Eye on Iran: Iran Executes Man Convicted of 'Waging War Against God'

Join UANI           Top Stories AFP: "Iran on Sunday hanged a man said to be affiliated with an exiled opposition group, state media reported, despite international pressure on the Islamic republic to halt the execution. According to the official IRNA news agency, Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani was convicted of 'waging war against God' (moharebeh) by helping the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran (PMOI). The announcement of the hanging came just hours after Amnesty International said Khosravi Savadjani's trial in 2010 had been unfair... Amnesty International said Khosravi Savadjani had reportedly been held for more than 40 months in solitary confinement in various detention centers. 'Yet again Iranian authorities are about to execute a man who did not even receive a fair trial,' Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said on Saturday." http://t.uani.com/1gYvTo4 Al-Monitor: "The US is signaling that it is prepared to have to extend Iran nuclear talks into the fall if Iran does not return to the table with more realistic proposals including on the centrifuge capacity it could be expected to have in a final deal. A senior US administration official, briefing small groups of Washington experts in recent days, has been downbeat about prospects for reaching a final deal by July 20, sources briefed by the official told Al-Monitor Friday. One expert, speaking not for attribution, was left with the impression that the senior U.S. official 'didn't think it would get done.' 'We are not there yet,' however, a US official told Al-Monitor Friday, about whether the administration thought it would require an extension. The US needs to determine 'whether we see a mindset [from Iran] that is more realistic about what the outcome will have to be here,' the U.S. administration official told Al Monitor Friday. 'We are not just waiting for a response.... There are discussions.' Experts from Iran and the P5+1 are due to hold technical talks in Vienna next week (June 5-6) on the sidelines of an IAEA board of governors meeting. The P5+1 and Iran are due to hold the next round of final deal talks in Vienna on June 16-20." http://t.uani.com/1pLRYX9 YnetNews: "If there will be a deal with Iran over its nuclear program, it will be signed in the winter, just after US congressional elections and just before the new Congress is sworn in in January. The reason derives from the fact that President Obama doesn't want his policy on Iran to be the focal point of elections and he will try to push through a deal before the swearing in of Congress when the Democrats are likely to lose their majority on Capitol Hill. This is all according to Robert Einhorn, one of Obama's former senior nuclear specialists, who spoke to Ynet in an exclusive interview. 'It will be difficult for the powers to reach an agreement with Iran by the deadline of July 20,' said Einhorn. 'The last round of talks didn't amount to expectations. There was hope that some main issues would be solved, like the issue of the reactor in Arak (a facility that could give Iran the ability to build a nuclear weapon using plutonium instead of uraniam), but that didn't happen.'" http://t.uani.com/1kpA3VM     Nuclear Program & Negotiations Reuters: "The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief praised Iran on Monday for showing increased openness about its disputed nuclear program but made clear Tehran must do more to fully address questions about suspected atomic bomb research. Yukiya Amano's statement is likely to be seen as cautiously positive by the six world powers that are aiming to negotiate a final accord with the Islamic Republic by a July 20 deadline to settle a decade-old standoff over its atomic activities. The relatively upbeat remarks suggested that the International Atomic Energy Agency is becoming more hopeful of finally making some headway in a long-stymied IAEA investigation into allegations that Iran may have worked on designing a nuclear warhead, something it denies doing." http://t.uani.com/1tBicvR Fars News (Iran): "Any attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran by the US will result in the annihilation of the Israeli regime, a senior Iranian commander warned on Friday. 'They know that aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran would mean annihilation of Tel Aviv and spread of war into the United States,' Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces for Cultural Affairs and Defense Publicity Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri said. His remarks came after US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that there is an opportunity to resolve disputes over Iran's nuclear energy program but reiterated that Washington reserves 'all options' against Iran, alluding to military action. Jazayeri described Obama's remarks as 'childish dreams which may not come true'. 'Had the US and its allies the capability to attack Iran they would not hesitate a moment to carry out their barbaric act; and, of course, it is surprising that Obama is not embarrassed to rehash his empty words,' he said. The Iranian commander said that the era of global hegemony has ended, adding that the 'empire of money and weapons' will soon collapse." http://t.uani.com/T6SwvY Sanctions Relief FT: "Iran has been unable to access most of the $4.2bn worth of frozen oil revenues meant to be released under the interim nuclear deal agreed with world powers, according to a senior adviser to President Hassan Rouhani. But Akbar Torkan, a leading strategist in Mr Rouhani's centrist government, said this should not undermine efforts to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement by the deadline of July 20, which he said have been 'so far so good' ... In a rare interview with international media, Mr Torkan told the Financial Times that sanctions had been eased from an 'administrative point of view' in recent months in areas such as shipping, insurance, petrochemicals, cars and aerospace parts. However, 'complicated procedures' in financial transactions and continued US banking sanctions had hampered Iran's ability to release $4.2bn worth of oil revenues that were a key part of the interim deal. 'Iran has so far been able to withdraw less than 50 per cent,' he said. Some western officials have blamed Iran for not being efficient enough to overcome bureaucratic complications and make better use of the sanctions relief." http://t.uani.com/1oNrmYx Syria Conflict LAT: "prominent Iranian military figure has been killed while fighting in Syria, according to both Syrian opposition and Iranian government sources, adding to mounting evidence of Tehran's military assistance to Syrian President Bashar Assad. Abdollah Eskandari, a retired senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was 'martyred' last Monday in fighting just south of Damascus, according to a statement released by the Iranian Defense Ministry. The statement was made during a memorial ceremony for the commander in Shiraz... Eskandari's death brings the number of Iranian officers killed in Syria to 60, according to Syrian opposition sources." http://t.uani.com/1tBhLl4 Foreign Affairs Reuters: "Kuwait's emir began a visit to Iran on Sunday, the first by a ruler of the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state since the 1979 Islamic revolution, underscoring improving ties between Tehran and its Arab neighbours. Regional television stations showed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani escorting Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah to review an Iranian honour guard upon the emir's arrival in Tehran... Kuwait, home to a sizeable Shi'ite Muslim minority, is seen by some as a potential bridge between Iran and the Gulf Arab states, including the main power Saudi Arabia, with which relations remain strained, not least because of opposing stances over Syria's civil war." http://t.uani.com/1pzCaJR Reuters: "Kuwait's oil minister said his country was looking to sign an agreement with Iran to secure much-needed natural gas supplies. The minister's comments to the state news agency KUNA late on Sunday came on the sidelines of a visit by Kuwait's emir to Iran, the first by a ruler of the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state since the 1979 Islamic revolution. 'Iran has large quantities of gas and Kuwait is in need of Iranian gas through cooperation between the two countries,' KUNA quoted Ali Saleh al-Omair as saying while in Tehran." http://t.uani.com/1kxFl1U Reuters: "Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday he could not take up an invitation to visit regional rival Saudi Arabia because the proposed dates clashed with planned nuclear negotiations between Iran and world powers. On May 10, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said Riyadh had invited Zarif, hinting at the possibility of a thaw between two bitter rivals whose struggle for influence is evident in conflicts throughout the Middle East. 'It is not possible for me to attend,' the official IRNA news agency quoted Zarif as saying, explaining that the event to which he had been invited in the kingdom, an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting, coincided with the nuclear talks. Zarif said he had informed Saudi officials, IRNA reported. His visit would have been the first by a senior official of the Islamic Republic since President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate, took power in 2013." http://t.uani.com/1n3POSq AFP: "Iran must prove through actions that it is willing to make key policy changes to mend fences with Gulf Arabs, analysts said ahead of a landmark visit by Kuwait's emir. The weekend visit of Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, whose country currently heads the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab summit, is an opportunity for Tehran to turn over a new leaf in Gulf ties, they said. It comes amid a thaw in relations between Shiite Iran and the Sunni-ruled Gulf states despite high tensions mainly over the conflict in Syria, where Iran is accused of military interference. 'It's a significant visit and a very important opportunity to show if Iran really wants to develop its ties with the Gulf and open a new page with them,' said Riad Kahwaji, head of the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis. 'So far, Tehran's policies haven't changed ... it has bolstered its military involvement in Syria and dispatched troops to support the regime against the people. It has also increased its interference in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, won't accept Iran's control of any Arab country for improving ties,' said Kahwaji." http://t.uani.com/1iLizin Opinion & Analysis UANI Outreach Coordinator Bob Feferman in Algemeiner: "State legislatures across the country are debating social issues from women's right to gay rights.  Yet, seldom does the debate venture to the denial of basic human rights in foreign countries. In Iran, for example, a woman can't leave the country without her husband's consent, 'honor killings' are encouraged, and the rape and torture of women in Iranian prisons is not uncommon. Why should state and local politicians and Americans care? First, a nation like Iran that treats its own daughters and mothers so brutally will only feel emboldened to act with impunity and make the world a much more dangerous place if it acquires nuclear weapons.  Second, social and economic issues at home will be rendered to the backburner if the U.S. has to deal with protecting itself from a nuclear-armed brutal Islamic regime, or from the proliferation of nukes triggered by Iran going nuclear. Other countries have promised to protect themselves with their own nukes if Iran crosses the nuclear threshold.  In short, a nuclear Iran will make the Cold War seem like a warm bath. Recognizing that a nuclear Iran is the greatest threat in our time, the U.S. Congress has empowered local and state governments to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.  The 2010 legislation known as CISADA allows local and state governments to enact sanctions to pressure the Iranian regime between choosing its own economic survival or a nuclear bomb. At least 29 states have enacted divestment legislation against investing in Iran.  But much more can be done. Unfortunately, some candidates care more about politics than taking a principled position on Iran. For example, the national non-profit, non-partisan organization, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), wrote a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and California congressional candidate Wendy Greuel in April 2013 urging them to support sanctioning ships using the L.A. Port that also do business with Iran. This was not a partisan letter. UANI's founding members include former Clinton and Obama advisers, including Ambassador Dennis Ross and former CIA Director Jim Woolsey.  UANI President Gary Samore is President Obama's former coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction.  Several other Democrats, Republicans and respected scholars sit on UANI's board. The letter was also co-signed by the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Los Angeles-based Iranian-American organization 30 Years After, among others. More than one year later, Garcetti and Greuel have not responded to the letter. It seems these local politicians are taking a queue from Washington. Remember President Obama's proclamations of 'limited' sanctions relief of a few billion dollars to give negotiations with Iran a chance?  Well, several months into the implementation of the Geneva Agreement, Iran has already received more than $7 billion in sanctions relief and is on pace for more than $20 billion in relief... According to Obama's own senior party members, the sanctions that pushed Iran to negotiate came about despite, not because of, President Obama. Many state legislatures have taken the initiative to make sure that taxpayer dollars do not go to companies lining the pockets of a brutal regime that stones women for suspected adultery, persecutes homosexuals and terrorizes its minorities. Nine states - including our home states of California, Florida and Indiana - have all enacted two pieces of legislation on Iran, including divestment laws that focus on state pension funds and contracting laws that prohibit vendors that work in Iran's energy sector from contracting with the state government.  In addition, California and Florida have also enacted laws targeting the banking and insurance sectors. But there are many more states that can still take additional action. Has your state done enough about Iran?  Where do your candidates stand on Iran? Our votes have the power to not let the greatest threat of our time become the greatest tragedy of our time." http://t.uani.com/1kpBeo7 Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Eye on Iran is not intended as a comprehensive media clips summary but rather a selection of media elements with discreet analysis in a PDA friendly format. For more information please email Press@UnitedAgainstNuclearIran.com United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons.