[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]
COVID-19
Iran Coronavirus Deaths Rise by 65 to 6,156 as Contamination Slows (2 May)
“Iran’s death toll from new coronavirus increased by 65 over the previous 24 hours to reach 6,156 on Saturday, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement on state TV. The total number of diagnosed cases in Iran, one of the Middle Eastern countries hardest hit by the pandemic, has reached 96,448, up by 802 in the past 24 hours, the lowest daily increase rate in weeks, he said, adding that 2,787 were in critical condition. A total of 77,350, or 80% of those infected, had so far recovered, he said.”
Mosques and Schools to Reopen in Iran's Low-risk Areas (3 May)
“Iran plans to reopen mosques and schools in areas that have been consistently free of the coronavirus as President Hassan Rouhani’s government starts to ease restrictions that were aimed at containing the outbreak.”
All Mosques in Iran to Reopen Temporarily on Tuesday (11 May)
“All mosques in Iran will reopen temporarily on Tuesday, a further step in the government’s plans to ease restrictions that aimed to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, the official IRIB news agency reported.”
Vehicles, Not Marches, to Mark Iran's Annual Anti-Israel Rally: President (16 May)
“Rallies next week in Tehran to mark the annual Quds Day against Israel will involve Iranians driving in vehicles not marching through the streets, to avoid spreading the coronavirus, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on state television on Saturday.”
Iran Sees New Surge in Virus Cases After Reopening Country (18 May)
“When Iran began to reopen late last month, commuters packed subways and buses, young people lined up for takeout hamburgers and pizza, and traffic snarled highways. Shoppers crowded the traditional bazaars of Isfahan and Tehran. Worshipers resumed communal prayer at mosques during Ramadan evenings. Three weeks later, the country has been hit by a new surge of coronavirus cases, according to health officials in some of the eight provinces where the numbers have spiked again. Health experts had predicted this would happen when the government made the call to ease restrictions in late April.”
Some 10,000 Iranian Health Workers Infected with Coronavirus: State Media (21 May)
“Around 10,000 Iranian health workers have been infected with the new coronavirus, the semi-official ILNA news agency quoted a deputy health minister as saying on Thursday.”
Iran to Reopen Religious, Cultural Sites: President (23 May)
“Iran on Saturday moved to open businesses, religious and cultural sites as it eased restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Museums and historical sites are to reopen on Sunday to coincide with the Eid el-Fitr celebrations that mark the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, President Hassan Rouhani said on state television.”
New Iran Parliament Convenes under Strict Coronavirus Curbs (27 May)
“Iran’s new parliament convened on Wednesday after the Feb. 21 elections under strict health protocols and social distancing rules to ward off the coronavirus in one of the hardest-hit Middle Eastern countries.”
As Lockdown Eases, Iran's Mosques to Resume Daily Prayers (30 May)
“Government employees went back to work in Iran on Saturday and President Hassan Rouhani said mosques would resume daily prayers across the country, even though some areas are seeing high levels of coronavirus infections.”
Domestic Politics
Exclusive: Afghan Lawmakers Say 45 Migrants Drowned after Iranian Guards Forced Them into River (7 May)
“Iranian border guards killed 45 Afghan migrant workers trying to cross into Iran this month by forcing them into a raging mountain torrent at gunpoint, according to two Afghan lawmakers investigating the deaths.”
Moderate Iran Quake Kills Two, Draws Many into Tehran Streets (7 May)
“Two people died after a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck northern Iran in the early hours of Friday, sending people in and around the capital Tehran fleeing from their homes in panic, state television reported.”
Iranian Friendly Fire Kills 19 in 2nd Missile Accident of Year (10 May)
“On Sunday, a missile from an Iranian Navy frigate struck another Iranian naval vessel during a military exercise in the Gulf of Oman, killing at least 19 sailors and wounding 15, the navy said.”
Iran May Use Military against Locusts Threatening Crops (15 May)
“Iran may use its military for a second year to help fight locusts that have invaded the south of the country, an Agricultural Ministry official was quoted as saying on Friday, as the swarms threaten to destroy crops worth more than $7 billion.”
Father's Killing of 14-Year-Old Daughter Stirs Outrage in Iran (27 May)
“A father’s brutal killing of his teenage daughter over her relationship with a man has caused widespread anger in Iran, with President Hassan Rouhani urging lawmakers to work quickly on a bill to prevent violence against women.”
Crisis in the Gulf
Exclusive: In Veiled Warning to Iran, U.S. Tells Gulf Mariners to Stay Clear of its Warships (19 May)
“In an alert that appeared aimed squarely at Iran, the U.S. Navy issued a warning on Tuesday to mariners in the Gulf to stay 100 meters (yards) away from U.S. warships or risk being ‘interpreted as a threat and subject to lawful defensive measures.’”
After U.S. Warning, Iran Says its Navy Will Still Operate in Gulf (20 May)
“The Iranian navy will maintain regular missions in the Gulf, the ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday, a day after the United States warned mariners there to stay away from U.S. warships.”
Iranian Fuel Starts Arriving in Venezuelan Waters Despite U.S. Warning (23 May)
“The first of five Iranian tankers carrying fuel for gasoline-starved Venezuela entered the South American country’s exclusive economic zone on Saturday, despite a U.S. official’s warning that Washington was considering a response to the shipment.”
Iranian Tanker Docks in Venezuelan Port, Domestic Refining Rises (25 May)
“The first of five Iranian tankers carrying fuel to Venezuela has moored at a port serving the El Palito refinery, the oil minister said on Monday, and Refinitiv Eikon data showed a second vessel had entered its waters.”
US-Iran Relations
The US and Iran are Still Perilously Close to Conflict (2 May)
Ali Vaez writes in The Guardian: “With neither side willing to yield, a dearth of effective communication channels, stalled diplomacy and a wide arc of regional flashpoints where the US, Iran and their respective allies are tensely poised, a single incident, even if minor, could quickly spin out of control.”
U.S. Senate Upholds Trump Veto of ‘Insulting’ Iran War Powers Resolution (7 May)
“The U.S. Senate failed on Thursday to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a resolution that would have reined in his ability to wage war against Iran by requiring him to obtain congressional authorization for military action.”
Iran Berates U.S. over Police Killing, Slams Racism (30 May)
“Iran took Washington to task on Saturday over the alleged killing of an unarmed black man by a white police officer that sparked protests in the United States over racial injustice.”
Sanctions
U.S. Envoy Threatens to Trigger Return of U.N. Sanctions on Iran (13 May)
“The United States publicly threatened on Wednesday to trigger a return of all United Nations sanctions on Iran if the U.N. Security Council does not extend an arms embargo on Tehran that is due to expire in October under the Iran nuclear deal.”
Iran Dismisses U.S. Threat to Trigger Return of U.N. Sanctions (14 May)
“Iran’s Foreign Minister on Thursday dismissed as “foolish claims” U.S. threats to trigger a return of all United Nations sanctions if the U.N. Security Council does not extend an arms embargo on Tehran, state media reported.”
With Inflation Ravaging Currency, Iran Is Changing Names and Numbers (4 May)
“For many years, Iran’s government debated changing the national currency, the rial, by basically slashing four zeros off its face value — an acknowledgment of how American sanctions and economic mismanagement have contributed to inflation in the country. On Monday, the Iranian Parliament essentially took that step, authorizing the replacement of the rial with another basic unit of currency called the toman. Each toman will be worth 10,000 rials under the new system.”
U.S. Sanctions Advisory Raises Hurdles for Global Maritime Industry (27 May)
“Ship owners and insurers say it may be impossible for the maritime industry to fully comply with the Trump administration’s new guidelines on how to avoid sanctions penalties related to Iran, North Korea and Syria, raising the risk of disruptions in a sector already struggling with the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak.”
Political Prisoners
U.S. Expected to Deport Iranian Professor Acquitted of Sanctions Busting: Officials (5 May)
“The United States is expected to deport Iranian professor Sirous Asgari, who was acquitted of stealing trade secrets, once he receives medical clearance to leave, U.S. and Iranian officials said on Tuesday.”
Iran Sentences French-Iranian Academic to 6 Years in Prison (16 May)
“A French-Iranian academic who has been detained in Iran for almost a year was sentenced on Saturday to six years in prison on national security charges, according to her lawyer. The academic, Fariba Adelkhah, was sentenced ‘to five years jail for gathering and conspiring against Iran’s national security,’ the lawyer, Saeid Dehghan, told Reuters, adding that she was also given a one-year jail term ‘for propaganda against the Islamic Republic.’”
Iran Extends Temporary Release of British-Iranian Woman (20 May)
“A British-Iranian woman who was granted temporary release from prison in Iran in March amid the coronavirus pandemic has had her furlough extended indefinitely, her family said on Wednesday, raising hopes that she could be granted clemency and return to Britain.”
Op-Ed
Sanctions Make Iran's Coronavirus Crisis More Deadly (8 May)
Seyed Hossein Mousavian writes in Al Jazeera: “The novel coronavirus pandemic is the most serious public health threat our world has faced in a century. It made the inhumane and unjust sanctions the US has imposed on Iran deadlier than ever. The Trump administration should immediately change course and lift the sanctions on Iran before it is too late. If it fails to do so, the consequences for millions of Iranians will be dire.”
Sanctions in the Era of Pandemic (12 May)
Phyllis Bennis writes in Al Jazeera: “What world do we want to live in? Do we want a world of increasing arms and fear and hatred of others, or a world mobilising mutual aid against a virus that does not distinguish between any of us? Fortunately, across the world, people are choosing to build ties of human solidarity. In the US, despite its government, people are joining mutual aid committees, working to support healthcare workers and first responders, and mobilising to demand government support for our most impacted communities. What all this makes clear, however, is we cannot stop at home. In response to a pandemic of this scale, that work must also take up the demand to end the economic sanctions that our government is imposing on people already facing devastating health, economic, climate and in too many cases political emergencies.”