Iran Focus
London, 30 July – At the beginning of May, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would be exiting the 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This came after months of speculation and much pleading from the European Union for Trump to remain within the framework of the deal.
However, Trump refused to bow down to pressure and he was very clear in his reasons for exiting the deal.
Iran Focus
London, 28 July – General Qassem Soleimani commander of the Iranian Regime’s terrorist Quds force threatened President Trump this week, targeting a major Red Sea chokepoint.
“The Red Sea which was secure is no longer secure for the presence of American (military) … The Quds force and I are your match. We don’t go to sleep at night before thinking about you,” Iran’s top general said in a speech from Hamedan, Iran, in which, according to local media, he addressed the American president directly.
Iran Focus
London, 27 July – US-Iran relations are at an all-time low after their presidents’ war of words last weekend, but could this really lead to Iran cutting off a key oil shipping strait?
On Sunday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani threatened the US with “to the mother of all wars”, to which Donald Trump responded with an all-caps tweet warning Iran not to threaten the US ever again.
Their exchanges have only intensified since the US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal in May and promised extensive sanctions against Iran, the first of which come into place next week.
Iran Focus
London, 27 July – The US’s military base near to southern Syria’s al-Tanf border crossing may have been set up to train local Syrians to fight ISIS militants, but it also provides an effective counterweight to Iran’s malign activities in the region.
Army Major Josh Jacques, a spokesman for US Central Command (CENTCOM), said: “Our mere presence there accomplishes that, whether it’s a goal or not.”
Even though the US military is primarily focused on training a Syrian group called Maghawir al-Thawra (MaT) to defeat ISIS, CENTCOM commander US Army General Joseph Votel reports that the American presence indirectly impedes Iran’s “destabilizing acts” in the nation.
Iran Focus
London, 27 July – Earlier this month, after its insurance company refused to provide coverage for purchase of an Iranian oil cargo, due to U.S. sanctions, India’s Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL), India’s third largest state-owned refiner, cancelled the purchase, according to three sources with knowledge of the matter.
Although HPCL renewed its installation insurance, which protects against any accidents at its refinery or storage sites, in early July, the sources say that its new policy will not protect against any incidents involving Iranian oil processed or stored at its refineries.
Iran Focus
London, 27 July – Human rights activist Shadi Sadr has reported that in the city of Ahvaz, southwestern Iran, mass graves of political prisoners including inmates who were executed in the late 1980s have been razed.
The Justice for Iran website published a photo on July 25th captioned, “This is a mass grave site in Ahvaz, Iran. At least 44 political prisoners executed in 1988 were secretly buried here. In the following years, the authorities turned the site into a rubbish dump. Now, the site is at imminent risk due to a road-widening project. There are fears that it will be destroyed for a ‘green space’ or commercial development.”
Iran Focus
London, 26 July – The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have attacked a Saudi oil tanker that was sailing off the Yemen Coast, according to the Western-backed Arab coalition.
The US-backed Saudi-led collation to restore the legitimate government in Yemen confirmed on Wednesday that the Iran-aligned Houthis hit a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, inflicting slight damage on the ship, after the Houthis reported that they had targeted a Saudi warship in the area.
Iran Focus
London, 26 July – A state-run newspaper in Iran with close ties to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has quoted a warning from the spokesman for the Yemeni Houthi rebels stating that Western companies should leave Riyadh, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi because “missiles are on their way.”
The Kayhan wrote on July 25, under the frontpage headline “Missiles On Their Way, Evacuate Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh”, that this spokesman warned Western companies not to invest in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
These are two countries who are supporting the legitimate Yemeni government in their quest to take back control of the country from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels; a conflict that has been raging since 2014.
Iran Focus
London, 26 July – An American cybersecurity company has revealed their findings on a new “highly active” espionage group – believed to be Iranian – that is breaking into the networks of government organizations and other firms located in the Middle East.
On Wednesday, Symantec said that the hacking collective known as “Leafminer” has been targeting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel and Afghanistan. The roughly 800 organisations targeted cut across several sectors, including energy, telecommunications, financial services, transportation and government.
Iran Focus
London, 26 July – The American military base near the Al-Tanf border crossing in Southern Syria was set up to train local Syrians to fight ISIS, but it also serves as an effective counter to Iran and its malign activities, according to US officials and experts.
Army Maj. Josh Jacques, a spokesman for US Central Command (CENTCOM), said: “Our mere presence there accomplishes that, whether it’s a goal or not.”
He went on to explain that the US military’s primary objective in Syria is the defeat of ISIS, so American soldiers at al-Tanf are currently training a Syrian group called Maghawir al-Thawra (MaT) who will fight ISIS militants.
