U.S. Ends Waivers for Iran’s Civil Nuclear Program
Ending one of the last vestiges of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the United States terminated sanctions waivers that allowed Chinese, Russian, and European firms to participate in Iran’s civil nuclear program. Companies have sixty days to end their operations or face U.S. sanctions (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Iran Dismisses New U.S. Sanctions
Tehran shrugged off new U.S. sanctions, calling them “fruitless and repetitive.” The United States sanctioned several Iranian officials yesterday, accusing them of human rights abuses (Reuters)
Iran to Maintain Gulf Presence Despite U.S. Warning
The Iranian navy will continue operations in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, state media reported, despite the U.S. Navy’s warning for mariners to stay away from U.S. warships (Reuters)
Iran Warns United States Against Blocking Oil Shipments
The country’s foreign minister warned the United States against sending ships to block Iranian oil shipments to Venezuela, saying that such a move would be an act of “piracy” and that the United States would be responsible for any “consequences” (Agence France-Presse)
Pompeo Taps Diplomatic Channel on Iran Prisoner Swap
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Switzerland’s foreign minister, who mediates talks between the United States and Iran, to discuss the prospect of a prisoner swap hours after Tehran announced its readiness for an unconditional discussion of the matter (National)
Iranian Sailors Killed in Friendly-Fire Incident
At least nineteen sailors were killed and fifteen wounded when an Iranian missile fired during a training exercise in the Gulf of Oman accidentally hit another ship (Al Jazeera)
U.S. to Remove Antimissile Systems From Saudi Arabia
The United States plans to remove two Patriot antimissile systems from Saudi Arabia and two others from elsewhere in the Middle East, along with dozens of military personnel. U.S. officials said the measures were intended to ease a military buildup meant to counter Iran (Wall Street Journal)
U.S. and Iran Negotiating Prisoner Swap
The United States and Iran are conducting talks to exchange a U.S. Navy veteran imprisoned in Iran for an Iranian-American doctor in U.S. custody (New York Times)
Separately, U.S. President Donald Trump vetoed a war powers resolution yesterday that would have restricted any unilateral military strikes against Iran without legislative approval (Wall Street Journal)
Facebook Suspends Pro-Iranian Network
Facebook said it suspended a network that used inauthentic behavior to spread pro-Iranian messaging. The network had links to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting corporation (Reuters)
Iran to Slash Four Zeros From Currency
Iran’s legislature approved a move to slash four zeros from its currency, the rial, which will be renamed the toman, in an effort to fight inflation. The country’s central bank pledged to carry out the measure (Financial Times)
United States Seeks to Extend Iran Arms Embargo
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seeks to trigger the extension of a UN arms embargo against Iran using a clause in the 2015 nuclear deal that the United States left in 2018. Pompeo said the United States is technically still party to the deal (Financial Times)
United States and Iran Exchange Warnings
A top U.S. military official walked back President Trump’s threat to “shoot down” Iranian gunboats that harass U.S. ships, saying that the president meant U.S. ships “retain the right of self-defense” (NBC)
Responding to Trump’s comment, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said Iran would “destroy” any U.S. forces that threaten its security in the Persian Gulf (Reuters)
Iran Launches Military Satellite
Iran said it launched its first military satellite into orbit. Tehran has denied U.S. claims in the past that such activity is a cover for ballistic missile development (Reuters)
Iran Claims Increased Missile Ranges
The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said yesterday that Iran’s naval missiles could now travel as far as 700 kilometers (Reuters)
United States Accuses Iran of Harassing Ships in Persian Gulf
The U.S. Navy said eleven Iranian vessels came dangerously close to six U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships that were conducting a drill in international waters in the Persian Gulf (BBC)
Tehran Condemns U.S. Allegations of Impending Iranian Attack
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticized the Trump administration’s accusation that Tehran would launch a surprise attack against U.S. interests in Iraq, claiming that Iran acts only in self-defense. The Trump administration stated that Iran or its proxies would likely target U.S. forces in Iraq based on information from intelligence assets (Al Jazeera)
European Trade Channel With Iran Activated
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom approved the sale of more than $540,000 worth of medical equipment to Iran through Instex, a financial channel created to circumvent U.S. sanctions on trade with the country. The sale is the channel’s first transaction (Financial Times)
United States Extends Iran Sanctions Waivers
Washington renewed sanctions waivers on Iran’s nuclear program yesterday to permit Russian, Chinese, and European firms to continue to work in the country’s nuclear installations. While Secretary of State Mike Pompeo personally opposed the decision, anonymous officials said that the move came amidst criticism of the United States for its refusal to ease sanctions against Iran during its struggle with COVID-19 (Associated Press)
United States Issues New Sanctions on Iran
Washington issued fresh sanctions on twenty Iranian companies and individuals, saying they had ties to terrorist groups (Al-Monitor)
This week, the UN human rights chief called on countries to lift sanctions on Iran so it may better fight the coronavirus (Al Jazeera)
Officials Conclude U.S. Hostage in Iran Has Died
U.S. officials concluded that former FBI agent Robert Levinson, believed to be the longest-held American hostage in Iran, has died, his family said (Hill)
United States Imposes Additional Sanctions on Iran
The U.S. State Department announced new sanctions yesterday that targeted nine entities and three individuals for facilitating the trade and movement of Iranian oil. Washington introduced these sanctions as a response to alleged Iranian involvement in a string of rocket attacks that have struck coalition forces in Iraq (U.S. State Department)
U.S. Conducts Retaliatory Strikes After Attack on Iraqi Base
The U.S. military said it carried out air strikes against five sites in Iraq belonging to the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hezbollah militant group in retaliation for an attack that killed two Americans and British soldier (Financial Times)
Iran Reportedly Triples Uranium Stockpile
The UN nuclear watchdog said Iran tripled its stockpile of enriched uranium over the past three months and that it refused to answer queries about three possible undeclared nuclear sites (Financial Times)
IAEA Set to Condemn Iranian Noncompliance
The IAEA is expected to rebuke Iran in a special report for its refusal to cooperate with international observers and permit access to select sites believed to contribute to Tehran’s nuclear weapons program (Reuters)
Iranian Elections See Lowest Turnout Since 1979 Revolution
About 42 percent of eligible voters participated in parliamentary elections, Iran’s interior minister said, the lowest turnout since the country’s 1979 revolution (Al Jazeera)
A tally of preliminary results suggests conservative candidates won at least 219 seats in the 290-seat parliament (Al Jazeera)