Iran’s elections: Change brings new opportunities for Iran's new president--Masoud Pezeshkian

Iran’s elections: Change brings new opportunities for Iran's new president--Masoud Pezeshkian

    Saturday, July 06, 2024   No comments

Foreground:

Mere weeks after the tragic death of several Iranian officials including the president, Iran managed to elect a new president, while a caretaker government was headed by the vice president. The successful transition is only part of the story in a country with complex social fabric and complex relations with the world. What might be lost on many observers is the historical election of a president who represents ethnic and linguistic minorities in Iran.

Masoud Pezeshkian, born in 1954 in the city of Mahabad in West Azerbaijan Province, northeastern Iran to a deeply religious Shia family to parents of both Kurdish and Azeri background. He was raised in a religious family. He often speaks of being proud Turkish speaker. Now that he is elected president of Iran, he will be the first ethnic minority office holder in a region where Kurdish minorities are marginalized in all four countries-Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Iran. 

Being from Azerbaijan Province, he will be able to dial down the rhetoric among Azeris who are Shia in terms of faith but Turkic in terms of ethnicity. Having family connections to the Kurdish community, he will also be able to address the separatist activities with which all four countries have struggled since the end of direct colonial control of the region. His political activism in the movement that brought about the modern Islamic republic of Iran provide him with the credibility to work out change through the various institutions of power. In short, this election cycle might be as significant of a turning point as the one that took place 1981 when another Iranian president, Mohammad Ali Rajaʾi, was killed, and who was replaced Ali Khamenei, the current supreme leader.

Background: 

Pezeshkian completed his primary education in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan Province, and then joined the Agricultural Institute in Urmia, where he received a diploma in food industries.

 

He completed his military service in 1973 in the border city of Zabol, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, and after completing his service, he decided to become a doctor, and received his natural diploma in 1975. A year later, he was accepted into the medical field at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

 

With the start of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980, Pezeshkian was responsible for sending medical teams to the battlefronts, and was active in many operations as a fighter and a doctor.

 

He completed his medical course in 1985, and began working at the Faculty of Medicine as a physiology teacher. In 1990, he received a specialty in general surgery from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, and in 1993 he received a specialty in cardiac surgery from Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, and was appointed to Shahid Madani Heart Hospital in Tabriz, and later became its head.

  

In 1994, he was appointed as the head of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, and his presidency continued until 2000. Then he was transferred to Tehran and assumed the position of Deputy Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education for 6 months.

 

After that, in the second term of Mr. Mohammad Khatami's presidency, Pezeshkian assumed the position of Minister of Health, and after a while he was questioned by the parliament, and then he left his position. In 2013, he ran for president, but his candidacy was rejected by the Guardian Council. In 2016, he won a seat in the parliament and held a seat in parliament for many years. Since 2008, Pezeshkian has represented the city of Tabriz in the Iranian parliament.

 Pezeshkian believes that Iran's internal problems cannot be solved without solving problems with the outside world, and stresses that the country's management is based on constructive engagement with the world on the basis of dialogue and negotiation with various countries.

 Pezeshkian also calls for improving relations between Iran and Western countries, especially the United States, based on the three pillars of "dignity, wisdom, and interest."

 

He announced that he will put at the top of his government's priorities the revival of the nuclear agreement, which is in Iran's interest, and if it were not, former US President Donald Trump would not have withdrawn from it.

 Pezeshkian believes that it is in Iran's interest to join the "FATF" (Financial Action Task Force) in order to develop and facilitate trade with other countries.

 

Pezeshkian stressed that he will put an end to the differences between political forces, which he says are the "main cause of the country's problems," by seeking the help of the best experts and specialists.

 

He promised that he would follow up on the problems of workers, retirees and employees and work in a way that eliminates poverty, discrimination and corruption in the country, stressing the need to deal honestly with the public and not give empty promises, promising to involve the people in running the country and not a specific group.

 

He also promised to deal positively with women's issues, freedom of access to the Internet, constitutional rights of nationalities, and political and social freedoms.

 

Pezeshkian won the Iranian presidential elections after receiving 16,384,403 votes, compared to 13,538,179 votes for candidate Saeed Jalili, thus becoming the ninth elected president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, since the victory of the Islamic Revolution led by Imam Khomeini in 1979.

 

U.S. has resumed indirect talks with Iran - CNN reported

U.S. has resumed indirect talks with Iran - CNN reported

    Sunday, June 18, 2023   No comments

The U.S. administration has secretly resumed indirect talks with Iran to curb its nuclear program and release U.S. prisoners, CNN writes, citing sources. 

The talks began last December in New York and have since continued in Oman. 

According to U.S. officials, the U.S. goal is to reach a "political truce."

In return, Tehran is demanding the unfreezing of billions of dollars of Iranian assets abroad.

At the same time US think-tank-experts warn of the difficulty of disrupting the Iranian drone program by the Americans and Europeans, Iran announces that the Russian Sukhoi-35 will arrive in Iran next March

At the same time US think-tank-experts warn of the difficulty of disrupting the Iranian drone program by the Americans and Europeans, Iran announces that the Russian Sukhoi-35 will arrive in Iran next March

    Sunday, January 15, 2023   No comments

The National Interest magazine stated that "it would be best for the United States to adopt a new strategy to disrupt Iran's drone program" after failing to disrupt it through economic sanctions and export controls.

The magazine added, in a report, that “the United States has for years imposed sanctions on Iran’s military-industrial complex and manufacturing base, including entities such as IAIO (which designs and manufactures Mohajer-6 medium-range reconnaissance and combat drones), and HESA and FACI, Iranian Helicopter Support and Refurbishment Industries (PAHNA), and Iranian Aircraft Industries (IACI), to name a few.

However, "the Iranian aviation sector and the drone industry continued to expand and prosper, and Western sanctions could not prevent Iran from becoming a prominent player in the military drone market, and sharing the technology of these drones with partners and agents inside and outside the Middle East," he said. National Interest.

According to the magazine, "Despite the US sanctions on the companies that manufacture Iranian drones, Russia used Iranian drones in the war in Ukraine, such as the Shahed-136, which paralyzed Ukraine's vital infrastructure," she said.

In addition to increasing sanctions against Iranian drone companies, the magazine stated that "Washington intends to impose controls on exports and pressure on private companies to disrupt the technological supply chain related to the drone industry in Tehran, especially with the emergence of reports stating that Shahed 136 is manufactured with American and British components, which made It shows Tehran's extraordinary ability to bypass sanctions."

But, as with Western sanctions, "more export controls and corporate pressure are unlikely to significantly reduce Iran's access to these components," according to the National Interest.

The reason for this, the magazine explained, is, first, "the incorporation of foreign components into a robust drone program with an established supply chain." And secondly, states cannot prevent companies like eBay or Alibaba from selling dual or multi-use technology to Iran and other countries.

In the context, the National Interest spoke about the Iranian drone sector, noting that "Iran has manufactured and operated military drones since the Iran-Iraq war in the mid-1980s."

"With more than 33 examples, Iran's highly advanced military drone complex forms one of the four pillars of its security strategy and force structure, complementing missile technology, proxy forces, and electronic warfare," she added.

The National Interest report stated, "Iranian drones are cheaper than their Western counterparts, and have proven effective on the battlefield, whether against local and regional militants, or US assets and allies in and around the Gulf."

Likewise, "drones have enabled Iran to project its power and earn profits, display technology and enhance its prestige, strengthen alliances, and influence conflicts in the Middle East and beyond," according to the magazine.

To this end, the National Interest noted, “Iran has delivered drones and their designs, components, and training to partners in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, as well as to foreign governments such as Ethiopia, Russia, Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela—transactions facilitated by the end of the UN arms embargo on Iran in October 2020".

According to the National Interest, "the Iranian leadership adopts a whole-of-government approach, using all available tools, from regime elites studying at universities abroad to electronic espionage, to gain access to the latest technology."

She added, "Iran's high human capital can allow it to accelerate domestic production of UAV components, and such a result can be achieved thanks to the first-class scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians produced by Sharif University of Technology and other distinguished Iranian educational institutions."

"Given the difficulty, if not the impossibility, of disrupting Iran's drone program through economic sanctions and export controls, the United States would do well to adopt a new strategy," the National Interest continued.

She explained, "This strategy would seek to use an innovative and comprehensive approach to break the endless cycle of imposing US sanctions and avoiding Iranian sanctions."

Iran announces that the Russian Sukhoi-35 will arrive in Iran next March 

Speaking to Tasnim, member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Shahriar Heidari said the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets that Iran has ordered from Russia are going to arrive in early 1402 (begins on March 21).

The lawmaker noted that Iran has also ordered a series of other military equipment from Russia, including air defense systems, missile systems and helicopters, most of which will be received soon.

Media reports suggested earlier that Iran will receive 24 of the fourth-generation twin-engine, super-maneuverable fighter jets that are primarily used for air superiority missions.

Some of the combat aircraft are anticipated to be housed at Tactical Air Base (TAB) 8 of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), which is located in the Iranian city of Isfahan in the country's center.

Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) says the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet “combines the qualities of a modern fighter (super-maneuverability, superior active and passive acquisition aids, high supersonic speed and long range, capability of managing battle group actions, etc.) and a good tactical airplane (wide range of weapons that can be carried, modern multi-channel electronic warfare system, reduced radar signature, and high combat survivability).”

Iran hasn’t acquired any new fighter aircraft in recent years, excluding a few Russian MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters it bought in the 1990s.

Iran and Russia have signed major deals in recent months to boost their economic, trade, energy and military cooperation.

Biden: the Iran Nuclear Deal is dead, but we're not gonna announce it

Biden: the Iran Nuclear Deal is dead, but we're not gonna announce it

    Wednesday, December 21, 2022   No comments

 A video has emerged of Joe Biden declaring the peaceful nuclear energy deal with Iran "dead" even as talks continue.

The US president made the comments to some woman who claims is Iranian at a campaign rally with fellow Democrat congressman Mike Levin in Oceanside, California on November 4, at a time when protests were going on in Iran with support from Washington.

"President Biden, can you please announce that JCPOA is dead? Can you just announce that?" asks one woman. Biden replied "no", prompting the woman to ask "why not?"

"A lot of reasons. It is dead, but we're not gonna announce it," Biden told her. "Long story, but we're gonna make sure..."

What is the prospect of negotiation with Russia after Merkel's recognition? The erosion of Western credibility

What is the prospect of negotiation with Russia after Merkel's recognition? The erosion of Western credibility

    Tuesday, December 13, 2022   No comments

Former German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, in an interview with the German newspaper "Zeit" recently, considered the Minsk agreement of 2014 as an attempt to give Ukraine enough time to prepare for war against Russia. She expressed doubt that the then NATO countries could have done everything they are doing now to help Ukraine.

The Minsk Agreement is a series of international agreements signed between 2014 and 2015 by the Tripartite Contact Group on Ukraine, which consists of Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, mediated by the leaders of France and Germany, with the aim of ending the war in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

China reacted to the Merkel's revelation by issuing statements contending that the "Real intention behind Minsk agreements further destroys credibility of the West".

China's international media outlet, GT, which is aimed at communicating Chinese point of view to the West concluded that "They were just a stopgap to buy time for Ukraine and the West, and Western countries have never put real effort into resolving the differences with Russia over the Ukraine crisis."

The daily added:

What the former German leader stated tears down the last remaining bit of the "friendly" mask some Western countries put on with Russia. In the eyes of some Western countries, Russia is just a diplomatic and political "alien." Moreover, under the influence of Washington, some view Moscow as a so-called threat due to its huge military power and political system that does not meet the "Western standard." As a result, these countries have never stopped suppressing Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Merkel's confession about the Minsk agreements also showed that some Western countries, particularly the US, do not honor contractual obligations at all. They can go back on their words so easily. 

After Merkel's statements, Putin said that her statements were "disappointing," pointing out that "trust at the present time is almost non-existent, but after Merkel's statements it became unclear how to negotiate."

He explained that "it turned out that no one intended to implement the Minsk agreements," according to the recent German statements, and the statements of former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, stressing, "Only we were working sincerely."

 

Likewise, Putin considered Merkel's remarks to mean that "we were right to initiate the special military operation."

The Russian president said, "We are ready and open to negotiation, but the statements prompt us to think about guarantees and confidence-building measures," adding that "there is no general military mobilization, but rather some formations that can be replaced."

It is noteworthy that Merkel said, earlier, that she does not see a reason for her participation in the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, and stressed that it "will be resolved through negotiations one day."

This came in response to a question put to her by the German newspaper "Zeit" about the possibility of resolving the Ukrainian crisis, noting that "all conflicts end at the negotiating table."

Merkel indicated that her previous attempts to settle the crisis between Russia and Ukraine "were aimed at preventing a clash between the two countries," pointing out that "the failure of these attempts does not mean that they were wrong."

Other Russian officials are now less motivated to negotiate any deals with Ukraine. Russian Senator Olga Kovidetti commented on Merkel's statements by saying: "The geopolitical collusion of Britain and the United States and their obedient vassal Ukraine on the deliberate delay in implementing the Minsk agreements with the aim of preparing Ukraine for conflict with Russia undermines the credibility of any subsequent negotiations and any agreements with these personalities Western politics.”

In turn, the State Duma Speaker said that Merkel's confession holds Germany and France, the guarantors of the Minsk Agreement, responsible for what is happening in Ukraine, morally and materially.

Even some European leaders were taken aback by Merkel’s revelations. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed his surprise at the statements of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Serbian president said that these are statements that change the position on what happened in Ukraine since 2014, adding that former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko previously indicated that they never intended to implement the agreements.

This European position is not limited to the Minsk Agreement. Rather, it is a repeat of what happened with the nuclear agreement with Iran. When US withdrew from the agreement, which was backed by the UNSC, European states essentially joined the US, in practice, and denied Iran all the rights given to it by the terms of the agreement.

   

The US Special Envoy for Iran: "Iran is perhaps weeks away from enriching the fissile material needed to develop a nuclear weapon"

The US Special Envoy for Iran: "Iran is perhaps weeks away from enriching the fissile material needed to develop a nuclear weapon"

    Wednesday, November 30, 2022   No comments

 The US Special Envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, said on Wednesday that "Iran is perhaps weeks away from enriching the fissile material needed to develop a nuclear weapon."

Malley claimed, during a webinar hosted by the "Foreign Policy" daily related to Iran, that "with regard to the nuclear agreement, the closer the parties are to agreeing on a formula to revive the agreement, Iran puts forward new demands at the last minute."

Malley explained that on September 1, "Iran put forward a new condition, which is that the agreement must be accompanied by an end to the sanctions imposed on it."

He added, "The suspension of sanctions comes within the framework of the agreement, and the latter is not up for discussion now, so the sanctions will continue in the same context."

This comes as Iran affirms that it is serious about reaching a nuclear agreement, and that it will not hesitate to reach a "good, strong and sustainable" agreement, but it is calling for guarantees that the United States will not withdraw from the agreement again, and it is also calling for the closure of the International Atomic Energy Agency's allegations.

It is noteworthy that the Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, said, "The Americans are sending us through some foreign ministers that they are in a hurry to revive the nuclear agreement, while the US envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, says, "The nuclear agreement is not among Washington's priorities."

Since the beginning of reviving the nuclear agreement, Tehran has been stressing on 4 basic issues: guarantees after the United States withdrew from the nuclear agreement, lifting sanctions on Iran, verifying the occurrence of these matters, in addition to closing the file of political allegations of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Malley: The diplomatic option is the most appropriate

The US envoy for Iran claimed during the symposium that, "As soon as US President Joe Biden took office, we immediately declared to our European allies our intention to revive the nuclear deal, provided Iran complies."

He added, "The diplomatic option is the most appropriate to stop Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons," noting that "we are working in close and coordinated steps with France and Britain to achieve this."

Malley quoted Biden as saying, "The time may come to activate the military option against Iran, but conditions are not yet ripe," noting that "our consultations with the leaders of both parties are continuing on Iran, and we are aware of the size of the opposition of some in Congress."

Earlier, Malley himself spoke about the possibility of the next US president leaving the nuclear agreement, noting that "there are no guarantees that this will not happen."

And at the end of last October, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, said: "We believe that the American political will can help sign the agreement," stressing that his country will not wait for an agreement to secure its interests, nor will it link its relationship and foreign policy to the nuclear agreement.

Malley: A new system of sanctions against Iran has been activated

During the symposium, the US Special Envoy for Iran pointed out that the US Treasury Department took into account all the circumstances accompanying the activation of sanctions with the lowest rate of consequences, i.e. diplomacy backed by sanctions.

It is noteworthy that the Iranian Foreign Ministry said, last month, that the madness of sanctions against Iran has turned into a "virus" that is transmitted to countries allied to Washington, stressing that imposing sanctions on the media and journalists is a violation of part of the main rights of the Iranian people to make their voice heard in the world.

According to Malley, "a new system of sanctions has been activated against Iranian officials for their dealings with the protests," announcing that "Washington is devoting its technical capabilities to the demonstrators in order to communicate via virtual space."

Malley announced "his strong support for the demonstrators in Iran," adding that "the demonstrations come at a sensitive historical period that is reshaping Iranian history," as he put it.

Malley added that "Washington's behavior in the 2009 demonstrations in Iran should have been better, and we must deal with wisdom," saying: "We intend with our other allies to hold Iranian officials accountable for what is going on."

The spokesman for the Iranian Shura Council's presidential body, Nizamuddin Mousavi, stated that "about 45,000 people and foreign intelligence agencies are causing riots." Iran also condemned the US interference in its affairs, represented by supporting the riots that took place in Iranian cities.

Germany: We agree with America to shift focus with Iran from the nuclear file to issues of rights and to exert pressure on Tehran to stop repression

Germany: We agree with America to shift focus with Iran from the nuclear file to issues of rights and to exert pressure on Tehran to stop repression

    Monday, November 21, 2022   No comments

Germany agrees with the United States in shifting its focus away from reviving the nuclear deal with Iran to supporting the Iranian people in the face of the country's violent crackdown on mass protests, a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"We are indeed moving along the same tracks," the spokesman said at a routine government briefing.

"Currently, our focus is on supporting the Iranian people and putting pressure on the Iranian ruling regime to stop suppressing the rights of its people," he added.

This coordianted action seems to be in line with the US shift from reviving the nuclear deal it abondoned in 2018 to freeing Iran.

Germany, the state whose policy during the first half of the 20th century was the full extermination of the German Jews is now concerned for human rights in Muslim-majority countries.

There will be no new agreement reviving the Iran Deal until after the November elections in the US, if ever

There will be no new agreement reviving the Iran Deal until after the November elections in the US, if ever

    Thursday, September 08, 2022   No comments

When the EU submitted what it called the final draft of an agreement that would allow the US to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), commonly known as the Iran Deal, and when EU foreign policy coordinator described Iran’s response to the text as “reasonable”, many observers thought that a signing was just days away. Now, after receiving the US response to the text, many are skeptical that a deal is possible. Considering all the factors at play, it is unlikely that the US administration will be able to sign off on a deal before the midterm general elections. That is our best informed prediction, regardless of what the reporting seem to suggest. The conflicting statements, over this past few days, appear to bolster this prediction.

Just today, Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian stressed that Iran is still in the process of reaching a good, strong and sustainable agreement, but that America should refrain from using vague literature in the draft final text of the agreement.

 

Amir Abdullahian's statements came during a telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, during which they discussed and exchanged views on bilateral, regional and international issues and negotiations to lift the embargo.

 

In turn, Wang Yi said: "We reject unilateralism at the international level and support Iran's reasonable demands in the nuclear negotiations."

 

Today, the Coordinator of Strategic Communications in the US National Security Council, John Kirby, confirmed that the United States at the present moment is not close to an agreement with Iran on a deal regarding its nuclear program.

 

Earlier, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said he was "less optimistic" about a quick agreement to revive the Iran nuclear deal than he was a short time ago.