100 Iranian Activists Slam Killing Of Kurdish Political Prisoners

Last week Russia supported the United Arab Emirates’ sovereignty over three contested islands - Abu Musa, and the Greater and Lesser Tunb - in the Persian Gulf, causing diplomatic frictions with Iran.

In a bid to repair the diplomatic furor, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikahil Bogdanov told Iran’s ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali on Friday that “the Russian Federation respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the friendly country of Iran”.

IRNA, the state news agency claimed that the remarks indicated that Russia had revised its position on the three islands.

However, a tweet by the account of the Russian Foreign Ministry used the term Arab Gulf for the Persian Gulf on Wednesday to insist on its stance. The move by the Russian Foreign Ministry again drew widespread criticism from Iranians on social media.

The Foreign Ministry summoned Russia's ambassador and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdolahian and government spokesman Ali Bahadori wrote in separate tweets that "Iran will not compromise over its national interests and territorial integrity."

However, Tehran’s official reaction to Russia has been meek. The two have collaborated more deeply over the last year, including Iran’s providing Russia with drones and ammunition for its war in Ukraine.

Social media users recognized that officials had made a compromise by not naming Russia in their tweets as tensions simmered behind the scenes.

According to state news agency IRNA, the condition of three of the injured is stable, but one was transferred to the provincial capital Zahedan for treatment.

Haalvsh website, which covers the events in Sistan-Baluchestan province, earlier reported that a military vehicle was targeted by an explosion in the Shahrak area of the border town of Mirjaveh.

It quoted local sources as saying that the situation is tense, and said military vehicles are patrolling the city. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion.

Last week, an attack on a police station in the Sunni majority city of Zahedan claimed the life of two policemen. According to Iranian law enforcement officials, four gunmen who used hand grenades were also killed.

Tensions in Sistan-Baluchestan have been high since security forces, under the command of the Revolutionary Guards, killed an estimated 80-90 civilian protesters in the city on September 30, which became known as Black Friday.

The US already uses A-10 fighter jets to patrol the strategic waterway, in particular the narrow Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attempts to seize oil tankers navigating in international waters, but it will now deploy additional F-16 jets.

A Pentagon official speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity said the F-16s will be an additional element to deter Iran and provide protection to commercial shipping.

Iran’s latest attempt to interfere with commercial shipping occurred earlier this month when it tried to seize two vessels. The US Navy announced July 5 that it prevented Iranian naval forces from diverting the vessels including the Richmond Voyager, a supertanker managed by Chevron in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrowest part of the Persian Gulf.

The official said that in both cases Iranian forces withdrew as the US Navy arrived on the scene.

Iran has been harassing commercial shipping in recent years and seized multiple vessels since 2019. Over the years, Iranian speedboats also harassed US Navy ships, sometimes in dangerous maneuvers.

“[The] United States will not allow foreign or regional powers to jeopardize freedom of navigation through the Middle East waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz,” National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters May 12. The US Navy in early June said that Iran had interfered with or attacked 15 internationally flagged merchant ships over the past two years.

Iran’s provocative actions come as attempts to restrict its uranium enrichment and reach a nuclear agreement have remained unsuccessful since President Joe Biden assumed office in January 2021. Iran has expanded military cooperation with Russia, supplying hundreds of kamikaze drones that are being used in Ukraine against civilian and military targets.

The Pentagon official also told reporters the US is concerned about more Russian aggressive actions in Syria in collaboration with Iran and the Syrian government.

Recently Russian warplanes tried to interfere with operations of US military drones that were trying to attack Islamic State group targets in Syria.

The official told reporters that Iran’s supply of drones to Russia and support for the invasion of Ukraine has given political leverage to the Islamic Republic that wants to use the Russians to expel the United States from Syria. The US also believes there is more planning and intelligence sharing cooperation now between Russian and Iranian IRGC forces in Syria to pressure US to withdraw troops from Syria.

Iran also probably wants to use escalatory tactics to force Washington to accept its terms in recent reported diplomatic contacts between the two sides aimed at some sort of a deal over three Americans held hostage by Tehran.

Iran wants Washington to agree to around $20 billion of its funds in third countries to be released, which would be significant for its beleaguered economy. Iraq holds around $10 billion of debts to Iran, while South Korean banks hold another $7 billion.

Pro-Iranian Iraqi Shiite militia groups also organized a protest Friday near the US embassy in Baghdad, demanding non-interference by the United States in Iraq’s internal affairs. Iran however, is deeply enmeshed in Iraqi politics using its proxy forces.

According to Iranian media on Friday, Gholamhossein Mohammadi Golpayegani said: “The virtual space has become a bane, but despite their [enemies'] relentless efforts and investments in promoting indecency and other vices, they have not succeeded in alienating people from their religion and beliefs", referring in regime terminology to the US and Israel. 

He mentioned large religious ceremonies – sponsored and organized by the regime with rent-a-crowd demonstrations – as proof of the enemies’ failure in their attempts to water down the nation's religious ideology. 

His remarks came amid a widespread disregard for religious laws in Iranian society. Despite threats and prosecution by the regime’s authorities, a growing number of Iranian women are appearing in public without mandatory hijab since protests began in mid-September following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody of hijab police. 

Touching upon the public's resentment towards Khamenei, Golpayegani claimed that the totalitarian ruler is under most attacks because he is “the main pole” that has kept the regime standing. 

Despite numerous attacks against the regime’s military inside the country and on its proxy forces across the region, he said the “enemies” do not dare to attack Iran. During the tirade, he also reiterated regime claims that the entirety of Israel in within the range of the regime missiles.

The office of the US Special Envoy for Iran showed its first signs of life following days of media storm about circumstances surrounding former envoy’s dismissal on Friday.

The official twitter account of the mission said: “The Office of the Special Envoy for Iran and the entire team at the State Department remain engaged in implementing our policy on Iran.” The account had been inactive since early June, about a month before Malley’s suspension was announced. 

The Biden administration and the State Department are under fire by the Congress, which was kept in the dark about the developments around Robert Malley, including his unpaid leave of absence, suspension of his security clearance and the FBI investigation over his mishandling of confidential information. 

The account, whose profile picture has been changed to Deputy Special Envoy Abram Paley – Malley's replacement – added: “We continue our work with allies and partners to constrain Iran’s destabilizing behavior, defend human rights, encourage de-escalation, and promote a stable, prosperous, and more integrated Middle East.”

Malley’s suspension was first reported by Iran International on June 29, and formally announced the following day by Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department, calling it "a leave of absence”, adding that his duties would be temporarily assumed by his deputy, Abram Paley. However, it is believed he had been suspended as early as April.

The development came a day after a group of 18 Republican senators called for a probe into the handling of Malley’s security clearance investigation by the State Department.