TOP STORIES
FBI Hunts For Suspected Iranian Assassin Targeting Trump-Era Officials | Semafor
The U.S. government is intensifying a manhunt for an Iranian intelligence operative who the Federal Bureau of Investigation believes has been plotting to assassinate current and former American officials, including one-time Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The FBI’s Miami field office on Friday issued a public alert seeking information on Majid Dastjani Farahani, a suspected member of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, who the Bureau alleged has been recruiting “individuals for operations in the U.S., to include lethal targeting of current/former USG officials.” It’s unclear why the FBI issued its warning in Florida. But the U.S. government warned in a Most Wanted notice issued Friday that Farahani speaks Spanish and frequently moves between Iran and Venezuela. The U.S.’s Department of Justice convicted an alleged Iranian operative in 2011 of working with Mexican drug cartels to attempt to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s former ambassador to Washington, Adel al-Jubeir, while he dined at a Georgetown restaurant. In January, the DoJ indicted an Iranian gang leader for allegedly working with members of the Hells Angels to kill Iranian dissidents living in Maryland.
Iran Defies US Sanctions With Surging Exports Of Liquefied Petroleum Gas | Bloomberg
Iran is defying US sanctions with surging exports of liquefied petroleum gas, the latest sign that American pressure is failing to dent the Islamic Republic’s energy sales as its role in funding regional militias comes under scrutiny. Iran last year became the biggest Middle Eastern supplier of the fuel — which is used for heating, cooking and as a feedstock for chemical plants — with exports surging 28% to over 11 million tons, according to an analysis of ship tracking data and market intelligence by consultancy Facts Global Energy. The firm expects exports to continue climbing beyond 12 million tons this year.
IAEA Chief: We Have Lost Track Of Iran Nuke Progress | Jerusalem Post
IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi on Monday told the IAEA Board of Governors, concerning Iran’s nuclear advancement, that “the agency has lost continuity of knowledge about the production and inventory of centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water and uranium ore concentrate.” “It is three years since Iran stopped provisionally applying its additional protocol and therefore it is also three years since the agency was able to conduct complementary access in Iran,” Grossi said, describing large gaps in nuclear inspections. Next, he referred to a recent Iranian nuclear official who said that all aspects of the nuclear weapons cycle are complete and that the only obstacle to Tehran producing a nuclear weapon is the political decision to do so.
UANI IN THE NEWS
United Against Nuclear Iran Urges Action Against Qatar For Hosting IRGC | Iran International
US-based non-profit advocacy organization United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has issued a letter calling for action against Qatar for hosting Iran’s Revolutionary Guards officials at a military exhibition in Doha. Urging the Biden administration to hold Qatar accountable for violating Washington's sanctions against Tehran, the letter was released ahead of the Sixth US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue scheduled to be hosted at the US Department of State on Tuesday. Former US Ambassador to UN and UANI CEO Mark D. Wallace, stated, "Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs deserves to walk into the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue tomorrow and have his government rocked to its core by US officials unwilling to extend a free pass to Doha for its robust ties with both state sponsors of terrorism and US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations."
… Tehran’s sales to China, its top importer, have consistently crossed more than 1 million barrels per day during the past several months, a signal that the Biden administration continues its softline approach toward enforcing sanctions on the regime’s oil exports. "Iran has managed to sell $90 billion worth of U.S.-sanctioned oil, setting new export records in the process," according to the latest figures published by United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI), a watchdog group that monitors Tehran’s illicit oil trade. "Ongoing hesitance to enforce oil sanctions on Iran has proven to be a defining characteristic of the Biden Administration’s foreign policy." Tehran’s oil exports continue to soar as its terror proxies in the region—including the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Iraq-based militant groups—work to choke off international shipping lanes and attack Western ships.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Iranians Turn To Eggs As Main Protein Source Amid Soaring Meat Prices | Iran International
In the face of skyrocketing prices for red and white meat, Iranians are increasingly relying on eggs as their primary source of protein. The cost of household consumption basket has surged to 300 million rials (approximately $500 =) in major cities, making it difficult for people to afford meat products.The price of boneless mutton has reached 9,000,000 rials or about $15 per kilogram. With the minimum monthly salary barely exceeding $150 to $200 per month, many Iranian workers find themselves unable to afford any meat at all. According to a report by the ILNA news agency, the removal of meat from many household tables has led to eggs becoming the sole protein option for families across the country. The shift reflects the reality of economic challenges faced by Iranians, with meat becoming a luxury beyond reach for many. The elimination of meat from the diets of many households has resulted in eggs becoming the primary source of protein for families throughout the country, with meat being considered an unaffordable luxury.
Iran's Currency Plunges To Historic Low | Iran International
Iran's national currency plummeted to a historic all-time low on Monday, just days after the controversial elections characterized by a low turnout. On Monday morning, the US dollar was being traded for 606,000 rials, marking the highest recorded price for the American currency in Iran. This represents a nearly 20 percent drop since early January, coinciding with heightened tensions in the Middle East. The depreciation comes as a culmination of factors including the failure of nuclear negotiations with the United States and its European allies, and the consolidation of power by Iranian hardliners since March 2022. In addition to the US dollar, the Euro was traded at 647,000 rials and the British pound hovered near 760,000 rials on Tehran's black market on Monday.
MISSILE PROGRAM
Iran Has Supplied Russia With Ballistic Missiles, UK Defense Chief Suggests | Politico EU
The U.K. believes Iran has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps indicated. In an interview with the House Magazine, the senior minister confirmed that Britain has information on the reported provision of surface-to-surface missiles from Iran to Russia — but declined to get into the details. The Reuters news agency reported in February that the Iranian regime had supplied Russia with a large number of ballistic missiles — a report that sparked a swift warning from the U.S. that, if true, Iran would be greeted with a "severe" response from the international community. Iran publicly denied supplying Russia with the missiles. Speaking this week, Shapps suggested Britain has intelligence backing up the claim. "I do. I can't go into it," Shapps told the House Magazine when asked if he had any information on Iran's provision of ballistic missiles to Russia. "But whether it's ballistic missiles, or the Shahed drones that they supplied Russia with, we've seen that if there's struggle in the world, often Iran are egging it on, or helping to supply the food chain in this case," he said.
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
The BBC used an anti-Israel journalist bankrolled by Iran as a key source in its reporting on the Gaza conflict, it has emerged. In a report over the weekend, the BBC analysed video and eyewitness accounts of a rush on an aid convoy in Gaza that led to the deaths of more than 100 Palestinians. The report cited an eyewitness account from Mahmoud Awadeyah, who was described as a journalist on the scene. But it has emerged that Mr Awadeyah works for Tansim News Agency, an Iranian outlet with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has vowed to destroy the Israeli state. In social media posts, the activist praised violence against Israelis and posted photos of himself dining with militant leaders. Danny Cohen, the former director of BBC Television, accused the corporation of “failing in the most basic of journalistic practices” by not checking one of its key sources.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
US: Low Iran Election Turnout Another Sign Of 'Discontent' | Voice Of America
The United States said Monday that the low turnout in Iran's election came as no surprise and was a new sign of discontent in the cleric-run state. "I don't think there's any doubt that there's discontent about the regime's rule," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters. "We did not assess that these elections would be free and fair, and I believe that many Iranian voters would assess that the elections would not be free and fair, and so it wouldn't surprise me if in that regard they chose not to participate," he said. Election authorities said Monday that conservatives and ultra-conservatives secured a large majority in parliamentary elections — in which many hopefuls including moderates and reformists were disqualified from running. Authorities said turnout was 41%, the lowest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled the pro-Western shah.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
US Condemns Sentencing Of Grammy-Winning Iranian Singer Hajipour | Voice Of America
The United States on Monday condemned the sentencing of an Iranian singer who won a Grammy Award in 2023 for a song that became an anthem for mass Iranian protests after the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police. Singer and songwriter Shervin Hajipour said on his Instagram account last week that he had been sentenced to more than three years in prison. He was convicted for incitement and provocation of people to disturb national security through his music, local rights advocates noted. Hajipour, 26, wrote and published the song "Baraye" following the death in police custody of Amini, a young woman from Iranian Kurdistan. U.S. first lady Jill Biden described the song as a "powerful and poetic call for freedom and women's rights" when she presented him last year with the first-ever song for social change Grammy Award for "Baraye." A song "can ultimately change the world," she said at the time.
Iran Executed ‘Staggering Total’ Of 834 People Last Year, Say Rights Groups | France 24
The number of executions, which Iran has carried out by hanging in recent years, was up some 43 percent on 2022. It marked only the second time in two decades that over 800 executions were recorded in a year, after 972 executions in 2015, Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty said in the joint report. The groups accused Iran of using the death penalty to spread fear throughout society in the wake of the protests sparked by the September 2022 death in police custody of Mahsa Amini that shook the authorities. "Instilling societal fear is the regime's only way to hold on to power, and the death penalty is its most important instrument," said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam in the report, which described the figure of 834 as a "staggering total". Iran has executed nine men in cases linked to attacks on security forces during the 2022 protests — two in 2022, six in 2023 and one so far in 2024 — according to the rights groups. But executions have been stepped up on other charges, notably in drug-related cases, which had until recent years seen a fall.
Assault On Baha'i Rights In Iran: Fabricated Cases And Persecution | Iran Wire
Iran deploys a sinister tactic against the Baha'i religious minority—fabricating legal cases and relentless summonses, creating a web of oppression. Recent revelations expose the extent of government hostility, leaving Baha'is in constant uncertainty. IranWire's interviews with members of the community highlight the fear of arrests and hindrance in burying their dead, showcasing an ongoing assault on their rights. Baha'is interviewed by IranWire express that they cannot plan for their lives and careers due to the uncertainty surrounding who will be summoned or arrested tomorrow, whose homes will be searched, or whose businesses will be shut down. A significant and increasing number of Baha'is are awaiting the implementation of sentences, even as many have been released on bail and are awaiting trial. Roha Emani and Firozeh Sultan Mohammadi, two Baha'is women living in Kerman, were recently summoned to the Kerman Prosecutor's Office and faced charges and interrogation over allegations of "Baha'i propaganda" and "educational activities against Sharia."
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake Strikes Southern Iran Region – GFZ | Reuters
An earthquake measuring 5.5 magnitude struck the Southern Iran region on Tuesday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), GFZ said.
CONGRESS & IRAN
Senator Scott Leads Call For Censure Of Iran For Nuclear Buildup | U.S. Senator Tim Scott
On Friday, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) in calling on the Biden administration to censure Iran at the next International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors meeting, which begins on March 4, 2024. In December, the IAEA issued a report showing that Iran’s nuclear enrichment activity tripled by the end of last year. A U.S.-led censure of Iran at the IAEA would apply needed pressure on the regime after months of heightened tension on the Middle East and would send a strong message that rogue nuclear programs by any country, especially the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, will not be tolerated.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Netanyahu Urges Action On Iran After Meeting Putin | Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday it was time to ramp up sanctions against Iran to try to curb its nuclear programme after discussing the matter with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his first public comments on the inconclusive round of talks in Moscow last week between world powers and Iran, Netanyahu repeated Israel's three core demands.
AFGHANISTAN & IRAN
Tensions Rise As Iran Accuses Taliban Of Hoarding Water Share | Iran International
The recent rise in the Hirmand river has sparked renewed tensions as Iran accuses the Taliban of withholding its agreed water allocations. In spite of both rainfall and flooding, Isa Bozorgzadeh, spokesperson for the Water Industry, told state-owned ILNA on Monday, "The water inflow from Afghanistan to Iran is zero." Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, claimed Afghan citizens' needs come before international allocations. "Currently, there is only enough water to meet the needs of the Afghan citizens, and it is not sufficient to be released towards Iran." The river, known as Helmand in Afghanistan, holds significant importance as a primary source for agricultural irrigation and potable water supply. The statements come as, according to the representative of Sistan and Baluchestan, Afghan authorities divert the water of the Helmand River inside their country through canal construction and dams, preventing it from entering Iran.
OTHER FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Iran, Algeria To Build Closer Energy, Tourism Ties | Al-Monitor
Iran and Algeria signed gas, tourism and other cooperation agreements on Sunday during Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s landmark visit to Algiers, further demonstrating the two countries’ efforts to boost relations amid increasing European interest in Algerian gas. Raisi was in Algeria for the Gas Exporting Countries Forum that took place on Saturday. According to the official Algeria Press Service, during a meeting between Raisi and his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria and Iran signed memorandums of understanding in the fields of gas and oil cooperation, science and technology, tourism, sports, and communications. During the meeting, Raisi endorsed boosting bilateral cooperation between Iran and Algeria, particularly in energy and the economy. "Iran's large potentials in the economic sector are a suitable background for the development of bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, technology, engineering, industries, petrochemicals and finance,” he said, as reported by the Iranian state-run Press TV.