(2018-10-16). The Khashoggi Extortion Fiasco. iranian.com A mystifying diplomatic escalation ensued following the disappearance of Saudi Washington Post columnist, Jamal Khashoggi, after visiting the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Why would the United States of America make such a fuss over the disappearance of a non-American citizen? Why would America turn a blind eye to the Saudi killing of thousands of Yemeni […]
(2018-10-16). 'You Couldn't Make This Up': Mops, Cleaners, Trash Bags Delivered To Saudi Consulate. iranian.com As one reporter joked, "the way to preserve the integrity of a possible crime scene and bolster confidence in the investigation is to bring in a bunch of cleaners through the front door before the detectives arrive." At around the same time Saudi King Salman insisted in a Monday morning phone call with U.S. President […]
(2018-10-16). US Sanctions Threats 'Unexpectedly' Led To Deeper Economic Ties Between Iran And Russia. iranian.com US sanctions are causing further global regionalization and have boosted Iranian-Russian relations. According to a report by Israeli political analyst Dana Weiss, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a secret document that describes Russia's plan to aid Iran in subverting the incoming US Sanctions on the Islamic Republic's oil exports. According to Weiss, Iran […]
(2018-10-16). People vs. Money In America's Midterm Elections. iranian.com We will soon find out whether US voters matter more than the money flowing into the Republican Party's coffers. America's political and economic future, and most likely the peace and prosperity of the entire world, depends on the answer. All eyes are on the United States as November's Congressional elections approach. The outcome will answer […]
(2018-10-16). Netanyahu Hopes To Bring U.S. Attention Back On Iran, Threatens "Action" In Syria. iranian.com With the Jamal Khashoggi affair shaking up Saudi-Washington relations, and with multiple Gulf countries predictably coming out in support of Riyadh's denials that it was behind the journalist's disappearance and apparent murder, it will be interesting to see Israel's stance on the issue. We fully expect Israel to do all that it can to lobby Washington […]
(2018-10-16). Trump, Iran and Sanctions. counterpunch.org 
Representatives from the nations that, along with the United States, signed on to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPOA), are still trying desperately to salvage the agreement, which is on life support since the U.S. pulled out of it. The latest attempt concerns SWIFT, and Iranian access to it. SWIFT, officially the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, is a secure messaging service that transmits millions of instructions per day to banks and other financial institutions. Among the many sanctions that Trump is re-imposing on November 5, in violation of an international agreement to w…
(2018-10-16). High Prices Helping Iran Make Up For Loss Of Half Of Oil Exports, VP Says. iranian.com Iran has lost some customers for its oil because of looming U.S. sanctions, but high prices are making up for the lost sales, Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri has said. "While some countries have stopped buying oil from Iran, we have found new partners," he was quoted as saying by Iran's IRIB broadcaster on October […]
(2018-10-16). Here Cochise Everywhere. counterpunch.org 
Canst thou remember a time before we came unto this cell? — Prospero to Miranda Sacred Smokes, an extraordinary anti-memoir by Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr.,is the perfect cure for the current poisonous trade in subprime autobiography — a humorless confessional fad that has snuffed out anything left over from better days in US print, from More
(2018-10-16). Iran's Definitive Account Of The Iran-Iraq War: Written By A Female Iraqi Kurd. iranian.com Thirty years after the end of Iran's "War of Sacred Defense" Iran's "military parades" are attacked, but the world still doesn't really comprehend exactly what the West is attacking in Iran. On September 22nd there was a terrible terrorist attack in the Iranian city of Ahvaz which killed 25 innocent people and wounded 70 other people. […]
(2018-10-16). Koreas Agree to Break Ground on Inter-Korean Railroad. truthdig.com SEOUL, South Korea — North and South Korea continued their push for peace Monday with high-level talks that resulted in a host of agreements, including a plan by the rivals for a groundbreaking ceremony this year on an ambitious project to connect their railways and roads. | The agreements come amid unease in Washington over the speed of inter-Korean engagement. Many outsiders believe that U.S.-led efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear-tipped missiles are lagging significantly behind the Koreas' efforts to move past decades of bitter rivalry. | There was also controversy over a decision by South Korea's…
(2018-10-16). Report-back: 2018 World Conference against Nuclear & Hydrogens Bombs. indybay.org Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists' Hall | 1924 Cedar (@Bonita), Berkeley…
(2018-10-16). Economic Update: The Immigration Issue and Capitalism. therealnews.com 
This week: Updates on UK's Liberal Democrats advocating serious reduction of wealth and income inequality; Sears CEO blames pensions for Sears' problems; JP Morgan predicts next financial collapse in 2020; failure to deal with opioid crisis; G-20 meeting in Argentina evades real issues; Europeans clash with U.S. over trade with Iran; and a trivial SEC…
(2018-10-16). Economic Update: The Immigration Issue and Capitalism. therealnews.com This week: Updates on UK's Liberal Democrats advocating serious reduction of wealth and income inequality; Sears CEO blames pensions for Sears' problems; JP Morgan predicts next financial collapse in 2020; failure to deal with opioid crisis; G-20 meeting in Argentina evades real issues; Europeans clash with U.S. over trade with Iran; and a trivial SEC…
(2018-10-15). Iran's Definitive Account of the Iran-Iraq War: Written by a Female Iraqi Kurd. mintpressnews.com 
Thirty years after the end of Iran's "War of Sacred Defense" Iran's "military parades" are attacked, but the world still doesn't really comprehend exactly what the West is attacking in Iran.
(2018-10-15). Ford Motor Chairman Cancels Visit To Saudi Investor Conference. iranian.com Ford Motor Co Chairman Bill Ford cancelled a multi-stop trip to the Middle East, including a planned appearance at a Saudi investment conference, the company said on Sunday, the latest such cancellation after the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Reuters reports. The company did not elaborate on the reasons for Ford's decision not to attend the […]
(2018-10-15). The Khashoggi Affair And The Anti-Iran Axis. iranian.com I've argued that the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia comprise an axis (a true "Axis of Evil") united (for very different reasons) in opposition to Iran. The Saudi king has urged Washington to topple the Islamic Republic, which it considers heretical and the fountainhead of regional Shiite militancy. Robert Gates (Defense Secretary 2006-11) recalled meeting […]
(2018-10-15). Khashoggi Rejiggers Middle East At Potentially Horrible Cost. iranian.com The fate of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, assuming that his disappearance was the work of Saudi security and military officials, threatens to upend the fundaments of fault lines in the Middle East. At stake is not only the fate of a widely respected journalist and the future of Turkish-Saudi relations. Khashoggi's fate, whether he […]
(2018-10-15). Syria's Chessboard. counterpunch.org 
The Syrian civil war has always been devilishly complex, with multiple actors following different scripts, but in the past few months it appeared to be winding down. The Damascus government now controls 60 percent of the country and the major population centers, the Islamic State has been routed, and the rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are largely cornered in Idilb Province in the country's northwest. But suddenly the Americans moved the goal posts—maybe—the Russians have fallen out with the Israelis, the Iranians are digging in their heels, and the Turks are trying to multi-task wi…
(2018-10-15). Iran's Bavar-373 Missile System Has Vertical Launchers, Commander Confirms. iranian.com An Iranian military official confirmed that Bavar-373, Iran's homegrown long-range air defense missile system, is equipped with vertical launching systems (VLS). The sophisticated homegrown air defense system that includes various components is undergoing complicated tests, he said, adding that efforts are underway to bring it into service by the end of the current Iranian year (March 2019). […]
(2018-10-15). The Khashoggi Affair and and the Anti-Iran Axis. counterpunch.org I've argued that the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia comprise an axis (a true "Axis of Evil") united (for very different reasons) in opposition to Iran. The Saudi king has urged Washington to topple the Islamic Republic, which it considers heretical and the fountainhead of regional Shiite militancy. Robert Gates (Defense Secretary 2006-11) recalled meeting More
(2018-10-15). Congressional Candidate Harley Rouda Has A Message For The Persian American Community. iranian.com I'm new to politics. My family ingrained a very clear message in my mind from when I was young — they said focus on your education, work hard, take care of your family and stay far away from politics. It made sense at the time, so I didn't question it and did exactly what I […]
(2018-10-15). Denounced by UN on Humanitarian Grounds, US Sanctions Amount to 'Psychological and Economic Warfare,' Rouhani Says. mintpressnews.com "In the past 40 years, there has not been a more spiteful team than the current U.S. government team toward Iran, Iranians and the Islamic Republic."
(2018-10-15). Forming An Iraqi Government: Secret Talks Between The UN And Hezbollah. iranian.com Secret talks between the UN and Hezbollah, threats by the US establishment against Iraqi leaders and Hezbollah, exchanges of messages between Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and the US representative, and a constant tug of war… All this and more has been registered — according to sources close to Soleimani — during the last four months […]
(2018-10-14). Iran: Khashoggi Was Murdered Because West Shielded Saudis From Criticism. iranian.com According to the invaluable BBC Monitoring press surveys of Middle Eastern newspapers, the coverage of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has differed enormously from country to country. In Lebanon, which has a diverse and somewhat free press, former journalist and current cabinet member Paula Yaqoubian told al-Jadid […]
(2018-10-13). Saudi Media Casts Khashoggi Disappearance as a Conspiracy, Claims Qatar Owns Washington Post. theintercept.com In Saudi Arabia, major media outlets have cast the disappearance and apparent murder of Saudi dissident and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi as a foreign conspiracy to denigrate the image of the kingdom. The media accounts, which come from outlets run with the backing of Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf monarchies, are spinning the coverage of Khashoggi's disappearance as a plot by rival governments and political groups to hurt the kingdom — going so far as to make false claims about the Washington Post's owners. | The English-language arm of the news channel Al Arabiya, for instance, (2018-10-13). Responding to Intensifying US "Hostility" Iran Announces Bold Foreign Policy Shift. mintpressnews.com 
With regional tensions and American pressure continuing to peak, the Iranian establishment needs greater cohesion than ever to manage and overcome the multiple threats ranged against it.
(2018-10-12). 'Entire Middle East' should look like Israel — Pompeo. rt.com 
Israel is everything the US wishes the Middle East would be, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared in a speech, while bashing the Obama administration's approach to Iran as resembling a "Disney movie." |
(2018-10-11). US won't give 'one single dollar' for Syria reconstruction until Iranian forces are out — Pompeo. rt.com 
The US will spend no more money on the reconstruction of war-ravaged Syria if it does not see off Iranian troops, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. The US previously said it would stay in Syria as long as Iran is there.
(2018-10-10). Rashid Khalidi: From Iran to Palestine, Nikki Haley Put a Nice Face on Trump's "Horrific" U.S. Policies. democracynow.org 
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has announced she is resigning her post at the end of the year. The former South Carolina governor—one of the few women in Trump's Cabinet—gave no reason for her departure. During Nikki Haley's time as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, the United States withdrew from the Paris climate accord; the U.N. Human Rights Council; the Iran nuclear deal; UNRWA, the U.N. agency that provides humanitarian aid to Palestinians; and UNESCO, the U.N. educational and cultural agency. We speak with Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said professor of Arab studies at Columbia…
(2018-10-09). 2017 Nobel Peace Laureate: Amid Talks with North Korea, It's Time for U.S. to Abandon Nukes, Too. democracynow.org 
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang over the weekend in talks meant to further steps toward nuclear disarmament. Pompeo hailed the meeting as a success, saying both sides were "pretty close" to agreeing to details for a second summit between Kim and President Donald Trump. He also told reporters Kim has agreed to let international inspectors into a North Korean missile engine test facility and nuclear testing site where the country conducted its six nuclear tests. However, Pompeo did not say whether North Korea would allow inspectors to visit a site where the count…
(2018-10-05). Headlines for October 5, 2018. democracynow.org Senate Set to Close Debate on Kavanaugh Supreme Court Nomination, Coalition of 100,000 U.S. Churches Opposes Kavanaugh Nomination, Kavanaugh Defends His Record in Unprecedented WSJ Op-Ed | , Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Opposes Kavanaugh, 300 Arrested on Capitol Hill as Thousands March Against Kavanaugh, Yemen: Tens of Thousands Protest Economic Collapse Amid Bombing, Bloomberg: China Hacked U.S. Companies, Including Amazon, Apple, VP Pence Accuses China of Interfering in Midterms, Undermining Trump, U.S. Indicts Russians for Hacking Anti-Doping Orgs, Targeting Nuclear Sites, Dutch Officials Sa…
(2018-10-04). Trump Admin Follows Corporate Media Playbook for War With Iran. fair.org 
John Bolton (BBC, 9/26/18): "Let my message today be clear: We are watching, and we will come after you." | Three years ago, as Americans debated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran—popularly known as "the Iran deal"—I highlighted a troubling media trend on FAIR.org ( 8/20/15): "For nearly all commentators, regardless of their position, war is the…
(2018-10-04). Headlines for October 4, 2018. democracynow.org As FBI Probe Wraps Up, Senate Could Vote on Kavanaugh on Saturday, Key GOP Senators Criticize Trump for Mocking Christine Blasey Ford, Over 1,200 Law Professors Sign Letter Opposing Kavanaugh Nomination, U.N.: Yemen Sees 10,000+ New Cases of Cholera Every Week, Trump Suggests Saudi Monarchy Would Collapse Without U.S. Support, Saudi Dissident Journalist Missing After Visit to Consulate in Turkey, Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Teenager at Gaza Protest, U.S. Quits 1955 Iran Treaty After U.N. Court Rules Against Sanctions, Judge Halts Termination of Protected Status for 300,000 Immigrants, Report: DHS Was Unprepar…
(2018-10-03). Headlines for October 3, 2018. democracynow.org Indonesia: Tsunami Death Toll Tops 1,400 as Volcano Erupts on Sulawesi, NYT: Trump's Wealth Comes from Family, Fraud and Tax Dodging, FBI Wrapping Up Kavanaugh Probe Without Interviewing Key Witnesses, Trump: "It's a Very Scary Time for Young Men in America", World Court: U.S. Must Lift Humanitarian Sanctions Against Iran, Suicide Bomb in Afghanistan Kills 13, Injures Dozens, Ethiopia: 44 Killed in Ethnic Violence, FLOTUS Visits Former Slave Trading Fortress in Ghana, U.S. Admitted 22,000 Refugees in FY 2018, Lowest Number in 40 Years, Shipwreck Off Morocco Kills 34 Refugees Heading to Spain, Presidential Alert T…
(2018-08-24). Big Tech Corporations Are Now Banning Iranian Social Media Accounts — A Censored Student Journalist Speaks out. grayzoneproject.com Google, Facebook, and Twitter are removing social media accounts of real life Iranians who are falsely dubbed as "government trolls."…
