Iran Focus

London, 16 July – Since 2003, Persian-speaking satellite channels have been periodically subjected to jamming in Iran. Despite warnings about the health risks of exposure to jamming signals from the Health Ministry, and Shiraz’s representatives to the Iranian parliament, the Information and Ccommunications Technology Minister says that equipment for monitoring “jamming signals” has been installed in the city of Shiraz and several other cities across the country.

A jamming technique that sends counter beams to the satellite cannot target just one or two specific programs. Instead, it blocks many adjacent satellite channels, leading to international backlash.

Iran Focus

London, 15 July – Beginning last December, widespread protests began in Iran, that have now reached unprecedented levels due to dire economic and living circumstances. Today, the Iranian government appears to be ready to implode at any time, unless it handles the current issues with transparency.

The Iranian system under new American and international economic sanctions does not seem to be sustainable.

Iran Focus

London, 15 July – Internal disputes among officials in Iran are becoming more and more publicised. Previously, Iran’s state media omitted to report honestly about the goings-on and disputes among officials and the different factions, but it is becoming more challenging to hide.

Mahmoud Sadeghi is a very outspoken official. He is a representative to Iran’s parliament and he recently accused his colleagues of succumbing to bribes to that a parliamentary motion should be shelved.

The motion in question is regarding legal violations that take place at Tehran’s municipality.

Iran Focus

London, 13 July – US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Peek said in an interview during his visit to Bahrain as part of his regional tour, that Washington is committed to halting Iran’s regional aggression.

The US is working with its Gulf allies to bring Iran to the negotiating table, stop it from supporting military proxies, terrorism, and proliferation of missiles, according to Peek.

He said, “The discussion in particular highlighted the ways in which Iran attempts to destabilize and provoke conflict in Bahrain through proxies that have their headquarters abroad, other key personnel abroad, and that work to cause cleavages in Bahraini society.”

Iran Focus

London, 12 July – Iran recently announced that they planned to circumvent US sanctions on Iranian oil by offering their crude oil to buyers through the national stock exchange.

Eshaq Jahangiri, Iran’s first vice-president said: “We have friendly countries to which we sell our oil, and we’ve started negotiations with them. The private sector can openly buy oil and export it.”

However, this plan has its own limitations according to Senior Fellow at the OCP Policy Francis Perrin, who explained that this is not an efficient and effective way to evade sanctions on Iranian oil and that this would not become a significant method of trade as the US would still impose sanctions on it, no matter how the purchaser came across it.