Recent Appearances...

Warning: Undefined array key "rbname" in /data/rantburg.com/www/rantburg/pgrecentorg.php on line 14
Hello !
Recent Appearances...

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Trump: I’m not talking to Iran, nor offering it anything after US struck nuke sites

2025-07-01

[IsraelTimes] Tehran criticizes US president for sanctions ‘games,’ says its usual IAEA cooperation cannot be expected; France, Germany, UK condemn Iran’s ‘threats’ against watchdog head

US President Donald Trump said Monday he is not holding discussions with Iranian leaders and not offering them anything, as European nations condemned “threats” against the head of the UN nuclear watchdog.

In a middle-of-the-night post on Truth Social, Trump said, “I am not offering Iran ANYTHING, unlike Obama, who paid them $Billions under the stupid ‘road to a nuclear weapon JCPOA (which would now be expired!), nor am I even talking to them since we totally OBLITERATED their Nuclear Facilities.”

The social media post was a response to comments by Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, who told Fox News on Sunday that reports suggested Trump “is now moving toward negotiation and offering Iran a deal that looks somewhat similar to the Iran deal that was offered by Obama. Tens of billions of dollars of incentives and reduced sanctions in exchange for abandoning their nuclear program.”

On Friday, the US president dismissed media reports that said his administration had discussed possibly helping Iran access as much as $30 billion to build a civilian energy-producing nuclear program.

Iran on Monday criticized Trump’s apparently shifting stance on whether to lift economic sanctions against it as “games” that were not aimed at solving the problems between the two countries.

“These [statements by Trump] should be viewed more in the context of psychological and media games than as a serious expression in favor of dialogue or problem-solving,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference.

Meanwhile, France, Germany and Britain on Monday condemned “threats” against the head of the UN nuclear watchdog after Iran rejected its request to visit nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the United States.

Tehran has accused Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, of “betrayal of his duties” for not condemning the Israeli and US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, and Iranian lawmakers this week voted to suspend cooperation with the agency.

“France, Germany and the United Kingdom condemn threats against the director general of the IAEA Rafael Grossi and reiterate our full support to the agency,” foreign ministers Jean-Noel Barrot, Johann Wadephul and David Lammy said in a joint statement.

“We call on Iranian authorities to refrain from any steps to cease cooperation with the IAEA,” they added.

“We urge Iran to immediately resume full cooperation in line with its legally binding obligations, and to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of IAEA personnel.”

Argentina, Grossi’s home country, has also slammed “threats” against him from Iran.

None specified which threats they were referring to, but Iran’s ultra-conservative Kayhan newspaper recently claimed documents showed Grossi was an Israeli spy and should be executed.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that Grossi’s insistence on visiting the bombed sites was “meaningless and possibly even malign in intent.”

Iran has said it believes an IAEA resolution on June 12 that accused Iran of ignoring its nuclear obligations served as an “excuse” for the war that Israel launched on June 13 and that ended with a ceasefire last week.

Speaking to US broadcaster CBS on Sunday, Iranian ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani denied there was any threat to nuclear inspectors in Iran, insisting they were “in safe conditions” but their work was suspended.

However, Baghaei said Monday that Iran cannot be expected to ensure usual cooperation with the IAEA when the security of agency inspectors cannot be guaranteed after the nuclear sites were hit by Israel and the US.

Baghaei said a parliamentary bill approved by the Guardian Council makes it mandatory for the government to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

“Iran shouldn’t be expected to accept its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) when the UN nuclear watchdog has stopped short of condemning the attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites,” he said.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran rejects nuclear talks after strikes, accuses US of overhyping damage

2025-06-27

[GEO.TV] Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
has clearly said that it has no plans to restart nuclear talks with the United States following recent American ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
<del>Arclight</del> airstrike

...KABOOM!...
s on its nuclear sites and accused Washington of exaggerating the impact of the US strikes.

The country's foreign minister dismissed any rumours of upcoming negotiations and said no discussions or agreements had been made.

The most serious conflict yet between Israel and Iran disrupted nuclear talks between the two countries. However,
facts are stubborn; statistics are more pliable...
President Donald Trump
...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried....
said Washington would hold discussions with Tehran next week, with his special envoy Steve Witkoff expressing hope "for a comprehensive peace agreement".

But Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed what he described as "speculation" that Tehran was ready to return to the table, saying it "should not be taken seriously".

"I would like to state clearly that no agreement, arrangement or conversation has been made to start new negotiations," he said on state television
... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
. "No plan has been set yet to start negotiations."

Araghchi's denial came as Iranian politicians passed a "binding" bill suspending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, and after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...>
accused Trump of exaggerating the impact of US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

In a televised speech — his first appearance since a ceasefire in the war with Israel — Khamenei hailed what he called Iran's "victory" over Israel, vowed never to bow to US pressure, and insisted Washington had been dealt a humiliating "slap".

After the parliament voted, the rulers made it official

Iran vetting body approves bill suspending cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog

[IsraelTimes] Guardian Council spokesman says Iran’s ‘national sovereignty’ requires cutting ties; IAEA says it has yet to receive official communication from Tehran regarding decision

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran-Israel war: Latest developments

2025-06-26

[AnNahar] U.S. President Donald Trump
...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party...
said on Wednesday that the ceasefire that ended 12 days of war between ally Israel and Iran
Iran

...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
was going "very well", while leaked U.S. intelligence cast doubt on the damage caused by U.S. strikes to Tehran's nuclear program.

Here are the latest developments on the the second day of the ceasefire:

- 'DECADES' OF DAMAGE -
Trump insisted on Wednesday that U.S. strikes resulted in the "total obliteration" of Iran's nuclear capabilities, setting the country's atomic program back by "decades".

"They're not going to be building bombs for a long time," said Trump, who added that the ceasefire since Tuesday was going "very well".

U.S. media earlier cited people familiar with a preliminary U.S. intelligence report as saying that weekend strikes did not fully eliminate Iran's centrifuges or stockpile of enriched uranium.

The U.S. bombardments sealed off entrances to some facilities without destroying underground buildings, setting Iran's nuclear program back by several months, according to the Defense Intelligence Agency report.

- 'SIGNIFICANT HIT' -
The Israeli military said it had delivered a "significant hit" to Iran's nuclear program, but added that it was "still early to assess the results of the operation".

"I believe we have delivered a significant hit to the nuclear program, and I can also say that we have delayed it by several years," military front man Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a televised presser.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday hailed a "historic victory" in the 12-day conflict and vowed to thwart "any attempt" by Iran to rebuild its nuclear program.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday the Islamic republic will continue to "assert its legitimate rights" to the peaceful use of atomic power.

- STATE FUNERALS -
Iran will hold state funerals on Saturday for senior military commanders and top scientists killed during the war.

Hossein Salami, the Revolutionary Guards chief killed by Israel on the war's first day on June 13, will be laid to rest in central Iran on Thursday.

According to the Iranian health ministry, Israeli strikes during the war killed at least 610 civilians.

Iran's attacks on Israel killed 28 people, according to official Israeli figures.

- 'TERROR' DESIGNATION -
Israel's defense minister on Wednesday designated Iran's central bank a "terror organization."

"Part of Israel's broader campaign against Iran", the move aims "to target the heart of the Iranian regime's terror financing system, which funds, arms and directs terror throughout the Middle East", said a statement from Minister Israel Katz's office.

- IRAN MPS ON IAEA -
Iranian politicians voted Wednesday in favor of suspending cooperation with the United Nations
...a formerly good idea gone bad...
' nuclear watchdog.

"The ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency, which refused to even marginally condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, put its international credibility up for auction," Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, according to state TV.

The decision still requires the approval of the Guardian Council, a body empowered to vet legislation.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Syria expected to join ‘resistance front’ soon: Iranian official

2025-01-23

[Rudaw] Syria is expected to join the Iranian-led "resistance front" soon, a member of the Expediency Council said on Wednesday, despite the ousting of key Tehran ally Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
The Scourge of Hama...
"The Syrian nation will join the resistance front very soon and Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
is also seeking the independence and illusory sovereignty of Syria. In Syria, an inclusive government should be formed, consisting of all groups in Syria," Mohsen Rezai, a member of the Expediency Council, said, as cited by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Expediency Discernment Council of Iran is a top body established by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...>
that adjudicates on differences between the parliament and the hardline Guardian Council, which can block legislation.

Iran was a staunch supporter of Assad’s Syrian regime, which was toppled by a coalition of rebel groups spearheaded by the Islamist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else

Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else

...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS) on December 8.

Rezai criticized the interference of external powers in Syria and emphasized its detrimental impact on the country.

" The Americans have strengthened their base in eastern Syria, and ~~The Sick Man of Europe~~ Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
is present in the north and Israel in the south of Syria," he said.

But Tehran also faced regular accusations of interference in Syria’s internal affairs during Assad’s reign, when it stationed military advisors around the country and established cultural centers aligned to its agenda during the brutal civil war.

Assadist Syria was a key component of Iran’s so-called "Axis of Resistance®," a network of influence in the Middle East to expand Iran’s hegemony and counter Western interests.

Iran last month blamed the US and Israel for being behind the recent developments in Syria since the fall of Assad and accused them of having a "master plan" for the Middle East after a Washington official said there would be no place for Iran in the new Syria.

The new Syrian authorities subsequently warned Iran against "spreading chaos" in their country and called on Tehran to respect the will of the Syrian people.

Syria has also warned Iran against "spreading chaos" in their country and called on Tehran to respect the will of the Syrian people.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iranian Imam shot dead in Kazeroun attack in third such killing since 1979

2024-10-27

[JPost] Sabahi had served as the Imam of Kharameh for ten years before returning to Kazeroun in November 2019.

The Imam of Kazeroun in southern Iran, Mohammad Sabahi, was shot by an attacker who then took his own life after leading the Friday prayers this week, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

The Imam suffered from severe wounds and was transported to the Vali Asr hospital for treatment. Mohammad Ali Bekhrad, the special commander of Kazeroun County, confirmed that Imam Sabahi was targeted after the prayers and was undergoing medical treatment.

Several hours later, in a separate report, Tasnim noted he was transferred to the Namazi Hospital in Shiraz for further treatment. However, despite the efforts of the medical team, Sabahi succumbed to his wounds.

"Despite the efforts of the doctors and medical staff at Namazi Hospital in Shiraz, the Friday Imam has passed away due to the severity of his [wounds]," Iranian State Media IRNA cited Kazeroun’s governor, Mohammad Ali Bekhrad.

THIRD KILLING SINCE 1979 REVOLUTION
According to IRNA's report, Sabahi had served as the Imam of Kharameh for ten years before returning to Kazeroun in November 2019, further noting that his death marks the third killing of a Friday Imam in Kazeroun since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

According to IRNA, initial reports concerning the attacker were conflicting, with Telegram channels claiming he was a war veteran. However, Mehdi Mazarei of Kazeroun’s Martyrs Foundation refuted the claim and warned against spreading false information.

Mizan News clarified that the attacker had a criminal background and had previously attempted to harm a judge.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran waging ‘draconian campaign’ against women through hijab law: Amnesty

2024-03-09

[Rudaw] Iranian authorities are subjecting women to "draconian" punishments through surveillance and mass car confiscations to impose compulsory hijab laws, ~~Amnesia~~ Amnesty International said on Wednesday.

"Iranian authorities are waging a large-scale campaign to inforce repressive compulsory veiling laws through widespread surveillance of women and girls in public spaces and mass police checks targeting women drivers," Amnesty said in a report, based on testimonies from over 40 women ahead of the International Women’s Day.

The Islamic republic was shaken by mass countrywide protests after 22-year-old Kurdish woman Zhina (Mahsa) Amini died while in jug of its so-called morality olice on September 16, 2022.

Amini had been arrested for wearing a lax hijab. Her death sparked nationwide protests that posed the biggest threat to the Iranian regime in 40 years. Protestors chanting "Jin Jiyan Azadi" (Woman Life Freedom) began by calling for greater freedoms, the movement grew into an anti-government revolution as authorities responded with violence. Hundreds of people were killed and thousands arrested.

The protests saw women publicly condemn the strict dress code but authorities have remained clear about their intentions to not abandon the compulsory hijab, put in place in 1983, around four years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"In a sinister attempt to wear down resistance to compulsory veiling in the wake of the ’Woman Life Freedom’ uprising, Iran’s authorities are terrorizing women and girls by subjecting them to constant surveillance and policing, disrupting their daily lives and causing them immense mental distress," said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"Their draconian tactics span from stopping women drivers on the road and carrying out mass confiscations of their vehicles to imposing flogging and prison sentences," Eltahawy stressed.

According to the report, Iranian police regularly confiscate the cars of female drivers or passengers without or in "inappropriate" headscarves. The surveillance is carried out by cameras or plainclothes agents through police app Nazer to report license plates of drivers violating the hijab law.

Those caught are then contacted and ordered to report to the police to hand over their vehicles as punishment. In many cases, the cars are released after 15 to 30 days, once arbitrary payment fees are settled.

According to the testimonials, the process to retrieve the vehicles is long and involves "degrading treatment from officials including gender-based insults and reprimands about the appearance of women and girls as young as nine" with "threats of flogging, imprisonment, and travel bans."

The women also told Amnesty that they are regularly denied access to public transport, airports, and banking services without wearing a headscarf.

In January, Iranian woman Roya Heshmati was sentenced to 74 lashes after appearing unveiled in public, Amnesty said.

In September 2023, Iran’s parliament approved the "Bill to Support the Culture of Chastity and Hijab," which would grant security forces additional powers to further crack down on violators of the compulsory hijab.

The bill is awaiting the approval of the Guardian Council to be signed into law.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran unveils Islamic dating app to encourage marriage

2021-07-14

[AlAhram] When a match is made, the app 'introduces the families together with the presence of service consultants', who will 'accompany' the couple for four years after marriage

Iran
Iran

...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
on Monday unveiled an Islamic dating application aimed at facilitating "lasting and informed marriage" for its youth, state television
... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
reported.

Called Hamdam -- Farsi for "companion" -- the service allows users to "search for and choose their spouse," the broadcaster said.

It is the only state-sanctioned platform of its kind in the Islamic republic, according to Iran's cyberspace police chief, Colonel Ali Mohammad Rajabi.

While dating apps are popular in Iran, Rajabi said that all other platforms apart from Hamdam are illegal.

Developed by the Tebyan Cultural Institute, part of Iran's Islamic Propaganda Organization, Hamdam's website claims it uses "artificial intelligence" to find matches "only for bachelors seeking permanent marriage and a single spouse".

Tebyan head Komeil Khojasteh, speaking at the unveiling, said family values were threatened by outside forces.

"Family is the devil's target, and (Iran's enemies) seek to impose their own ideas" on it, he said, adding that the app helps create "healthy" families.

According to Hamdam's website, users have to verify their identity and go through a "psychology test" before browsing.
"Do you like Lavendar Oil?"
When a match is made, the app "introduces the families together with the presence of service consultants", who will "accompany" the couple for four years after marriage.

Registration is free, as Hamdam has "an independent revenue model," the website said without explaining further.

Iran's authorities, including the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...
, have warned several times against the country's rising age of marriage and declining birth rates.

In March, Iran's conservative-dominated parliament passed a bill titled "population growth and supporting families."

It mandates the government to offer significant financial incentives for marriage and to encourage people to have more than two children, while limiting access to ~~child sacrifice~~ abortion.

The law awaits approval by the Guardian Council, which is tasked with checking that bills are compatible with Islamic law and the constitution.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran's Larijani Rebuffed over Election Bar

2021-06-13

[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] Iran's ex-parliament speaker Ali Larijani on Saturday demanded an explanation of why he was barred from running in next week's presidential poll but was promptly rebuffed by the election watchdog.

The moderate conservative was disqualified by the powerful Guardian Council in a surprise move that leaves judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, an ultraconservative, the clear favorite in the June 18 election.

Larijani called on Twitter on the Guardian Council to "officially and publicly disclose all the reasons" for his disqualification as reports on him and his family had been "proven to be false".

The council's front man in response said the law does not mandate the body to explain its reasoning in public.

The vetting process is carried out using "adequate and trustable documents", Abbas Ali Kadkhodaee said in a tweet reported by local agencies.

"The presidential election law has not specified anything regarding protesting disqualifications and public disclosure of their reasons," he said.

The conservative-dominated, unelected council has approved seven candidates, five of them ultraconservatives, to run in the election from a field of about 600 hopefuls.

In addition to Larijani, who serves as advisor to supreme leader Ali Khamenei

...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...
, it also barred first vice-president Eshaq Jahangiri and firebrand
...firebrands are noted more for audio volume and the quantity of spittle generated than for any actual logic in their arguments...
former president Mahmoud Short Round Ahmadinejad.

The disqualifications have unleashed a flood of criticism, including from a member of the 12-man council.

Sadegh Amoli Larijani, a former judiciary chief and brother to the ex-speaker, said "security bodies" were influencing the council's decisions through "false reports".

President Hassan Rouhani
...Iran's moderate president, which he is, relative to his predecessor, which doesn't mean he's anything but a puppet of the nearest holy man...
, who is constitutionally barred from running for a third consecutive term, said last month he had sent a letter to Khamenei asking him to intervene and ensure greater "competition" in the election.

The supreme leader in a May 27 speech urged voters to ignore boycott calls but turned a deaf ear to criticism of the vetting process.

A week later, however, he said some candidates had been treated "unjustly" as "they and their families were accused of false things", without giving names.

The Guardian Council said "false reports" had not influenced its decisions.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Rouhani, Khomeini Levy Notion of 'Islamic Republic' against Taliban-Styled' Caliphate'

2021-06-04

[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] Two days ahead of the first 2021 Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
presidential election debate, President Hassan Rouhani
...Iran's moderate president, which he is, relative to his predecessor, which doesn't mean he's anything but a puppet of the nearest holy man...
reiterated his desire to hold a national referendum. At the same time, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif

...foreign minister of the Medes and the Persians, Mouthpiece of Mullahs, good friend of John Kerry and similar exemplars of Merkin values...
implicitly warned against undermining "legitimacy" derived from the popular vote.

Hassan Khomeini, the most prominent grandchild of Iran’s founding supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, also joined Rouhani in criticism of attempts to swap the current "Islamic Theocratic Republic" for a Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
-styled "Islamic Caliphate."

Benefiting from the holy man-led country marking the 33rd anniversary Khomeini’s death on June 3, Rouhani slammed the incumbent electoral process for slashing the eligibility of some candidates who applied to run for the presidency.

Rouhani’s criticism came despite the Guardian Council approving the candidacy of his close ally, former Central Bank Governor Abdel Nasser Hemmati.

In his seemingly impartial critique, the president cited Khomeini’s teaching several times.

Attending a weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Rouhani stated that Khomeini considered the people’s awareness as a primary character for building a just republic.

"Everyone is proud of their constructive dealings with the world today, and no one wants confrontation," he said.

"Today, everyone is talking about negotiations, but what is important is the understanding that negotiating is the keyway for dealing with the world," he stressed.

At the ministerial meeting, Rouhani also slammed those fearful of holding a national referendum, building his argument on the country’s history.

He recounted how five referendums and electoral elections were held in the first year after the 1979 revolution.

The last time Iran had held a referendum dates back to July 1989; it followed a constitutional amendment and was supported by 97% of the population eligible for voting.

During his years in office, Rouhani repeatedly called for holding public referendums on Tehran’s foreign policy and power distribution.

He called for a public poll regarding the nuclear agreement, joining the international FATF agreement for combating terrorist financing and money laundering, and reshaping executive authority in the country.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran's Former Hardline President "Short Round" Ahmadinejad to Run Again

2021-05-13

[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] Iran’s hardline former president Mahmoud Short Round Ahmadinejad on Wednesday registered to run again in an election in June which is being seen as a test of the legitimacy of the country’s holy manal rulers.

Vilified in the West for his questioning of the Holocaust, Ahmadinejad had to step down in 2013 because of term limit rules, when incumbent President Hassan Rouhani
...Iran's moderate president, which he is, relative to his predecessor, which doesn't mean he's anything but a puppet of the nearest holy man...
, who negotiated Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, won in a landslide.

"People should be involved in Iran’s decision-making process... We must all prepare ourselves for fundamental reform," state TV quoted Ahmadinejad as saying after submitting his registration.

Candidates began signing up for the polls on Tuesday with the holy manal rulers hoping for a high turnout which may be hit by rising discontent over an economy crippled by US sanctions reimposed after Washington exited the nuclear deal three years ago.

Registration will end on Saturday, after which entrants will be screened for their qualifications by a 12-member vetting body, the Guardian Council. Six members of the hardline body are appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...
Khamenei backed Ahmadinejad after his 2009 re-election triggered protests in which dozens of people were killed and hundreds arrested, rattling the ruling theocracy, before security forces led by the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) stamped out the unrest.

But a rift developed between the two after then-president Ahmadinejad explicitly advocated checks on Khamenei’s ultimate authority. Ahmadinejad was disqualified by the Guardian Council in the 2017 presidential election.

In an open letter to Khamenei in 2018, Ahmadinejad called for "fundamental reforms" in the three branches of government - executive, parliament and judiciary - as well as the office of the Supreme Leader.

A former officer of the Guards, who has tried to re-brand himself as a moderate politician by criticizing the holy manal establishment, Ahmadinejad relies on Iran’s devout poor and working class who have grown impatient with the mounting economic pressure.

However,
those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things...
his popularity remains in question and hardline political groups are expected to back prominent holy man and judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi if he decides to run.

Rouhani cannot seek re-election under Iran’s constitution.

Several hardline candidates, including some IRGC commanders, have said they would withdraw if Raisi enters the race to avoid splitting the vote.

Appointed by the supreme leader as head of the judiciary, Raisi has emerged as one of Iran’s most powerful figures and a contender to succeed Khamenei.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Guards Ex-Official Announces Run for Iranian Presidency

2021-05-09

[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] A former official of Iran's Revolutionary Guards who has thrown his hat into the ring for Iran's June 18 presidential election pledged Saturday to initiate change and build a "powerful" government.

Saeed Mohammad, 53, headed the Guards' construction and engineering arm for over two years before announcing his resignation in early March to run in the poll.

Registration at the interior ministry to contest the poll runs from Tuesday to Saturday, with names to be handed to the conservative-dominated Guardian Council for vetting before being allowed to run.

"I decided to run since... the supreme leader (Ali Khamenei
...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...
) has asked for change and a transformation in the managerial generation," Mohammad told a news conference in Tehran.

Mohammad, who holds the rank of second brigadier general, stressed his campaign was "not associated with any movement, party or faction".

"I am strongly against polarization... the talk of the left and the right, reformist and conservative," he added.

The presidential hopeful now serves as an advisor to Guards commander Major General Hossein Salami.

Mohammad brushed off a question on whether Iran

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran publicly hangs murderer of Friday prayer imam

2019-08-29

[DAWN] Iran
Iran

Link

Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/rantburg/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-12 More