TOP STORIES
UK, US And Canada Impose More Sanctions On Iran After Israel Attack | POLITICO
The U.K., U.S. and Canada on Thursday announced fresh sanctions on Iran following its attack on Israel earlier this month. In a coordinated announcement, the U.K.'s Foreign Office said Thursday it was targeting Iran's drone and missile industries by hitting individuals and companies "closely involved" in Iran's drone production. Two individuals will face a U.K. travel ban and asset freeze, and four companies are subject to an asset freeze. The U.S. Treasury simultaneously said it was "sanctioning over one dozen entities, individuals, and vessels that have played a central role in facilitating and financing the clandestine sale of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles." "The Iranian regime’s dangerous attack on Israel risked thousands of civilian casualties and wider escalation in the region," British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "Today the U.K. and our partners have sent a clear message — we will hold those responsible for Iran’s destabilizing behavior to account."
Iran has officially picked its side amid anti-Israeli protests that have erupted across elite U.S. colleges and universities. As hundreds of students have been arrested at Columbia University, the University of Southern California, MIT, UT-Austin and others after disrupting campus facilities and trespassing, Iran is throwing its support behind the protesters. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expressed support for those speaking ill of Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also said the law enforcement response to the ongoing protests, and subsequent mass arrests, has them "deeply worried and disgusted." "The suppression and harsh treatment of the American police and security forces against professors and students protesting the genocide and war crimes of the Israeli regime in various universities of this country is deeply worried and disgusted by the public opinion of the world," the foreign minister said on X, according to a translation. "This repression is in line with the continuation of Washington's full-fledged support for the Israeli regime and clearly shows the dual policy and contradictory behavior of the American government towards freedom of expression."
EU Parliament Strongly Condemns Iran Over Attacks On Israel, Calls For Sanctions | Times Of Israel
The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution condemning Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel earlier this month, in a vote of 357-20, and calling for further sanctions to be imposed on Iranian entities. Condemning Iran’s attack on Israel, as well as those carried out before and during the assault by its proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, the resolution assails Tehran’s role in destabilizing the Middle East through its “network of non-state actors.” The resolution, passed during the final session before the upcoming European elections, reiterated a prior demand for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be included on the European Union’s list of recognized terror organizations, and called for Hezbollah in its entirety to be added to the list as well. It also demanded the current sanctions regime against Iran be expanded, “including by sanctioning the country’s supply and production of unmanned drones and missiles to Russia and the wider Middle East.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
Gas Carrier Fleet Shipping Iranian LPG Expands As Exports Boom | Lloyd’s List
… While scrutiny of Iran’s energy trade tends to focus on oil exports and the dark fleet of veteran tankers servicing that trade, its outflows of propane and butane have grown at a far faster pace in recent years. Indeed, Iran’s exports of crude oil and condensates have increased substantially over the past four years and have recovered considerably since sanctions were imposed in 2018 by the Trump Administration. However, exports of Iranian oil remain below pre-sanctions levels, according to data from tanker trackers at lobbying group United Against Nuclear Iran, known as UANI.
Ex-Mossad Expert Warns Iran Has Built Global Financial Network To Bypass Sanctions | Times Of Israel
… At a US Congressional hearing in December, Claire Jungman, chief of staff of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), revealed that Tehran has quadrupled its oil revenue since 2020, and that “due to diminished sanctions enforcement, Iran has accumulated north of $80 billion dollars in oil revenues since 2021.” Jungman pointed out that China is the largest buyer of illicit Iranian oil, with a share of 72%. The oil is mostly exported through a “ghost fleet” made up of ships that Iran renders untraceable. UANI, a group of ex-US diplomats, security officials, scholars, and professionals whose objective is to increase international pressure on Tehran, estimated that the ghost fleet is comprised of around 300 foreign owned and foreign flagged oil tankers moving the country’s oil.
U.S. Sanctions Iranian Company Supplying Suicide Drones To Russia | Haaretz
…For most of last year, the United States had refrained from imposing new sanctions on Iran's oil sector, he said, and it also doesn't appear to have invested efforts in enforcing existing sanctions. But it seems, he said, that the U.S. has switched gears since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 "in light of the involvement of Iran in funding Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis [in Yemen] and other militias.” "Since the beginning of the year, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on 29 ships that have transported oil and its products from Iran – more than in all of 2023," he said, referring to figures that don't include sanctions on Russia. Nevertheless, he said tanker tracking data from U.S.-based group United Against Nuclear Iran shows Iran's oil exports in recent months have reached their highest levels since 2019, when sanctions on Iran's oil sector were reimposed by president Donald Trump.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
U.S. Fixation On Nuclear Deal Let Iran Loose On The Middle East | Foreign Policy
The United States has dropped the ball on Iran. Had Washington come up with a comprehensive strategy to address Tehran’s destabilizing role in the Middle East, the spreading conflict between Iran and its proxies on the one side and Israel and its allies on the other might have been prevented. Today’s escalating conflict in the Middle East—which on April 13 saw the first-ever direct attack on Israel by Iran—is not least the result of an inconsistent, shortsighted, and overly compartmentalized U.S. policy toward Iran for more than a decade. Since the first administration of President Barack Obama, Washington has focused its attention almost entirely on Iran’s nuclear program, all but overlooking its other activities—including its interventions across the region. Already during Obama’s campaign for his first term in 2008, he promised to make a nuclear deal with Iran his top priority for the Middle East, which he duly sought to implement once in office. Early in the process, there was a clear imbalance between Washington’s perception and Tehran’s. Washington thought that engaging Iran on the nuclear file would curb the latter’s destabilizing potential in the region, and this assumption motivated the signing of an initial nuclear agreement with Iran in 2013.
Why Israel's Counterattack Could Accelerate Iran's Nuclear Program | Haaretz
They may draw a few conclusions: Iran needs better defense systems. They may ask their new ally – Russia – to supply its most advanced S-400 systems. Until it gets such systems, if indeed it will, Iran will have to tighten and toughen its nuclear facilities. It will fortify them even more underground, so that – should Israel attack – the IAF's bombs and missiles will find it difficult to penetrate and destroy them. For years now, Iran's leaders have been steadily and methodically promoting their nuclear program. So far, however, they hesitated whether to cross the threshold and assemble nuclear weapons. Perhaps now, as the conflict between Israel and Iran turns from cold war to overt, direct hostilities, they may conclude that they must accelerate their nuclear program. Perhaps they may decide to "break through" to nuclear in order to devise a proper response to the fact that Israel, as the whole world believes, has dozens of nuclear warheads. One cannot rule out that Khamenei will author a new fatwa, which will allow the assembly of a nuclear weapon.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
New UK Sanctions Target Iranian Drone Industry | Reuters
Britain on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting Iran's military drone industry, in response to Iran's drone and missile attack on Israel earlier this month. The measures, taken in co-ordination with the U.S. and Canada, target four businesses and two directors at a network of drone companies with the aim of limiting Iran's ability to launch drones. "The Iranian regime's dangerous attack on Israel risked thousands of civilian casualties and wider escalation in the region," British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a statement. "Today the UK and our partners have sent a clear message – we will hold those responsible for Iran's destabilising behaviour to account." Britain also said it would introduce new bans on the export of drone and missile components to Iran, seeking to limit its military capabilities.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
Why The Potential For Another Donald Trump Presidency Is Making Iran Very Nervous | The Conversation
There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Israel-Palestinian conflict and China. But there’s one more country closely watching the race: Iran. Another Trump presidency could pose immense risks for the Iranian leadership, especially given the recent tit-for-tat strikes with Israel, the looming threat of a wider Middle East war, and other significant internal challenges. Under such conditions, there are three ways a new Trump administration might pose a threat to the clerical establishment: a potential economic shock, bolder military action against the regime and increased protest movements.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iranian Rapper Toomaj Salehi Sentenced To Death For Protesting | CNN
Dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi has been given a death sentence for his involvement in the widespread protests that swept Iran in 2022, according to his lawyer. “An order for the execution of Toomaj Salehi has been issued,” Salehi’s lawyer Amir Raesian tweeted Wednesday. The rapper has been detained, held in solitary confinement and was allegedly tortured following his arrest. In an unprecedented move, a court in Isfahan reversed the higher Supreme Court’s decision on Saleh’s case on Tuesday, upholding the original verdict of “corruption on earth” and issued the maximum punishment of death, according to Iranian pro-reform outlets Shargh and Entekhab. State media said Salehi’s sentence is subject for reduction by a pardoning committee if he appeals again. Salehi, 32, who has been critical of the Iranian regime and outspoken against the government in rap lyrics and on social media, was briefly released from prison last year before police violently rearrested him and sent him to prison in Isfahan, witnesses said at the time.
Freed Iranian Artists Diagnosed With Diseases | Iran International
Actress Taraneh Alidoosti and filmmaker Mostafa Al-Ahmad have been diagnosed with diseases after serving time in Iranian prisons for voicing dissent, the latest in a series of mystery illnesses contracted by political prisoners. Taraneh Alidoosti – best known for the Oscar-winning movie "The Salesman" - was arrested as part of the Woman Life Freedom movement sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who reportedly defied the hijab rule. The news of her illness started when her mother during an Instagram Live on Sunday hinted that her daughter might have an “undiagnosed disease” which Iranian media reported as DRESS Syndrome. Cinema Etemad, in an article that has since been removed from the website, defined the condition as "causing numerous symptoms such as fever, blood abnormalities and organ inflammation throughout the body” and is associated with “overreaction to certain medications.” Security forces arrested Alidoosti in December 2022 at her home for posting a photo of herself without the mandatory veil on social media and criticizing the death penalty. A month later, she was released on bail.
Former Iran Hostages Demand Release Of Swedish Doctor On Death Row | Iran International
Fifteen former Iran hostages have censured the Swedish government for “lack of meaningful action” to free Swedish-Iranian doctor Ahmadreza Djalali, who has been on death row in Iran for more than 6 years. “Sweden has done little to secure his release and also inexcusably failed to provide his family with the level of support and information they need and deserve,” the signatories write in a letter dated 25 April, the eve of Djalali’s eighth year in prison. Djalali was arrested in April 2016, visiting Iran on an academic trip at the invitation of the University of Tehran and Shiraz University. He was charged with espionage and collaboration with Israel two weeks after his arrest –a charge leveled at many, often with little or no real evidence. In October 2017, he was sentenced to death. “As former hostages who endured the harrowing ordeal of prolonged unlawful detention in Iran,” the letter reads, “we write to express our deep concern over the ongoing lack of meaningful action taken by your government to secure the release of Ahmadreza Djalali, a Swedish physician on death row in the notorious Evin Prison.”
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Once A Modernization Tool, 'Radio Iran' Turns 85 With Boring Propaganda | Iran International
Radio Iran, the state-run radio turned 85 on April 23. Once a driving force of Iran's modernization, the broadcaster transformed into an Islamic propaganda tool following the 1979 revolution. When the 'national radio' was introduced in Iran in 1939, there was an abundance of print media in the country. However, nearly 80 percent of the population was illiterate and unable to engage with the politically diverse media landscape. Radio emerged as a platform accessible to all, providing a means for engaging with the nation. For four decades, Radio Iran served as a platform for the monarchy, promoting Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's "positive nationalism" rhetoric. It also aided the country's technocrats in advancing a robust development plan, supported by the 1949 US-sponsored Point Four plan. This initiative, hailed by Washington as "a bold new program," aimed to leverage US scientific and industrial advancements for the growth and development of underdeveloped regions.
32 Agencies Taskes To Enforce Iran's Mandatory Hijab Amid Crackdown | Iran Wire
The police commander of the Islamic Republic revealed that 32 agencies are responsible for implementing the mandatory hijab rules. "There are for the issue of hijab and chastity; unfortunately, some of them do not fulfill their missions and even in this field they have also become demanding," police chief Ahmadreza Radan said Friday. "The enemy is trying to claim that the police is alone in the implementation of the hijab and chastity plan," he said. Continuing to defend the performance of the police in dealing with citizens, he added: "One of the accusations against the police is that the police only pay attention to hijab and chastity, which is not the case." "Hijab and chastity are completely cultural and social issues, and we clearly state that we do not have a security perspective in this field," he claimed. Since April 13, Iran's law enforcement agencies have intensified the enforcement of hijab regulations under the national action plan "Noor."
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Iran Ally Syria Strives To Stay Out Of Gaza War: Experts | Al-Monitor
Syria has avoided getting embroiled in the Gaza war, experts said, despite a strike on Iran's Damascus consulate, blamed on Israel, that threatened to ignite a regional conflagration. The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seeking to strike a delicate balancing act between Russia and Iran, which have propped up it up during 13 years of civil war and helped it reclaim lost territory. Syria is part of the so-called Axis of Resistance -- an alliance of Iran-backed groups that has launched attacks on the Islamic republic's arch-foe Israel or its alleged assets since October. But its other main ally Russia maintains diplomatic ties with Israel and has pushed for stability in Syria's south, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. "The Israelis clearly warned Assad that if Syria was used against them they would destroy his regime," said a Western diplomat who requested anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the media. Recent months have seen a series of strikes on Iranian targets in Syria, widely blamed on Israel, culminating in an April 1 raid that levelled Tehran's consulate in Damascus and killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals.
CHINA & IRAN
Why China Is Unlikely To Restrain Iran | Economist
Earlier this year, when the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen were attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, America approached China for help. In talks with their Chinese counterparts, American officials reportedly asked them to urge Iran to rein in the Houthis. Months later, after Israel struck the Iranian consulate in Syria, America again approached its biggest rival. This time it was said to have asked China to tell Iran not to retaliate. During crises like these China would seem a useful interlocutor. It has good relations with Iran. Last year it facilitated a deal to re-establish diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia. It also allowed Iran to join its regional security group, the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, as well as the brics, a bloc of big emerging economies. After the Iranian-Saudi rapprochement, China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, heralded a “wave of reconciliation” in the Middle East.
AFGHANISTAN & IRAN
Five Iranian Border Guards Arrested By Taliban In Afghan Territory | Iran International
The Taliban has arrested five Iranian border guards in Afghan territory and handed them over to the its intelligence department. Taliban and Iranian officials have not yet commented about the guards, who claim they had entered the Afghan territory "by mistake." They were arrested in Farah province in southwestern Afghanistan. Thursday night, Iranian state media reported that they were freed. The Iranian government and Taliban have been involved in several border disputes over the past months. Clashes at the border over water rights in May claimed the lives of at least two Iranians and one Taliban soldier. The situation has recently been tense in Iran’s eastern borders as the insurgent Sunni Baluch group known as Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) intensified its operations against Iranian security forces. The group advocates for enhanced rights and improved living conditions for the Baluch ethnic minority.