Iranian outlets analyze implications of Trump-Kim meeting on Iran nuclear deal
President Donald Trump’s potential meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has drawn a great deal of attention in Tehran. Iranian media outlets and analysts debate how the historic summit could impact US policy vis-à-vis the Islamic Republic. Many articles, particularly in reformist publications, warn that a possible thaw in Washington-Pyongyang relations would help the Trump administration to pursue a more assertive policy against Tehran.
Iran-backed group says Hashd al-Shaabi will not merge into Iraq’s security institutions
The spokesman of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, a militia unit within Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) with close ties with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s decree giving PMF members equal salaries and benefits as those of regular military personnel, but emphasized that the PMF paramilitary forces will will not be merged into any of the country’s security institutions. According to AAH spokesman Naim al-Abudi, the PMF – also known by its Arabic name Hashd al-Shaabi – has 140,000 members, including 122,000 combatants.
Iranian protesters clash with police over water dispute in Isfahan
Scores of angry Iranian farmers clashed with local security forces in the central province of Isfahan over a water dispute, the BBC Persian reported. The police used tear gas to disperse the protesters, who were chanting antigovernment slogans.
Arab summit calls on Iran to end “expansionist policies”, return disputed islands to UAE
A summit of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo called on Iran to stop its “expansionist policies” and interference in the internal affairs of the Arab countries – drawing an angry response from the Iranian foreign ministry.
Iran-backed militia groups will receive full military benefits under new decree
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi yesterday issued a decree on the inclusion of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the country’s security forces, the Iranian and Lebanese media reported. According to the Abadi’s order, the paramilitary forces, also known by its Arabic name Hashd al-Shaabi, will receive equivalent salaries and other benefits as the country’s military personnel under the Ministry of Defense. The PMF forces from now on also can enroll in military colleges and institutions and will be subject to the country’s military service laws and regulations.
Russia and Pakistan align their Afghanistan policies
Pakistani foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s visit to Russia from Feb. 19 to Feb. 22 was a desperate attempt by Islamabad to woo Moscow into countering mounting American pressure on Pakistan to close safe havens used by the Taliban, most notably the Haqqani network. However, the growing Moscow-Islamabad bonhomie is not good news for Washington’s current Afghan strategy, as it unmistakably signifies changing Russian perceptions and priorities in South Asia.
Khamenei rules out negotiation with West over Iran’s regional role
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said today that the Islamic Republic will not negotiate with the West regarding its presence and policies in the Middle East,
AEIO spokesman: Iran can resume 20% enrichment, builds nuclear-powered ships
Iran can resume 20 percent uranium enrichment within two days using new enrichment machines the country has developed, the spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has said. Behrouz Kamalvandi further warned that if the Trump administration cancels the 2015 nuclear agreement, Tehran will further enhance the scope of its nuclear enrichment capabilities.
Iran-backed Iraqi militia group says it’s “legitimate” to confront US forces
The spokesman of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), an Iraqi militia group with close ties with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and the Lebanese Hezbollah, described the US presence in Iraq as “illegal” and called for the withdrawal of American troops from the country. His remarks were the latest in a series of similar statements against the US presence in Iraq by Iranian-backed groups in recent months.
IRGC says Iran has tripled missile production in defiance of Western demands
A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said today that Iran has increased its missile and defense-related production three-fold despite mounting pressure by the United States and its allies,
Reevaluating U.S. security assistance to the Middle East
Since 9/11, American security strategy has focused on building the military capabilities of global allies in order to advance shared goals and address joint threats. In the Middle East, the results of this approach have been mixed at best. Frustration over U.S. security assistance to the region has grown in Washington, as funding and arms transfers to various state and non-state partners have led to unintended consequences, prompting the Trump administration to reevaluate U.S. aid to Egypt, Pakistan, and the Palestinians.
Iraqi Hezbollah calls on Baghdad government to set up US exit timeline
The Iraqi Hezbollah welcomed the latest decision by the country’s parliament to devise a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops and accused the American forces of promoting instability in the war-torn country. “America will create new terrorist groups to justify keeping its forces in Iraq,” the milita group said in a statement.
Bahrain says arrested 116 members of IRGC-established “terror cell”
The Bahraini government said on Saturday that its security forces had foiled a number of terrorist plots and arrested 116 people who were allegedly members of an armed group run by Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). “The Revolutionary Guards formed several terrorist organizations and brought them together under one umbrella,” a statement released by the Bahraini Interior Ministry said.
Afghans fear IRGC may deploy Fatemiyoun fighters to Afghanistan
On March 2, Mohammad-Hashem Esmat-Allahi, who served as a senior adviser to former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, praised Afghan Shiite militiamen fighting in Syria.
