US, Germany Draw Close Over Iran, Ukraine

Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian repeated accusations that the United States is encouraging “violence and terror” in popular protests across the country. In a tweet Thursday, he also claimed that Washington is still trying to reach a nuclear agreement.

Iran routinely accuses "enemies" for most of its problems and has presented no evidence of any foreign power being involved in its antigovernment protests.

Since August when a last-ditch effort by the European Union to bridge gaps in 18 months of talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, the US has said that Iran is not serious about an agreement, putting forth demands outside the scope of the accord known as JCPOA.

The US official dismissed Amir-Abdollahian’s claim, saying, “We have been clear that by adopting positions inconsistent with a deal, Iran has taken the JCPOA off the agenda, and that we have sent no messages otherwise. Iran can repeat the claim as often as they want. We have no need to comment further on it.”

The official also condemned Iran’s celebration of the anniversary of the kidnapping of American diplomats as repugnant. “That they in the same breath accuse anyone else of terrorism is doubly so,” the official said.

In November 1979, a group of leftist students backed by the new revolutionary government occupied the US embassy in Tehran and took 54 Americans hostage for 444 days. Iran has never condemned the attack that ruptured bilateral relations.

Stressing the importance of universal human rights, the bloc called on Iran to honor international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the General Assembly resolution adopted in 1966 and in force since 1976.

The wide-ranging G7 statement expressed support for efforts at the United Nations to hold both Iran and Russia accountable for “blatant violations” of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The US, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – G7 members along with Canada, Italy and Japan – have argued that any Iranian supply of military drones to Russia would breach the agreement, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).

As the G7 statement held Iran responsible for not making the “necessary decisions” needed in international talks to restore the JCPOA, the American network CNN Friday cited “US intelligence officials” claiming Tehran had sought Russian help in acquiring “additional nuclear materials and with nuclear fuel fabrication” should JCPOA talks fail.

Russia has consistently expressed support for the JCPOA, and alongside China and three western European signatories criticized the US over its 2018 withdrawal, prompting Iran by 2019 to begin expanding the program. CNN gave no details of the assistance Iran had reportedly sought, nor why it needed Russian help given it is already enriching uranium to 60 percent and has stockpiled uranium well in excess of JCPOA limits.

100%

While not confirming the CNN story, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told the network the US was “working with partners to expose the growing ties between Iran and Russia – and hold them accountable.” She said that while “the JCPOA is not on the agenda… we will be firm in countering any cooperation that would be counter to our non-proliferation goals.”

‘Unabated expansion’

While the G7 statement expressed concern at the “unabated expansion of Iran’s nuclear program, it made no specific reference to the JCPOA while calling on Iran to “fulfill its legal obligations and political commitments in the field of nuclear non-proliferation without further delay.”

The statement pledged to continue work between the G7 and “other international partners…to address Iran’s nuclear escalation and insufficient cooperation with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] regarding its [Nuclear] Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) safeguards agreement.” One of the issues holding up progress in JCPOA talks has reportedly been Iran’s demand that the IAEA drop a probe into unexplained uranium traces found in sites related to Iran’s nuclear work before 2003.

The G7 statement also condemned Iran “destabilizing activities in and around the Middle East,” including “transfers of…advanced weaponry to state and non-state actors,” apparently a reference to Iran’s links with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, Hezbollah in Lebanon, armed Palestinian groups, and Ansar Allah in Yemen.

The statement deplored “the Iranian government’s erosion of civil space, and independent journalism, its targeting of human rights defenders, including by shutting down the internet and social media.” It urged Iranian authorities to “treat women as equal, respecting the universal rights provided to them under the relevant international human rights treaties.” It called for the release in Iran of “unjustly detained prisoners, including recently arrested protesters, children, journalists and human rights defenders, and... accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses.”

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry issued a public notice on its website Wednesday requesting information on logistical routes used to facilitate weapons trade between Russia and the Islamic Republic, including delivery points, warehouses railway stations, military officers and other infrastructure. 

“We remind you that all persons involved in the supply of Iranian weapons for use in the war against Ukraine violate international law and become complicit in crimes committed by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine,” the ministry stated. 

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported on Friday that Israel is apparently changing it long-maintained policy of strategic neutrality regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine after months of reluctance, implying that it may start selling weapons, including air defense systems, to Ukraine.

According to the report, a turning point came late last month, when Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz took a long-requested call from his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov, in which Israel committed to help Ukraine develop an early-warning system, similar to one that alerts Israelis to incoming fire from the Gaza Strip.

Israel has also begun to share its intelligence, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said late in October, welcoming what he called a “positive” trend. 

The cooperation, however, is harshly criticized by Russian officials, such as former President Dmitry Medvedev who warned Israel in October against sending weaponry to Ukraine, saying it would destroy all diplomatic relations between Jerusalem and Moscow.

Sosha Makani, the ex-goalkeeper of Iran’s national team said in a video on his Instagram on Thursday that it’s wrong to go to Qatar to watch football matches because the Iranian regime will exploit their presence in stadiums to tell the world they are support the Islamic Republic.

Referring to the brutal killing of Nika Shakarami by government security forces, he stressed that Iranians must use every chance to tell the world the Islamic Republic is a “child killer”.

“This government and its filthy supporters murder a 16-year-old girl and to evade the consequences throw her off a building, so don’t you think they will exploit your slogans at the World Cup? Use your tribunes to shout, “Death to the Child-killing Islamic Regime,” he added.

Nika Shakarami’s body was found in suspicious circumstances ten days after she left home to take part in a protest rally against compulsory hijab on September 20. Authorities claimed that she was thrown off a roof or jumped to her death after taking part in the protests.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Thursday wrote to the World Cup teams asking them to concentrate on soccer in Qatar and not let ideological “battles” be dragged into football fields.

100%

“We know football does not live in a vacuum and we are equally aware that there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature all around the world… [but] at FIFA, we try to respect all opinions and beliefs, without handing out moral lessons to the rest of the world,” Infantino said in his letter.

As 2022 World Cup kicks off in almost two weeks, a group of Iranian sportspeople said due to regime’s violence and discrimination they have no other choice but turn their backs to their national team.

Theses former karate, wrestling, and judo champions sent a letter to FIFA last week urging that the Islamic Republic be expelled from the tournament.

Ex-wrestling champion Sardar Pashaei who was one of the signatories said, “Iran is different from any other country. A football federation should be independent, but in Iran, it's a joke.”

“Everything is controlled by the Revolutionary Guards. Enough is enough. We believe that Iran is killing protesters. They should be banned until we have a democratic country like any other country in the world,” underlined Pashaei.

Former and current Iranian national football players including Ali Karimi, Ali Daie, Medhi Mahdavikia, Merhrdad Pouladi, Sardar Azmoun, Hossein Mahini, Voria Ghafouri and Aref Gholami were among the athletes raising their voice against the government crackdown on protesters.

Ali Karimi was one of the first celebrities who condemned the death of Mahsa Amini. Since then, Karimi has voiced support for protesters on social media becoming an icon for them.

Soccer legend Ali Daei also called on the government to “solve the problems of the Iranian people rather than using repression, violence and arrests.”

He also rejected the narrative of the regime regarding the death of a 15-year old girl in her birthplace Ardabil saying he does not believe Asra Panahi had died of heart failure and dismissed as “rumors” that she had taken her own life.

Mehdi Mahdavi Kia, on Friday lashed out at the government on his Instagram page saying “Shame on those who divided the country into insiders and non-insiders.”

In a report published on Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) received 76,000 cybercrime reports last financial year, up 13 percent from the previous corresponding period. 

Describing the attacks as a "huge wake-up call," he said they have made cyberspace a “battleground.” "It's a huge wakeup call, and companies need to get their act together...we need to do much better," he said, adding that "The government has stepped up, the private sector needs to step up in the interest of their customers but also their own interest."

Business losses attributable to cybercrime rose on average 14 percent over the period, with the average crime costing a small business A$39,000 ($24,540).

“It’s not just about the frauds or the texts that you or I might receive, but real issues around the security of our country going forward,” Cybersecurity Minister Clare O’Neil said in reference to the report. “It is a national security focus of the government.”

As part of efforts to intensify reactions to cyber threats by the Islamic Republic, the FBI warned late in October that the Iranian cyber group Emennet Pasargad is conducting hack-and-leak operations involving a combination of hacking and theft of data. In November 2021, the Treasury Department sanctioned six Iranian officials as well as the company for their involvement in the planned cyberattack.