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Israel ‘will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens’ in wake of Iran’s attack on ship

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Israel ‘will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens’ in wake of Iran’s attack on ship

Israel’s UN envoy urges Security Council to condemn Iran’s violations of UN Charter, hold it accountable

Israel “will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens and its sovereignty,” the country’s US ambassador and UN envoy Gilad Erdan warned in a letter on Tuesday.

In the letter, Erdan accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of staging the attack on Israeli-owned MV Helios Ray cargo ship near the Gulf of Oman on Thursday.

Erdan said that the IRGC planted a bomb on the vessel, causing significant damage that forced the ship to return to Dubai for repairs.

Pointing at Iran’s earlier arrest of a Korean tanker as another example, the diplomat accused Tehran of endangering the “safety and security of international shipping in flagrant violation of international conventions” as well as breaching the UN Charter.

Read the complete article at: i24 News

 

 

 

Israel’s UN envoy urges Security Council to condemn Iran’s violations of UN Charter, hold it accountable Israel “will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens and its sovereignty,” the country’s US ambassador and UN envoy Gilad Erdan warned in a letter on Tuesday. In the letter, Erdan accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of staging the attack on Israeli-owned MV Helios Ray cargo ship near the Gulf of Oman on Thursday. Erdan said that the IRGC planted a bomb on the vessel, causing significant damage that forced the ship to return to Dubai for repairs. Pointing at Iran’s earlier arrest of a Korean tanker as another example, the diplomat accused Tehran of endangering the “safety and security of international shipping in flagrant violation of international conventions” as well as breaching the UN Charter. Pointing at Iran’s earlier arrest of a Korean tanker as another example, the diplomat accused Tehran of endangering the “safety and security of international shipping in flagrant violation of international conventions” as well as breaching the UN Charter.

Israel in talks with Saudi, UAE, Bahrain for defense alliance against Iran

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Israel in talks with Saudi, UAE, Bahrain for defense alliance against Iran

Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have discussed expanding cooperation in facing common enemies, an Israeli official familiar with the matter said Monday.

The matter is being “informally discussed,” the source said, adding that the countries are US allies. All four believe a nuclear Iran would be a major threat and have been eyeing the Biden administration’s plan to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal with concern.

“There is much to be gained by expanding cooperation,” the source said.

The remarks came following an article by World Jewish Congress president Ron Lauder in Arab News calling for a “NATO of the Middle East.”

Saudi Arabia does not have a free press, and Arab News, an English-language daily newspaper published in Saudi Arabia, is owned by Prince Turki bin Salman Al Saud, a son of King Salman and brother of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and is seen as reflecting the Saudi government’s official views.

Read the complete article at: The Jerusalem Post

 

 

 

Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have discussed expanding cooperation in facing common enemies, an Israeli official familiar with the matter said Monday.  The matter is being “informally discussed,” the source said, adding that the countries are US allies. All four believe a nuclear Iran would be a major threat and have been eyeing the Biden administration’s plan to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal with concern.  “There is much to be gained by expanding cooperation,” the source said.  The remarks came following an article by World Jewish Congress president Ron Lauder in Arab News calling for a “NATO of the Middle East.” Saudi Arabia does not have a free press, and Arab News, an English-language daily newspaper published in Saudi Arabia, is owned by Prince Turki bin Salman Al Saud, a son of King Salman and brother of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and is seen as reflecting the Saudi government’s official views. alliance against Iran alliance against Iran

US Treasury sanctions Iran-backed Houthi leaders

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US Treasury sanctions Iran-backed Houthi leaders

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on two military leaders of the Houthi movement in Yemen, accusing them of procuring weapons from Iran and organizing attacks, in the Biden administration’s first punitive action against the group.

The sanctions contrast with the State Department’s decision last month to revoke terrorist designations on the group imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration on its last full day in office, over concern that they would exacerbate Yemen’s humanitarian crisis.

But President Joe Biden’s administration has signaled limits to US tolerance of the Iran-backed Houthi movement, warning that Washington will keep up pressure on the group’s leadership.

“The United States remains committed to promoting accountability of Houthi leadership for their actions, which have contributed to the extraordinary suffering of the Yemeni people,” director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Andrea Gacki said in a Treasury Department statement.

Read the complete article at: The Jerusalem Post

 

 

 

 The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on two military leaders of the Houthi movement in Yemen, accusing them of procuring weapons from Iran and organizing attacks, in the Biden administration’s first punitive action against the group. The sanctions contrast with the State Department’s decision last month to revoke terrorist designations on the group imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration on its last full day in office, over concern that they would exacerbate Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. But President Joe Biden’s administration has signaled limits to US tolerance of the Iran-backed Houthi movement, warning that Washington will keep up pressure on the group’s leadership. “The United States remains committed to promoting accountability of Houthi leadership for their actions, which have contributed to the extraordinary suffering of the Yemeni people,” director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Andrea Gacki said in a Treasury Department statement. director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Andrea Gacki said in a Treasury Department statement.

Regime’s Economist: Corruption and Wrong Policies Are Iran’s Real Economic Problems, Not Sanctions

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Regime’s Economist: Corruption and Wrong Policies Are Iran’s Real Economic Problems, Not Sanctions

On Monday, Hossain Raghfar, one of the Iranian regime’s economists, underlined the mullahs’ institutionalized corruption, calling for an emergency economic situation in Iran.

“If the process of destruction and weakening of the economy and society in Iran is to be stopped, a fundamental decision must first be made and the ‘emergency situation’ must prevail in the country, because without it, [economic] reforms are not possible,” Raghfar said on Monday, in an interview with the state-run ILNA news agency.

“There are solutions for [economic] reform, but some do not want to implement specific solutions,” Raghfar added.

“We have said many times that the government itself makes the currency more expensive, which will affect people’s livelihood. It should be noted that this increase in the exchange rate is a source of income for the government and has fragile consequences for people. In other words, it creates a dangerous imbalance for families and their livelihoods. The consequences [of this action] will affect the country’s economy for years,” Raghfar added.

Read the complete article at: NCRI

 

 

 

“If the process of destruction and weakening of the economy and society in Iran is to be stopped, a fundamental decision must first be made and the ‘emergency situation’ must prevail in the country, because without it, [economic] reforms are not possible,” Raghfar said on Monday, in an interview with the state-run ILNA news agency. “There are solutions for [economic] reform, but some do not want to implement specific solutions,” Raghfar added. “We have said many times that the government itself makes the currency more expensive, which will affect people’s livelihood. It should be noted that this increase in the exchange rate is a source of income for the government and has fragile consequences for people. In other words, it creates a dangerous imbalance for families and their livelihoods. The consequences [of this action] will affect the country’s economy for years,” Raghfar added. Wrong Policies Wrong Policies

Iran’s minorities suffer at the hands of regime

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Iran’s minorities suffer at the hands of regime

Sistan and Balochistan province is among the poorest in Iran and it faces regular sandstorms and droughts. The regime environmentally destructive policies and negligence have aggravated the province’s dire conditions and have worsened the living conditions.

 

Desperation and a lack of employment opportunities have forced many Balochis in the Sunni-majority region to engage in cross-border fuel smuggling as a means of earning a living. Regime

Barely a day passes without reports emerging on social media from human rights groups and activists mentioning the death of Balochi fuel smugglers because of the extrajudicial “shoot-to-kill” policy employed by Iran’s security forces and border guards.

 

Last Tuesday, the Balochi Activists’ Campaign (BAC) posted a video showing troops from the regime’s infamous Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) firing on unarmed civilian Balochi fuel smugglers at the Eskan border outpost near the town of Saravan, with at least 10 killed and many more wounded in the unprovoked attack.

 

In response, protests broke out among the long-suffering residents of Saravan, who stormed the local governor’s office.

 

The following day, the local Balochi population in Kurin Sarjangal, a suburb of Zahedan city, launched a widespread strike and attacked the IRGC’s bases in Zahedan, setting fire to vehicles and destroying the barracks. Dozens of protesters were reportedly arrested.

 

According to the BAC’s report, the killings took place after the IRGC sealed off the Iranian-Pakistan border and dug huge holes to obstruct the movement of Balochi fuel smugglers.

 

These extrajudicial killings sparked further protests among the impoverished Balochi locals, who are reliant on cross-border trade to survive.

 

They gathered in front of the local IRGC base, demanding that the border be reopened and travel allowed.

 

The IRGC’s response was to open fire on the unarmed protesters, killing and wounding dozens.

 

Read the complete article at NewsNow.com

 

Also Read: Turkey, Iran Spar Diplomatically Amid Turkish Threats Over Iraq

Turkey, Iran Spar Diplomatically Amid Turkish Threats Over Iraq

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Turkey, Iran Spar Diplomatically Amid Turkish Threats Over Iraq

Turkey and Iran called in each other’s ambassadors as Turkey threatens to attack Kurdish separatists on Iraq’s Mount Sinjar, an area used by Iranian militants to cross into Syria.

The diplomatic row follows a botched Turkish operation that resulted in the deaths of 13 hostages on Mount Gara in northern Iraq in February. Turkey said the captives were executed by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.

Iran’s ambassador to Iraq called on Turkey to withdraw its forces from Iraq and avoid targeting Mount Sinjar, where PKK fighters settled after helping drive Islamic State out of the area.

Turkey now wants to drive the PKK ouf of Sinjar to sever their links to Syria, where affiliated militants are a dominant power within the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. That’s causing conflict with Iran because Iranian-backed militants use the area to cross into Syria.

Read the complete article at: Bloomberg

 

 

 

Turkey and Iran called in each other’s ambassadors as Turkey threatens to attack Kurdish separatists on Iraq’s Mount Sinjar, an area used by Iranian militants to cross into Syria. The diplomatic row follows a botched Turkish operation that resulted in the deaths of 13 hostages on Mount Gara in northern Iraq in February. Turkey said the captives were executed by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.  Iran’s ambassador to Iraq called on Turkey to withdraw its forces from Iraq and avoid targeting Mount Sinjar, where PKK fighters settled after helping drive Islamic State out of the area. Turkey now wants to drive the PKK ouf of Sinjar to sever their links to Syria, where affiliated militants are a dominant power within the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. That’s causing conflict with Iran because Iranian-backed militants use the area to cross into Syria.  Turkey now wants to drive the PKK ouf of Sinjar to sever their links to Syria, where affiliated militants are a dominant power within the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. That’s causing conflict with Iran because Iranian-backed militants use the area to cross into Syria. 

Iran Rejects Nuclear Deal Talks With U.S. Proposed by Europe

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Iran Rejects Nuclear Deal Talks With U.S. Proposed by Europe

Iran on Sunday rejected an offer to negotiate directly with the United States in an informal meeting proposed by Europeans to revive the nuclear deal that President Donald J. Trump exited nearly three years ago.

A spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said recent actions taken by Washington and Europeans had led Iran to conclude that the “time was not right” to hold such talks. His remarks came days after President Biden ordered retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed militias in eastern Syria that were tied to recent attacks against American and allied personnel in Iraq.

“There has been no change in America’s positions and actions,” Mr. Khatibzadeh said in a foreign ministry statement. “The Biden administration has not set aside Trump’s maximum pressure policy, nor has it announced its commitments” under the 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by Mr. Trump.

Read the complete article at: The New York Times

 

 

 

Iran on Sunday rejected an offer to negotiate directly with the United States in an informal meeting proposed by Europeans to revive the nuclear deal that President Donald J. Trump exited nearly three years ago. A spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said recent actions taken by Washington and Europeans had led Iran to conclude that the “time was not right” to hold such talks. His remarks came days after President Biden ordered retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed militias in eastern Syria that were tied to recent attacks against American and allied personnel in Iraq. “There has been no change in America’s positions and actions,” Mr. Khatibzadeh said in a foreign ministry statement. “The Biden administration has not set aside Trump’s maximum pressure policy, nor has it announced its commitments” under the 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by Mr. Trump. “The Biden administration has not set aside Trump’s maximum pressure policy, nor has it announced its commitments” under the 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by Mr. Trump.

Saeed Mohammad: The young face of the IRGC weighing his political options

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Saeed Mohammad: The young face of the IRGC weighing his political options

As Iran is approaching its thirteenth presidential elections in June, there are widespread speculations on who will run in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, the failure of the Hassan Rouhani administration’s promise to deliver economic relief from US economic sanctions has increased the possibility that a hardliner candidate close to the security apparatus will become Iran’s next president. Among those rumored to be running in the elections is Saeed Mohammad

A 52-year-old Second Class Brigadier General of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who is currently serving as the commander of the US-sanctioned Khatam Al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters (KAA), the engineering firm of the Guards.

Born in 1968 in Tehran, Mohammad joined the IRGC at the age of nineteen, almost a year before the conclusion of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988. What distinguishes Mohammad from his fellow IRGC cadre is his lack of substantial military experience, which he has compensated for with a large portfolio of executive positions and academic achievements.

Read the complete article at: Atlantic Council

 

 

 

As Iran is approaching its thirteenth presidential elections in June, there are widespread speculations on who will run in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, the failure of the Hassan Rouhani administration’s promise to deliver economic relief from US economic sanctions has increased the possibility that a hardliner candidate close to the security apparatus will become Iran’s next president. Among those rumored to be running in the elections is Saeed Mohammad A 52-year-old Second Class Brigadier General of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who is currently serving as the commander of the US-sanctioned Khatam Al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters (KAA), the engineering firm of the Guards. Born in 1968 in Tehran, Mohammad joined the IRGC at the age of nineteen, almost a year before the conclusion of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988. What distinguishes Mohammad from his fellow IRGC cadre is his lack of substantial military experience, which he has compensated for with a large portfolio of executive positions and academic achievements.

Characteristics Of Recent Uprising In Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan

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Characteristics Of Recent Uprising In Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan

Today marks the 8th day of Sistan and Baluchestan protests that started in Saravan, southeastern Iran. The protests erupted on February 22 when the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) opened fire and killed fuel porters in Saravan county, near the Iran-Pakistan border. IRGC forces in the Saravan border area opened fire on a group of Baluch fuel porters, killing and injuring several people.

The regime shut down or disrupted internet connections on Wednesday night to quell the Sistan and Baluchestan protests. However, sporadic clashes and other forms of protest have continued and have spread to several other cities in the province including in the provincial capital, Zahedan.

On Saturday, the youth in Dashtyari county blocked the road to Bahukalat in protest to the killing of fuel traders at the Saravan border crossing.

In the city of Zabol, security forces are on high alert. Security forces have set up several check points in the city. According to reports from Doust Mohammad, there’s a heavy presence of security forces across the county.

Under severe pressure by protests across Sistan and Baluchestan and fearing the expansion of protests to other parts of Iran, the regime was forced to restore the work permit of some fuel traders. IRGC units have evacuated some of their border outposts in fear of protests.

A citizen reported on Saturday: “We’re still facing an internet blackout. We tried to take our wounded to locations where security forces could not harm them. Since yesterday evening, we brought a few nurses and doctors from 400 kilometers away to tend to the wounded. I haven’t slept in two days. We just had short access to internet 30 minutes ago in Zahedan.”

According to citizen reports from Zahedan, the city is in a state of martial law. Security forces are filling the streets and the regime has brought reinforcements from neighboring cities and towns. Some of the units have been brought in from the neighboring Kerman province. The government is continuously dispatching reinforcements from other provinces including Isfahan, in central Iran and neighboring Kerman.

Read complete article at: Eurasia Review

Also read: Israel Accuses IRGC of Attacking Its Cargo Ship in Gulf of Oman

Israel Accuses IRGC of Attacking Its Cargo Ship in Gulf of Oman

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Israel Accuses IRGC of Attacking Its Cargo Ship in Gulf of Oman

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused Iran of attacking an Israeli cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman last week, a mysterious explosion that further spiked security concerns in the region.

Without offering any evidence to his claim, Netanyahu told Israeli public broadcaster Kan that “it was indeed an act by Iran, that’s clear.”

“Iran is the greatest enemy of Israel, I am determined to halt it. We are hitting it in the entire region,” Netanyahu said. Iran promptly dismissed the charges.

The blast struck the Israeli-owned MV Helios Ray in , a Bahamian-flagged roll-on, roll-off vehicle cargo ship, as it was sailing in the Gulf of Oman on its way to Singapore on Friday. The crew was unharmed, but the vessel sustained two holes on its port side and two on its starboard side just above the waterline, according to American defense officials.

The ship came to Dubai’s port for repairs on Sunday, days after the blast that revived security concerns in Mideast waterways amid heightened tensions with Iran.

Iran has sought to pressure the U.S. to lift sanctions on Tehran as President Joe Biden’s administration considers option for returning to negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. Biden has said repeatedly the U.S. would return to the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers that his predecessor, Donald Trump, withdrew from in 2018 only after Iran restores its full compliance with the accord.

Israeli defense officials were quoted as saying they believe Iranian IRGC Naval forces fired two missiles, targeting a part of the ship. But Alon Ben David, a senior defense correspondent for Israel’s Channel 13 reported Sunday night that an examination of the ship revealed it had been hit by naval mines. It is still unclear in which port the magnetic mines were affixed to the side of the hull of the MV Helios Ray, a vehicle carrier that flew the flag of Bahamas but was owned by Israeli businessman Avraham (Rami) Unger.

Israel is convinced the IRGC Navy is behind the attack.

Read complete article at: AP News

Also read: Biden Orders Missile Strike on Iran-backed Militia in Syria

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