Iran Digest Week of June 4- June 11
/AIC’s Iran digest project covers the latest developments and news stories published in Iranian and international media outlets. This weekly digest is compiled by Communications Associate Elizabeth Kos. Please note that the news and views expressed in the articles below do not necessarily reflect those of AIC.
US-Iran Relations
U.S. Lifts Some Iran Sanctions Amid Stalled Nuclear Talks
The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday repealed sanctions on former senior National Iranian Oil Co. officials and several companies involved in shipping and trading petrochemical products. The administration described the moves as routine administrative actions, saying the officials were removed from U.S. blacklists because they no longer held positions in the sanctioned entities.
But officials familiar with talks underway in Vienna on the future of the 2015 multilateral Iran nuclear agreement said the Biden administration has been looking at how it could inject momentum into the negotiations. Oil prices tumbled nearly 2% after the news, but quickly regained their losses, continuing to trade over $70 a barrel.
“These actions demonstrate our commitment to lifting sanctions in the event of a change in status or behavior by sanctioned persons,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement accompanying the notice of the action.
Nuclear Accord
IAEA Urges Iran to Provide Information on Uranium Traces at Sights
Iran has failed to answer questions about the discovery of uranium particles at former undeclared sites in the country, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said, calling on Tehran to provide information “without further delay”.
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been pushing Iran for answers on three sites dating back many years where inspections had revealed traces of uranium of man-made origin, suggesting they were once connected to Iran’s nuclear programme.
Grossi said Monday his “expectations were not met” and there had been no “concrete progress” on the issue, despite the Iranian authorities’ stated willingness to cooperate.
Election
‘Game Show’: Iranian Candidates Slam Debate Format, Trade Barbs
The seven men running to become Iran’s president have once again traded barbs in their second debate, while also criticising state television for the way the sessions are being conducted.
Several of the candidates, both conservative and moderate, recognised that the peculiar format of the debates – the first of which was held on Saturday – stifle meaningful dialogue on the major issues at hand ahead of the June 18 polls.
The format also meant that some of the most important questions – including how to handle Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, and how to manage United States sanctions – were quickly glossed over.
Poll Highlights Deep Voter Apathy Ahead of Iran Election
The results of the latest polling ahead of Iran's key presidential election indicate growing apathy among the Iranian public toward the polls.
The survey was conducted by Iran Students Polling Agency (ISPA), which is affiliated with the country's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. Covering over 1,500 respondents, the polling estimated the final voter turnout to stand around 38%.
The figures marked a sharp, unprecedented drop from all previous presidential elections in Iran. The last three votes witnessed turnouts ranging between 72 to 85%.
Economy
Oil Rises as Iranian Supply Not Seen Returning Soon
Oil prices rose on Tuesday, settling at the highest in more than two years after the top U.S. diplomat said that even if the United States were to reach a nuclear deal with Iran, hundreds of U.S. sanctions on Tehran would remain in place.
"I would anticipate that even in the event of a return to compliance with the JCPOA (2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), hundreds of sanctions will remain in place, including sanctions imposed by the Trump administration," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
Brent crude rose 73 cents, or 1%, to close at $72.22 a barrel, the highest it has settled since May 2019. U.S. West Texas Intermediate oil rose 82 cents, or 1.2%, to settle at $70.05 a barrel, the highest since October 2018.
(Reuters)
Inside Iran
Hezbollah Founder Dies of Coronavirus in Iran
Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, a former interior minister and Iranian cleric who is credited with helping found Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, died of coronavirus Monday at the age of 75, Iranian media reported.
According to The Associated Press, Mohtashamipour helped create Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and during his time as the Iranian ambassador to Syria in the early 1980s, he played a key role in Hezbollah’s founding. He was suspected of involvement in Hezbollah’s bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut and the group’s truck bombing at the US Marine compound in the Lebanese capital in 1983.
Mohtashamipour later served as interior minister, a member of parliament, and a political adviser to Iran’s first Reformist president, Mohammad Khatami.
Regional Politics
Iraq Releases Iran-Linked Militiaman in Blow to Efforts to Check Impunity
Iraq's government suffered an embarrassment Wednesday after a rare move to limit impunity among Iran-linked militias instead resulted in a commander accused of several killings walking free from custody and into a hero's welcome.
Although Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s government issued no statement about the May 26 arrest of Qasim Musleh, a militia commander from the southern city of Karbala, the fallout from it has dominated news broadcasts and underscored the administration’s weakness as militias kill and intimidate members of a protest movement that brought Kadhimi to power.
The arrest had sparked immediate controversy. Iran-linked militiamen arrived at the gates of Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone within hours. The army was deployed. That standoff ended only when one of Kadhimi’s predecessors and political foes, Nouri al-Maliki, stepped in to defuse tensions, officials say.
Iran Decries Suspension of UNGA Voting Rights
Iran condemned a UN decision to temporarily revoke Tehran's voting rights in the General Assembly over its outstanding contributions to the world body.
Tehran maintains it has paid its dues to the world body regularly and that the economic sanctions have made payments increasingly difficult for the country.
In a letter to the UN chief, Zarif said taking away Iran's voting privileges violates the UN Charter and the spirit of sovereign equality of member states. He said Iran failed to pay its dues because of extreme conditions imposed by the US on its banking relations. Zarif stressed that Washington's "economic terrorism has faced Iran with difficulty buying food and medicine, let alone paying its UN fees”.
Iraq: Iranian Kurdish Refugees Say UN Asylum Process Compounds Misery
For Fardin Grami, an Iranian Kurd sentenced to death in Iran, there was no choice but to flee his country and seek sanctuary in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq.
Grami and tens of thousands of other Iranian Kurds seeking relocation to a safe third country through the United Nations recount the misery of poor living conditions and long waits for asylum decisions.
“Iranian Kurds who are seeking political asylum through the UN are the most marginalized among all refugees in Iraq, facing all kinds of injustice and discrimination,” Arsalan Yar Ahmadi, a board member at the Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights in Kurdistan, told MEE via a messaging application.
Analysis
After Eight Years as Iran’s President, What is Rouhani’s Record on Women's Rights?
By: Fariba Parsa
In 2013, millions of Iranians voted for Hassan Rouhani as president, after eight years under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. During the campaign, supporters of Rouhani advocated for what they called a new “Hope Government.” His platform offered a series of promises: His administration would improve the economic situation and Iran’s relationship with the world, remove sanctions, eliminate limitations and restrictions on cultural activities, respect the rights of citizens, and engage women in public life and decision making. Furthermore, he promised to establish a Ministry of Women’s Affairs in his new cabinet.
Today, as we approach the end of Rouhani’s government, how should historians and scholars evaluate the economic, political, and social situation over the last eight years? The issues of women’s political participation and social freedom, which were promised by Rouhani, especially during his first campaign, are of particular importance in this regard.
