IRAN
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IAEA Reports Production of Higher Amount Uranium of Elevated Purity
International Atomic Energy Agency in its quarterly, confidential report on November 17, 2021 said that Iran had now 39 pounds of uranium with purity level up to 60%, an increase of 17.6 pounds compared to what had been reported in August 2021.
Third Meeting between IAEA, Iran in Nine Months Days before Crucial Talks
International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Mariano Grossi on November 23, 2021 met with the new chief of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran at Tehran, Mohammad Eslami, pressing for full access to surveillance images and broader cooperation. The appointment of Eslami to head the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran is a big gamble for President Ebrahim Raisi because the U.N. had imposed sanctions on him in 2008 for "providing support for for Iran's proliferation" of sensitive nuclear activities.
Chief Iranian Negotiator Lays out Conditions for Re-joining JCPOA
In an Op-Ed piece in the Financial Times on November 28, 2021, Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran's deputy foreign minister and the official heading the upcoming talks in Vienna scheduled to resume on November 29, 2021, stressed that the west should provide the "guarantee" and "verification" for "removal of all post-JCPOA sanctions". The indirect talks between Tehran and Washington are being facilitated by other JCPOA signatories.
Seventh-Round Talks Begin after a Hiatus of Five Months
After a gap of five months, the nuclear negotiation between Iran on one hand and officials from the U.K., EU, France, Germany, Russia and China on the other resumed talks on November 29, 2021 on Tehran's re-joining the JCPOA. Last round, the sixth round, was held in June 2021, and Iran's political landscape since then had changed significantly and grown more complex with the election of a more conservative president. The negotiation is being held at Vienna's posh Palais Coburg Hotel. A U.S. delegation led by the special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, is staying at a nearby hotel and is getting updated by officials from other nations. EU diplomat Enrique Mora told reporters on November 29, 2021 that "I feel positive that we can be doing important things" to bring Iran and U.S. to underneath JCPOA umbrella.
Five-day Talks End with No Concrete Results; Israel Asks the World to Get Tough with Tehran
After the five-day talks (November 29-December 3, 2021) at Vienna to bring both the U.S. and Iran to the underneath the umbrella of JCPOA framework ended without much to show to the rest of the world, U.S. and its western allies complained about Tehran's lack of sincerity during the negotiation in the latest round that resumed after a five-month hiatus and after a more conservative administration had taken the helms of affairs in Iran. Only agreement reached at the end of this round was to continue with the talks in the coming days. Israeli cabinet has met on December 5, 2021, and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is sending two high-level Cabinet officials to Washington D.C. to discuss with the Biden administration officials as part of nudging them to get tough with Iran.
Iraq Calls for Direct U.S.-Iran Talks on the eve of Nuclear Talks Resumption
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on December 23, 2021 called for direct U.S. and Iran talks, stressing its need not only for bringing the countries under the JCPOA framework, but also for addressing other issues such as economic sanctions. Hussein made the comment at Tehran after meeting his Iranian counterpart, and emphasized the direct talks between the adversaries as a boon to "Iraq's internal situation from political, economic and security perspectives".
Eighth Round of Talks Resumes with Iran Demanding the Oil Exports Sanctions to be Lifted
The eighth round of negotiation resumed on December 27, 2021 at Vienna, with Iran demanding that the export ban on its crude, imposed in the afterwards of Former President Donald Trump's 2018 decision to withdraw the USA from the JCPOA, be lifted. Enrique Mora, the EU diplomat who is chairing the talks, emphasized the "difficult political decisions" to be taken by all sides in the "days and weeks ahead".
Blinken Signs Waivers to Civilian Nuke Sanctions
As negotiators are heading back to Vienna to talk on Iran's nuclear program in an effort to bring back Tehran underneath the umbrella of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, or Iran Nuclear Agreement, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on February 4, 2022 extended hands of friendship by signing off a flurry of waivers that would restore the needed relief to Iran's civilian nuclear program. After Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the JCPOA in 2018, he had revoked the relief measures key to Tehran's civilian nuclear program in May 2020. Many companies in Russia, China and Europe were collaborators in Iran's civilian nuclear program, and after Trump revoked the relief to Iran's civilian nuclear program, sanctions were imposed to deter these companies from collaborating with Tehran. With February 4, 2022, signing of several waivers, hopefully a more conducive environment is created that will brighten the prospect for narrowing the gap.
Blinken's Waivers of Sanctions not Sufficient, Iranian Foreign Minister Says
Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, said on February 5, 2022 that Anthony Blinken's signing off of several waivers to Iran's civilian nuclear program, though, was welcome, but not sufficient for breaking the stalemate in the ongoing Vienna negotiation.
Iran's Stockpile of Higher-grade Uranium Increases
In the quarterly report to all member states, International Atomic Energy Agency on March 3, 2022 said that Iran had produced 73.1 pounds of Uranium of 60% purity level.
Iran Nuclear Talks Go on Pause after Russia Demands Sanctions Relief
The ongoing negotiation at Vienna as part of bringing United States and Iran into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, received a setback on March 11, 2022 as Russia raised demand that sanctions imposed on it after it had invaded Ukraine should be lifted first. EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell tweeted that the talks went for a pause because of "external" demands.
Qatar's Emir Pushes to Resume Nuclear Talks
That Qatar plays a very important role in Persian Gulf because of its cordial relationship both with Tehran and Washington has put the tiny Gulf state as a regional pivot to bring Iran and the United States into the JCPOA framework, and as part of that effort, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on May 12, 2022 has met with the Iranian officials, including President Ebrahim Raisi, at Tehran to push for jumpstarting the stalled talks. Official IRNA quoted Thani saying that the "negotiation is the solution of the problem".
Iran Cuts Camera Functions after IAEA Board Censures Tehran
The cascade of tit-for-tat actions began on June 8, 2022 as the IAEA's Board of Governors censured Iran for not co-operating with the agency over uranium traces at three undisclosed sites. The censure motion, though, was opposed by Russia and China. On June 9, 2022, Tehran inexplicably turned off 27 cameras at its nuclear facilities.
U.S., Iran to Try on Reviving the Nuclear Accord
U.S. and Iranian negotiators are heading to Doha on June 27, 2022 to try for one more time to get the process to bring Tehran and Washington under the JCPOA on track. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on June 27, 2022 expressed hope at Doha, Qatar that this "round of talks" would hopefully yield to a "final point of an agreement".
U.S. Begins Indirect Talks with Iran
U.S. and Iran began their latest indirect negotiation on June 28, 2022 aimed at restoring and reviving the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA, at Doha.
Talks End Inconclusively
On June 29, 2022, negotiators wrapped up the latest round of two-day talks at Doha. U.S. and Iran are still separated by handful of thorny issues, preventing them from re-joining JCPOA.
Latest Round Wraps up with Text to be Discussed at World Capitals
On August 8, 2022, parties wrapped up the latest negotiation in Vienna, and whatever had to be negotiated were negotiated. The diplomats are taking with them a common document to their respective capitals for further discussions with their leaders.
Iran Claims 60% Nuclear Enrichment Purity at an Underground Facility
Iran on November 22, 2022 (Tuesday) claimed that it had enriched uranium to 60% purity level at the underground Fordo facility. Tehran has said that the action is in response to IAEA's last week's resolution calling for cooperation by Tehran in investigating the man-made uranium traces at three undisclosed sites. IAEA also called for full access to all of Iran's nuclear facilities. U.K., Germany and France issued a joint statement after Tehran's declaration of 60% enrichment, and the joint statement called the Iranian action unacceptable and a "challenge to global non-proliferation system".
Iran Launches Rocket amidst Eighth-Round Nuclear Talks
An Iranian defense ministry spokesperson, Ahmad Hosseini, said on December 30, 2021 that a rocket, Simorgh, had been launched with a satellite carrier bearing three devices into space. The date of the launch was not revealed, but the announcement coincided with the eighth-round nuclear talks currently being held in Vienna aimed at bringing Iran under the umbrella of JCPOA. It's not clear that the payload has been able to place three devices in the appropriate orbit(s).
Two British-Iranian Prisoners Freed
In what could be a precursor to a renewal of the Iran Nuclear Agreement, two British-Iranian prisoners were freed on March 16, 2022, and they were en route U.K. The release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a charity worker, who has been handed a five-year prison sentence in 2016, and Anoosheh Ashoori, a retired civil engineer, accused of being a Mossad agent, augers well for the British-Iranian relations and comes after Britain has settled a $524 million debt with Iran. Ratcliffe spent five years in prison, and subsequently, was released to house arrest at her parents' house in Tehran.
U.S. Treasury Slaps Sanctions for Recent Attacks in Iraq, Saudi, UAE
U.S. Treasury Department on March 30, 2022 announced sanctions on Iranian targets for recent missile attacks on the Kurdish city of Irbil, energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and UAE by Tehran-backed proxies in Iraq and Yemen. U.S. Treasury targeted (1) an Iranian procurer and his companies involved in obtaining propellant-related materials for Iran's ballistic research program; (2) an Iranian defense firm; and (3) an Iranian intermediary involved in obtaining Iran's missile propellant.
Iranian President Vows Revenge to Guard Official's Assassination
Iran's President, Ebrahim Raisi, on May 23, 2022 vowed to seek revenge from the powers of "global arrogance" for the killing of a senior Revolutionary Guard official. On May 22, 2022, two gunmen on a motorbike pulled close to the vehicle of Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodaei's vehicle and opened fire on a Tehran street, killing the colonel. Pillion riders fled the scene.
Two Greek Oil Tankers Seized
Iran's Revolutionary Guards on May 27, 2022 seized two Greek oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, days after an Iran-bound vessel trying to skirt international sanctions had been seized in the Mediterranean Sea by the U.S. with the help from Greece.
Iran Acknowledges Seizing Oil from Greek Tankers
Iran's supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on June 4, 2022 that Iran's Revolutionary Guards had taken possession of the oil from two Greek tankers seized in the Persian Gulf on May 27, 2022. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged it during a ceremony to mark the death anniversary of the founder of Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Iran Launches a Solid-fuel Rocket into Space on June 26, 2022.
U.S. Justice Department on August 10, 2022 indicted an Iranian deeply tied to the country's Revolutionary Guard on the charges related to murder-for-hire that targeted former National Security Adviser John Bolton. Assistant Attorney-General Mathew Olsen said that "this was not an idle threat" as Shahram Poursafi had plotted to kill Bolton in the Fall of 2021 by hiring an assassin and paying about $300,000 to get the job done.
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Protests Spread across Iran over Woman's Death in Custody; West Lodges Strong Condemnation
That most of the Iranian women feel frustrated by the morality police's high-ended intervention in the so called inappropriate female dress code cases has been displayed violently when an Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, has been detained on September 13, 2022 in Tehran for not complying with the appropriate dress code and her death in custody three days later has stoked violent outbursts. The protest erupted in the northwestern Kurdish region immediately after the reports of Amini's September 16, 2022, death had poured in. The protest spread to other regions over the next three days (September 17-19, 2022), including Tehran. On September 20, 2022, U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Nada Al-Nashif demanded on September 20, 2022 that "Mahsa Amini's tragic death and allegation of torture" require a thorough and detailed investigation by "an independent and competent authority". Iranian authorities said that Mahsa Amini had succumbed due to natural causes. U.S. called for an end to the "systemic persecution" of Iranian women. Italy also issued condemnation to Amini's death and follow-up repression of protesters in Tehran and beyond.
Between 9 and 17 Killed in Iran Unrest
The protest that had erupted on September 17, 2022 in the aftermath of death of Mahsa Amini, arrested by country's morality police on September 13, 2022 for not maintaining the dress protocol, in the police custody had spread to several additional cities and towns as well as grown in intensity. The clashes between protesters and security forces left at least 9 people dead, according to media reports, but Iran's state TV on September 22, 2022 reported death toll as high as 17. Iran's Revolutionary Guard on September 22, 2022 asked the judiciary to take harsh measures against people who would spread "rumor and fake news on social media". The access to social media platforms such as Twitter and WhatsApp has been curtailed significantly. Meanwhile, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Iran's morality police.
At least 41 Reported Killed
Iranian state TV on September 24, 2022 reported that at least 41 demonstrators and police personnel had been killed in the ensuing violence that had erupted on September 17, 2022 in the aftermath of Mahsa Amini's September 16, 2022, death in police custody. Amini was arrested by Iran's morality police on September 13, 2022 for not appropriately wearing hijab. Iran's Revolutionary Guard on September 24, 2022 issued a statement, describing the ongoing unrest a result of a "conspiracy". U.S. Treasury on September 22, 2022 imposed sanctions on Iran's morality police in addition to seven senior leaders of the country's military, intelligence and law enforcement units.
Poles Apart Reaction from Two Key Voices in Iran over Protest
Contrasting voices emerged in Iran over the continuing and growing protest that had erupted on September 17, 2022 over the death of Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by Iran's "morality police" on September 13, 2022 for not wearing hijab appropriately, as Grand Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamadani, a top Iranian cleric, on September 25, 2022 urged the authorities to exercise caution when dealing with demonstrators and listen to them. The comment from Grand Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamadani is opposite from what Iranians have heard on September 27, 2022 from a key hardline lawmaker from Tehran, Mahmoud Nabavian, who called the women participating in demonstrations as "prostitutes". Many women cut off their hairs in protest against excesses of "morality police". The protest spread to many European capitals, U.S. cities and throughout Middle East. Amnesty International called for an independent and impartial investigation.
Legislative Head Warns Demonstrators; Calls for Harsh Action to Curb Protests
Iran's parliament speaker told the lawmakers on October 2, 2022 that the ongoing demonstrations over Mahsa Amini's death in the custody of the nation's "morality police" were orchestrated at "overthrowing" the Islamic Republic. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the parliamentary speaker, called for harsh measures to quell the ongoing protest that had erupted on September 17, 2022 and killed, according to the Iranian state TV, at least 41 people. The Associated Press estimated at least 14 deaths and arrests of more than 1,500 people.
Iran's Supreme Leader Sees American, Israeli Hands behind Unrest
On October 3, 2022, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed U.S. and Israel for fomenting unrest in the Persian Gulf nation.
President Decries Protests, but Acknowledges Islamic Republic's "Weaknesses"
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on October 4, 2022 acknowledged "weaknesses and shortcomings" of the Islamic Republic, but called for "national unity".
Suspicious Death of a Teenage Girl Adds Fuel to Fire
The Washington Post reported on October 6, 2022 that people began to get more information of another tragedy that Iranian authorities might have tried to hide. A 16-year-old girl, Nika Shakarami, was seen burning her hijab during a demonstration in Tehran. While returning home on September 20, 2022, she disappeared, and her family found her body days later. Her funeral was supposed to be held on October 2, 2022 at a village west of Tehran, but authorities buried her at another cemetery miles away from the village. Her aunt was detained by the police. The entire episode added another layer of anger for millions of Iranians who are attending daily protests across the Persian Gulf nation.
Anti-regime Protest Steps in the Fourth Week
On October 8, 2022, anti-government protest over the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran's "morality police" entered the fourth week, with intense demonstrations being staged in the nation's Kurdish-dominated northwestern city of Sanandaj, capital of northwestern Kurdistan Province, where two people were reported to have been killed. Iranian authorities allegedly have been targeting exiled Kurdish positions in Iraq too by launching airstrikes. During the day, anti-government protests were held in Tehran and northeastern city of Mashhad. In Tehran, a small demonstration was reported to have been held at the prestigious Sharif University of Technology, which had been indefinitely shut down last weekend after mass-scale protest and subsequent violence between pro- and anti-regime students.
Protests Rock at least 19 Cities amidst Internet Disruption
Protests swept through at least 19 Iranian cities, including Iran, on October 12, 2022. Plainclothes police personnel were deployed across the nation. At a rally in Tehran, many women were seen taking off their scarves, defying the strict dress code of the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, internet access remained restricted to Iranians.
Blaze at Infamous Prison Kills 4
A towering blaze at Tehran's Evin Prison on October 15, 2022 killed four inmates, according to authorities who told on October 16, 2022 that the blaze had nothing to do with ongoing protest that had swept Tehran over the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran's "morality police".
Athlete's Competition without Headscarf Interpreted as Defiance
As the country is going through the political upheaval over September 16, 2022, death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of "morality police" that had triggered a violent protest movement, beginning September 17, 2022, engulfing dozens of cities and inspiring similar protests abroad, another layer of complexity has been added by an Iranian athlete, Elnaz Rekabi, 33. The athlete, Elnaz Rekabi, recently participated in the Combined Boulder and Lead event in the Asian Championship of International Federation of Sports Climbing (IFSC) at Seoul, and ranked fourth. She participated without a headscarf, stoking fear that she might be prosecuted. Many protesters see her participation without a headscarf as a subtle jab at the religious theocracy. She returned to Iran from Seoul on October 18, 2022.
Rekabi will Face no Punishment
The chief of Iran's national Olympic Committee said at Seoul on October 20, 2022 that Elnaz Rekabi would face no punishment for not wearing headscarf while participating in an event at Seoul. Mahmoud Khosravi Vafa told The Associated Press after attending a meeting of International Olympic Committee at Seoul that the issue was minor.
40th Day of Death Marked by Protesters; Gunmen Kill 15 at a Shiite Mosque
On October 26, 2022, tens of thousands of Iranians participated in rallies, processions, events and memorials throughout the nation to mark the 40th day of Mahsa Amini's death. A colorful and spirited rally walked up to her graveyard in Aichi cemetery in her Kurdish hometown of Saqez. Many women in the crowd removed their hijab in protest.
Unrelated, three gunmen on October 26, 2022 opened fire on the crowd at the third-holiest Shiite shrine in Iran, killing at least 15 people. Dozens were wounded too in the attack at the Shah Cheragh Mosque in Shiraz. Two gunmen were arrested, while the third escaped. President Ebrahim Raisi vowed tough action against killing of devout at the Shah Cherag Mosque.
Iran Accuses a Pair of Journalists of Working for CIA
Iranian government on October 28, 2022 labeled two Iranian journalists, who had first broken the story of Mahsa Amini's death to the world, as stooges of CIA. A joint statement attributed to Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and the intelligence agency of Revolutionary Guard said that CIA had orchestrated the conspiracy through Niloofar Hamedi and Elahei Mohammadi. Both female journalists have been detained in September 2022 and they are now being jailed in the notorious Evin Prison.
Heavy Fighting Reported at University Campuses
The latest turn in anti-government protest stemming from September 16, 2022, death of Mahsa Amini has crystallized around university campuses across the nation. Despite the government warning to harshly put down any demonstration beyond October 29, 2022, scores of students protested at campuses across Iran on October 30, 2022, inviting heavy security clampdown and scuffling.
Iran to Hold Public Trials of Protesters
Iranian authorities on October 31, 2022 announced that it would hold public trials of about 1,000 protesters swept up in the anti-government protest movement since September 16, 2022, death of Mahsa Amini under the custody of the nation's "morality police". Iran's judiciary chief, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, said that some demonstrators would be charged with collaborating with foreign governments.
Commemoration Held amidst Anti-government Demonstrations
As Iran is convulsing with anti-regime protest since the September 16, 2022, death of Mahsa Amini under the custody of country's "morality police", government authorities have tried their best to whip up patriotism by commemorating several events, including the one at Tehran's Taleqani Street, on November 4, 2022 to mark the 43rd anniversary of the siege of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
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HRC to Convene on Iran's Treatment of Protesters
Germany sent a letter on November 11, 2022 to convene an emergency session of the 47-nation Human Rights Council in the week of November 21, 2022 to discuss thoroughly on the evolving and deteriorating situation in Iran since the September 16, 2022, death of Mahsa Amini under the custody of Iran's "morality police". Germany needs the approval of one-third nations to have a session which Berlin expects to get support.
HRC Condemns Iranian Crackdown
Human Rights Council on November 24, 2022 voted on a joint German-Iceland resolution that condemned Tehran's crackdown on peaceful protesters and called for an independent fact-finding mission. The vote was 25 in favor of the resolution, six opposed it and 16 abstained. China, Pakistan, Cuba, Eritrea, Venezuela and Armenia opposed the resolution.
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Three Iranian Security Officials Slapped with Sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Two Days after Five Deaths
As Iran was going through an anti-government upheaval that began after September 16, 2022, death of a Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, three days after her detention by morality police in Tehran, where she was visiting, for not wearing the hijab compliantly, Iranian security apparatus' harsh crackdown invited several western sanctions in recent days. The latest one is on November 23, 2022 as the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on three Iranian security officials--Hassan Asgari, Alireza Moradi and Mohammad Taghi Osanloo--for "severe security response". The U.S. Treasury's sanctions were announced two days after Iranian security forces opened fire on demonstrators on November 21, 2022 at a Kurdish town in western Iran, killing five demonstrators, who were participating in a funeral of two people who had been killed by security forces a day earlier.
"Morality Police" Dismantled
The semi-official IRNA on December 3, 2022 reported that the authorities decided to dismantle country's "morality police".
Iran Executes Protester
Iran on December 8, 2022 said that it had carried out the death penalty against Mohsen Shekari, who had participated in the nationwide protest in the aftermath of the death of Mahsa Amini under the custody of "morality police".
Second Protester Executed
A second protester was executed in the early morning of December 12, 2022 at the northeastern city of Mashhad, sending a chilling message to the participants of the anti-government protest movement that had erupted since the September 16, 2022, death of Masha Amini under the custody of Iran's notorious "morality police". Majid Reza Rahnavard, 23, was accused of stabbing two security personnel to death during an anti-regime demonstration on November 17, 2022. Four days prior to Rahnavard's execution, Mohsen Shekari was executed for an attack on the security forces. Since Mahsa Amini's death, anti-regime protest had spread throughout the country, inviting a brutal state crackdown that had led to deaths of more than 500 and detention of about 18,000 protesters, according to HRANA activist news agency. Majid Reza Rahnavard was hanged from a construction crane in the public view at the dawn of December 12, 2022.
Renowned Actress Arrested
State-owned IRNA reported on December 17, 2022 that renowned Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti, 38, who played in the Oscar-winning movie The Salesman, had been arrested for expressly showing solidarity with the anti-regime movement. In her Instagram post, Taraneh Alidoosti wrote: "Every international organization who is watching the bloodshed and not taking any action, is a disgrace to humanity". Taraneh Alidoosti is the latest in a series of high-profile arrests in recent months. In November 2002, Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi, two Iranian actresses, were arrested for their support to protesters. A national soccer player, Voria Ghafouri, was arrested too. All three have since been released.
Ex-Soccer Player's Family Barred from Leaving the Country
A Mahan Air flight, en route from Tehran to Dubai, was forced to land in Iran's Kish Island, 124 miles from Dubai, on December 26, 2022, and the wife and a daughter of a former Iranian soccer star, Ali Daei, were removed from the plane. Ali Daei, who retired in 2007, was a forceful champion of the anti-government movement that had erupted after the September 16, 2022, death of Mahsa Amini under the custody of Iran's "morality police".
Actress Released on Bail
Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti, 38, who played in the Oscar-winning movie The Salesman, was on January 4, 2023 released from prison on bail.
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17 Killed in Police Base Attack
Separate from the ongoing spontaneous anti-government demonstrations over the death of Mahsa Amini, an attack on a police base on September 30, 2022 at the eastern city of Zahedan in the Sistan and Baluchistan Province killed at least 17 people. The attack was blamed on Baluchi separatists.
Authorities Identify Suspects in the Attack on the Third-Holiest Shiite Shrine
That how misdirected government accusation was in the aftermath of the October 26, 2022, attack on the Shah Cheragh Mosque in Shiraz as the regime tried to imply the attack as a byproduct of an ongoing anti-regime demonstration became self-evident on November 7, 2022 as the authorities identified the three gunmen publicly. Based on an internal report, IRNA identified the gunmen as (1) Sobhan Komroumi, a Tajik, who died days after the attack, (2) Mohammad Ramez Rashidi, a fellow Afghan, and (3) a third suspect from neighboring Azerbaijan.
Construction for Second Iranian Nuclear Power Plant Begins
Iran on December 3, 2022 launched construction work to build a 300-megawatt nuclear power plant near Iraqi border in southwest Khuzestan Province. The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, inaugurated the construction work in the city of Karoon. The plant is expected to be commissioned in eight years and cost about $2 billion. The plant at Karoon will be the Persian Gulf nation's second nuclear power plant. The first plant at the southern port city of Bushehr was built with Russian help and commissioned in 2011.
LEBANON
Election Held amid Widespread Apathy
Parliamentary polls are being held in Lebanon on May 15, 2022 in the background of a sinking economy, political uncertainty, soaring unemployment and swelling political frustration.
A day after Hezbollah launched barrage of rockets on an Israeli surveillance base on Mount Meron, an airstrike on January 8, 2024 targeted an SUV in Southern Lebanon, killing a senior Hezbollah commander, Wissam al-Tawil.
SYRIA
Daring ISIL Attack on Kurdish-run Prison in Syria
Hundreds of Islamic State militants on January 20, 2022 launched a daring attack on one of the largest prisons in Syria’s northeast run by U.S.-backed Syrian Defense Forces. The militants used sleeper cells, rigged vehicles and night’s darkness to attack Gweiran Prison in the Syrian city of Hassakeh. Gweiran holds about 5,000 prisoners, among them are many diehard IS militants. A bloody battle is continuing as of January 21, 2022.
U.S.-backed Forces Retake the Sprawling Prison
After a week-long battle, U.S.-backed Kurdish forces on January 26, 2022 claimed that Syrian Democratic Forces were now firmly in control over the sprawling Gweiran Prison in Hassakeh. The fight over the sprawling Gweiran Prison was slow as Islamic State militants used children as a human defense shield to repel SDF assault to retake it. SDF was careful not to unnecessarily rush in to avoid harming children who had been used by IS-backed militants as a human defense shield.
ISIL Leader Killed in Northwestern Syria
President Joe Biden told the nation on February 3, 2022 that the U.S. commandoes had raided the hideout of Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in the northwestern Idlib province less than 12 hours ago and the ensuing "operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield". President Biden said that Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was responsible for the recent attack in northeastern Syria and was a "driving force" behind large-scale persecution of Yazidi people in 2014 in northwestern Iraq. Secretary of Defense Llyod Austin said that, although Islamic state was a degraded force, it "is now weaker". The media reports related to the U.S. commando raid are emerging bits and pieces as American Special Operations Forces have flown in to the town of Atmeh under the darkness. The operation involved multiple helicopters. The ground operation lasted for two hours, an unusually prolonged time for special forces operation, to ensure that civilian lives were not lost. American forces used megaphones to exhort women and children to leave the area. However, in the operation, at least six children and four women were killed. U.S. military said that as troops had zeroed in on the targeted house at Atmeh, there was a massive explosion in the house that had killed Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi and several women and children. U.S. troops, though, didn't suffer any casualty. One of its helicopters suffered mechanical failure and U.S. commandoes had to destroy the helicopter before taking off on other aircraft. The White Helmets group, a civil society group that works in rebel-controlled areas, has said that its personnel have recovered 13 bodies at the building that is the target of the U.S. raid. Out of 13 bodies, six were of children and four were of women. Separately, UNICEF said that six children had been killed in the raid.
Russia Scuttles a Year-long Humanitarian Corridor Plan at Security Council
Russia on (Friday) July 8, 2022 vetoed a joint Irish-Norwegian proposal to have a humanitarian aid delivery corridor open for a year, leading the U.N. Security Council member nations to scramble on tweaking the plan to adjust to Kremlin's demand for only a six-month extension. A new draft has emerged during the weekend that would allow the Bab al-Hawa crossing open and passable for humanitarian aid from Turkey to 4.1 million Syrian refugees in the country's northwest through January 10, 2023. U.N. Mission of Brazil, which now holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, said on July 11, 2022 that it would convene for a vote on the measure on (Tuesday) July 12, 2022.
Syria Denies Holding Austin Tice
Syrian Foreign Ministry on August 17, 2022 denied that the Syrian government was holding Austin Tice as President Joe Biden alleged last week to mark 10th anniversary of Houston native's August 14, 2012, disappearance west of Damascus at a contested checking point.
Islamic State Acknowledges Death of Its Leader
On November 30, 2022, Islamic State said that its leader Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi had been killed, marking the second Islamic State leader killed in a year. The Associated Press said that the Syrian rebels were behind the killing of Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in mid-October 2022.
In the first ministerial level meeting between Turkey and Syria since the Civil War had begun in 2011, defense ministers of Syria and Turkey met at Moscow at the behest of their Russian counterpart to discuss on defusing a volatile situation at the Syria-Turkey border, refugee crisis and strategizing on how best to fight terrorism. A Turkish defense ministry statement issued on December 28, 2022 said that the meeting was held in a "positive atmosphere" and focused on the "Syrian crisis, the refugee problem and efforts for a joint struggle against terror organizations present on Syrian territory". The Russian Defense Ministry issued a separate statement on December 28, 2022, underlining the "constructive nature of the dialogue".
TURKEY
President Orders Food Tax Reduction to Tame Runaway Inflation
As the Turkish people are suffering from the loss of disposable income because of accelerating inflation, especially daily food staples, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on February 12, 2022 announced that the value added tax rate of the food items would be reduced from 8% to 1% in the aftermath of the official January 2022 inflation of 48.69% compared to the year-ago period. Turkey's currency, Lira, hit the bottom in December 2022 at 18.36 before recovering somewhat of its value This week, it is hovering around 13.
Turkish Activist Handed a Life Term
An Istanbul court on April 25, 2022 sentenced a prominent Turkish human rights activist and philanthropist, Osman Kavala, to life in prison, accusing him to orchestrate a plot to overthrow the government in 2013. The same court sentenced seven other activists to 18 years in prison for supporting the putsch. Western governments denounced the ruling. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock slammed the ruling as contradictory to "constitutional standards and international obligations that Turkey commits itself to as a member of the Council of Europe and EU accession candidate". The rights group PEN America called the verdict as a "dark moment for Turkey". Amnesty International's director for Europe, , called the verdict a "travesty of justice of spectacular proportions".
41 Miners Killed in Explosion
More than 100 miners were working several meters feet below the surface at a coal mine run by the state-owned Turkish Hard Coal Enterprise, or TTK, at the city of Amasra in the Black Sea coastal province of Bartin when an explosion happened on October 14, 2022. On October 15, 2022, authorities estimated the death toll at 41.
Explosion Kills at least Six, Dozens Wounded in Istanbul
In a reminiscence to the days stemming from explosions and violence that had killed at least 500 people between 2015 and 2017, followed by a wide crackdown by Recep Tayyip Erdogan regime, an explosion occurred at a popular thoroughfare in Istanbul, Istiklal Avenue, a lead pedestrian walkway dotted with shops, restaurants, clubs and other iconic venues merging into Taksim Square, on November 13, 2022, killing at least six, wounding dozens and forcing people to scurry for safety either at cafes or other places. President Erdogan, about to leave for Indonesia to attend G-20 summit, called the explosion as a "treacherous attack" and said that six people were killed. Vice President Fuat Oktay said that 81 were wounded and implied that it was a terrorist attack. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told a pro-government channel, A Haber, that the investigators were focusing on a woman who had sat on a park bench for about 40 minutes and explosion had happened just after she left the area. Foreign governments condoled the deaths of six Turks. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis condemned the blast as "heinous attack".
Police Detains a Syrian Woman in Connection with Istanbul Explosion
Police on November 14, 2022 arrested a woman seen on the video to have left an article before the blast a day ago that had killed six people and wounded dozens in Istanbul. The woman, Ahlam Albashir, a Syrian citizen, confessed to planting the bomb at the behest of Kurdish groups, according to the authorities.
Turkey Carries out Airstrikes in Northern Syria
On November 19, 2022, Turkey carried out airstrikes against Kurdish strongholds in northern Syria in response to a terrorist bombing in Istanbul six days ago that had killed six people and wounded 81. Turkey blamed PKK as well as U.S.-allied SDF for the November 13, 2022, Istanbul blast. The strikes targeted Kobani and the countryside of Aleppo, Raqqa and Hasaka, according to Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 11, 2022 pressed for compliance with the 2019 agreement that Ankara and Moscow had signed to create a 19-mile buffer zone along Syrian-Turkish border. Turkey launched airstrikes and shelling of northern Syria and northern Iraq, targeting Kurdish facilities, in the aftermath of November 13, 2022, Istanbul explosion that had killed six people. Ankara blamed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK and its allied Syrian group, People's Protection Units, or YPG, for the November 13, 2022, bombing.
