A spokesperson for Iran’s atomic energy agency said the country will soon conduct a so-called cold test on its redesigned Arak nuclear reactor. Iran had agreed to only conduct civilian work at its Arak facility under the 2015 nuclear agreement, which it has increasingly violated since 2019 (Reuters)
Report: Iran, Russia Tried to Interfere in 2020 Election
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence published a report that alleged that Iran carried out an influence campaign to undermine former U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s reelection. Iran officials have not commented on the allegations (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Reveals New Base
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps inaugurated a new underground base that holds ballistic and cruise missiles that will be used to support Iran’s navy, according to state media (Al-Monitor)
Biden Administration Issues Its First Sanctions on Iran
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced sanctions on two members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps over alleged human rights violations, barring them from entering the United States (National)
Blinken also said the case of missing U.S. federal agent Robert Levinson remains open—though he is believed to be dead—and urged the Iranian government to provide information about his disappearance and release other Americans held in Iran (Al-Monitor)
Iran Rejects Nuclear Talks
Iran rebuffed a proposal to hold an informal meeting with the United States and European signatories of the 2015 nuclear agreement, citing “recent actions and statements” by the countries. The United States, which left the deal in 2018, expressed disappointment but reiterated its interest in negotiations (Al Jazeera)
U.S. Bombs Iran-Backed Targets in Syria
The United States announced that it carried out air strikes against the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq in eastern Syria in its first known exercise of military force since President Joe Biden took office. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby called the offensive a “proportionate” response to recent attacks and ongoing threats against the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. He said the strikes destroyed facilities used by Iran-backed militants (Washington Post)
Iranian state media reported that seventeen “resistance fighters” died, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the death toll at twenty-two (Al Jazeera)
Iran Restricts Snap Nuclear Inspections
Iran has officially begun restricting international inspections of its nuclear facilities, according to Iranian state TV. Iran threatened these actions to pressure European countries and the United States to lift sanctions and restore the nuclear deal (Associated Press)
Iran, UN Watchdog Strike Deal for Monitoring Nuclear Sites
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi announced that he reached a deal with Iranian officials to allow the UN watchdog “necessary” verification and monitoring of Iran’s nuclear activities for up to three months. Still, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said access given to the IAEA under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, including snap inspections, will be fully suspended starting tomorrow, but that the Iranian agency could continue safeguards allowed by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (Al Jazeera)
U.S. Agrees to Nuclear Talks But Iran Holds Firm
The United States said it would agree to meet with the signatories of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement if invited by the European Union and a senior EU official tweeted his willingness to initiate a meeting (NBC)
A spokesperson for the Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the United States must remove all sanctions on Iran before it will move to resuscitate the agreement (BBC)
Iran Plans Installation of Machines at Uranium Enrichment Plant
Iran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of plans to install more IR-2m centrifuges at the underground uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, in a move that would further breach Iran’s commitments under the nuclear deal (Reuters)
Iran Threatens to End Snap Inspections of Nuclear Sites
The country announced that it will stop allowing short-notice inspections of its nuclear sites by the United Nations’ atomic watchdog on February 23 unless other signatories uphold their commitments to the 2015 nuclear agreement (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Iran Violates Nuclear Deal Again
The United Nations’ atomic agency told member states that Iran produced uranium metal that could be used for a nuclear weapon, the country’s latest violation of the 2015 nuclear deal. Moscow urged Tehran to “show restraint,” Russian state news reported (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Iran Suggests It Could Seek Nuclear Arms
Iran’s intelligence minister, Mahmoud Alavi, hinted that the country would try to obtain nuclear weapons if U.S. sanctions are not removed. A U.S. State Department spokesperson called the comments, which break from Iran’s long-standing denial that it wants nuclear weaponry, “very concerning” (New York Times)
Biden: United States Will Not Ease Sanctions on Iran
President Joe Biden told CBS News that the United States will not lift sanctions on Iran to restart negotiations over the 2015 nuclear deal, indicating that Iran should first stop enriching uranium. Earlier in the day, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei pledged that Iran would return to compliance with the deal, which it has repeatedly violated, after the United States removes all sanctions (CBS News)
ICJ Rules It Can Hear Iranian Case Against U.S. Sanctions
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that it has the jurisdiction to hear a lawsuit filed by Iran in 2018 that accuses the United States of violating the countries’ 1955 Treaty of Amity by imposing sanctions on Iran (Al-Monitor)
Iran to Release Crew of Seized South Korean Vessel
Iran said it will free the crew, but not the captain, of a South Korean–flagged ship that it seized a month ago for allegedly violating maritime pollution laws (New York Times)
Meanwhile, South Korea and the United States are in final talks on paying Iran’s UN dues using Iranian money frozen in South Korean banks due to U.S. sanctions. Some believe Iran seized the ship to pressure South Korea over the frozen funds (Yonhap)
Iran Calls for U.S. Return to Nuclear Agreement
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told CNN that the United States has a limited amount of time to return to the nuclear agreement, which it left in 2018. He also said the European Union’s foreign affairs minister, Josep Borrell, could “choreograph” U.S. and Iranian actions on the deal (CNN)
Yesterday, Iran announced that it successfully tested a type of rocket that the United States fears it could use to launch nuclear warheads (Al Jazeera)
Iran Not Reversing Nuclear Program, Citing Sanctions
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif rejected U.S. demands to reverse the acceleration of its nuclear program before sanctions are lifted. He said the reversal of accord violations can happen quickly if the United States removes the sanctions (Reuters)
Iran Blacklists Trump
Iran sanctioned President Trump and nine senior administration officials for “terrorist and anti–human rights acts” against Iran, imposing travel bans on them and freezing financial assets potentially held in the country (Al Jazeera)
Iran Fires Missiles During Military Drills
State television reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched several surface-to-surface ballistic missiles as part of military exercises held today. Iran has upped its military drills in recent weeks amid increased tensions with the United States (Associated Press)
United States Imposes Additional Sanctions on Iran
The United States imposed sanctions on two foundations controlled by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the latest move by the Trump administration to exert pressure on Iran (Reuters)
Pompeo Says Al-Qaeda Now Based in Iran
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that al-Qaeda’s new home base is in Iran, though he did not offer evidence. Iranian officials denied the claim (Al Jazeera)
Iran’s Khamenei Bans Import of U.S., UK Vaccines
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei banned the Iranian government from importing COVID-19 vaccines from the United States and the United Kingdom, calling the countries “untrustworthy.” He said Iran could instead obtain vaccines from “reliable places,” possibly referring to allies China and Russia (Reuters)
France, Germany, UK Express Concern Over Iranian Uranium Enrichment
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom said in a joint statement that they are “deeply concerned” over Iran’s decision to boost uranium enrichment to levels prohibited by the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. They called on Iran to “refrain from further escalatory steps” (Middle East Eye)
Iran Claims to Have Begun Enriching Uranium at Fordow
The Iranian government announced that it has resumed 20 percent uranium enrichment at its Fordow nuclear facility. The move is Iran’s latest breach of the 2015 nuclear agreement since the United States withdrew from the deal in 2018 (Reuters)