Copy of Iran Digest Week of October 11 - October 18
/Iran Digest Week of October 11 - October 18
AIC’s Iran digest project covers the latest developments and news stories published in Iranian and international media outlets. This weekly digest is compiled by Communications Associate Zaynab Siddiqui and Seamus Ryan. Please note that the news and views expressed in the articles below do not necessarily reflect those of AIC.
US-Iran Relations
U.S. carried out secret cyber strike on Iran in wake of Saudi oil attack: officials
The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the Sept. 14 attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Tehran, two U.S. officials have told Reuters
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the operation took place in late September and took aim at Tehran’s ability to spread “propaganda.”
One of the officials said the strike affected physical hardware, but did not provide further details.
(Reuters)
US 'concerned' over untrackable China ships carrying Iran Oil
The White House has warned Chinese shipping companies against turning off their ships' transponders to hide Iranian oil shipments in violation of United States sanctions, two senior administration officials said.
"We've been messaging very heavily to the shipping companies, you don't want to do this, it's not worth it," said one official, who spoke to Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity.
"It's incredibly dangerous and irresponsible behaviour."
U.S. to send 1,800 additional troops to Saudi Arabia to boost defenses against Iran
The Pentagon will deploy an additional 1,800 troops to Saudi Arabia, senior defense officials said Friday, a modest increase in the U.S. military’s presence in the Middle East meant to deter Iranian aggression.
Calling Saudi Arabia a “long-standing security partner,” Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said he had spoken with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman earlier Friday about the kingdom’s defensive capabilities and U.S. efforts to protect partners in the region.
President Trump, who often praises Saudi Arabia as a partner and a prolific buyer of American arms, said late Friday that the kingdom “has agreed to pay us for everything we’re doing to help them.”
Nuclear Accord
Majority of Iranians now want to quit nuclear deal
A majority of Iranians no longer supports the 2015 nuclear deal, thinks their country should withdraw and believes that the United States has done the maximum damage it can inflict on the Iranian economy.
The findings are from a series of new polls of Iranian public opinion conducted by the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland and IranPoll, a Toronto-based body, which have done numerous similar studies in the past. Interviews of about 1,000 people were conducted by telephone in April, May, late August and early October with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for each.
Economy
Iran says it discovered a natural gas reserve that could create $40 billion in revenue
Iran announced on Sunday that it has discovered a new natural gas reserve with the capacity to produce nearly 400 million barrels of gas condensate, which could generate a total of $40 billion.
The natural gas field, named Eram, is located near the Persian Gulf in the southwestern province of Fars and holds about 19 trillion cubic feet of gas, National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Deputy Managing Director Reza Dehghan said at a press conference.
"We have the potential to identify more undiscovered oil and gas reserves (in the country) by using geophysical exploration techniques and discovery drilling and will definitely add to Iran's national wealth," Dehghan said. (CNN)
Russia Liberates Iran From SWIFT Blackmail, Gives Access to Alternative Banking Network
Russia and Iran will transfer payments using an alternative system to the internationally recognized SWIFT money transfer network, the governor of the Iranian central bank, Abdolnaser Hemmati, announced.
Instead of SWIFT, a system that facilitates cross-border payments between 11,000 financial institutions in more than 200 countries worldwide, the two countries will use their own domestically developed financial messaging systems – Iran’s SEPAM and Russia’s SPFS.
Environment
Iran Drops Death Row Charge For Environmentalists
Four detained Iranian environmental activists have been cleared of a charge that could carry the death penalty, state news agency IRNA reported on Sunday.
"The charge of 'corruption on earth' was dropped in recent days for four detained environmentalists," said Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, a lawyer who represents some of the activists.
"Of course their other charges still remain," he was quoted as saying.
The four were initially accused of "spying" on military bases but their indictments changed in October 2018 to spreading "corruption on earth" -- one of the most severe charges under Iran's Islamic law.
Inside Iran
Voter Disillusionment And Domination By Hardliners Mar Iran's Next Elections
President Hassan Rouhani has called on Iranian university students to lend their energy and rigor to the campaigns ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Iran.
Rouhani made the remarks during an eventful presence at a ceremony October 16, to mark the beginning of the academic year in Iran, while angry students on campus were demanding an opportunity to voice their ideas about the state of affairs in the country.
The chancellor of the university explained that no speech by the students has been planned for the occasion, but a number of students continued their protest during and after Rouhani's speech.
Regional Politics
Iran oil tanker attacked off Saudi coast, foreign ministry says
The ministry said the tanker Sabiti had been hit twice, causing some damage.
Earlier Iran's national oil company (NIOC) said two explosions on the vessel had been caused "likely by missiles".
But it dismissed earlier reports quoting it as saying the missiles were likely to have come from Saudi Arabia.
In recent months "other sabotage acts" had been carried out against Iranian tankers in the Red Sea and these were being investigated, foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.
Analysis
Burned By Trump, Iranians Report Negative Views Of The United States
By: Esfandyar Batmanghelidj
Three new waves of nationally-representative surveys conducted by the University of Maryland over the past six months paint a damning picture of the Trump administration’s Iran policy. Negative perceptions of the United States among the Iranian public are at the highest recorded level in over a decade of public opinion research conducted by the university’s Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM) and IranPoll.
Long considered one of the most “pro-American” populations in the Middle East, 86 percent of Iranians reported unfavorable views of the United States, of which 73 percent reported “very unfavorable” views. Perceptions of the United States were most positive in August 2015, shortly after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was agreed by Iran and the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China. As frustrations grew over the implementation of sanctions relief and following the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the deal negative perceptions steadily increased.
Iranians believe that US sanctions policy is intended to cause direct harm to ordinary people. While the Trump administration claims that humanitarian goods and supplies may freely enter Iran, 70 percent of Iranians believe that US policy intends to block humanitarian trade.
