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TOP STORIES
With some Iranians still hopping mad about state spending on
religious institutions and foreign military ventures, Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has green-lighted the siphoning of $2.5 billion
from a currency-reserve fund to boost military spending.
The Iranian military has halted the routine harassment by
its armed "fast boats" of U.S. naval vessels in the Persian
Gulf, the U.S. military said, a turnabout that officials welcomed but
were at a loss to explain.
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told
a UN Security Council meeting that he was revealing classified
information about Iran to convey what he claimed are Iran's plans to
dominate Syria, destroy Israel and "terrorize the entire free world."
"Iran is turning the entire country of Syria into the largest
military base in the world. In fact, Iran is trying to destabilize all
aspects of Syria," Danon said. Danon also criticized the
international agreement that eased sanctions on Tehran in return for
curbs on its nuclear program, and implied that European nations now doing
business with Iran are enabling its aggression.
NUCLEAR & BALLISTIC-MISSILE PROGRAMS
Iran has aggressively pursued its ballistic missile program
since agreeing to the 2015 nuclear deal, regularly launching
nuclear-capable missiles in what critics consider a violation of the
spirit of the deal, according to a report obtained by Fox News. The
report shows Iran has fired some 23 missiles since signing the deal, as
many as 16 of them nuclear-capable.
The UN Security Council will travel to Washington on Monday
to inspect debris from missiles allegedly provided by Iran to Yemen's
Houthi militias and hold meetings at the White House, diplomats said.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS
The United States is in talks with the European Union about
tightening sanctions on Iran over its missile program and foreign policy,
House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan told a conference in the
United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
SANCTIONS RELIEF
Given the above issue, Iran exported more than 139,000
barrels of oil per day (BPD) to India in the same period, the report
added.
Regional turboprop manufacturer ATR is hopeful that
worsening relations between the US administration and Iran will not
hinder its business relationship with Tehran. ATR delivered eight
aircraft to Iran Air in 2017 and plans to deliver a further 12 by the end
of this year, as part of Iran's effort to replace its antiquated civil
air fleet.
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, British
officials remain committed to the politically expedient but baseless notion
that Hezbollah maintains separate terrorist, military and political
wings.
SYRIA & IRAN
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently laid out a new US
approach to the conflict in Syria, and two things became immediately
clear - the US is staying in Syria and conflict with Iran could be
coming.
GULF STATES, YEMEN, LEBANON, & IRAN
As being played in Washington, the Yemen story is one of
worsening famine caused at least in part by inaccurate Saudi bombing of
pro-Iranian Houthi tribesmen. The real story is about a cover-up of Saudi
military embarrassment and the imminent risk of wider conflict from which
Iran, at little cost to itself, will only profit.
IRAQ & IRAN
Ahead of Iraq's May
parliamentary elections, Iranian-backed militias announced the formation
of a coalition called al Fatah al Mubin (Manifest Victory)... The
IRGC-backed coalition is poised to shape the next Iraqi government,
highlighting the new political order.
IRANIAN DOMESTIC ISSUES
On Jan. 14, Islamic Azad University (IAU) approved new rules
that are set to increase state control over its many campuses. The move
will also consolidate the Principlists' grip over Iran's largest private
university... In a different announcement on the same day, IAU management
declared that music concerts were outlawed on all of its campuses.
Iran's judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani warned
Thursday he would not tolerate any corruption within his ranks,
threatening to publicly name any offending employee.
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