Iran Focus
London, 18 Apr – The 19,000-hectare wetland in Bandar Anzali, Iran, was once designated as a Ramsar site for its natural beauty, extensive water flora, and important role in the lifecycle of water birds, in particular breeding.
The unique ecosystem was once a flourishing tourist attraction and preservation site, but after decades of mismanagement regarding waste disposal and other environmental matters, the spectacular wetland is facing grave threats that need immediate attention.
Iran Focus
London, 18 Apr – The cost of buying foreign pharmaceuticals in Iran has soared in recent weeks, which is causing major problems for Iranians who are sick or injured.
Some people reported to VOA Persian’s Straight Talk call-in show on Tuesday that some sick people have been unable to afford these imported medications and that insurance does not cover the rise, leaving the sick to pay out of pocket. In a country where one-third of the population live in absolute poverty, no one can afford this.
Iran Focus
London, 18 Apr – Kaveh Madani, a well-known Iranian scientist has allegedly resigned from his position as the deputy head of the Islamic Republic’s Department of Environment. It has been reported that he put in his resignation while he was out of the country.
Madani had previously been arrested and held in prison for charges relating to spying on other environmentalists.
Mahmoud Sadeghi, a reformist member of Iranian Parliament said on social media that according to a “reliable source”, Madani and his wife had left the county after her travel ban was lifted.
Iran Focus
London, 18 Apr – Chaos is still rampant in Iran’s foreign exchange market a week after the Iranian Government artificially set the currency exchange rate at 42,000 rials to the US dollar.
This move, which Paris-based economist Fereidoun Khavand described as “a very dangerous game”, was an attempt by the Hassan Rouhani administration to control the incredible devaluing of the rial. The rial hit an all-time high of 61,000 rials to the dollar on April 10.
By Edward Carney
On Sunday, the New York Times published an editorial by Thomas Friedman in which he argued that, of all the global conflicts and competing interests currently converging in Syria, the most dangerous is the escalating clash between Iran and Israel.
Syria is widely seen as being at the heart of Iran’s expansionist agenda in the surrounding region, and Israel has declared that it will not allow the Islamic Republic to develop a permanent foothold there for either its own military or its militant proxy groups, particularly Hezbollah.
Iran Focus
London, 18 Apr – Faced with yet another cowardly chemical weapons attack, the United States, France and Great Britain vowed to take action. And they did so in the form of a US-led airstrike that caused significant damage to Syrian military sites.
The reaction from this Western alliance sends a big message, not just to Syrian President Bashar al Assad, but also to Iran and Russia. It is a clear signal that the days of appeasement led by former President Barack Obama are over.
Iran Focus
London, 18 Apr – United States President Trump warned the signatories of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement that he will pull his country out of the deal if major changes cannot be made. He wants the significant flaws and weaknesses in the deal to be strengthened and fixed and wants Iran’s ballistic missile program to be addressed.
During the deal negotiations, Iran refused to let its ballistic missile program be included. It argued that the missile program has nothing to do with the nuclear issues – and former President Barack Obama agreed. However, Trump has argued that this is not the case. And it is certainly true that the situation has changed because Iran has unveiled new missiles that it has developed. They are capable of carrying a nuclear warhead – so logically, this should be classed as a nuclear issue.
Iran Focus
London, 17 Apr – On Sunday, the Arab League held its 29th summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. This is a significant choice because it is the closest city geographically to Iran and the Iranian issue was a key topic of discussion and condemnation at the meeting of 17 Arab countries.
The most vocal critic of Iran at the Summit was Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the sponsor of the meeting, who called for a “strong international stance to confront Iran’s behaviour in the region,” and warned against the “threat” posed by Iran’s malign behaviour.
Iran Focus
London, 17 Apr – With Donald Trump’s final deadline on the Iran nuclear deal fast approaching, European leaders are scrambling to save the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) through last-minute meetings with Trump, rather than actually agreeing to fix the flaws of the deal.
In late April, both French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit the White House to persuade Trump to change his mind about the fate of the nuclear deal, but this will not work.
Iran Focus
London, 17 Apr – “We want to make sure that the influence of Iran doesn’t take over the area,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in an April 15 appearance on CBS’ Face The Nation, “They continue to cause problems throughout the region, and we want to make sure that there is a hold.”
