Iran Digest Week of April 23- April 30
/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 Elizabeth Kos. Please note that the news and views expressed in the articles below do not necessarily reflect those of AIC.
US-Iran Relations
Second Close Call Between Iranian and American Vessels Raises Tensions
For the second time in a month, vessels from Iran and the United States came dangerously close in the Persian Gulf on Monday night, the Navy said on Tuesday, escalating tensions between the two nations as their negotiators have resumed talks toward renewing the 2015 nuclear deal.
The American crews issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio and loudspeakers, but the Iranian vessels continued their close-range maneuvers, the Navy said. When the Firebolt’s crew fired warning shots, the Iranian vessels moved away “to a safe distance from the U.S. vessels,” the Navy said.
It was the second time in a month that Iran has carried out harassing maneuvers against Navy or Coast Guard ships in the region, after a year of relative maritime peace.
GOP Tears into Kerry Amid Iran Controversy
Republicans on Monday called on John Kerry to resign from President Joe Biden’s National Security Council over claims that he revealed sensitive information about Israeli military operations to Iran.
According to leaked audio revealed Sunday by The New York Times, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Kerry told him that Israel attacked Iranian assets in Syria “at least 200 times.” Zarif added that he was surprised that Kerry would reveal that sensitive information to him, according to the audio.
“People are talking about treason — and I don’t throw that word around a lot,” Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) said in a brief interview. “John Kerry does all kinds of things that I can’t stand. But this is the one that broke the camel’s back.”
(Politico)
Nuclear Accord
Iran Wants Nationals Freed from US Jails Amid Nuclear Talks
Iran said Tuesday it was seeking the release of all Iranian prisoners held in the U.S. amid talks in Vienna meant to bring Tehran and Washington back into the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
Cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei also hinted that another exchange of prisoners between Iran and America was possible, saying that “the idea of a swap of prisoners has always been on the agenda” and adding they should be released because of “humane concerns.”
Rabiei did not offer details on how many Iranians are held in the U.S. and claimed that releasing their names could harm them. However, he said, “their number is bigger than that of American prisoners in Iran.”
Blinken Meets Israel Spy Chief About Iran Concerns: Report
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency and its ambassador to Washington on Thursday, and the Israeli officials expressed “deep concern” about Iran’s nuclear activities, the Reuters news agency reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The meeting in Washington followed talks this week between US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Israeli counterpart in which the Israeli delegation stressed their “freedom to operate” against Iran as they see fit, the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
As President Joe Biden explores a possible US return to the 2015 JCPOA deal to contain Iran’s nuclear programme that his predecessor Donald Trump abandoned, Israel has stepped up calls for more sweeping curbs to be imposed on sensitive Iranian technologies and projects.
COVID-19
Iran Fears South Africa, Indian Variants as Daily Virus Deaths Hit Record
Iran has found three suspected cases of the coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said on Tuesday, calling it an alarm bell after COVID-19 deaths hit a daily record of 496 a day earlier.
"Unfortunately we received a report about three cases of the South African virus, and we are making more checks to confirm this," Namaki said in remarks carried by state TV.
"We are also checking cases of Indian visitors infected with the coronavirus and hope that they don't carry the (Indian) mutated virus," Namaki said. "In any case, these alarm bells tell us that we need to increase social distancing and better follow health precautions."
(Reuters)
Economy
Iran Tries to Revive $16 Billion Deal for 80 Boeing Jets
With reconciliation in the air at the Vienna talks to reinvigorate the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran Air has been trying to press Boeing to revive a large order for jets signed in 2016.
Local media in Iran have reported that the national carrier has sent a letter to Boeing demanding it honor its commitments. Managing director Alireza Barkhor told the Islamic Republic News Agency that it wants to revive the contract for buying airplanes.
Road and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami has also recently said Boeing should be held accountable for the delay in carrying out its contract with Iran Air, and that Iran reserves the right to take legal action over the delay. "Iranian companies have the right as per the contract to pursue their contract," he said.
(Forbes)
SAP Admits Iran Sanction Violations to Justice Department
Software company SAP SE admitted it provided millions of dollars in software to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions, becoming the first company to benefit from a Justice Department program that encourages companies to self-report criminal export violations in exchange for leniency, U.S. authorities said Thursday.
Between 2010 and 2017, the German enterprise-software giant sent upgrades and software patches more than 20,000 times to users in Iran, and allowed its cloud businesses to give 2,360 Iranian users access to U.S.-based cloud services, the Justice Department said.
The company reported the issues to both regulators and criminal investigators, and cooperated in the government’s investigation, authorities said. SAP agreed to pay $8 million in penalties and enter an agreement under which prosecutors won't prosecute the company in exchange for its improving compliance.
Inside Iran
In Iran, Clubhouse Means Unfiltered Chats, Even with Top Officials. But for How Long
Clubhouse, the invitation-only app billed as "a space for casual, drop-in audio conversations," has attracted users from many parts of the world.
Haniyeh, a language teacher in Tehran, says she likes to drop in on conversations about poetry, literature and education. She says it's a way to meet others in her field and to attract new students. She asked that her family name not be used for fear of retribution for speaking to Western media.
"The presence of Iranian politicians on Clubhouse has been very interesting," she says. "I've heard from my own friends who participated in Mr. Zarif's room, for example."
One concern among Iranian Clubhouse fans is what might happen if the government gets worried about it — which seems likely, given that elections are scheduled for June.
Iran Sentences Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe to Year in Jail
Iran has sentenced British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe to a one-year jail term and banned her from leaving the country for a year, her lawyer Hojjat Kermani told Emtedad news website on Monday.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation charity, was arrested at a Tehran airport in April 2016 and later convicted of plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment.
She was released from house arrest last month at the end of a five-year sentence, but was immediately ordered back into court to face the new propaganda charges.
Kermani said he would appeal the new sentence within 21 days under Iranian law.
Analysis
Can Iran and Saudi Arabia Bury the Hatchet?
By: Shireen T. Hunter
Iranian and Saudi officials have reportedly been holding talks in Baghdad this month to discuss outstanding issues between the two countries, including recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels against Saudi infrastructure. Iraq’s prime minister was instrumental in arranging the meeting, according to a report in the Financial Times.
At this stage, it is difficult to predict whether substantial talks will take place between the two longstanding rivals - or even if they did, whether they would result in a significant reduction of bilateral and regional tensions.
Several factors warrant guarded optimism about the prospects of a Saudi-Iranian dialogue. Firstly, both Tehran and Riyadh have failed to achieve their regional ambitions, reaching a stalemate in most arenas. The most significant and costly setback for Saudi Arabia has been Yemen. Riyadh expected a quick victory that would have cemented its leadership in the Middle East. Instead, it is bogged down in an unwinnable war, fuelled by Iran’s support for the Houthis.
