Iran Dismisses US, Arab Criticism Of Its Regional Behavior
Iran has dismissed a joint statement by the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council Arab states this week accusing Tehran of malign regional activities.
Iran has dismissed a joint statement by the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council Arab states this week accusing Tehran of malign regional activities.
Spokesman of Iran's foreign ministry, Nasser Kanaani on Friday claimed that the statement is nothing more than a US attempt “to sow discord among regional countries.”
The US and the GCC held a meeting of the Working Group on Iran this week during the visit of an American delegation to Saudi Arabia and issued the joint statement on Thursday, February 16.
“The United States and GCC member states condemned Iran’s continued destabilizing policies, including its support for terrorism and the use of advanced missiles, cyber weapons, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and their proliferation in the region and around the world,” the statement said.
Iran’s Tasnim news website affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard quoted Kanaani who dismissed the joint statement as “repetitive and boring.” He went on to accuse Washington of selling billions of dollars of arms to regional countries and “continuing to support Takfiri terrorism.” Tehran has long been accusing Washington of having created and nurtured extremist Sunni terror groups, such as Al Qaeda.
The Islamic Republic finds itself under tremendous economic and political pressure since September when long-running nuclear talks with the West hit a deadlock, and at the same time nationwide popular protests erupted against the regime.
A third factor contributing to Tehran’s isolation is its supply of killer drones to Russia that have been used against Ukraine’s infrastructure. That has had a major impact on Europe’s attitude toward Iran, leading to sanctions and a discussion of listing the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.
The Iranian currency has fallen by more than 50 percent in the past six months, fueling more inflation amid strong public dissatisfaction and recurring protests.
Opponents of the regime came out into the streets again on Thursday in many cities, chanting slogans against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the clerical government.
The US and the Persian Gulf Arab states voiced concern over Iran’s weapons proliferation after their meeting. “Iran and its proxies and partners have used these Iranian weapons in attacks striking civilians, critical infrastructure, and international maritime shipping.”
But the statement also expressed deep concern over Iran’s expanding nuclear program. “The United States and GCC member states further underlined that Iran’s nuclear advances as documented by the IAEA, chief among them the production of highly enriched uranium (HEU), have no credible civilian purpose and are gravely exacerbating regional and global tensions.”
Since September, the Biden administration has changed its tone toward the nuclear talks, repeatedly saying that it is no longer focused on reviving the 2015 accord, the JCPOA. Now, both the United States and its European allies have more demands than simply returning to the Obama-era deal. They are saying that Tehran should end its deadly repression against protesters, free all political prisoners, end its military role in Ukraine and its malign activities in the Middle East.
The February 16 joint statement appears to be a US recognition of the deep concerns the Gulf Cooperation Council members have long expressed about Iran’s policies and behavior, and can be a signal of non-nuclear issues becoming a prominent part of any agreement with the Islamic Republic.
“The United States and GCC member states expressed their commitment to expanding defense cooperation and interoperability to enhance their capabilities to constrain Iran’s ability to conduct destabilizing activities and deter it from conducting future acts of aggression,” the statement said.
The chief prosecutor of Iran's Khorasan Razavi province, Mohammad-Hossein Doroudi, still refrains from naming the club but according to reports the scandal took place at a sports school in the religious city of Mashhad called “Namazgozaran,” literally meaning the ones who pray. The number of arrested whistleblowers is more than the suspects in the case. He did not mention whether or when a court session took place for the case.
The two journalists who broke the news were banned from work for six months, which is exactly the sentence given to the coach, who is accused by the families of the boys of sexually abusing their children and – according to unconfirmed reports – filming them. Another journalist and an official of the city’s Sports and Youth Organization were also given sentences over the case.
The prosecutor has not elaborated on the case and the sentences, as is the norm in the Islamic Republic when the scandal is very big or when the accused are connected to high-ranking officials.
The prosecutor, who had earlier warned the families not to speak to the media, said, "According to the investigation, no document and proof of physical assault by the coach at this football school has been presented to the judicial system and nothing has been proven." But he did not explain why the caich was suspended for six months.
In January, Sports Minister Hamid Sadjadi said he had ordered an investigation following reports of sexual abuse. According to the Iranian official news agency, IRNA, a former media manager for the Shahr Khodro football team said on social media in January that the parents of 15 trainees from had filed a complaint against the club and coaches for sexual assault on their children.
The incident made it to the media when Shahrara daily, which is affiliated to Mashhad municipality, reported that “families of the children had gathered in front of the headquarters of the provincial football organization to protest this tragedy.” Since there was no follow-up by the authorities, the families were forced to publicize the case through the media, the daily added.
During a press conference late in January, Judiciary Spokesman Masoud Setayeshi, who was asked about the case, said, "We are investigating what is the motive for publishing such news."
Sexual abuse has made football schools a serious threat for children and teenagers. Reports say even some mothers of the children receive sexual offers from the coaches and officials of these schools.
Reza Torabian, a former football player, had earlier said that “Some officials of football schools ask the single moms to have sex in return for letting their kids play in famous teams.”
Sexual abuse of minors in football schools and other institutions is usually not reported by officials, but in the last two decades, Iranian media have published numerous reports of such cases.
One of the cases that was internationally covered was the case of Supreme Leader’s "favorite Quran reciter" Saeed Toosi, who was accused of "sexually abusing underage trainees." In October 2016, reports revealed that Toosi sexually abused 19 of his prepubescent Quran students over the past years.
The Islamic Republic authorities usually prefer to detain journalists who spill the beans in scandalous cases, as they did in the case of Mahsa Amini’s death in hijab police custody, an event that triggered the ongoing antiregime protests. The current wave of rallies has been described as the boldest challenge against the clerical regime so far. In a new book, two Iranian academics argue that Iranians have lost trust in the regime, which is perceived as inefficient and mired in discriminatory behavior.