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TOP STORIES
The nation's top military official in the Middle East on
Wednesday said Iran is one of the greatest threats to the U.S. today
and has increased its "destabilizing role" in the region.
"I believe that Iran is operating in what I call a gray
zone," Commander of the U.S. Central Command, Army Gen. Joseph
Votel, told the House Armed Services Committee in testimony
Wednesday. "And it's an area between normal competition between
states - and it's just short of open conflict." The general said
Iran is exploiting this area in a variety of different ways, through
things such as "lethal aid facilitation," the use of
"surrogate forces" and cyber activities, among other
things. He also believes Iran poses "the greatest long-term
threat to stability" in the entire region.
Yemen's embattled president has launched a scathing
verbal attack on Iran, saying the non-Arab and mostly Shiite nation
is pursuing expansionist policies to destroy the Arab identity. Abed
Rabbo Mansour Hadi told an Arab summit in Jordan on Wednesday that
Iran "is the true sponsor of terrorism." Civil war has
raged in Yemen for two years. The fighting pits Hadi's troops, backed
by a Saudi-led international military coalition of mostly Arab
states, against Shiite Houthi rebels, led by Abdul-Malek al-Houthi
and backed by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his forces.
Iran supports fellow Shiite Houthis.
The speaker of the US House of Representatives, Paul
Ryan, called to designate the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist
group, describing it as a "terrorist army." He said
"Iran supports the terrorist dictator of Damascus and the
militias in Yemen, Baghdad and Beirut." Speaker of the House
Paul Ryan said in a speech to the American-Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC) that "We must exploit all the tools of
American power and work with our allies, especially Israel, to
confront the threats of Iran." Ryan stressed that in recent
weeks both the US administration and Congress took serious measures
to increase sanctions against Iran, pointing out that sanctions are
not the only tool Washington has to fight the nuclear Iran.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS
"What are Americans doing in the Persian Gulf? They
had better get out of this region and not cause nuisance for the
regional countries," General Dehqan said on Thursday, in
reaction to recent anti-Iran comments by commander of the US Central
Command, Army General Joseph Votel. In a testimony to the House Armed
Services Committee on Wednesday, Votel, America's top military
official in the Middle East, said Iran is one of the greatest threats
to the US today and has increased its "destabilizing role"
in the region. In response, Iran's Defense Minister said it is
nonsense to expect that one would roll out a red carpet for an
"insane armed robber" intruding on their home, referring to
US military presence in the Persian Gulf off the coasts of Iran.
SANCTIONS RELIEF
The European Commission has decided it will not impose
provisional duties on hot-rolled steel from Brazil, Iran, Russia,
Serbia and Ukraine, but could still find the countries have breached
rules on unfair competition, industry sources said on Wednesday.
Historically, Eurofer has been most concerned about China, the
world's biggest steel producer, but now China has begun to rein in
its output and Indian expansion is beginning to slow, it says a new
threat is from Iran. Iran has ambitious plans for a sector it hoped would
supply a growing domestic economy following the easing of
international sanctions. But a deal in 2015 in which Iran would curb
its nuclear programme in return for a relaxation of sanctions, has
had less impact than foreseen as foreign partners have struggled to
find financing that does not conflict with continued U.S. strictures.
Iran stood out, with 19 Iranian new capacity projects between now and
2019, for a total of nearly 24 million tonnes of extra capacity in
addition to an estimated 28 million tonnes achieved so far.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is able to make a most
reliable partner for the European Union in the Middle East region,
its Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. "Undoubtedly Iran has
proved to be an independent country that relies on its own people and
capacities, enjoys economic and cultural capabilities, and can be
trusted for its steadfastness and stabilizing [role]", Foreign
Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said. Iran has been making great
efforts to fight terrorism, violence and sources of instability in
the region, the Iranian diplomat underlined. Qassemi said that
political and economic relations between Tehran and the EU had
improved as a result of the conclusion of the 2015 nuclear deal and
consultations between the two sides over other different issues. Iran
is capable of fulfilling the economic demands of the EU as it can
provide an intact market for investment following the removal of
sanctions against the country under the nuclear deal, Qassemi added.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Iran strongly denied any meddling on Thursday after Arab
leaders condemned "foreign interference" in their affairs
in a clear reference to the Islamic republic. Arab heavyweight Saudi
Arabia has been at loggerheads with Iran over the conflicts in Syria
and Yemen and political unrest in Bahrain, and the final statement
from Wednesday's Arab summit in Jordan again hit out at Iran, without
naming it. Iran has "said repeatedly it does not need to
intervene in the domestic affairs of other countries and always
abides by the principles of good neighbourliness and respect for the
sovereignty of governments," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram
Ghasemi said. "We cannot, however, hide our deep sorrow for some
Arab and Islamic leaders, who instead of dealing with the most
important crises in the region and the Muslim world... go astray and
fail to distinguish friend from foe, either intentionally or by
mistake.
TERRORISM
The US base in Bahrain was among the targets of a terror
cell linked to Iran that was plotting attacks against Bahrain's
security and stability. "The terrorist cell was trained to
target important figures and high-ranking officials, bomb a security
convoy and attack the US base in Bahrain," Bahraini Interior
Ministry Undersecretary Major-General Tariq Al-Hassan told Asharq
Al-Awsat on Monday. Al-Hassan said the cell had started to monitor
the US base and closely document the movements of soldiers and
vehicles. "The US side is informed about the plan," the
general said. On Sunday, Bahrain said it had dismantled an Iranian-linked
"terrorist cell" suspected of involvement in a bomb attack
on a police bus on February 26 and plotting to assassinate senior
officials. Al-Hassan said that contact between the terrorist cell and
its leaders in Iran was conducted through specific applications using
encrypted messages on social media networks.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran's presidential elections, as well
as those for town and village councils, are scheduled for May 19. Yet
even before registration opens for candidates, a string of
journalists have been arrested. If they have been arrested simply for
speaking out peacefully, it would violate the right of free
expression and possibly threaten the fairness of the elections. This
week, intelligence authorities ramped up detentions of peaceful
critics, arresting journalists Hengameh Shahidi, Ehsan Mazandarani,
and Morad Saghafi. Authorities told Mazandarani, who had been
released from prison just a month earlier after serving his sentence
for vaguely defined national security charges, that his release had
been "a mistake."
Three prisoners by the names of Sina
Dehghan, Mohammad Nouri and Marjan Davari have reportedly been
sentenced to death by Iranian courts based solely on opinions or
beliefs they expressed. "Verdicts like the ones issued to Sina
Dehghan, Mohammad Nouri and Marjan Davari are reminiscent of the ones
issued in the medieval times. The international community must speak
out about their death sentences. We call for global
condemnation," says Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson
for Iran Human Rights. According to close sources, Sina Dehghan, a
resident of Tehran, was arrested on October 21, 2015 by Ministry of
Intelligence agents from the city of Arak. At the time of his arrest,
Mr. Dehghan was reportedly just finishing up his mandatory military
service at a base in Tehran operated by the Iranian Revolutionary
Guard Corps. Close sources say that prior to his arrest, Sina Dehghan
along with Mohammad Nouri, Sahar Elyasi, and an individual under the
age of 18 used the messenger app "Line" to share content
that the judicial and security authorities in Iran consider offensive
to Islam.
Sina Dehghan, sentenced to death for "insulting the
prophet" of Islam when he was 19-years-old, was tricked into
signing his confession, an informed source told the Center for Human
Rights in Iran (CHRI). Despite the severity of the charge, a
court-appointed attorney who failed to defend him properly
represented him during his trial, added the source, who requested
anonymity for security reasons. "During his interrogation, Sina
was told that if he signed a confession and repented, he would be
pardoned and let go," said the source in an interview with CHRI
on March 21, 2017. "Unfortunately, he made a childish decision
and accepted the charges. Then they sentenced him to death."
"Later he admitted that he signed the confession hoping to get
freed," said the source. "Apparently the authorities
also got him to confess in front of a camera as well."
DOMESTIC POLITICS
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is credited with
pulling the economy back from the brink, but less than two months
before his re-election bid, has he done enough to convince voters?
"This year was full of stress - no jobs, recession, a stagnant
housing market," said Ali Bakhtiyari, a jeweller in the Tajrish
bazaar of northern Tehran. Business has been slow, he said, even
during last week's run-up to Nowruz, the Persian new year. "The
government is trying to unlock things, but four years have passed.
The locks should have been opened by now," he told AFP. Such
sentiments are heard everywhere on the Iranian street, and weigh
heavy on Rouhani's bid for re-election in May. Supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also been sharply critical of the
government's economic performance.
OPINION & ANALYSIS
In its latest report on human rights conditions in Iran,
the U.S. State Department noted that in 2016 there were "severe
restrictions" on the Iranian people's civil liberties,
"including the freedoms of assembly, association, speech,
religion and the press." In addition, the State Department
reported "abuse of due process," as well as
"politically motivated violence and repression, disappearances,
[and] limitation on citizens' ability to choose their government
peacefully through free and fair elections." The report also
noted arbitrary arrest; denial of fair public trial; and the lack of
independent judiciary. Recent news from human rights monitors confirm
that the new year has not brought an end to such abuses in Iran.
These are hard times for Hassan Rouhani. With fewer than
two months to go until Iran's next national election, currently
scheduled to take place on May 19, the long knives are out for the
soft-spoken cleric who serves as the country's president. Recent weeks
have seen mounting criticism of Rouhani's stewardship of the Iranian
government and the emergence of new challengers seeking to grab the
political reins from the Islamic Republic's embattled incumbent. Both
trends have also been blessed by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, who is pushing an increasingly populist-and
protectionist-political line. At the core of Iran's souring national
mood lies the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear
deal signed between Iran and the P5+1 powers (China, France, Germany,
Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) back in July 2015.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said recently that
any group taking up arms in Iraq outside the state's official
framework will be considered outlaws. However, it seems at least some
of the factions fighting under the banner of the Popular Mobilization
Units (PMU) in Iraq would not obey Abadi's order. On March 22, Abadi
spoke at a meeting of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS (Islamic
State, or IS) in Washington. Also during his trip, he told the media
that IS will be eliminated from Iraq's cities "within
weeks." What will happen then? Hashim al-Musawi, the spokesman
for Iran-controlled, Shiite Iraq militia known as the Islamic
Resistance Movement in Iraq (al-Nojaba), announced earlier in the
month the formation of the Golan Liberation Brigade. But the
announcement appeared to be more a declaration that Iran-affiliated
Iraqi militias will be ready to take on a greater role in the region
once IS is gone. (In addition, Musawi threatened to take military
action against Turkish forces stationed near Mosul if they refuse to
leave Iraq.)
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