Accuses Israel of 2nd Attack in 2 Days (26 August)
BEIRUT, Lebanon - An Israeli drone struck a Palestinian militia base in eastern Lebanon on Monday, Lebanon’s National News Agency said, the fourth time in three days that Israel has been accused of attacking Iranian-backed forces across the Middle East.
Hezbollah says commanders ready to respond to 'Israeli attack' (31 August)
Hezbollah's leader has reiterated Israel would face repercussions for an alleged drone attack and said its field commanders were ready to respond.
US labels Lebanon bank with Hezbollah ties a 'global terrorist,' sanctions Iranian networks linked to regime (31 August)
The U.S. designated Lebanon-based Jammal Trust Bank a "global terrorist" Thursday over its ties to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group, one day after it slapped sanctions on Iranian networks it claimed facilitated "tens of millions of dollars' worth" of activities that benefited Iran’s military and regime. Washington, in partnership with Oman, also announced sanctions against four individuals accused of moving tens of millions of dollars between Iran's elite Quds Force and the military wing of the Islamic militant group Hamas in Gaza.
Israel FM: We can target Iran inside its territory (31 August)
Israel’s Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz has said that Israel is able to strike Iran everywhere, including deep inside its own territory. In an interview with Israeli newspaper Maariv, Katz said that Israel would strike Iran whenever necessary, regardless of the location of the strike, Shehab news agency reported yesterday.
Hezbollah Hits Back at Israeli Army but Without Casualties (1 September)
JERUSALEM - The Lebanese militia Hezbollah fired missiles at an Israeli military border post on Sunday in what it called payback for an Israeli airstrike a week earlier that killed two Lebanese operatives in Syria and a drone strike that damaged Hezbollah infrastructure in the Beirut suburbs.
Threats of War
Mike Pompeo Said Congress Doesn’t Need To Approve War With Iran. 2020 Democrats Aren’t Having It. (14 June)
In interviews with The Intercept, Tulsi Gabbard, Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, and a spokesperson for Cory Booker stated that it would be illegal for the United States to invoke a 2001 law that authorizes military intervention against perpetrators of September 11 to go to war with Iran. Moreover, Senators Tom Udall, Tim Kaine, Dick Durbin, Jeff Merkley, Chris Murphey, and Rand Paul filed a bipartisan amendment to the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to prohibit funds from being used for military intervention against Iran without authorization from Congress.
US to send 1,000 more troops to Middle East amid Iran tensions (18 June)
US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan announced the deployment of one thousand more troops to the Middle East, ostensibly due to concerns about Iran. The new deployment comes off the heels of a 1,500-troop increase in May, in addition to the deployment of warships and a Patriot Missile defense battery.
Trump Approves Strikes on Iran, but Then Abruptly Pulls Back (20 June)
President Trump reportedly approved a military strike against Iran, which was supposedly on course to be carried out as late as 7 pm, but he backtracked at the last minute. It is unclear why.
Trump Says He Was ‘Cocked and Loaded’ to Strike Iran, but Pulled Back (21 June)
President Trump claimed that he decided to pull back from attacking Iran because it would be “disproportionate.” In addition, former Army Vice Chief of Staff Jack Keane stated that Iranian officials had privately expressed frustration with the tactical commander who had shot down the drone; however, Iranian officials claimed that they fired at the drone to send the United States a message.
41 Republicans vote against Iran amendment, effectively blocking bill (28 June)
Senate Republicans successfully blocked a Democratic-backed amendment by attaining forty-one votes that would require Donald Trump to get congressional approval before attacking Iran.
Israel says it is bracing militarily for possible U.S.-Iran escalation (2 July)
Foreign Minister Israel Katz told an international security forum that the State of Israel was actively preparing for war with Iran.
Israel preparing for war with Iran, military wings in next 2 years (13 July)
Israel Minister of Regional Cooperation Tzachi Hanegbi echoed Foreign Minister Israel Katz a week and a half prior, stating that Israel was preparing for military confrontation with Iran in the next two years.
Iran: US bases to be targeted in war with Tehran (24 July)
Ayatollah Khamenei’s advisor for defense Hossein Deghan vowed that Iran would target US military bases in the region were the United States to initiate war.
Iran unveils missile defence ‘better than Russian S-300 and US Patriot’ systems (22 August)
Iran unveiled its own locally-developed missile defense system today, and claimed that it beats the renowned Russian S-300 and US Patriot systems. The long-range surface-to-air missile system, Bavar-373, was unveiled in a ceremony in Tehran commemorating Iran’s National Defense Industry Day and attended by President Hassan Rouhani.
This U.S. Warship Threatens Iran (From 600 Miles Away) (23 August)
Admiral Boyle said the planes can strike Iran as easily from the North Arabian Sea as they can from the Persian Gulf, but he flagged a crucial difference: “They can reach us when we are there. When we are here, they cannot.”
Uranium Enrichment
Iran has accelerated enrichment of uranium, says UN watchdog (11 June)
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano reported that Iran was enriching more uranium than before. After the Trump Administration tightened sanctions on Iran and sent additional troops to the Middle East in the beginning in May, Iran threatened to increase uranium enrichment.
Iran renews nuclear pact ultimatum amid tensions with U.S. (15 June)
President Rouhani stated that Iran would continue scaling back its compliance with the nuclear deal.
Iran to surpass uranium stockpile limits within days: AEOI (18 June)
Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesperson for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI), stated that Iran was due to surpass the three hundred kilogram level of enriched uranium on 27 June that was agreed upon in the JCPA.
Iran's Uranium Enrichment Breaks Nuclear Deal Limit. Here's What That Means (7 July)
Iran allegedly surpassed the limit of uranium enrichment set in the 2015 nuclear deal. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran had surpassed the limit. In the 2015 deal, Iran had agreed to keep enrichment below 3.67 percent. It had reached levels of 4.5 percent and said that it could reach 20 percent in the future. At 3 to 5 percent enrichment, uranium can be used for nuclear power reactors. At 20 percent, it can be used in research reactors. At 90 percent, it is considered weapon grade.
Iran intends to restart activities at Arak heavy water nuclear reactor (28 July)
Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi stated that Iran will restart activities at the Arak heavy water reactor. Heavy water can be utilized to produce plutonium.
Iran says it will further breach nuclear deal in one month unless Europeans act (5 August)
Geneva (Reuters) - Iran told European powers on Monday it would further reduce compliance with its 2015 nuclear deal in about a month’s time if they were still failing to protect it from crippling US sanctions, re-imposed after Washington exited the deal.
Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium increased 25% (19 August)
The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) announced yesterday that its stockpile of enriched uranium had increased from 300 kilograms to 370 kilograms, Arabi21 reported.
Sanctions
The US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control levied sanctions against the Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (PGIC) and thirty-nine subsidiary petrochemical companies and foreign-based sales agents on the grounds that the PGIC provided support to the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, the engineering conglomerate of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Rouhani: U.S. sanctions are ‘crime against humanity’ (20 June)
President Rouhani stated that the US economic intervention was a “crime against humanity” and a form of “economic terrorism,” rather than mere “sanctions.”
Global stocks sink but oil on the rise as US prepares Iran sanctions (23 June)
While global stocks were on the rise in the face of a possible deal between the United States and China, oil prices soared in response to United States plans to impose sanctions on Iran. A barrel of Brent crude went up 0.6 percent to 65.58 dollars.
Trump puts sanctions on Iran supreme leader, other top officials (25 June)
Trump signed an executive order enforcing sanctions directly against Ayatollah Khamenei and other top officials in Iran. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif denounced the sanctions, accusing Trump of having a “thirst for war.”
Iranian president: Trump White House 'afflicted by mental retardation' (25 June)
President Rouhani criticized Trump’s sanctions, stating that the White House was “afflicted by mental retardation.”
Europeans Race to Establish Trade With Iran (27 June)
European signatories to the Iran nuclear deal said they were finalizing Instex, a barter system that would enable them to continue trade with Iran without violating US sanctions. They hope that Instex will deter Iran from surpassing uranium stockpile limits and pulling out of the nuclear deal altogether.
Iranians say punishing US sanctions hurt people, not officials (2 July)
Most Iranians have suffered economic hardship sparked by re-imposed and newly created American sanctions after US President Donald Trump pulled out of the historic 2015 nuclear deal involving Iran and world powers.
Report: The significance of the Multilateralism at NAM Conf (23 July)
During the annual meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad-Zarif condemned the United States for “economic terrorism,” adding that Cuba, Syria, and Venezuela were also suffering from the United States’ unilateral foreign policy.
Iranians say US sanctions blocking life-saving medicine (30 July)
With Iran's economy in free fall from "maximum pressure" American sanctions, prices of imported medicines have soared as the national currency tumbled about seventy percent against the dollar. Even medicines manufactured in Iran are tougher to come by for ordinary Iranians. The cost is out of reach for many in a country where the average monthly salary is equivalent to about 450 dollars.
U.S. Sanctions on Foreign Minister Unite Iran’s Fractious Elite (1 August)
Beirut, Lebanon - Iranian officials reacted with unified irritation on Thursday to the Trump administration’s decision to sanction Iran’s foreign minister, calling the move petty and provocative—further evidence, they said, of Washington’s insincerity when it talks of peace.
Defying U.S. Sanctions, China and Others Take Oil From 12 Iranian Tankers (3 August)
The New York Times examined the movements of more than seventy Iranian tankers since 2 May, when the American sanctions took full effect. Twelve of the tankers loaded oil after 2 May and delivered it to China or the Eastern Mediterranean, where the buyers may have included Syria or Turkey. Only some of those twelve tankers were previously known to have recently delivered Iranian oil, and an analyst said the scale of the shipments documented by The Times investigation is greater than what had been publicly known.
Iranians struggle to afford housing as prices soar (5 August)
The average purchase price per square meter of residential housing units in Tehran soared 91.5 percent in the twelve months ending on 21 July 2019, according to the data released by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The situation has become so acute that aspiring homeowners who qualify for mortgages can see the market move just beyond their financial grasp by the time their applications are approved.
Iran wants more Chinese tourists - a whole lot more (6 August)
In a bid to attract more Chinese visitors, Iran decided in June to waive all visas for Chinese nationals, including transit visas for short stays. In targeting Chinese visitors, Iran is looking to cultivate a lucrative and growing market. Last year, some 150 million overseas trips were made by Chinese residents, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
Iran crypto developers launch platform for flood-victim aid (14 August)
After Iran suffered devastating floods this spring that left an estimated two million people in need of humanitarian assistance, the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said that United States sanctions were impeding its relief efforts—including its effort to receive foreign financial aid for flood victims. Frustrated by the specter of politics interfering with humanitarian needs, members of Iran's crypto community came together to create IranRescueBit, a blockchain-enabled online platform for facilitating aid donations made in cryptocurrencies.
Iran: US sanctions cost market 2.7 million barrels of oil per day (20 August)
The United States has removed nearly 2.7 million barrels of Iranian oil from global markets daily as a result of Washington's decision to reimpose sanctions on all purchases of Iran's crude, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday.
Iran sanctions scandal: Australian company offloads $15m cargo it says it was duped into carrying (23 August)
The Australian multinational at the center of an Iran sanctions scandal has offloaded a fifteen-million-dollar shipment of Iranian cargo it says it was duped into taking, and is reviewing its operations to avoid a repeat.
Prisoners
France's Macron demands answers after dual national detained in Iran (15 July)
French President Emmanuel Macron demanded an explanation for the Revolutionary Guard’s arrest of Farida Adelkhah, a sixty-year-old anthropologist who is a senior research fellow at Sciences Po in Paris.
British-Iranian held by Tehran taken to mental ward: Family (17 July)
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was transferred from Evin prison to Imam Khomeini hospital on Monday, where her father confirmed she is being held by the Revolutionary Guard, according to a statement from the Free Nazanin campaign, which is led by her husband, Richard Ratcliffe.
Iran says breaks up CIA spy ring, some sentenced to death (21 July)
Iran claimed to have apprehended seventeen spies working for the CIA. Iran had announced that it had broken up a spy ring in June, though it is not clear if the recent news was related to the events of the previous month.
Iranian prisoner serving life sentence escapes to Canada (4 August)
An Iranian serving a life sentence on a conviction of operating a pornographic website has fled the country while on short-term release from prison and has arrived in Canada, where he holds permanent residency.
Wife of US student held in Iran says husband ‘not a spy’ (8 August)
Washington (AP) - The wife of a Princeton University graduate student imprisoned in Iran said Thursday that her husband is not a spy.
Iranian-British anthropologist held in Tehran amid tensions (14 August)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AP) - A British-Iranian anthropologist who has studied child marriage and female genital mutilation in the Islamic Republic has been detained in Iran over unknown charges, his wife and activists said Wednesday, becoming the latest dual national held there amid tensions with the West.
Family of UK resident jailed in Iran urge No 10 to secure her release (20 August)
The family of a UK resident detained in Iran on spying charges have urged the UK government to do more to secure her release after a ten-year prison sentence against her was upheld without a hearing.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: Concerns as Iran 'restricts family contact' (20 August)
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian woman jailed in Tehran, is being given less access to her family, her husband says. Richard Ratcliffe said new rules mean she cannot make international calls to him in London—and can only see their five-year-old daughter once a month.
Free Nazanin or I fear she will take her life, pleads husband (25 August)
The husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian woman detained in Iran, fears she may try to take her own life if she is not given her freedom soon.
Domestic Politics
Iran shuts 547 restaurants for playing illegal music, debauchery (8 June)
Iranian police have shut down 547 restaurants and cafes in Tehran for not observing "Islamic principles," the capital's police chief has said. "The owners of restaurants and cafes in which Islamic principles were not observed were confronted, and during this operation, 547 businesses were closed and 11 offenders arrested," the police's website quoted Hossein Rahimi as saying on Saturday.
Iran revokes New York Times correspondent's accreditation (11 June)
Iran has revoked the press accreditation for The New York Times' Tehran bureau chief without explanation, the newspaper reported. The correspondent, forty-three-year-old Dutch citizen Thomas Erdbrink, had reported for The New York Times from the Islamic republic since 2012 but had been unable to work since late February when his credentials were revoked by Tehran, according to a report by the newspaper on Monday.
Iranians boycott ride-hailing app after hijab controversy (12 June)
A move to boycott Snapp, a popular Iranian ride-hailing application has gained momentum among social media users in the country after a controversy over a female passenger's hijab.
Former Mayor of Tehran Is Sentenced to Death in Wife’s Killing (31 July)
Former mayor of Tehran and prominent reformist politician Muhammad Ali Najafi was sentenced to death for killing his wife Mitra Ostad. He was arrested in late May after turning himself in to the police.
Iran is taking steps to combat sexual harassment in the workplace (8 August)
The Information Technology Organization (ITO), a subsidiary of Iran's ICT Ministry, has become the first Iranian government agency to publish in-house guidelines banning "forbidden conduct.” The harassment guidelines cover verbal and physical threats, aggressive behavior, defamation, and intimidation, among other offenses.
Tehran Orders Crackdown as Wealthy Use Ambulances to Beat Traffic (24 August)
The head of Tehran’s private ambulance services, Mojtaba Loharsebi, told Iranian news outlets this past week that the phenomenon was widespread and not limited to celebrities. Mr. Loharsebi said that private tutors regularly used the ambulance as a taxi service to get to their classes on time.
Editorial/Analysis
Vijay Prashad: U.S. Rushes to Blame Iran for Tanker Attacks as Much of World Pushes for Diplomacy (14 June)
In an interview with Amy Goodman for Democracy Now, Vijay Prashad echoed Zarif’s suspicion about the timing of the attacks, noting that they coincided with the visit of Japan’s Prime Minister Shizo Abe, who was attempting to temper rising tensions in the wake of the attacks in May.
Iran and the U.S. Are on a Collision Course (14 June)
The editorial board of The New York Times write that the attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman “is the latest evidence that the United States and Iran are on a collision course, at a moment in which hard-liners on both sides have little interest in any diplomatic off-ramp.”
Have You Heard of the CIA’s Iran Mission Center? (18 June)
Vijay Prashad writes in Common Dreams about the establishment of the Iran Mission Center in 2017 and its operations under the leadership of Michael D’Andrea. Prashad notes that D’Andrea and hawks in his midst “will not stop until the US bombers deposit their deadly payload on Tehran and Qom, Isfahan, and Shiraz.”
We must stop the US from going to war with Iran (21 June)
Bernie Sanders writes in The Guardian: “We need to rethink our current approach. A war with Iran would be an absolute disaster. As former general Anthony Zinni has put it: “If you like Iraq and Afghanistan, you will love Iran.” If the United States were to attack Iran, Iran could respond with attacks on US troops and on countries around the region. It would lead to the further destabilization of that region in a way that is unimaginable and would result in wars that would go on years and probably cost trillions of dollars.
Distress and Defiance in Tehran (21 June)
Salar Abdoh writes in The New York Times: “Whether you are for or against the Islamic Republic, when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the most prominent military force of your country, is being labeled a terrorist organization while the channels of economic exchange between your country and others are barred and your major export—oil—is being choked, the ordinary Iranian may be forgiven for thinking that war is just a matter of time.”
The Honorable Course in Iran Starts With Ending Sanctions (27 June)
Kathy Kelly argues in Truthout: “Rather than punish Iran, the United States should immediately return to the Iran nuclear agreement and support proposals regularly advanced at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty conferences for a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in the Middle East.
Trump’s Iran Strategy Will Fail. Here’s Why. (30 June)
Narges Bajoghli writes in The New York Times: “Despite the frustrations that many Iranians have with their political leaders, modern Iranian history teaches that one of the core themes in the country’s political culture is the struggle for independence from foreign powers. The revolution was the most significant milestone in that struggle, but it was also just one part of this larger story. As long as the Trump administration believes it can use sanctions and hostile rhetoric to drive a wedge between the Iranian public and its leaders, the Revolutionary Guards will use that same pressure to enforce solidarity behind it and the regime—and defeat any attempt by the West to bring change to Iran.”
Iran didn’t ask for this crisis, but it won’t stand for Trump’s bullying (7 July)
Hossein Mousavian writes in The Guardian: “Ever since the Trump administration withdrew last year, Iran has been patiently waiting for the other parties involved in the nuclear agreement to honour their commitments, but the only outcome was the intensifying of pressures and sanctions. Iran cannot be expected to fully comply with the deal when others are failing to meet their obligations.”
Donald Trump and the strangling of Persia (10 July)
Nader Hashemi writes in Al Jazeera: “In his magisterial study, From the Ruins of Empire, Pankaj Mishra reminds us that Western history is not universal history. At the start of his book, he observes that for most of the developing world, the key events of the 20th century were not the two world wars, the Holocaust, the Cold War or the fall of the Berlin Wall. The central political developments that shaped the modern history and identity of millions of Asians and Africans revolved around the struggle for self-determination and independence from Europe. Iran's story fits within this framework.”
Oil Is Driving the Iran Crisis (11 July)
Michael T. Klare argues in The Nation: “Both Trump and Pompeo insisted that their efforts were driven by concern over Iranian misbehavior in the region and the need to ensure the safety of maritime commerce. Neither, however, mentioned one inconvenient three-letter word—O-I-L—that lay behind their Iranian maneuvering (as it has impelled every other American incursion in the Middle East since World War II).”
Trump and Ahmadinejad Are Right (19 July)
The editorial board of The New York Times argues that both Trump and Ahmadinejad were right to encourage both the United States and the Islamic Republic to participate in negotiations, notwithstanding their adversarial relationship.
By punishing Iran, Trump risks a full-scale war between our two countries (22 July)
Former President of Iran Mohammad Khatami writes in The Guardian: “As someone who has made it his life’s mission to defend the dialogue of cultures and civilisations, world peace, democracy, tolerance and human rights, I express my deep concern for the future of the Iranian nation and other nations of our region. It is in this spirit that I call on people of conscience in the US and across the world to promote peace and “dialogue among civilisations” instead of promoting the idea of a “clash of civilisations”. We must form a #CoalitionForPeace that says #NoWarWithIran to prevent disaster. With a view to the acute level of tensions in the Persian Gulf region, the situation is both fragile and explosive.”
Iran Is Gambling That Trump Is Afraid of War (25 July)
Tony Karon argues in The Nation: “Iran is not going to concede, and it’s betting that Trump cannot afford a war. That looks like a smart wager, but one that carries a high risk of miscalculation on either side that could spark a conflagration despite the desire on both sides to avoid one.”
Call your Iran policy by its true name (30 July)
Jason Rezaian writes in The Washington Post: “Why won’t President Trump’s foreign affairs advisers call their approach to Iran by its true name? They owe that to the American people. If the administration’s goal is regime change, they should come out and say it. They should present a plan outlining how they intend to bring it about and what they intend to do once they’ve achieved it. They should explain what the benefits of doing so would be to the American public and our strategic interests. They should make that case and see if it resonates.”
Iran, the US, and the 'English job' (30 July)
Marwan Bishara writes in Al Jazeera: “[Boris] Johnson does have a chance not to end his time in office in disaster. He could pull off a more peaceful and less imperialist ‘English job’ by working closely with Europe to defuse the crisis in the Gulf, instead of dispatching more British naval destroyers - a move reminiscent of colonial times. He may also cooperate diplomatically with international and regional actors to contain and restrain Tehran's aggressive posturing. But all that will only be possible if he is first able to get a united Britain out of the Brexit mess he helped create.”
Iran has two nuclear options (4 August)
Hamid Dabashi writes in Al Jazeera that Iran “could choose to follow Israel's example and develop nuclear weapons in defiance of international agreements on denuclearization” or to “follow in the footsteps of Egypt and mobilize other countries in the region to launch a global quest for a nuclear-free Middle East.”
Trump is laying the ground for a nuclear arms race in the Gulf (15 August)
Luciano Zaccara writes in Al Jazeera: “Iran has already stopped complying with limits on the production of enriched uranium and heavy water, invoking articles 26 and 36 of the agreement, which entitle it to do so if the other parties reintroduce nuclear-related sanctions. Thus, Washington's incapacity to deal with the Iranian file in a coherent manner, and its erratic policies on nuclear proliferation, are pushing the Middle East towards a dangerous nuclear competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran.”
My fiancee is in an Iranian prison, a victim of the depravity of international relations (22 August)
James Tyson writes in The Guardian: “As I write, my fiancee, Aras Amiri, is being held in an Iranian jail on false charges of espionage. A British Council employee, she’s caught in the middle of two global powers who refuse, or don’t know how, to talk to each other.”
Israel is making the case for war, in public, against Lebanon (30 August)
Sam Kiley writes on CNN: “By naming Iranian officers allegedly operational in Lebanon, Israel is effectively painting targets on their backs for its air force. In insisting that the Lebanese government should dismantle Iranian efforts to build Hezbollah guided missiles, Israel is warning that it's prepared to risk MAD to prevent what it sees as strategic weapons ending up in the hands of terrorists. Israel also knows, and so does everyone in Lebanon, that there's nothing that the Lebanese government could do to stop Hezbollah's weapons programs. So, Israel is simply making the case for war, in public.”
Farsi Language Sources
روحانی :معامله قرن به نتیجه نمی رسد (May 31)
رئیس جمهور با تاکید بر اینکه توطئه های استکبار و متجاوزین علیه قدس شریف و فلسطین به نتیجه نخواهد رسید ، اظهارداشت: تردید نداریم که پیروزی نهایی از آن حق و فلسطین خواهد بود و سرزمین فلسطین مامنی برای مسلمانان، مسیحیان و یهودیان خواهد گردید.
سومین نشست مکه: حمایت از فلسطینیها، جانبداری از ریاض در برابر تهران (June 1)
در سومین اجلاس از سه نشست شهر مکه که بیش از همه بر سیاستهای جمهوری اسلامی تاکید داشتند، اعضای سازمان همکاری اسلامی از فلسطینیها حمایت کردند، ولی در تنش میان تهران و ریاض، جانب عربستان سعودی را گرفتند.
تحریم صنایع پتروشیمی؛ ضربه به بزرگترین درآمد غیرنفتی دولت ایران (June 8)
دفتر کنترل داراییهای خارجی وزارت خزانه داری ایالات متحده آمریکا صنایع پتروشیمی ایران را وارد فهرست تحریمهای مبارزه با تروریسم کرده که ضربه بزرگی به اقتصاد شکننده و درآمدهای کاهش یافته دولت ایران است. آمریکا پیش از این برخی از شرکتهای پتروشیمی ایران را تحریم کرده بود اما این اولین بار است که صنایع پتروشیمی ایران که بزرگترین درآمد غیرنفتی جمهوری اسلامی ایران است، به طور مستقل هدف تحریم قرار میگیرد.
ناامنی تنگه هرمز؛ برگ برنده یا قرعه مرگبار؟ (June 8)
روز گذشته سه کشوری که نفت کشهایشان در حملات فجیره آسیب دید شکایت و مدارک خود را به شورای امنیت سازمان ملل متحد ارائه کردند. امارات، عربستان سعودی و نروژ که کشتیهایشان در ۱۲ ماه می ۲۰۱۹ در آبهای بندر فجیره آسیب دید، به شورای امنیت گفتهاند که این چهار حمله بخشی از یک عملیات پیشرفته با هماهنگی های منظم از سوی عاملی با توانایی عملیاتی بالا و احتمالا عامل دولتی رهبری شده است.
خبرنگار غربی: تولید اورانیوم غنی شده ایران به 12 کیلوگرم در ماه رسیده است (June 8)
به گزارش گروه بینالملل خبرگزاری فارس، روز شنبه خبرنگار والاستریتژورنال خبر داد که آژانس بینالمللی انرژی اتمی طی هفته جاری به اعضای خود گزارش فنی درباره تولید اورانیوم با غنای پایین ایران ارائه داده که بر اساس این گزارش، ایران در حال حاضر ماهانه 12 کیلوگرم اورانیوم با غنای پایین تولید میکند که 3 تا 4 برابر بیشتر از میزان تولید قبلی تا گزارش 20 مه (30 اردیبهشت) آژانس بینالمللی انرژی اتمی است. در گزارش 20 مه آژانس، ایران 174.1 کیلوگرم اورانیوم با غنای پایین داشت.
حوثیهای یمن از حمله پهپادی به فرودگاهی در عربستان خبر دادند (June 9)
روز یکشنبه، ١٩ خرداد (٩ ژوئن)، تلویزیون المسیره، متعلق به حوثیهای یمن به نقل از منابع نظامی این گروه گفت که حمله پهپادهای این گروه به آشیانههای نگهداری پهپادها و تعدادی دیگراز مراکز نظامی عربستان سعودی در فرودگاه شهر جیزان (جازان)، در جنوب این کشور، خساراتی به بار آورده است.
به دو نفتکش در نزدیکی آبهای ایران حمله شده است (June 13)
ه دو نفتکش در نزدیکی آبهای ایران در دریای عمان حمله شده است. منابع ژاپنی گفتهاند که این کشتیها حامل "محمولههای مرتبط با ژاپن" بودهاند. سخنگویان دولتی ایران این حادثه را "مشکوک" توصیف کرده است و ایالات متحده گفته که "به ارزیابی این وضعیت ادامه میدهد."
مایک پومپئو: ایران مسئول حمله به دو نفتکش در دریای عمان است (June 14)
وزیر خارجه آمریکا روز پنجشنبه ۲۳ خرداد جمهوری اسلامی ایران را مستقیما مسئول حمله به دو نفتکش در دریای عمان معرفی کرد.
ژاپن: شواهد آمریکا در مورد حمله ایران به نفتکش ها را قبول نداریم (June 14)
کیودو نیوز روز دوشنبه به نقل از مقامات مطلع دولتی اعلام کرد دولت ژاپن از آمریکا خواسته است تحقیقات بیشتری در این زمینه انجام دهد زیر ویدئویی که آنها مستمسک ادعاهای خود قرار داده اند اصلاً واضح و کافی نیست و هیچ چیز را ثابت نمی کند.
ترامپ دستور اعزام نیروی جدید به خاورمیانه را صادر کرد/ شاناهان: به دنبال درگیری با ایران نیستیم (June 18)
کاخ سفید اعلام کرد رئیس جمهور آمریکا دستور اعزام هزار نیروی جدید به خاورمیانه را صادر کرده است. به گزارش ایسنا، مقامات آمریکایی اعلام کردهاند این افزایش نیرو در خاورمیانه به دلیل افزایش تنشها در خلیج فارس است.
سقوط پهپاد آمریکا: نامه ایران به سازمان ملل، ظریف: بقایای لاشه را پیدا کردیم (June 20)
ایران در نامهای اعتراضی به دبیرکل سازمان ملل متحد نسبت به آنچه نقض حریم هوایی این کشور از سوی پهپاد آمریکایی خوانده شده اعتراض کرده و همزمان محمدجواد ظریف مدعی شده بقایای این هواپیمای بدون سرنشین در آبهای ایران پیدا شده است.
ترامپ: برای گفتوگو با ایران هیچ شرطی ندارم؛ اگر جنگ شود، ایران 'نابود' میشود (June 22)
دونالد ترامپ، رئیسجمهوری آمریکا گفته است خواهان جنگ با ایران نیست اما اگر درگیری با ایران پیش آید، این کشور "نابود خواهد شد."
ترامپ: تحریمهای جدید علیه ایران از دوشنبه (June 22)
رئیس جمهور آمریکا اعلام کرد که واشنگتن روز دوشنبه تحریمهای بیشتری را علیه ایران اعمال خواهد کرد.
آمریکا رهبر ایران و دفتر او را تحریم کرد (June 24)
دونالد ترامپ، رئیس جمهور آمریکا، با امضای یک فرمان اجرایی آیتالله علی خامنهای، رهبر ایران و دفتر او را تحریم کرد. رئیس جمهور آمریکا گفت تحریم های تازه در واکنش به ساقط کردن یک هواپیمای بدون سرنشین تجسسی آمریکا در خلیج فارس و "دلایل زیاد دیگر" اعمال می شود.
اسرائیل 'به جاسوسان برنامه هستهای ایران جایزه میدهد (July 1)
یوسی کوهن، رئیس موساد، سازمان اطلاعاتی اسرائیل، گفته است که دو زن و چهار مرد که عملیات ربودن اطلاعات محرمانه و آرشیوی هستهای ایران را هدایت کردند، جایزه دریافت میکنند. به گفته آقای کوهن این جایزه روز سهشنبه (۲ ژوئیه/۱۱ تیر) در خانه رووین ریولین، رئیس جمهور اسرائیل، به این افراد داده خواهد شد.
آمادگی نظامی اسرائیل برای «مشارکت» در جنگ احتمالی آمریکا و ایران (July 2)
وزیر خارجه اسرائیل روز سه شنبه ۱۱ تیر گفت این کشور خود را برای دخالت احتمالی در درگیری نظامی بین ایران و آمریکا در منطقه خلیج فارس آماده می کند.
توقیف نفتکش ایرانی بوسیله نیروی دریایی بریتانیا؛ احضار سفیر در تهران (July 4)
به دنبال توقیف یک نفتکش "حامل نفت ایران"، از سوی نیروی دریایی بریتانیا عباس موسوی، سخنگوی وزارت خارجه ایران، از احضار سفیر بریتانیا در تهران به وزارت خارجه خبر داد .آقای موسوی در توییتر نوشت: "در پی توقیف غیرقانونی یک نفتکش ایرانی در تنگه جبل الطارق توسط نیروی دریایی انگلستان، سفیر این کشور در تهران هم اکنون به وزارت امور خارجه احضار شد."
توضیح وزیر نفت درباره بازگرداندن نفتکش ایرانی از عربستان (July 6)
توقف نفتکش ایرانی در بندر جده عربستان با واکنشهایی از سوی مسؤولان ایرانی روبرو شد، وزیر نفت نیز در آخرین صحبتهای خود در این باره اعلام کرد که با جدیت بهدنبال بازگرداندن این کشتی به ایران هستیم.
برجام؛ ایران اعلام کرد محدودیت غنیسازی اورانیوم را زیر پا میگذارد (July 7)
ایران امروز یکشنبه اعلام کرد که از این پس به محدودیتی که در برجام برای میزان غنیکردن اورانیوم تعیین شده پایبند نخواهد بود. عباس عراقچی، معاون وزیر خارجه ایران، در یک کنفرانس خبری گفت که ایران به دنبال حفظ برجام است، اما به دلیل عدم پایبندی طرفهای اروپایی برجام به وعدههایشان، تصمیم گرفته برخی از تعهداتش را زیر پا بگذارد.
مصر درباره «توقیف نفتکش ایرانی» در کانال سوئز توضیح داد (July 10)
چند روز پس از توقیف یک ابرنفتکش ایرانی در تنگه جبل الطارق، دولت مصر امروز چهارشنبه 10 ژوئیه در واکنش به اظهارات نقل شده از بیژن زنگنه، وزیر نفت ایران، ضمن ارایه جزئیات بیشتری در این باره، خبر توقیف یک کشتی حامل نفت ایران در کانال سوئز را تکذیب کرد و آن را «کاملا عاری از صحت» دانست.
تلاش آمریکا برای تامین امنیت کشتیرانی در آبهای اطراف ایران و یمن (July 10)
واشنگتن می گوید امیدوار است بتواند طی هفته های آینده ائتلافی نظامی برای حراست از آب های استراتژیک اطراف ایران و یمن تشکیل دهد. ژنرال جوزف دانفورد رئیس ستاد مشترک ارتش آمریکا روز سه شنبه به خبرنگاران گفت که کشورش مشغول رایزنی با چند کشور برای تشکیل این ائتلاف است.
مجلس نمایندگان آمریکا تصویب کرد: حمله به ایران بدون مجوز کنگره ممنوع است (July 12)
مجلس نمایندگان آمریکا به یک متمم لایجه بودجه دفاعی این کشور رای داد که اگر به تصویب نهایی برسد، دونالد ترامپ رئیسجمهوری آمریکا را ملزم میکند برای حمله به ایران از کنگره این کشور مجوز بگیرد.
حمله حوثیها به فرودگاه جازان عربستان سعودی (July 16)
یحیی سریع، سخنگوی حوثی ها در یمن اعلام کرد: طی عملیات یگان پهپادی "قاصف 2K"، آشیانه هواپیماهای بدون سرنشین عربستان سعودی در فرودگاه جازان در جنوب این کشور هدف قرار گرفت که در پی آن پروازهای این فرودگاه متوقف شدند.
ایران «دو نفتکش بریتانیایی» را در تنگه هرمز توقیف کرد (July 19)
سپاه پاسداران جمعه ۲۸ تیرماه اعلام کرد که یک نفتکش بریتانیایی را در تنگه هرمز توقیف کرده است. همچنین گزارشهایی در خصوص توقیف دومین نفتکش بریتانیایی در خلیج فارس منتشر شده است.
ترامپ: یک هواپیمای ایرانی را بر فراز تنگه هرمز سرنگون کردیم (July 19)
دونالد ترامپ، رئیسجمهوری ایالات متحده آمریکا روز پنجشنبه 18 ژوئیه 2019 اعلام کرد که یک نبردناو آمریکایی حاضر در خلیج، یک هواپیمای ایرانی را بر فراز تنگه هرمز سرنگون کرد.
مستند دستگیری جاسوسان آمریکایی پخش میشود (July 21)
وزیر اطلاعات از پخش مستندی از شناسایی و دستگیری جاسوسان امریکایی فردا (دوشنبه) خبر داد. به گزارش تابناک به نقل از تسنیم، حجتالاسلام علوی در حاشیه جلسه امروز هیأت دولت در جمع خبرنگاران اظهار داشت: در زمینههای زیادی جاسوسان امریکایی و جاسوسان سرویسهای بیگانه را در مراکز حساس مختلف شناسایی کردیم و آنان را پس از دستگیری به دستگاه قضا تحویل دادیم.
بریتانیا از اسکورت دریایی برای کشتیهای این کشور در تنگه هرمز خبر داد (July 25)
دولت بریتانیا گفته است که قصد دارد اسکورتی دریایی برای کشتیهایی ایجاد کند که با پرچم این کشور در تنگه هرمز تردد میکنند، این اقدام در بحبوحه افزایش تنشهای دیپلماتیک در منطقه خلیج فارس اعلام شده است.
ایران میگوید از پیشبرد کار در بازطراحی رآکتور اراک راضی است (July 26)
چند ماه پس از ابراز نارضایتی تهران از نحوه همکاری چین و بریتانیا در پروژه بازطراحی رآکتور اراک، رئیس سازمان انرژی اتمی میگوید ایران از پیشبرد کار راضی است.
ایران در طول برجام ۲۴ تن اورانیوم را غنیسازی کرد (July 28)
رئیس سازمان انرژی هستهای گفت: ایران بعد از برجام ۳۰۰ کیلو اورانیوم را غنیسازی نکرده، بلکه بعد از توافق هسته ای ۲۴ تن اورانیوم غنی سازی شده است.
ناخدای نفتکش توقیفشده ایران: نیروی دریایی بریتانیا از قوه قهریه استفاده کرد (July 30)
کاپیتان کشتی توقیف شده گریس یک میگوید نیروی دریایی بریتانیا در توقیف این نفتکش از "قوه قهریه" استفاده کرده است. حدود یک ماه پیش نیروی دریایی بریتانیا به دولت جبل الطارق کمک کرد این نفتکش را توقیف کند چون مقامات جبل الطارق بر این باور بودند که این نفتکش بر خلاف تحریمهای اتحادیه اروپا برای سوریه نفت حمل میکند. این کشتی حامل دو میلیون تن نفت ایران بود. ایران میگوید مقصد کشتی سوریه نبوده است.
سپاه پاسداران یک نفتکش خارجی دیگر را توقیف کرد (August 2)
روابط عمومی منطقه دوم نیروی دریایی سپاه پاسداران روز یکشنبه ۱۳ مرداد (۴ اوت) اعلام کرد: «یک فروند کشتی خارجی حامل سوخت قاچاق در اطراف جزیره فارسی به وسیله رزمندگان سپاه توقیف شد.»
نیویورک تایمز: علیرغم تحریمهای آمریکا، ایران به صادرات نفت خود ادامه میدهد (August 4)
نشریه نیویورک تایمز گزارش کرده است که علیرغم اجرای تحریمهای کامل نفتی آمریکا علیه جمهوری اسلامی ایران، صادرات نفت ایران همچنان ادامه یافته و چین و برخی کشورها در شرق مدیترانه از ماه مه (اردیبهشت) امسال "از ۱۲ نفتکش، نفت وارد کردهاند."
انتشار تصاویر ماهوارهای از 'تلاش ایران برای فروش نفت به چین (August 5)
با وجود آنکه آمارهای رسمی چین نشان میدهد این کشور واردات نفت از ایران را ماه به ماه کاهش داده است، اما اطلاعاتی که یک شرکت ردیابی نفتکش در اختیار روزنامه فایننشال تایمز قرار داده نشان میدهد که چین به خرید نفت از ایران ادامه میدهد.
جبلالطارق نفتکش ایرانی را آزاد کرد (August 15)
مقامهای جبلالطارق دستور دادهاند که نفتکش گریس ١ فورا آزاد شود. این نفتکش حامل نفت ایران بود و یک ماه پیش توقیف شد. روز جمعه) ۱۵ اوت/ ۲۴ مرداد) مهلتی بود که دادگاه پیشتر برای توقیف نفتکش تعیین کرده بود. در ساعتهای پایانی این مهلت، آمریکا خواهان ادامه توقیف گریس ١ شد.
استفاده افراد پولدار و «سلبریتیها» از آمبولانس برای فرار از ترافیک تهران (August 20)
رئیس اداره آمبولانس خصوصی ایران تائید کرد که عدهای از افراد پولدار در تهران برای فرار از ترافیک این شهر از آمبولانس استفاده میکنند. به گفته این مقام مسئول، پلیس «به دلیل حجم کار» نتوانسته است در زمینه جلوگیری از این اقدام ممنوع «همکاری کند."
یونان هیچگونه تسهیلاتی در اختیار نفتکش ایرانی قرار نمیدهد (August 21)
دولت یونان گفته است که هیچگونه تسهیلاتی در اختیار نفتکش آدریان دریا-۱ (گریس-۱ سابق) قرار نخواهد داد. روز چهارشنبه، ۳۰ مرداد (۲۱ اوت)، معاون وزارت خارجه یونان گفت که "ما پیامی کاملا روشن ارسال داشته و گفتهایم که مایل نیستیم هیچگونه تسهیلاتی را جهت قاچاق نفت این کشتی به سوریه فراهم کنیم."
اسرائیل و ایران؛ مرحله جدید جنگ پهپادی در سرزمین دیگران (August 25)
شبهنظامیان شیعه عراق میگویند دو نفر از اعضایشان در حملات پهپادی نزدیک استان انبار و در نزدیکی مرز با سوریه، کشته شدند. اسراییل هنوز مسوولیت این حمله را برعهده نگرفته اما نخست وزیر این کشور پنجشنبه گذشته بعد از حمله به مواضع بخشی از گروه حشد شعبی گفته بود نه تنها در عراق بلکه در تمام منطقه خاورمیانه علیه ایران اقدام خواهد کرد.
تحريم های مالی تازه آمريكا علیه حماس و حزب الله (29 August)
آمریکا از تحریم یک بانک لبنانی و چهار نفر به اتهام تسهیل عملیات مالی گروه های حزب الله و حماس خبر داده است. وزارت دارایی آمریکا پنجشنبه در بیانیه ای از تحریم بانک جمال تراست در لبنان و همه شرکت ها و موسسه های وابسته به آن به اتهام تسهیل مبادلات مالی گروه حزب الله خبر داد.
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This article is part of the new Jadaliyya Iran Page launch. To inaugurate the Iran Page, its co-editors are pleased to present the following articles, interviews, and resources:
Articles
"Jadaliyya Launches New Iran Page" by Iran Page Editors
"Covering Race and Rebellion" by Naveed Mansoori
"The Systemic Problem of 'Iran Expertise' in Washington" by Negar Razavi
Media Roundup
New Texts Out Now (NEWTON) Interviews
Nile Green, The Persianate World: The Frontiers of a Eurasian Lingua Franca
Narges Bajoghli, Iran Reframed: Anxieties of Power in the Islamic Republic
Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi, Revolution and its Discontents: Political Thought and Reform in Iran
Golbarg Rekabtalaei, Iranian Cosmopolitanism: A Cinematic History
Peyman Vahabzadeh, A Rebel’s Journey: Mostafa Sho‘aiyan and Revolutionary Theory in Iran
Resources
Jadaliyya Talks: Arash Davari and Sina Rahmani on "Divorce, Iran-America Style"
"Essential Readings: Post-Revolutionary Iran" by Arang Keshavarzian