In Tehran, White House Race is Talk of Town

By Ahmad Parhizi

For Iran, struggling from sanctions imposed under Washington's policy of "maximum pressure", the US presidential race raises hope of change—but also fears that life could get even worse.

“The general view is that the result of this presidential election is crucial for the population,” said Zeinab Esmaili, who covers foreign affairs for the Iranian reformist newspaper Shargh.

Tehran and Washington, long-time enemies, have not maintained diplomatic relations for decades.

But tensions have soared under US President Donald Trump, who pulled out of a nuclear accord negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama—as well as other nations—and placed sweeping sanctions on the country.

Iranians have grown used to having their day-to-day lives hit hard by foreign policy decisions taken far away in the US.

“It is natural for us to talk about the American elections,” said Mohammad Amin Naqibzadeh, a 28-year-old geopolitics student.

In May 2018, Trump withdrew from a landmark deal that gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for UN-verified guarantees that it is not seeking nuclear weapons.

The subsequent waves of sanctions on Iran have crippled its economy.

International Arrogance

So along with the US election, two topics dominate conversation in Tehran: the rise in prices and the declining exchange rate of the Iranian rial.

Both crises are linked deeply to US relations with Tehran.

Iran has also been battered by the coronavirus pandemic, with related restrictions adding to the Islamic republic’s economic woes.

The value of its currency has slumped dramatically.

The rial has lost nearly 90 percent of its value against the dollar in the past three years, fueling galloping inflation.

Iran regularly denounces as “lies” Washington’s claims that the sanctions do not affect ordinary citizens.

Officially, the authorities have a clear view on who they support: neither candidate.

Both Trump and Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden are two sides of the same coin of Washington’s “international arrogance”.

For Iran’s leaders, Washington is often dubbed the “Great Satan”, or simply the “enemy”.

But on Tehran’s streets, many residents say they believe they would be better off with Biden.

If Trump is re-elected, people expect to get more of the same “maximum pressure” policy and crushing sanctions.

In September, Biden wrote that he “will offer Tehran a credible path back to diplomacy”.

Some hope that could mean the potential return of the US to the UN nuclear agreement on Iran — a deal struck while Biden was Obama’s vice-president.

“There is therefore hope he will return to this agreement,” said Mohammad Ali Kiani, a 28-year-old politics student.

“In general, people think that a victory for Biden… would be better for Iran,” said Esmaili, the journalist for Shargh.

But not all are convinced.

“People are hoping for an improvement in their economic situation,” said journalist Maziar Khosravi.

“It does not matter to them who is in the White House.”

Others seem to expect that Trump will win a second term—and that for them, life will grow worse.

“They see it as very likely that Trump will start a second term and that… the rise in prices and the devaluation of the rial will continue,” Esmaili said.

‘Illusion’

The news that Trump tested positive for the coronavirus sparked several conspiracy theories on Iranian social media—as well as jokes linking the state of his health to the exchange rate.

Officially, the authorities in Iran support neither President Donald Trump nor his challenger Joe Biden in the US election, but many people on Tehran’s streets say they believe they’ll be better off with Biden© AFP ATTA KENARE

If Trump wins a second term, the continuation of his hardline policies will further impact politics in Iran.

“A radical American approach also radicalises (politics) in Iran,” said reformist economist Saeed Leylaz.

Leylaz wants to believe that if Biden won, he would “seriously change US policy towards Iran”.

But others are skeptical, and say a Biden victory would unlikely change much — not least because there are only five months between the January 20 inauguration of the US winner, and Iran’s own presidential elections on June 18.

Hamidreza Taraqi, a senior official in the conservative alliance which won legislative elections in February, is opposed to any discussion with Washington.

He pointed out that the decades-long political conflict between Tehran and Washington has already “tested both Democrats and Republicans”, and calls the idea of change under Biden an “illusion”.

“Neither have embarked on a path that will resolve the problems” of Iran, he said.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Reimposes Restrictive Virus Measures in Tehran

Iran on Saturday reimposed measures in Tehran province to contain the novel coronavirus, state TV reported, shutting public spaces and cancelling events days after confirming another record number of cases.

The measures went into force on Saturday and were set to last a week, the broadcaster said, citing an order by the Tehran governor's office.

Under the restrictions, universities and education centres, mosques, cinemas, museums, wedding halls, beauty salons, gyms, cafes, zoos and swimming pools would be closed, state TV reported.

"Cultural and social events and conferences" were cancelled and Friday prayers would not be held, it added. 

The Islamic republic confirmed a record 3,825 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, surpassing the previous high reported on September 22.

The restrictions are largely the same as those taken early in the pandemic in Iran, which stopped short of imposing a full lockdown, despite facing the Middle East's deadliest outbreak.

The measures were progressively eased from April to avoid deepening an economic crisis precipitated by the reimposition of heavy sanctions by the United States in 2018.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on Saturday for heavy fines and punishment for those flouting health protocols.

"We must set harsh fines for those who know they are infected but have not self-quarantined for 14 days or even told others" they have contracted the virus, Rouhani said at a meeting of the national coronavirus taskforce.

He added that government employees who failed to observe regulations could be suspended for one year if first warnings were not heeded.

Not wearing a mask would incur a fine and businesses could be closed down if health regulations were not respected, according to the president.

Iran's health ministry on Saturday announced 3,523 new COVD-19 infections, bringing the total number of cases since February to 468,119.

The day's death toll of 179 brought the number of fatalities due to the disease to 26,746.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Marks New Record Single-Day COVID-19 Infection Tally

Iran reported a new record number of COVID-19 cases on Thursday, with 3,825 infections confirmed in the past 24 hours, according to official statistics.

The figure surpasses the previous record single-day case tally of 3,712, reported on September 22. 

The number of deaths per day linked to the disease have remained stable, according to Iranian authorities. 

"We have unfortunately lost 211 of our dear compatriots to the COVID-19 illness over the past 24 hours," health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said in a press briefing. 

The new fatalities bring the total number of deaths to 26,380, out of 461,044 cases recorded in the country, which has been battling the Middle East's deadliest outbreak of the novel coronavirus since February. 

Criticising a "decline in compliance with health protocols" across the country, Lari reiterated a call for Iranians to observe regulations in place to stem the spread of the virus, in particular wearing masks where it is mandatory.  

"The trend toward a decline in mask use in recent weeks remains of deep concern for our colleagues within the health system," she said. 

Iran took various restrictive measures to stem the virus but stopped short of imposing a full lockdown to avoid deepening an economic crisis precipitated by the reimposition of heavy sanctions by the United States in 2018. 

Photo: IRNA

US Grants Iraq New 60-day Waiver To Import Iranian Gas

The US has granted Iraq a 60-day extension to a sanctions waiver allowing it to import Iranian gas for its crippled power grids, an Iraqi official told AFP on Wednesday.

Baghdad relies on gas and electricity imports from its neighbour Tehran to supply about a third of its electricity sector, worn down by years of conflict and poor maintenance.

The US blacklisted Iran's energy industry in late 2018 but has since granted its ally Baghdad a series of temporary waivers to stave off country-wide blackouts.

In May, Washington granted Iraq a four-month extension as a gesture of good will towards Mustafa al-Kadhemi, who had just formed a cabinet seen as more US-friendly than its predecessor.

The US has pressured Iraq to use the waivers to become independent from Iranian energy, specifically by partnering with American firms, and had been frustrated by the slow progress under the previous premier Adel Abdel Mahdi.

While Kadhemi's cabinet has sought to fast-track such deals, it has been unable stem the near-daily rocket and IED attacks on Western military and diplomatic interests.

On his trip to Washington in August, Kadhemi scored agreements with various US firms for energy development across Iraq, including Chevron, Baker Hughes, Exxon and General Electric.

As OPEC's second-biggest producer, Iraq relies on crude exports to fund more than 90 percent of its state budget, but this year's price collapse has seriously undermined the government's fiscal position.

Photo: IRNA

Trump Defiantly Presses 'UN' Sanctions on Iran

By Shaun Tandon and Cyril Julien

President Donald Trump said Monday that he was imposing sanctions on Iranians for violating a UN arms embargo and demanded enforcement by US allies, who roundly dispute that he has any such authority. 

Trump's defiant move came on the very day that the United Nations was celebrating its 75th anniversary with a virtual summit full of calls for greater international cooperation.

The Trump administration said it was imposing sanctions on 27 individuals and entities under a UN resolution including Iran's defense ministry, its Atomic Energy Organization and Venezuela's leftist leader Nicolas Maduro, whom Washington has been trying without success to topple.

"The United States has now restored UN sanctions on Iran," Trump said in a statement.

"My actions today send a clear message to the Iranian regime and those in the international community who refuse to stand up to Iran."

The Trump administration argues that it is enforcing a UN arms embargo that Iran has violated, including through an attack on Saudi oil facilities.

The embargo on conventional arms shipments to Iran is set to expire next month after the United States failed to win support for a new UN resolution. 

The Trump administration says it is "snapping back" virtually all UN sanctions on Iran lifted under a 2015 nuclear accord with Tehran negotiated by former president Barack Obama.

Trump pulled out of the deal with fanfare in 2018 and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo again on Monday called it an "abject failure."

But Pompeo argues that the United States is still a "participant" in the deal—with the right to impose sanctions for violations—as it was listed in the resolution that blessed Obama's diplomatic effort.

Iran Says No Renegotiating

The legal argument has been rejected by almost the entire UN Security Council, with European allies of the United States saying the priority is to salvage a peaceful solution on Iran's nuclear program.

"We have made it very clear that every member state in the United Nations has a responsibility to enforce the sanctions," Pompeo told reporters when asked about European opposition.

"That certainly includes the United Kingdom, France and Germany." 

A news conference to announce the move was scheduled at the very time that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was speaking before a leading US think tank, in an appearance denounced by the Trump administration.

Zarif told the Council on Foreign Relations that the latest effort would have no "significant impact" on his country.

"The United States has exerted all the pressure it could on Iran, it has. It had hoped that these sanctions will bring our population to the knees. It didn't," Zarif said.

The United States already slapped sweeping unilateral sanctions on Iran when Trump withdrew from the nuclear accord, at a time that UN inspectors said Tehran was in compliance with the deal that was meant to offer it economic relief.

Some observers believe Trump's real goal is to definitively kill the nuclear deal, which was staunchly supported by Joe Biden, his Democratic rival in November 3 elections.

Zarif said that Iran was not willing to renegotiate the original accord even if Biden wins.

"The United States must first prove that it's worthy of the trust that is required for its re-entry into the deal before it sets conditions," Zarif said.

Snub at UN

The Trump administration has been seeking to reduce Iran's regional clout and boost its rivals Saudi Arabia and Israel.

It achieved a significant win earlier this month when the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain recognized Israel.

Pompeo addressed the media alongside cabinet colleagues and the US ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, who traveled to Washington rather than stay in New York for the world body's 75th anniversary summit.

As world leaders sent recorded messages, the United States was represented by its acting deputy envoy, although Trump is expected to speak virtually to the annual General Assembly on Tuesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron, addressing the anniversary summit by video, urged a new focus on the United Nations to combat the world's "disorder."

"At a time when the pandemic is feeding fear of decline and a narrative of collective powerlessness, I want to say very clearly -- faced with this health emergency, the climate challenge and the retreat on rights, it is here and now that we must act."

Photo: Wikicommons

Iran Says US Faces 'Maximum Isolation' as World Powers Dismiss Sanctions

By Karim Abou Merhi

Iran said Sunday that the United States is facing "maximum isolation" after major powers dismissed a unilateral US declaration that UN sanctions on Tehran were back in force.

Washington said the sanctions had been re-activated under the "snapback" mechanism in a landmark 2015 nuclear treaty—despite Washington having withdrawn from the deal.

As other signatories cast doubt on the move having any legal effect, Washington threatened to "impose consequences" on states failing to comply.

But Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said a concerted campaign by Washington to pressure Tehran had backfired.

"We can say that America's 'maximum pressure' against Iran, in its political and legal aspect, has turned into America's maximum isolation," he said in a televised cabinet meeting.

The sanctions in question had been lifted when Iran, the UN Security Council's five permanent members (Britain, China, France, Russia and the US) and Germany signed the 2015 treaty on Iran's nuclear programme, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

But President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the JCPOA in 2018, saying the deal—negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama—was insufficient. 

He also stepped up Washington's own sanctions as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign against the Islamic republic.

The US insists it is still a participant in the agreement—but only so it can activate the snapback option, which it announced on August 20.

Virtually every other UNSC member disputes Washington's ability to execute this legal pirouette, and the UN body has not taken the measure any further.

'No Legal Effect'

On Sunday, France, Germany and Britain issued a joint statement saying Washington's "purported notification" was "incapable of having any legal effect".

Russia also said Washington's "illegitimate initiative and actions" could not have "international legal consequences" for others.

China's mission to the UN tweeted that the US move was "devoid of any legal, political or practical effect", adding that it was "time to end the political drama by the US".

Rouhani thanked UNSC members who had "stood against America's illegal request" and said if remaining signatories let Iran access the deal's economic benefits, Iran would reinstate nuclear commitments it had dropped in response to the US withdrawal.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, announcing the move, said Saturday that the US "welcomes the return of virtually all previously terminated UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran".

He said US authorities were prepared to impose "consequences" against states who "fail to fulfil their obligations to implement these sanctions", with measures to be announced in the coming days.

With around six weeks to go until the US presidential election, Trump could unveil those measures in a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

Iran's foreign minister accused Pompeo of "threaten(ing) to punish a world that refuses to live in his parallel universe".

"The world says NO Security Council sanctions were restored," Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.

Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement that Washington, by leaving the nuclear deal, had "explicitly denied itself any right" to use the "snapback" mechanism.

It also warned that if the US "acts on these threats, directly, or with the cooperation of a handful of its puppets, it will face a serious response and be responsible for all the dangerous consequences.”

'Nothing Worse'

The US had already suffered a resounding defeat at the Security Council in mid-August, when it tried to extend an embargo on conventional weapons deliveries to Tehran, which was due to expire in October.

Pompeo responded with an unusually vehement attack on Britain, France and Germany, accusing them of "siding with Iran's ayatollahs", before announcing the snapback.

In Washington's eyes, its move has now extended the embargo "indefinitely" and reactivated international sanctions on many activities related to Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Zarif accused Pompeo of not having read UN resolutions or the nuclear deal.

"He's now probably waiting for the movie to come out so he can begin to understand it," he told state television.

On the streets of Tehran, Iranians complained of harsh economic conditions they blamed on US sanctions.

"It's really difficult for the people right now. Whether sanctions are reimposed or not, we are living with utmost difficulty," said Leila Zanganeh, a martial arts instructor.

But Danial Namei, an architect, seemed to care little for returning UN sanctions and doubted things could get worse.

"We've been through difficult things and it is still ongoing. There's nothing worse than the worst, after all," he said.

Photo: IRNA

Pompeo Insists US to Enforce 'UN' Sanctions On Iran

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted Wednesday the United States will enforce new "UN" sanctions on Iran starting next week, despite overwhelming consensus that Washington is out of bounds.

"The United States will do what it always does. It will do its share as part of its responsibilities to enable peace, this time in the Middle East," Pompeo told a joint news conference with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

"We'll do all the things we need to do to make sure that those sanctions are enforced," he said.

Pompeo last month headed to the United Nations to announce the "snapback" of sanctions under a 2015 Security Council resolution after failing to extend an embargo on conventional arms sales to Iran.

The resolution allows any participant in a nuclear accord with Iran negotiated under former president Barack Obama to reimpose sanctions, which would take effect one month afterward.

President Donald Trump pulled out of the accord, which he has repeatedly denounced, but Pompeo argues that the United States remains a "participant" as it was listed in the 2015 resolution.

The sanctions are authorized by a "valid UN Security Council resolution," Pompeo said.

Trump has already enforced sweeping unilateral US sanctions on Iran, inflicting a heavy toll in a bid to curb the clerical state's regional influence.

The United Nations has clearly said that it cannot proceed with the reimposition of UN sanctions, with 13 of the Security Council's 15 nations objecting to the US move.

European allies of the United States say that they support extending the arms embargo but want to preserve a diplomatic solution on the nuclear issue, which they see as more important.

Playing down differences, Raab said of the nuclear accord: "We have always welcomed US and indeed any other efforts to broaden it."

"The means by which we get there, there may be shades of difference but we have handled them... constructively," he said.

The issue has come to a head less than two months before Trump seeks another term against Democrat Joe Biden, a supporter of the accord that curbed Iran's nuclear program.

Photo: IRNA

Iran To Alter Schoolbook Cover After Anger Over Girls' Removal

By Amir Havasi

Iran's education ministry said Tuesday the new cover of a schoolbook which removed girls from an illustration would be modified next year, following widespread criticism on social media.

After the ministry distributed textbooks for the new school year on September 5, parents saw the cover of the third-grade mathematics book had changed.

Two girls had been removed, leaving only three boys under a tree made up of numbers and mathematical signs.

A wave of criticism online prompted a rare apology from the education minister.

"A tasteless act was done in removing the image of girls, therefore we apologize for this and will correct it," Mohsen Haji-Mirzayi said Sunday, state news agency IRNA reported.

On Tuesday, the ministry told AFP the books would be changed.

"The textbooks have already been printed and distributed, so the cover will not change until the next year," its public relations office said, without giving further details.

Both public and private schools in Iran are required to use the ministry's textbooks.

The removal of the girls' images sparked uproar among Iranians on social media, with some denouncing the move as a form of gender discrimination.

Some pointed out that Iranian-born Maryam Mirzakhani was the first woman to win the coveted Fields Medal, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for mathematics.

A professor at Stanford University in California, Mirzakhani died in 2017 in the US at the age of 40, after a battle with cancer.

"The most prestigious mathematics figure of Iran's recent decade was a woman named Maryam Mirzakhani, and then you remove girls from a mathematics textbook cover?"  one person wrote on Twitter.

"Hey, Mr. IRI (an acronym for the Islamic republic), print this photo and paste it on the cover," another tweeted, attaching a photo of Mirzakhani along with the hashtag #gender_equality.

Some parents also posted pictures of covers on which their children had painted the girls back.

Illustrator Nasim Bahary, who had designed the original cover seven years ago, called the change "unbelievable".

She said Friday on Instagram that at the time she had been told to change elements such as a girl sitting on a tree branch or a boy positioned in a way "that looks like he wants to hug a girl".

Iran's Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, Masoumeh Ebtekar, said last week on Twitter that "the people's considerations are correct, girls cannot be ignored."

But she also noted that other changed covers—including a science schoolbook featuring only three girls—showed there was no intent to discriminate.

A statement by the ministerial body in charge of textbooks said the change was because the original illustration was "too crowded with too many mathematical concepts."

But the reformist Shargh daily on Saturday slammed the ministry for its overall textbook material and design.

Citing data by the ministry's previous caretaker Javad Hosseini, it said "70 percent of names and designs in schoolbooks are masculine", adding that women are significantly underrepresented in school learning materials.

Photo: IRNA

UN Nuclear Watchdog to Visit 2nd Iran Site in 'a Few Days'

The head of UN's nuclear watchdog said Monday that inspectors would "in a few days" visit the second of two sites in Iran where undeclared nuclear activity may have taken place in the early 2000s.

Iran's refusal to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to the two sites had caused a diplomatic row for months.

This had further strained efforts to save the 2015 landmark Iran nuclear deal, which has hung by a thread since the US pulled out of it in 2018.

The accord promises Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbing its nuclear program, but Tehran has stepped up nuclear activities since last year after the US reimposed sanctions.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said a visit to a second site, to which the agency had requested access, was imminent following a recent visit to the first.

"The second one will happen in a few days," he told reporters after opening the agency's 35-member board of governors' meeting.

He said analyzing environmental samples collected at the first site would take "not less than a couple of months, two or three months maybe".

Tehran announced in late August that it would allow the IAEA access to the two sites, following a visit to Tehran by Grossi.

The denial had prompted the IAEA's board of governors to pass a resolution in June urging Tehran to comply with the agency's requests.

Under the 2015 accord, the IAEA monitors Iran's nuclear activities and regularly updates its members.

In its latest report, the IAEA said Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium now stands at more than ten times the limit set down in the 2015 deal.

Iran is also continuing to use more advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium than is permitted under the deal.

However, the level of enrichment has not gone above that which would be needed for use in a nuclear weapon.

The head of Iran's atomic agency, Ali Akbar Salehi, said Sunday that 1,044 centrifuges were active at the Fordow uranium enrichment plant.

The suspension of all enrichment at the underground facility was one of the restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities under the Iran nuclear accord.

Photo: IAEA

Iran Says 1,044 Centrifuges Active at Underground Plant

The head of Iran's atomic agency said Sunday that 1,044 centrifuges were active at the Fordow uranium enrichment plant, in line with steps to reduce its commitments to the nuclear deal.

The suspension of all enrichment at the underground facility near the Shiite holy city of Qom was one of the restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities that it accepted in return for the lifting of international sanctions in the 2015 landmark accord.

Tehran first announced the resumption of enrichment at Fordow last November, the fourth phase of its push since May 2019 to progressively suspend commitments to the deal.

It was in retaliation to Washington's abandonment of the accord in May 2018 followed by its unilateral reimposition of sanctions.

“Currently 1,044 centrifuges are enriching at Fordow," Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's atomic agency, told the Iranian parliament's news agency ICANA.

"We were committed in the JCPOA that these 1,044 machines do not carry out enrichment, but it is being done per dropped commitments as much as needed and we will stockpile the enriched material, too," he added, referring to the accord's official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Iran's other walk-back steps included exceeding the accord's restrictions on enriched uranium reserves and enrichment level, development of advanced centrifuges, and foregoing a limit on its number of centrifuges.

In a joint statement in November, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union said Iran's decision to restart activities at Fordow was "inconsistent" with the 2015 deal.

The parties to the accord have called on Iran to return to its commitments, but Tehran insists the steps can be reversed once its economic benefits from the deal are realized.

The United Nation's nuclear watchdog said on September 4 that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium now stands at more than ten times the limit set down in the 2015 deal.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Holds Naval Exercise Near Sensitive Strait of Hormuz

The Iranian navy began a three-day exercise in the Sea of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, deploying an array of warships, drones, and missiles.

One of the exercise's objectives is to devise "tactical offensive and defensive strategies for safeguarding the country's territorial waters and shipping lanes," the military said on its website.

The navy will test-fire surface-to-surface and shore-to-sea cruise missiles and torpedoes, and rocket-launching systems fitted on warships, submarines, aircraft and drones, it added.

Dubbed "Zolfaghar 99", the exercise will be held over two million square kilometres (772,000 square miles) of sea stretching from the northern part of the Indian Ocean to the eastern end of the Strait of Hormuz, the sensitive shipping lane from the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of world oil output passes.

The exercise's spokesman, Commodore Shahram Irani, said that foreign aircraft, especially US drones, had been warned to steer clear of the area.

"We saw focused activities by American UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to gather information" on the exercise, he told the armed forces' website, adding that the US aircraft had since left the area.

In July, Iran's ideological force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, blasted a mock-up of a US aircraft carrier with missiles during an exercise near the Strait of Hormuz.

The US Navy condemned those maneuvers as "irresponsible and reckless", and an attempt "to intimidate and coerce".

Tensions between Iran and the United States have soared since President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement with Tehran in 2018 and unilaterally reimposed crippling economic sanctions.

Their animosity deepened after a US drone strike killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani outside Baghdad airport in January, prompting Iran to retaliate with missile strikes against bases used by the US military in neighboring Iraq.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Launches New 'Advanced' Nuclear Centrifuges

Iran's nuclear body said Tuesday it had launched a new "advanced centrifuges" facility to replace one badly damaged by "sabotage" at its main Natanz nuclear fuel plant in July.

"It was decided to create a more modern, larger and more improved station in the heart of the mountains around Natanz, and the implementation of this project has started," Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's atomic agency, said on state television.

 "We started the preliminary work by supplying the equipment and setting up a series of production chambers for advanced centrifuges," he added, without giving further details.

Advanced centrifuges are used in the process of uranium enrichment.

Iran said last month that an explosion at its plant in Natanz had been caused by "sabotage.”

After the July explosion, Iran sent warnings to Washington and Israel, two countries which accuse Tehran of developing a secret military nuclear program, claims Iran has always denied.

On Sunday, Iranian atomic energy spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said that after investigations into the Natanz explosion they had identified the "elements" responsible. No further details were given.

The 2015 nuclear agreement has been faltering since US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from an international accord that gave Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program,

In retaliation to the US withdrawal, the Islamic republic started producing uranium at a higher grade than allowed under the deal.

Last week, the UN's nuclear watchdog said that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium stands at more than ten times the limit set down in the 2015 nuclear deal.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Hosts Second Indian Minister in a Week

India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar held talks Tuesday in Tehran, becoming the second senior Indian minister to visit Iran this week.

"A productive meeting with FM @JZarif during a stopover in Tehran," he tweeted, after a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Jaishankar said they "discussed strengthening our bilateral cooperation and reviewed regional developments.”

Zarif, also on Twitter, wrote: "Our active engagement with our neighborhood is our top priority."

On Sunday, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Amir Hatami also held talks in Tehran.

During Jaishankar's last visit in December, before the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic which has hit both countries hard, Tehran and Delhi said they had agreed to speed up the development of the Iranian port of Chabahar on the Indian Ocean.

Work has been stalled, despite waivers to sanctions that the United States has reimposed on Iran after withdrawing from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

"Indian policy is aimed at maintaining a balance in the complex Persian Gulf and the larger West Asia region," Manoj Joshi, a defence and foreign policy expert at New Delhi based think-tank Observer Research Foundation, told AFP.

"New Delhi has always wanted to have good relations with all the countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Israel... These visits need to been seen in that context."

Joshi said India also wanted to balance Chinese influence in the region.

"Iran is also important in the sense that China has been dominating the region, and New Delhi doesn't want to give a free run to Beijing," he said.

Iran is the closest major source of resources for India.

Photo: IRNA

Swiss Top Diplomat Holds 'Fruitful' Talks in Iran on Peace, Rights

Switzerland's Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said he had "fruitful" talks in Iran on Monday regarding "peace, economic development and human rights.”

The Swiss embassy in Tehran handles US interests in Iran, since ties were cut in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Switzerland has also played a major role in prisoner swaps between Tehran 
and Washington.

Iran-US tensions have escalated since 2018, after President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear agreement and reimposed tough sanctions on the Islamic republic.

Cassis held talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif before later meeting with President Hassan Rouhani.

The Swiss top diplomat held the meetings as part of a three-day visit to Tehran celebrating a century of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"Peace, economic development and human rights—fruitful discussion with my counterpart," Cassis wrote on Twitter after the talks.

Zarif called the talks "excellent" on Twitter and said "while appreciating Swiss efforts to mitigate US sabotage, a return to normal trade is global priority.”

Rouhani reiterated that Iran was "open" to the United States to reverse its "mistakes", repair "its illegal actions" and rejoin the nuclear agreement, said state news agency IRNA.

According to the US Department of State, Secretary Mike Pompeo had a phone call with Cassis before his Tehran visit, raising speculation the visit involved talks on Tehran-Washington relations.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh denied the "speculations" on Monday, saying it was a planned visit delayed over the novel coronavirus outbreak and "not related to Iran and the US.”

"I'm glad we could establish together the Swiss Humanitarian Channel for the transfer of food and medical supplies to the people of Iran," Cassis said on Twitter.

The Swiss channel is a payment mechanism aimed at enabling food, medicine and other humanitarian aid to be sent to Iran without breaking US sanctions.

Humanitarian goods are theoretically exempt from sanctions, but international purchases of such supplies are almost impossible since banks are wary of falling foul of the US over doing business with Iran.

The channel—known by its acronym SHTA—was established and conducted its first transaction earlier this year.

Photo: IRNA

New School Year Begins in Iran Amid Concerns, Criticism

By Amir Havasi

The school year in Iran began on Saturday after a near six-month shutdown due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, with parents voicing concerns despite authorities pledging to enforce health protocols.

Some 15 million pupils in the Islamic republic returned to class, mostly remotely, as the country continues to battle its Covid-19 outbreak, the deadliest in the Middle East with over 22,000 killed and more than 384,000 infected since the first cases were confirmed in February.

The first day of classes at Nojavanan high school in northeastern Tehran was attended by a slew of officials and journalists, as well as students.

President Hassan Rouhani appeared in a video to inaugurate the new academic year at the school -- a break with tradition that drew fire from some Iranians online who thought he should have come in person if students were required to be present.

Education Minister Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei looked to assuage parents' concerns in a speech after he rang the bell to launch the new school year.

"I hope that families trust us and rest assured that the ministry will exercise utmost vigilance" regarding health protocols, he said.

Pupils and other attendees wore masks and were required to pass through a disinfection tunnel, have their temperatures checked and sit socially distanced in the schoolyard.

Other anti-virus measures at schools include keeping classes to 35 minutes and requiring students and staff to stay one meter (three feet) apart and wear masks, according to Iran's anti-virus taskforce.

Rouhani Under Fire

During his video address, Rouhani emphasized the need to for students to observe health protocols, calling for the "utmost discipline" in respecting measures.

Rouhani's choice not to attend the opening ceremony in person drew criticism from some.

"Rouhani rang the bell (to start the school year) remotely, then he expects me to send my son in person?" reformist journalist Maziar Khosravi wrote on Twitter.

Conservative film producer Mahmoud Razavi echoed Khosravi in a tweet, saying, "how can they expect people to trust protocols when the president himself does not, and send their loved ones to school?"

Rouhani's government had come under fire before schools reopened, with the head of Iran's medical council, Mohammadreza Zafarghandi, writing an open letter in which he called proposed health protocols counterproductive, as students could spread the virus if they were infected but asymptomatic.

‘Stressful'

This concern was shared by some teachers, parents and students at Nojavanan high school.

"Controlling (Covid-19's spread) is very difficult... as is teaching kids how to follow health protocols and social distancing," school principal, Nasrin Mobini, told AFP.

"We are all concerned -- my colleagues, the parents, everyone."

Literature teacher Amiri, 60, said the return of students to school was "stressful", but that it was important that the first classes be held in person so teachers and students can get to know each other.

One parent, only giving her surname as Azaraksh, said she brought her son for the opening day with "concern", but she preferred in-person education if health protocols were "really" observed.

Many students shared their parents' worries, but were pleased to be back at school.

"We're happy that schools have reopened, but... it's still dangerous for us and others," said 14-year-old Askhan.

Most classes are expected to be held remotely, though some pupils, including those in preschool and elementary school will attend classes in person intermittently.

Ava Golkar, 33, the English department head at Soroush elementary school in northern Tehran, told AFP that only five pupils attended the opening day in person, while the rest watched via video streaming.

Photo: IRNA

US Sanctions Chinese, UAE Firms Skirting Iran Oil Embargo

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions against 11 Iranian, Chinese and United Arab Emirates companies accused of helping to bypass the American embargo on Iran's oil exports.

"Iran must stop exploiting its natural resources to fund terror and destruction across the region," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned in a tweet.

It was the latest in a series of sanctions that Washington has slapped on foreign companies doing business with Tehran.

US President Donald Trump in 2018 pulled out of the international agreement signed with the country to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, which he said was ineffective, and immediately re-established and tightened US sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

The US State Department imposed punitive measures on Iran-based Abadan Refining Company, three China-based companies (Zhihang Ship Management CO Ltd., New Far International Logistics LLC, Sino Energy Shipping Ltd) and another based in the UAE (Chemtrans Petrochemicals Trading LLC). Three executives from Abadan, New Far and Sino Energy were also targeted.

Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department has added to its blacklist six firms also based in those countries for doing business with Triliance Petrochemical, a company sanctioned in January for its involvement in the sale of Iranian petrochemical products.

Treasury said those funds are "a key revenue source for the Iranian regime, helping to finance its destabilizing support to corrupt regimes and terrorist groups throughout the Middle East and, more recently, Venezuela."

The newly blacklisted companies are the Iranian firms Zagros Petrochemical Company, UAE-based Petrotech FZE and Trio Energy DMCC, and Chinese companies Jingho Technology Co. Limited, Dynapex Energy Limited and Dinrin Limited, based in Hong Kong.

Photo: State Department

#MeToo in Iran: Women Break Their Long Silence

By Ahmad Parhizi

Three years after the #MeToo movement spread globally, Iranian women have broken their silence on sexual violence, raising awareness about a subject that's taboo in Iran.

For the past week, many mostly anonymous internet users in Iran have come forward with allegations of falling unconscious and being raped after having their drinks spiked, all by the same man.

The method used by the alleged rapist has provoked outrage on social media, encouraging others to reveal cases of sexual assault experienced when they were still youths.

They have taken to Twitter to air their allegations, although they have done so without using the #MeToo hashtag.

Other Iranians, including a school teacher, an academic, a novelist, a renowned painter, a prominent singer, an actor and a tech executive are among the others to have faced accusations of rape and sexual assault.

Society Blamed

The majority of the testimonies date back more than a decade.

This has caused some to deplore the lack of support in the face of such sexual violence that has been ignored for many years.

They have pointed the finger at society, the Iranian intelligentsia and even families as accomplices of the perpetrators of violence against women.

"This movement should have started much earlier," said Hana Jalali, a 25-year-old accountant in Tehran.

"I believe talking about these issues, them being publicized, is a great thing," she told AFP.

Somayeh Qodussi, a journalist with the monthly magazine Zanan ("Women" in Farsi), said the issue is highly sensitive in Iran.

"Rape is a taboo subject in Iran's society and it is difficult to talk about it even in one's own family," she said.

But "now we are seeing girls who seem willing to stand in the central square of the city" and make such allegations, she told AFP.

At least 20 women have come forward with accusations of having had their drinks spiked in the case that sparked Iran's #MeToo movement.

The anonymous Twitter users in Iran have adapted the #Rape hashtag to draw attention to their cause.

The police have called on the accusers to file a complaint against the alleged offender, Keyvan Emamverdi, a former bookshop owner who studied archaeology.

They have sought to assure women that they can do so anonymously and without fear of being accused of drinking alcohol or having extramarital affairs, both of which are illegal in Iran.

'Weapon' for Justice

"They expose the suffering they have endured for years by expressing themselves in order to remedy a long-hidden trauma," said Azar Tashakor, a sociologist.

The scope of the controversy was unexpected, and even the government has reacted.

One of Iran's vice presidents on Friday praised women for speaking out and called on the judiciary to "confront" sex offenders.

"In the absence of a legal structure in Iran to systematically prosecute rapes, victims use disclosure as a weapon to obtain justice," Tashakor said.

But she expressed concerns that such disclosures "will not lead to profound social change.”

On social media, internet users have raised many concerns of their own, including over the tendency to blame and mistreat victims.

"It's hard to know if people are telling the truth or not," said Samaneh Rostami, a graphic designer in the Iranian capital.

"But talking about this issue is still a good thing, to be able to focus the public on what's happening, what's been happening for years," she said.

For the journalist Qodussi, it is crucial that the polemical issue has been brought to the public's attention.

"Many people have gained knowledge of the subject" for the first time, she said, adding that that was a "great achievement for Iranian women,”

Photo: IRNA

Iran Nuclear Deal Parties Stand by Troubled Accord Amid US Pressure

By Julia Zappei

The signatories to the Iran nuclear deal said Tuesday that they stood by the faltering accord, opposing US efforts to restore international sanctions on the Iran.

Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia are struggling to save the landmark 2015 accord with Iran, which has been progressively stepping up its nuclear activities since the United States pulled out of the deal in 2018.

Tehran insists it is entitled to do so under the terms of the accord—which swapped sanctions relief for Iran's agreement to scale back its nuclear program—following Washington's withdrawal and reimposition of sanctions.

EU senior official Helga Schmid, who chaired the talks in Vienna on Tuesday, wrote on Twitter that the meeting's participants were "united in resolve to preserve the #IranDeal and find a way to ensure full implementation of the agreement despite current challenges".   In a later statement, she added that all parties reiterated that "the US cannot initiate the process of reinstating UN sanctions" by drawing on a United Nations resolution enshrining the nuclear accord, which they have left.

Representatives from Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran and Russia all attended the talks—part of a regular series of gatherings to discuss the accord, which have been increasingly tense since the US pullout began unravelling the agreement.

'Mockery'

China's representative, senior Foreign Ministry official Fu Cong, told reporters after the meeting that Iran needed to come back to full compliance, but at the same time "the economic benefit that is due to Iran needs to be provided.”

He slammed the US for "making a mockery of international law" in its "attempt to sabotage and to kill the JCPOA", referring to the abbreviation of the deal's formal name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.  

Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov was also quoted by Russian news agency RIA Novosti as saying participants were united in their "general, unanimous lack of recognition" of Washington's move. 

The United Nations last week blocked the US bid to reimpose international sanctions on Iran, while Washington also failed to rally enough support to extend an arms embargo on Iran that is scheduled to start being rolled back from October.

In a boost to Tuesday's talks, the Iranian atomic energy agency last week also agreed to allow inspectors of the UN nuclear watchdog to visit two sites suspected of having hosted undeclared activity in the early 2000s. 

Schmid said meeting participants "welcomed" the agreement reached during International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi's first trip to Iran after months of calling for access.

US 'Isolated'

Mark Fitzpatrick, an associate fellow of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), told AFP ahead of the talks that the agreement on access kept "Iran generally in line with the rest of the world, against an isolated United States.”

But Fitzpatrick pointed out that "Iran's nuclear activities remain of deep concern to those states that are dedicated to non-proliferation".

Iran reportedly recently transferred advanced centrifuges used to enrich uranium from a pilot facility into a new hall at its main Natanz nuclear fuel plant, which was hit by sabotage in July.   When asked about this by AFP, Iran's representative at the talks, deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, said details regarding this had been given to the IAEA, declining to comment further.

"We are completely transparent in our nuclear program. The agency has been always informed and is informed now about every detail of our program, every movement in our equipment," he said.

An IAEA assessment published in June said Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was almost eight times the limit fixed in the accord.

The level of enrichment is still far below what would be needed for a nuclear weapon, and Iran has insisted it can reverse the steps it has taken since last year—if it can again benefit economically again under the deal.

The IAEA, which regular updates its members on Iran's nuclear activities, is expected to issue a fresh report ahead of a meeting of member states to discuss the dossier later this month.

Photo: Wikicommons

Novo Nordisk Sets Up Insulin Production Line in Iran

Iran's health minister said that the world's top insulin-maker, Novo Nordisk of Denmark, had unveiled on Monday a production line of the drug in Iran.

Saeed Namaki inaugurated the plant's production line, located in Alborz province, via video conference, the government website reported.

"Today we witness the inauguration of one of the most important projects since the (Islamic) revolution with the joint investment of Iran and Denmark," he said.

Namaki expressed hope that Iran could soon become a "drug distribution and production centre" for the Middle East.

The Danish pharmaceuticals giant has sold its products in Iran since 2005 through its subsidiary, Novo Nordisk Pars.

It signaled its intention to construct the 70 million euro ($83 million) facility in 2015 and said it would take five years to complete.

That announcement followed an agreement reached between Iran, Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States in the same year, promising Iran sanctions relief in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.

But the deal has been on life support since US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the accord and reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018, dashing hopes for foreign investment in the country.

Drugs and medical equipment are technically exempt from the US sanctions, but purchases are frequently blocked by the unwillingness of banks to process purchases for fear of incurring large penalties in the United States.

According to the head of Iran's food and drug administration, Iranian diabetic patients require 800,000 insulin pens per month.

"Procuring insulin is significantly foreign currency-intensive and is made harder during the difficult time of sanctions," Mohammadreza Shanesaz told Mehr news agency.

Novo Nordisk has promised to save Iran 25 million euros in the first year and 45 million euros in the second after production starts, he added.

Photo: Jalkeh

Iran Allows UN Access to Alleged Nuclear Sites

Iran agreed Wednesday to allow a UN watchdog the access it has requested to two alleged nuclear sites, as the head of the agency ended his first visit to Tehran.

The announcement came only hours after Iran's arch foe the United States suffered a humiliating defeat when the United Nations blocked its controversial bid to reimpose international sanctions on the Islamic republic.

The US move had threatened to torpedo a historic 2015 accord under which Iran had agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

The deal known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has been hanging by a thread since US President Donald Trump's unilateral decision to withdraw from it in 2018.

Iran has retaliated by gradually reducing its commitments to the JCPOA ever since.

But it agreed on Wednesday to grant the International Atomic Energy Agency the access it has sought to two sites that were suspected of having hosted undeclared activity in the early 2000s.

"Iran is voluntarily providing the IAEA with access to the two locations specified by the IAEA," the two sides said in a joint statement, adding they had agreed on dates for the access and the verification activities there.

The announcement came at the end of IAEA director general Rafael Grossi's first visit to Iran since the Argentine took the post last year.

In their statement, the two sides said the agreement followed "intensive bilateral consultations" and that the IAEA had no further access requests.

"Based on analysis of available information to the IAEA, the IAEA does not have further questions to Iran and further requests for access to locations," they said.

"Both sides recognize the independence, impartiality and professionalism of the IAEA continue to be essential in the fulfillment of its verification activities," they added.

'Sworn Enemies'

The IAEA's board of governors had passed a resolution in late June put forward by Britain, France and Germany, urging Tehran to provide inspectors access to the two disputed sites.

Grossi met with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday before wrapping up his visit.

"Iran, like before, is ready to closely cooperate with the agency in the framework of safeguards," Rouhani said, according to the government's official website.

He called the agreement "favorable" and said it can help "finally settle issues".

Rouhani also called on Grossi to consider that Iran has "sworn enemies" with nuclear weapons who do not cooperate with the IAEA and are "always seeking to cause issues" for Tehran. 

The IAEA monitors Iran's nuclear activities as part of the 2015 nuclear agreement between the Islamic republic and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany.

Since the US pullout, the remaining participants to the deal have been struggling to save it.

Access to the two disputed sites had been blocked for months, prompting a diplomatic row.

According to the spokesman for Iran's nuclear body, one of the two is located in central Iran between Isfahan and Yazd provinces, and the other is close to Tehran.

Iran had argued that the IAEA's access requests are based on allegations from Israel and have no legal basis.

After meeting Grossi, head of Iran's atomic agency, Ali Akbar Salehi, said a "new chapter" had started in relations between the country and the agency.

Photo: IRNA