Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) and Ilhan Omar (MN) are among a group of Democratic lawmakers calling on the Trump administration to end sanctions on Iran during the coronavirus pandemic.
&#8220;I led a letter with [Rep. Ocasio-Cortez] and [Sen. Bernie Sanders] demanding this Administration end sanctions against Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic,&#8221; Omar tweeted Tuesday. &#8220;These sanctions aren’t changing the behavior of the Iranian government, but directly punishing innocent civilians.&#8221;
Ocasio-Cortez also took to Twitter to publicize her role in pushing for the easing of sanctions on Iran by retweeted a post from the author of a report on the letter: &#8220;[Ocasio-Cortez], [Sanders], [Omar], and [Sen. Elizabeth Warren] &amp; co want to suspend sanctions on Iran that make it hard to import meds, PPE &amp; respirators despite one of the world&#8217;s biggest COVID-19 outbreaks and Trump&#8217;s claims of having made enough humanitarian concessions,&#8221; reads the tweet from Huffington Post foreign affairs reporter Akbar Shahid Ahmed.
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I led a letter with <a href="https://twitter.com/RepAOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepAOC</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSanders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSanders</a> demanding this Administration end sanctions against Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
These sanctions aren’t changing the behavior of the Iranian government, but directly punishing innocent civilians. <a href="https://t.co/odymQAN3cn">https://t.co/odymQAN3cn</a>
&mdash; Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ilhan/status/1245075397504573440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Exclu: <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AOC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BernieSanders</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IlhanMN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IlhanMN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ewarren?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ewarren</a> &amp; co want to suspend sanctions on Iran that make it hard to import meds, PPE &amp; respirators despite one of the world&#39;s biggest COVID-19 outbreaks and Trump&#39;s claims of having made enough humanitarian concessions.<a href="https://t.co/S42tATdyLX">https://t.co/S42tATdyLX</a>
&mdash; Akbar Shahid Ahmed (@AkbarSAhmed) <a href="https://twitter.com/AkbarSAhmed/status/1245035385153105927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2020</a></blockquote>
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As reported by the <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-sanctions-iran-coronavirus_n_5e831295c5b603fbdf490a1d">HuffPost</a> on Tuesday, Omar, Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders are among over two-dozen Democratic lawmakers who signed a letter sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Tuesday demanding the administration &#8220;suspend sweeping U.S. sanctions on Iran that are hindering the country’s response to its massive coronavirus outbreak.&#8221;
&#8220;Allowing this crisis to become more dire in Iran threatens significant harm not only to the people of Iran but also to people in the United States and around the world,&#8221; the letter reads.
&#8220;Our many disputes with the government of Iran or others should not stand in the way of actions that can materially help innocent people weather a pandemic,&#8221; the Democratic lawmakers assert.
As a precedent for such an action, the letter notes that President George W. Bush’s administration &#8220;eased sanctions&#8221; and &#8220;delivered aid&#8221; to Iran after the 2003 earthquake near Bam.
Among the sanctions relief they are demanding are &#8220;those that encompass major sectors of the Iranian economy, including those impacting civilian industries, Iran’s banking sector and exports of oil.&#8221; The easing of sanctions should last &#8220;for at least as long as health experts believe the crisis will continue,&#8221; the lawmakers insist.
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HuffPost cites some of the alarming COVID-19 statistics coming out of Iran, including more <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">2,750 deaths</a> in connection to the virus and more than 40,000 infections.
Along with Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, and Sanders, former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA) signed the letter.
During the course of his presidency, Trump has withdrawn from the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal and ramped up pressure on Iran by placing increasingly punitive sanctions on the country, which is the world&#8217;s leading state sponsor of terrorism.
While HuffPost notes that the sanctions &#8220;restrict Iran’s ability to earn foreign currency by selling oil abroad and to trade with international firms, limiting its imports of medicine and materials it needs to produce drugs domestically,&#8221; and have damaged the country&#8217;s ability to gain access to specialized medical equipment, Iran&#8217;s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has turned down U.S. offers of aid.
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&#8220;The U.S. preserved loopholes for food and medical trade with Iran and acknowledged its need by offering aid, American officials have noted, but Iran’s Supreme Leader <a href="https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2020/mar/23/khamenei-refuses-us-help-covid-19" data-ylk="subsec:paragraph;cpos:8;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid-parsed="slk" data-rapid_p="8" data-v9y="1">rejected</a> the offer,&#8221; HuffPost reports. &#8220;Last month, Trump <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-swiss-formally-open-humanitarian-trade-channel-to-iran-11582846163" data-ylk="subsec:paragraph;cpos:8;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid-parsed="slk" data-rapid_p="9" data-v9y="1">authorized</a> a new channel for humanitarian exports to the country that allows companies to seek approval for deals from the U.S. and Swiss governments without fear of incurring American penalties.&#8221;
Despite Trump opening the new channels, &#8220;producers of vital supplies are still nervous about fines, as American authorities continue to target violators of the sanctions and impose new ones, and are reluctant to deal with byzantine U.S. regulations that cover broad swathes of the Iranian economy, from banks to parts of the military,&#8221; HuffPost notes.
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-fauci-cautiously-offers-hope-rate-of-increase-seems-to-be-dropping-off">WATCH: Fauci Cautiously Offers Hope: Rate Of Increase Seems To Be Dropping Off</a>
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar Demand Trump End Sanctions On Iran During Coronavirus Crisis

Ali Khamenei

Bernie Sanders

Donald Trump

Elizabeth Warren

Ilhan Omar

Iran

Mike Pompeo

Steve Mnuchin

United States intelligence officials have informed the family of Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent who was last seen in Iran in 2007, they have concluded that he has died.
A family member of Levinson told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/us/politics/robert-levinson-cia-iran.html?action=click&amp;module=Alert&amp;pgtype=Homepage">The New York Times</a> that his close relatives were informed of the assessment during a meeting in the White House Situation Room sometime in the last few weeks. However, U.S. officials were unable to determine his death with absolute certainty.
U.S. intelligence officials have also not confirmed the timing of Levinson’s suspected death, but assured the family the assessment was made based on recent information, reports the news agency. Officials did determine, however, that the death probably occurred within the last several years.
The family has accepted the assessment from intelligence officials and announced Levinson’s death in a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon.
“We recently received information from U.S. officials that has led both them and us to conclude that our wonderful husband and father died while in Iranian custody,” said the family&#8217;s statement. “It is impossible to describe our pain. Our family will spend the rest of our lives without the most amazing man we have ever known, a new reality that is inconceivable to us.”
“If not for the cruel, heartless actions of the Iranian regime, Robert Levinson would be alive and home with us today,” said the statement. “How those responsible in Iran could do this to a human being, while repeatedly lying to the world all this time, is incomprehensible to us. They kidnapped a foreign citizen and denied him any basic human rights, and his blood is on their hands.”
“Those who are responsible for what happened to Bob Levinson, including those in the U.S. government who for many years repeatedly left him behind, will ultimately receive justice for what they have done. We will spend the rest of our lives making sure of this, and the Iranian regime must know we will not be going away,&#8221; said the family.
According to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/family-concludes-former-fbi-agent-robert-levinson-died-iran-n1169056">NBC News</a>, Iran has continued to deny they were involved in Levinson’s disappearance, and a spokesperson for Iran’s Permanent Mission to the U.N. claimed the country has “no knowledge of Mr. Levinson’s whereabouts.”
President Trump informed White House reporters Wednesday afternoon that he was not able to confirm Levinson’s death, reports the news agency.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not looking promising,&#8221; said the president, who maintained that while Iran didn’t explicitly confirm the death, “a lot of people are thinking that is the case.&#8221;
During a 2013 investigation, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-missing-nearly-7-years-in-iran-was-working-for-cia-on-unapproved-mission-2013-12">The Associated Press</a> revealed that the retired FBI agent was on an unauthorized CIA intelligence gathering mission, working on behalf of a group of U.S. intelligence analysts. 
Both the Bush and Obama administration had maintained that Levinson was visiting Iran on private business, and that the CIA was not involved in the matter, reports the news agency. 
AP explained that the decision to reveal Levinson’s CIA affiliation was only made after government officials had exhausted their leads, and after government officials had determined Iran was already aware of Levinson’s CIA status.

USA &#8211; Politics &#8211; White House &#8211; Renovated Situation Room

Retired FBI Agent Missing In Iran For 13 Years Has Reportedly Died, Reveals Family

Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday cited a conspiracy theory claiming America bio-engineered the coronavirus. Citing this theory, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei refused U.S. help in fighting the virus.
Khamenei not only repeated the conspiracy theory, which is being peddled by Chinese authorities in order to take the blame off of the communist country for the outbreak, but claimed the virus was created using Iranian genetic data to specifically target Iran, The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/2cffa4c49cbf085562a71cd36a4e4378">reported</a>.
“I do not know how real this accusation is but when it exists, who in their right mind would trust you to bring them medication?” Khamenei said, as reported by the AP. “Possibly your medicine is a way to spread the virus more.”
He then claimed that the coronavirus “is specifically built for Iran using the genetic data of Iranians which they have obtained through different means.” As the AP noted, there is no evidence to support this accusation.
“You might send people as doctors and therapists, maybe they would want to come here and see the effect of the poison they have produced in person,” Khamenei added.
More from the AP:
<blockquote>There is no scientific proof offered anywhere in the world to support Khamenei’s claims.
However, his comments come after Chinese government spokesman Lijian Zhao tweeted earlier this month that it “might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe(s) us an explanation!”
Lijian likewise offered no evidence to support his claim, which saw the U.S. State Department summon China’s ambassador to complain. A Chinese state newspaper tweeted Sunday another allegation trying to link the virus to Italy, similarly hard-hit by the outbreak.
Wuhan is the Chinese city where the first cases of the disease were detected in December.</blockquote>
Khomenei made his unsubstantiated claims on Sunday in a speech that was televised live across Iran. Sunday is Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Khomenei made the remarks during a broadcast marking the event and the Islamic commemoration Isra and Miraj.
“His comments come as Iran has over 21,600 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus amid 1,685 reported deaths, according to government figures released Sunday. <a href="https://apnews.com/a385bc3ccad75f990dff96f664dd508c">Experts still fear Iran may be underreporting its cases</a>,” the AP reported. “Iran is one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by the new virus, sweeping across leaders in both its civilian government and Shiite theocracy. Across the Mideast, Iran represents eight of 10 cases of the virus and those leaving the Islamic Republic have carried the virus to other countries.”
The U.S. has offered aid to Iran to help stop the coronavirus, but the country has refused the help, claiming America was being disingenuous in its attempts at the country struggles with U.S. sanctions.
The AP also reported that this isn’t the first time Iranian leaders have chosen to believe conspiracy theories that make the U.S. look bad.
“Iranian hard-liners have supported conspiracy theories in the past when it suited their interests. Following the Sept. 11 attacks, some publicly doubted al-Qaida’s role and state TV promoting the unfounded conspiracy theory that the Americans blew up the building themselves,” the AP reported.
“Former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad similarly raised doubt about the Sept. 11 attack, calling it a ‘big lie,’ while also describing the Holocaust as a ‘myth.’”

Ayatollah Khomeini

Iran Leader Cites Chinese Conspiracy Theory While Rejecting Help From US To Stop Coronavirus

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Coronavirus

On Friday, President Trump used the occasion of the ancient Persian holiday of Nowruz, which dates back over 3,000 years and was celebrated in Persia (now Iran) 1,500 years before the advent of Islam, to send a message of hope to the Iranian people struggling to free themselves from the despotic Islamic regime. Trump stated, &#8220;The people of Iran have made it clear that they want leadership that represents them, not the interests of its corrupt regime.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/presidential-message-nowruz-2020/">wrote</a>:
<blockquote>I send my best wishes to those here in America and around the globe celebrating Nowruz. Marking the first day of spring, Nowruz commences the Persian New Year and is celebrated by Iranians and many others across the Middle East, Central Asia, the United States, and around the world.
The past year has been historic for the people of Iran.  We saw brave and courageous Iranians stand up in massive numbers across the entire country to protest their government’s corruption and demand accountability.  The people of Iran have made it clear that they want leadership that represents them, not the interests of its corrupt regime.  The Iranian people deserve leaders who listen to, respect, and invest in them, not leaders who target and persecute them while wasting money to advance their nuclear ambitions and test more missiles.
Nowruz is a time of renewal that encourages those observing the holiday to embrace a refreshed sprit of optimism.  The Iranian people have great untapped potential.  Their culture is vibrant, and Iranians excel in fields from math and science, law, technology, and the arts.  They deserve a future of peace and prosperity at home and with all other nations.  As they begin this season of renewed hope, we join our partners and allies around the world in praying for a brighter, freer future for Iran.
On behalf of the United States, I extend my warmest greetings for a joyous and peace-filled Nowruz.  Today, we are reminded once more that the forces of freedom and liberty will always triumph over evil and oppression.
Nowruz Pirouz!</blockquote>
As <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/reference/holidays/nowruz-ancient-festival-celebration-springtime-new-year/">National Geographic</a> explains, Nowruz means “new day” and is set to mark the vernal equinox, the first day of spring. In Iran the solar calendar begins on Nowruz.
National Geographic notes, “Its roots are as a feast day in <a href="http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shaped-the-west">Zoroastrianism</a>, a religion practiced in ancient Persia that viewed the arrival of spring as a victory over darkness. The holiday survived the Islamic conquest of Persia in the seventh century and the decline of Zoroastrianism’s popularity, and it spread across the globe through the diaspora of Persian people throughout history.”
National Geographic continues, “Nowruz has proven resilient in the modern era, too. After Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, the new government attempted to suppress the festival out of fear it might detract from the state religion. But those attempts <a href="https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/34485/Master's%20Thesis%20The%20Politics%20of%20National%20Celebrations%20in%20post-revolutionary%20Iran.pdf?sequence=1">failed</a>, and Nowruz is now celebrated as an official state holiday in Iran … It’s also an official holiday in Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraqi Kurdistan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia’s Bayan-Ölgii province, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and it’s widely celebrated in places like Turkey, Indian and other places with Persian enclaves.”
&nbsp;

Members Of The Coronavirus Task Force Hold Press Briefing

Trump Acknowledges Ancient Persian Holiday Predating Islam, Sends Message Of Hope To Iranian People

Dr. Rick Brennan, Director of Emergency Operations in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new Emergencies Program, revealed on Monday that the number of coronavirus cases in Iran is potentially five times higher than what is being reported.
&#8220;Iran has the third highest case load after China and Italy, with nearly 13,000 confirmed cases, according to WHO data,&#8221; Reuters <a href="https://news.trust.org/item/20200316201122-i8bmb/">reported</a>. &#8220;However, Brennan, who just returned from a mission to Iran last week, said that the number of cases reported could represent only about a fifth of the real numbers.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ve said the weakest link in their chain is the data,&#8221; Brennan said. &#8220;They are rapidly increasing their ability to test and so the numbers will go up.&#8221;
Back in late February, Iran&#8217;s government claimed that only 388 people had been infected and that 34 people had died from the coronavirus, which originated in China.
At the time, the BBC reported that the real number of deaths was believed to be at least 210, a number that came from sources inside the country&#8217;s health system.
New York Times reporter Farnaz Fassihi reported at the same time: “Real infected numbers about 10,000 to 15,000, says head of health committee of Tehran city council.”
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a> coronavirus Friday: Tolls climbs 34 dead &amp; 388 infected. Likely spread to 22 provinces. Peak will come next weeks as tests kits are more available, health minister. Real infected numbers about 10,000 to 15,000, says head of health committee of Tehran city council. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%A7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#كرونا</a>
&mdash; Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) <a href="https://twitter.com/farnazfassihi/status/1233417739668262912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/irans-coronavirus-strategy-favored-economy-over-public-health-leaving-both-exposed-11584272132">reported</a> on Sunday:
<blockquote>Iranian officials identified the central city of Qom as the center of an outbreak that was announced on Feb. 19, but refused to quarantine the city, calling such measures relics of the era before World War I.
After the virus spread to other cities, the government kept the roads open to the northern part of the country, despite pleas from local officials there to restrict traffic, though it has urged Iranians not to travel and has canceled large gatherings such as Friday prayers.</blockquote>
The outbreak in Iran and in Qom has been so devastating that The Washington Post identified through high-quality satellite images that appear to show mass grave sites the size of football fields.
The Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/iran-coronavirus-outbreak-graves/">reported</a>:
<blockquote>Two days after Iran declared its first cases of the novel coronavirus — in what would become one of the largest outbreaks of the illness outside of China — evidence of unusual activity appeared at a cemetery near where the infections emerged.
At the Behesht-e Masoumeh complex in Qom, about 80 miles south of Tehran, the excavation of a new section of the graveyard began as early as Feb. 21, satellite images show, and then rapidly expanded as the virus spread. By the end of the month, two large trenches — their lengths totaling 100 yards — were visible at the site from space.
According to expert analysis, video testimony and official statements, the graves were dug to accommodate the rising number of virus victims in Qom.</blockquote>
In a video analyzed by The Washington Post, a worker who was burying bodies said that they had already buried approximately 250 bodies.
Channel 4 News, a British news station, reported late last week that a doctor inside Iran said that his hospital was losing &#8220;20 or 30 patients a day.&#8221;
“It’s a disaster,&#8221; the doctor allegedly said. &#8220;It’s worse than the war.”
The doctor apparently died a few days later.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Tonight <a href="https://twitter.com/Channel4News?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Channel4News</a> I’m reporting on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a> spreading in Iran, including audio of a desperate doctor who says his hospital is losing 20 or 30 patients a day. “It’s a disaster. It’s worse than the war.” A few days after the recording he also died.
&mdash; Lindsey Hilsum (@lindseyhilsum) <a href="https://twitter.com/lindseyhilsum/status/1238514679997255688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Coronavirus precautions in Tehran

W.H.O. Doctor Paints Grim Picture Of Coronavirus Outbreak In Iran

The despotic theocratic regime in Iran, unsurprisingly, is blaming America and the Jews for the coronavirus outbreak in Iran that has now claimed the life of  the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/coronavirus-iran-death-official-update">former Iranian ambassador to Syria</a> as well as an <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/02/middleeast/iran-coronavirus-supreme-leader-adviser-intl/index.html">adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader</a> Ayatollah Ali Khameini.
<a href="https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran-News/Irans-regime-pushes-antisemitic-conspiracies-about-coronavirus-620212">The Jerusalem Post</a> reports, “Over the last several days, Iran has pushed several reports claiming that ‘Zionists’ were behind the coronavirus. Press TV also quoted the same website that was at the center of an antisemitic article from 2017 that claimed “America’s Jews are driving America’s wars.”
The Post added, “On March 5, Press TV claimed that ‘Zionist elements developed a deadlier strain of coronavirus against Iran.’ Although the report claimed to reference a foreign ‘academic,’ it fits the pattern of Iran using foreign experts to give the regime’s own views a patina of authority.
The leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, has claimed the virus was “biological warfare” that came from the United States, asserting on March 5, “We are now dealing with a biological war,” and that it “may be the product of American biological warfare.” The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was named a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration in April 2019.  President Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-designation-islamic-revolutionary-guard-corps-foreign-terrorist-organization/">stated</a>:
<blockquote>Today, I am formally announcing my Administration’s plan to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including its Qods Force, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.  This unprecedented step, led by the Department of State, recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft.  The IRGC is the Iranian government’s primary means of directing and implementing its global terrorist campaign.</blockquote>
On Sunday, Press TV linked to the claim that the U.S.  is waging “biological warfare,” and cited an article blaming Israel, claiming a “former CIA officer” stated “the US and Israel are working together.”
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-iranians-lick-shrine-believed-to-be-infected-with-coronavirus">The Daily Wire</a> reported on March 2, some Iranians reportedly defied conventional wisdom regarding the coronavirus and deliberately licked Islamic shrines believed to be infected with coronavirus to prove that they were not afraid of the epidemic, some even declaring that they hope they are infected.
The Middle East Media Research Institute <a href="https://www.memri.org/tv/iran-lick-shiite-shrine-coronavirus">reported</a>, “Iranians have posted several videos on social media, featuring devout Shiites licking holy shrines in defiance of the coronavirus. In some of the videos, worshippers say they are licking the shrines in order to infect themselves, thus protecting future pilgrims to the shrines from contracting the virus. On March 1, 2020, a pilgrim posted a video of himself licking the steel bars protecting the window of a Shiite shrine.”
One man stated, &#8220;If there are diseases or microbes there, let them enter our bodies and the bodies of our children, so that nothing happens to the pilgrims visiting Imam Reza.”
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-07/iranian-lawmaker-dies-of-coronavirus-as-infections-spread">Bloomberg</a> reported on March 7, &#8220;The number of cases jumped more than 20% to 5,823, a health ministry spokesman said Saturday on state television. There were 21 additional deaths, bringing the total to 145 — third highest in the world.&#8221;

Iranian Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi tests positive for coronavirus

SHOCKER: Iran Blames America And The Jews For Coronavirus

Jews

United States

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has nearly tripled its stockpile of enriched uranium since November, despite the agreement it had made in the disastrous nuclear deal from which President Trump had withdrawn, but countries that remained signatories still believe in.
The International Atomic Energy Agency stated that as of Feb. 19, Iran&#8217;s total stockpile of low-enriched uranium reached 1,020.9 kilograms compared to 372.3 kilograms as noted in its last report on Nov. 3, 2019, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/watchdog-iran-undeclared-nuclear-sites-69357143?cid=clicksource_4380645_6_mobile_web_only_headlines_headlines_hed">ABC News</a> reported, adding, “The current stockpile puts Iran within reach of the amount needed to produce a nuclear weapon, which it insists it does not want to do.”
Germany, France, Britain, China and Russia are still signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal, aka the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which permits Iran to amass no more than 202.8 kilograms.
Additionally, IAEA declared there were three locations in Iran where the country may have stored undeclared nuclear material or undertook nuclear-related activities but not revealed that data to international observers. ABC News pointed out, “It said it had sent questions to Iran in three separate letters but received no answers.”
Six months before President Trump withdrew from the JCPOA, he noted:
<blockquote>The Iranian regime has committed multiple violations of the agreement … The Iranian regime has also intimidated international inspectors into not using the full inspection authorities that the agreement calls for. Iranian officials and military leaders have repeatedly claimed they will not allow inspectors onto military sites, even though the international community suspects some of those sites were part of Iran&#8217;s clandestine nuclear weapons program.
By its own terms, the Iran Deal was supposed to contribute to &#8220;regional and international peace and security.&#8221; And yet, while the United States adheres to our commitment under the deal, the Iranian regime continues to fuel conflict, terror, and turmoil throughout the Middle East and beyond. Importantly, Iran is not living up to the spirit of the deal.</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-03/iran-s-nuclear-stockpile-jumps-as-suspicion-grows-over-uranium">Bloomberg News</a> reported on Tuesday:
<blockquote>A suggestion that Iran could be providing incomplete information has potentially serious consequences. The entire international apparatus of rules that the IAEA enforces is based on verifying the correctness and completeness of nations’ declared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities. The IAEA’s findings could make it more difficult for the remaining parties to the deal &#8212; China, France, Germany, Russia and the U.K. &#8212; to resuscitate the landmark agreement. They pledged support last week for what they continue to describe as one of the world’s “key non-proliferation projects.”</blockquote>
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told AFP on Tuesday: “Iran must decide to cooperate in a clearer manner with the agency to give the necessary clarifications. The fact that we found traces (of uranium) is very important. That means there is the possibility of nuclear activities and material that are not under international supervision and about which we know not the origin or the intent. That worries me,” as the <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/As-Iran-passes-uranium-enrichment-threshold-Israel-stays-quiet-Analysis-619646">Jerusalem Post</a> reported.
The <a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/JCPOA-at-a-glance">Arms Control Association</a> has stated Iran requires roughly 1,050 kilograms of low-enriched uranium and enriching it to 90% purity to create weapons. It states that the JCPOA requires Iran to cap its uranium enrichment for 15 years at 3.67%.  ABC News noted, “Prior to the nuclear deal, Iran enriched its uranium up to 20%, which is just a short technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.”
The countries still party to the nuclear deal reiterated their support for the Iran nuclear deal as recently as late February. A website associated with the European Union <a href="https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/75190/jcpoa-chairs-statement-following-meeting-joint-commission_en">stated</a> of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, “All participants reaffirmed the importance of preserving the agreement recalling that it is a key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture.”
&nbsp;

G20 Leaders&#8217; Summit in Buenos Aires

Iran Triples Uranium. IAEA Chief Realizes Trump’s Suspicion Of Iran May Be  Correct.

Numerous video clips surfaced on Twitter over the last few days that, according to a top research organization, shows Iranians licking Islamic shrines believed to be infected with coronavirus to prove that they are not afraid of the epidemic, some declaring that they hope they are infected.
The Middle East Media Research Institute, a non-partisan organization that specializes in tracking down extremist content online, highlighted several of the clips that allegedly showed Iranians licking the shrine.
“Iranians have posted several videos on social media, featuring devout Shiites licking holy shrines in defiance of the coronavirus. In some of the videos, worshippers say they are licking the shrines in order to infect themselves, thus protecting future pilgrims to the shrines from contracting the virus,” the Middle East Media Research Institute <a href="https://www.memri.org/tv/iran-lick-shiite-shrine-coronavirus">reported</a>. “On March 1, 2020, a pilgrim posted a video of himself licking the steel bars protecting the window of a Shiite shrine.”
&#8220;If there are diseases or microbes there, let them enter our bodies and the bodies of our children, so that nothing happens to the pilgrims visiting Imam Reza,&#8221; one of the men who licks a shrine states.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Iranians Lick Shiite Shrines in Defiance of Coronavirus Threats; Iranian-Islamic Medicine Expert: I Will Cure It <a href="https://t.co/K39rZb55oe">pic.twitter.com/K39rZb55oe</a>
&mdash; MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEMRIReports/status/1234087806533808128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The video clips surfaced around the same time that Iranian health officials have given a vastly different account of the dire situation from the coronavirus in the Islamic nation.
The Iranian government has downplayed the virus, stating that only a few dozen people had died from it while a few hundred had been infected.
Some Iranian government officials have come forward and said that the government is lying about how bad the situation is, while the BBC and a New York Times correspondent reported Thursday that well over 200 people have died and up to 15,000 people had been infected.
TRANSCRIPT [According to a transcription by MEMRI]:
<blockquote>MAN #1: This is the steel window in the Ali ibn Musa Al-Reza shrine. Millions of people have come here and touched it from remote villages, from cities, from streets, from countries, and continents. I’ve heard that some of the enemies of the family of the Prophet have recently spread rumors that the shrine and this window contracted corona, AIDS, hepatitis, and such nonsense. So I have come to lick the window of Imam Reza’s shrine so that the disease enters my body and you would be able to make the pilgrimage peacefully. I have now eaten the corona disease. May you now come to visit our beloved.
MAN #2: He kissed it, licked it, and spread it on his eyes. If there are diseases or microbes there, let them enter our bodies and the bodies of our children, so that nothing happens to the pilgrims visiting Imam Reza.
MAN #3: This place has become full of corona. Look, I’m licking it so that all the corona enters my body. Let all the corona come to me.
MAN #4: I have come to Qom. At the mosque as well in private meetings, we will kiss everybody. We will meet with everybody. We will go to the Fatima Masuma Shrine. We will go everywhere and will do everything, and we will show everything the [coronavirus] is nothing but stories.  They want to take away our religion. They want to harm us. What they are doing is meaningless. We won’t listen to this. Besides, what kind of disease is this that you blow it out of proportions? Is there any problem to cure it? I am ready to personally go where the infected people are. I will start treating them there and you will see how fast they are cured. It hasn’t been proven yet that the deaths are caused by corona. Someone is about to die, he gets the ‘corona’ cold and dies. I heard of two or three cases [of people], who were said to have died. I asked and was told that they had been sick for a long time. They had been on medication and would eat one kilogram of chemical meds every day.</blockquote>

Coronavirus precautions in Iran&#8217;s Qom

WATCH: Iranians Lick Shrine Believed To Be Infected With Coronavirus

The number of people that have been killed from the coronavirus inside the Islamic Republic of Iran has reportedly exploded as an Iranian member of parliament admitted on Friday that the nation was lying to the world about the “horrific numbers” of deaths the country has suffered.
The BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51673053">reported</a>:
<blockquote>At least 210 people in Iran have died as a result of the new coronavirus disease, sources in the country&#8217;s health system have told BBC Persian.
Most of the victims are from the capital, Tehran, and the city of Qom, where cases of Covid-19 first emerged.</blockquote>
Iran&#8217;s Islamic government, which is notoriously dishonest, insisted that the BBC was lying and claimed that only 388 people had been infected and only 34 had died.
New York Times reporter Farnaz Fassihi reported on Friday: &#8220;Real infected numbers about 10,000 to 15,000, says head of health committee of Tehran city council.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a> coronavirus Friday: Tolls climbs 34 dead &amp; 388 infected. Likely spread to 22 provinces. Peak will come next weeks as tests kits are more available, health minister. Real infected numbers about 10,000 to 15,000, says head of health committee of Tehran city council. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%A7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#كرونا</a>
&mdash; Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) <a href="https://twitter.com/farnazfassihi/status/1233417739668262912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The BBC&#8217;s numbers were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/28/world/middleeast/coronavirus-iran-confusion.html">based</a> on the &#8220;news service’s own survey of Iranian hospitals.&#8221;
“I say this explicitly, the statistics presented so far are not true,” MP Gholamali Jafarzadeh Imenabadi reportedly <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/iranian-mp-says-coronavirus-deaths-171743076.html">said</a>. “I have statistics about the number of deaths due to coronavirus from three different cemeteries in Rasht and I have to say that the numbers are much higher than what is being said. It is not as if we can hide the cemeteries.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that the administration has made repeated offers to help Iran deal with the outbreak, but have been rejected.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi falsely accused the U.S. of playing a &#8220;political-psychological game&#8221; on Iran.

Northern Italy In The Grip Of Covid-19 Coronavirus

Coronavirus Deaths, Infections EXPLODE In Iran, Iranian Official Admits Iran Is Lying

The Democratic senator who <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/sen-chris-murphy-trumps-moves-iran-catastrophic-damage/story?id=68146795">mocked President Trump</a> after Trump ordered the killing of Iranian general and terror leader Qassem Soleimani, saying Trump had ‘made us a literal laughingstock” around the world, held a secret meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during the Munich Security Conference last week, according to a source briefed by the French delegation to the conference.
<a href="https://thefederalist.com/2020/02/17/source-democrat-senator-held-secret-meeting-in-munich-with-iranian-foreign-minister-zarif/#.XkqNtakwTew.twitter">The Federalist</a> reports that Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who had mocked Trump in early January, joined other Democratic senators for that secret meeting. What makes Murphy’s action particularly hypocritical is that in the past, he has bitterly slammed the idea that senators might interfere with a current administration’s foreign policy.
In 2015, 47 senators signed an open letter to Iran’s leaders that was <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2015/03/kerry-hypocritically-slams-cottons-letter-tehran-deroy-murdock/?target=author&amp;tid=63283">never even sent</a> to Iran in which they warned, “We will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei … The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen, and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.”
Murphy ranted to <a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/divided-on-iran-democrats-unite-against-gop-letter-20150309?utm_content=bufferc272a&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer">the National Journal</a>,  “I can’t even imagine the uproar if Democratic senators [had been] writing to Saddam Hussein in the lead up to the Iraq War,” adding that Republicans “have made it crystal clear that this has nothing to do with the merits of the deal. This has everything to do with undermining the president.”
Hearing about Murphy’s alleged secret meeting with Zarif, Christian Whiton, former State Department senior advisor in the Trump and George W. Bush administrations, commented,  “Unless it was authorized by the president or secretary of state, conducting independent foreign policy sends mixed signals to our adversaries. It seems very unpalatable. If we want to talk to Iranians, they know how to reach us and they don’t need to go through an intermediary.”
During the Munich conference, Murphy reportedly criticized the Trump administration’s tough actions vis-a-vis Iran, which have included withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, tough sanctions, a demand for transparency in its nuclear program and the killing of Soleimani.  As <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/iran-crisis-an-unbridgeable-gap-over-the-gulf/a-52399174">dw.com</a> reported, “He said that it was a major mistake that Washington had taken the side of Saudi Arabia unilaterally and that deescalation was in the US&#8217; interest.”
The Federalist added, “Murphy is a <a href="https://twitter.com/tparsi/status/1062510367375548416">frequent</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tparsi/status/658701334754021376">speaker</a> at the National Iranian American Council, a lobbying group with alleged links to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Republican Sens. Mike Braun of Indiana, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and Ted Cruz of Texas recently asked the Department of Justice for potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. They wrote that the <a href="https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2020/01/27/pro-iran_lobby_behind_obama_nuclear_deal_is_back_in_high_gear_122118.html">influential lobbying group</a> ‘purports to improve understanding between American and Iranian people but in reality seems to spread propaganda and lobby on behalf of the Iranian government.’”
In January, Murphy spoke on ABC News’ <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/repair-work/id1086758563?i=1000461944528">Powerhouse Politics podcast</a>, where he made the “laughingstock” remark. He was asked if America was safer after the killing of Soleimani. He answered:
<blockquote>The answer is absolutely not. It is just catastrophic. The damage has been done to the U.S. national security since the targeting of Qassem Soleimani. I don’t think the administration gamed out how badly this would go for us … We are going to now have to engage in all sorts of repair work to try and keep our troops from being kicked out of Iraq, to try to repair our reputation with that government, to set to try to suspend or counter ISIS operations. And then to start trying to reconstruct the nuclear constraints on Iran, which just evaporated in the last four to five days …
The fact that we now have all sorts of other interests compromised in the regions now, that we have so much repair work to do &#8230; we will end up with a really weak position today, much weaker than we were just give days ago. Much, much weaker than we were at the start of the Trump administration. The president has gravely injured this nation’s security around the world.</blockquote>
Murphy added, &#8220;He has made us a literal laughingstock.&#8221;
&nbsp;

Senate Impeachment Trial Of President Trump Continues

Dem Senator Who Mocked Trump As ‘Literal Laughingstock’ After Killing Of Soleimani Holds Secret Meeting With Iranian Official, Report Says

Chris Murphy

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing anger from his own countrymen after he was photographed chatting, shaking hands, and even bowing to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, after the rogue nation shot down a commercial airplane with 57 Canadians aboard.
Iran reportedly shot down the plane in January, after launching a series of missiles at Iraqi military bases housing American troops, an effort taken in response to the United States&#8217; killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani who, the White House said at the time, was in Iran trying to foment anti-American sentiment and organize anti-American militia operations.
Iran initially denied downing the airliner, but after United States and international intelligence organizations pinned the crash on a pair of surface-to-air missiles filed from inside Iran, the country <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/11/iran-admits-shooting-down-ukrainian-airliner-unintentionally">finally issued a statement taking responsibility</a> and blaming &#8220;human error&#8221; for the &#8220;unforgivable mistake&#8221; that killed more than 150 passengers and crew, per The Guardian.
There were 57 Canadians aboard the Ukrainian Airlines plane, headed to Kiev, Ukraine, where they planned to catch a connecting flight to Toronto, according to the BBC.
&#8220;The plane was bound for the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and many on board had a connecting flight to Toronto, Canada&#8217;s largest city and a transit hub,&#8221; the British outlet reported, identifying why so many Canadians were killed in the attack. &#8220;Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that, all told, 138 people on that flight were en route to Canada.&#8221;
&#8220;There is also no direct flight between Canada and Iran, and the Ukraine International Airlines flight from Tehran to Kiev and then to Toronto is popular because it is one of the most affordable options for the journey,&#8221; the BBC added.
At the time of the attack, Trudeau insisted that he would demand “closure, accountability, transparency and justice” from the Iranians. But last week, at a conference in Munich, Germany, Trudeau seemed oddly cozy with the Iranian delegation, according to <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6551594/justin-trudeau-iran-plane-crash-handshake/">GlobalNews.ca</a>.
&#8220;Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing criticism over new photographs showing him shaking hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif,&#8221; the outlet reported. &#8220;The meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday quickly sparked criticism online given that Iran shot down a passenger plane last month near Tehran killing all 176 on board, including 57 Canadians. Since then, it has refused to hand over the black boxes recovered from the crash site.&#8221;
Trudeau, who has fallen under criticism for failing to treat American president Donald Trump with due respect, defended his congenial interaction with the Iranians when asked about it by reporters, even as Iranian state television reportedly played the handshake off as a sign of forgiveness.
“I made a promise to families in Canada to do everything I could to make sure that they get answers, that we have a full and complete investigation, that we understand exactly what happened,” Trudeau told reporters. “I went by to impress upon the foreign minister of Iran how important it is that we work together.”
Not everyone was impressed with Trudeau&#8217;s gesture.
“Not a good look to see PM Trudeau with smiling FM Zarif of Iran after Canadians killed at the hands of Iranian incompetence and malice on Ukrainian plane- not to mention the innocent Iranian protestors‘ killed,” one expert on Iranian-Canadian relations tweeted.
Others, including a senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Canada, suggested Trudeau should have better considered the implications of being filmed palling around with Iranian officials.
“Look, I get that leaders sometimes have to shake hands with unsavoury people,” he tweeted. “But Iran just killed 63 Canadians. Maybe the PM could’ve avoided this particular photo op. Maybe a UNSC seat isn’t worth a firesale of every last thing Canadians hold dear.”
And, GlobalNews.ca reports, families of the plane crash victims are &#8220;furious.&#8221;
The Canadian delegation tried to wave off the controversy, suggesting that Trudeau was forceful in private meetings, demanding that Iran turn over the flight&#8217;s black boxes to international officials, but they offered no proof of Trudeau&#8217;s position.
Oddly enough, Trudeau did have some harsh words for at least one party he holds responsible for the airplane being shot down: Trump. Back in January, the Canadian Prime Minister pinned the incident squarely on the president&#8217;s shoulders, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/justin-trudeau-blames-plane-crash-on-trump-and-irans-escalation-2020-1">Business Insider reported at the time</a>.
&#8220;If there were no tensions, if there was no escalation recently in the region, those Canadians would be right now home with their families,&#8221; he said.
&nbsp;

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Holds A Campaign Rally In Vaughan, Ontario

Justin Trudeau Faces Backlash After Shaking Hand With Iranians Who Shot Down Plane With Canadians Aboard

Justin Trudeau

On Thursday, 55 senators, including eight Republicans, voted for a resolution that would force President Trump to obtain permission from Congress before ordering military action against Iran.
The eight Republicans were Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rand Paul (R-KY), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AL), Todd C. Young (R-IN), Lamar Alexander (R-TN.) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/senate-passes-resolution-limiting-trump-against-iran-in-bipartisan-vote/2020/02/13/d2f7429c-4e8f-11ea-bf44-f5043eb3918a_story.html">The Washington Post</a> noted, “Trump will almost certainly veto the measure once it passes the House, and neither chamber of Congress has the votes to override that veto, lawmakers say.” That is because the 55 votes fall short of a supermajority needed to override a presidential veto.
On Wednesday President Trump tweeted his disapproval of the resolution, tweeting, “We are doing very well with Iran and this is not the time to show weakness. If my hands were tied, Iran would have a field day. Sends a very bad signal.”
Senator Lindsey Graham warned that Trump would veto the bill, saying, “If this passes, the president will never abide by it — no president would. I want the Iranians to understand, when it comes to their provocative behavior, all options are on the table,” as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/us/politics/iran-war-powers-trump.html">The New York Times</a> reported.
Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell added that the resolution was &#8220;deeply flawed,&#8221; adding, “It is too blunt and too broad,” as <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-passes-measure-curb-trumps-war-powers-rare-bipartisan-vote">Fox News</a> reported. On Tuesday McConnell warned the resolution “would severely limit the U.S. military’s operations flexibility to defend itself against threats posed by Iran.”
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-11/senate-to-vote-this-week-on-limiting-trump-s-iran-options">Bloomberg News</a> added that McConnell posited that after the killing of Iranian general Qassem  Soleimani, “Washington Democrats immediately suggested President Trump was leading us into World War III.” He added that the resolution was a “blunt and clumsy” measure and queried whether it was smart to “let a power like Iran push us around” while China and Russia observed.
The New York Times pointed out, “Last year, Congress cleared a bipartisan measure invoking the War Powers Act that would have cut off American military support for the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen’s civil war, and a separate measure seeking to curtail the president’s war-making powers in Iran ping-ponged between the two chambers, passing the House but not the Senate.”
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said, “We’ve been talking to our constituents, we’ve been listening to them, and we know what they think about another war in the Middle East right now. (Trump’s] got an election that he’s focused on and he wants to win. . . . He could well veto it and then adjust behavior.”
Cassidy stated, “If this resolution was in effect at the beginning of the year, President Trump would have still been able to carry out strikes against Iran and General Soleimani … The founders gave Congress the power to declare war under Article 1 of the Constitution; we should fulfill this responsibility.”
Last June, Collins, Lee, Paul and Moran joined Democrats to support an amendment requiring Trump to ask Congress before attacking Iran unless there had been an attack from Iran or an  imminent attack that warranted a response from the United States.

US Capitol Building, Senate and House

Senate Votes To Limit Trump’s Power On Iran

U.S. Senate

Celebrations today mark the 41st anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran. On this day in 1979, the shah&#8217;s monarchial rule was abruptly quashed, as fundamentalist Shiite clerics seized power under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
While President Hassan Rouhani will boast about the regime’s perceived successes, military might, and dominance in his annual anniversary speech today in Tehran, the reality of the Islamic Republic’s 40th year is grim.
Each year around the anniversary, Iranian officials typically unveil technological advancements in their armed forces, nuclear, and space arsenals. On Saturday, Ayatollah Khamenei <a href="https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/1226081823610081280" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/1226081823610081280&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1581529523479000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF92tKqfv5E6W9UUgkO_sTep8BfUQ">claimed</a> Iran’s air force capabilities, once weak under the Pahlavi dynasty, were thriving under the Islamist mullocracy. Over the weekend, Iran tried and failed to put a satellite into orbit. This failure came after two failed launches last year of the Doosti and Payam satellites and a botched rocket explosion over the summer.
Iran’s nuclear program has faced similar deterioration this year. The 2015 nuclear deal between Iran, the U.S., the U.K., China, Russia, Germany, and France is close to collapse. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States first from the flawed deal in May 2018, insisting any new deal must curb Iran’s ballistic missile program as well as hinder uranium enrichment. Iranian leadership unsurprisingly refused, leading to economic disaster in the country. Last month, Iran declared it will no longer fulfill its uranium enrichment commitment, compelling Germany, France, and Britain to prompt the deal’s dispute resolution mechanism. If international sanctions are indeed reinstated, the worsening economic crisis in Iran will become catastrophic.
Iran also suffered blows to its military and proxy power this past year. On January 3, a U.S. airstrike outside Baghdad, Iraq, killed Iran’s top military commander, Qassem Soleimani. Leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps&#8217; Quds Force, Soleimani was a critical player in Iran’s terror regime. President Trump ordered his killing following months of attacks on American troops by Iran proxies in Iraq. In response to Soleimani’s death, Khamenei <a href="https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/1212998634264027136" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/1212998634264027136&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1581529523479000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEYdHWRB7U2ca3aOkJNu_LNA5I4nA">assured</a> his Twitter followers that “jihad of resistance will continue with more motivation” as Iran <a href="https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/1212991721954578432" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/1212991721954578432&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1581529523479000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGL2Y7VINtjMcTIyiU5mnXfnKfU9A">must</a> “congratulate Soleimani’s pure soul and condole the Iranian nation on this great martyrdom.”
Hezbollah, Iran’s most successful export, faced protest long before Soleimani’s killing in January. Since October, fed-up demonstrators have taken to the streets of Lebanon and Iraq to voice their grievances against Iran’s infiltration in and influence upon both governments. According to the U.N. special envoy to Iraq, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/21/world/middleeast/Iraq-protests-Iran.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/21/world/middleeast/Iraq-protests-Iran.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1581529523479000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGP5zOmnYYipy_TNN3CpWeOpTVQpQ">over</a> 500 demonstrators have been killed and 19,000 wounded — the majority at the hands of Iranian-backed militias. As the Iranian regime continues to dismiss these protests as inauthentic and foreign-led, their weakening grasp on the Middle East accelerates.
Despite the propaganda Iran’s regime will put forth on today’s anniversary, the world has witnessed its monumental failures. Blows to Tehran’s nuclear arsenal, economic durability, technological development, proxy strength, and military power prove Iran is indeed losing its grip on the Middle East.
 
Maya Carlin is an M.A. candidate in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security at IDC Herzliya’s Lauder School of Government in Israel. She is also an Analyst at the Center for Security Policy, located in Washington D.C.

Iran&#8217;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei meets students in Tehran

CARLIN: 40 Years Of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Riddled With Failures

Foreign Policy

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Khamenei

Middle East

Nuclear Weapons

It takes time for attitudes to change, and changing attitudes in the Middle East is a tough proposition. Moving the Europeans may prove harder.
An Israeli general once told this story (I was there):
<blockquote>The Israeli general commanded a unit that crossed the Suez Canal in 1973 after repulsing Egypt’s surprise Yom Kippur War attack. In his headquarters, he received a message that purported to be from an Egyptian general, telling him to come — alone — in a jeep to a certain spot in the desert and “hear something.” The general told the group, “I was sure I was going to die, but I did it.” The Egyptian proved to be the chief of the Egyptian general staff and he, too, was alone.
The Egyptian said, “The war is over.”
The Israeli general said, “Yes. I know.”
The Egyptian general sighed, “Not this war. In 1948, Egypt was within 11 miles of Tel Aviv and you pushed us back. In 1956, you drove through Sinai — but it wasn’t fair because you had the French and the British. In 1967, you did it again — by yourselves. Now you have crossed the Suez Canal and are 99 kilometers from Cairo. I’m here to tell you that you won’t get any closer. The war is over.”
He got back in his jeep and left.
The Israeli returned to his headquarters and told the story to the general staff in Tel Aviv. “No one believed me,&#8221; the Israeli said.</blockquote>
But it was true. The Egyptian government had determined that fighting, losing, and regrouping was not a plan. In 1979, Anwar Sadat went to Jerusalem, and in so doing met Israel’s primary condition for peace — recognition of Israel as a legitimate and permanent state in the region, entitled to “secure and recognized boundaries, free from threats or acts of force” (the language of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242). Today, Egypt and Israel cooperate on energy, security (including for the Gaza Strip), and trade.
In the broader Arab world, it is taking longer. Unable to countenance Jewish sovereignty in the region, the Arabs went to war in 1948 to erase it. They failed. They tried again in 1967. They failed again. After that war, an Arab League Summit convened in Sudan and issued what became known as the Khartoum Resolution: &#8220;No peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel.&#8221;
Then there were the conflicts of 1973 and 1982, intifadas, and rocket wars with Gaza.
President Trump called them on it in announcing his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bryen-donald-trumps-vision-for-the-middle-east">“Vision” for the Middle East</a>. “It is time for the Muslim world to fix the mistake it made in 1948, when it chose to attack instead of to recognize the new state of Israel. The Palestinians are the primary pawn in this adventurism, and it is time for this sad chapter in history to end.” Three Arab ambassadors were in the room.
The <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/arab-league-holds-emergency-meeting-trump-plan-200201105251740.html">Arab League hastily convened a summit</a>, responding to the flat rejection of the plan by Palestinian Authority strongman Mahmoud Abbas, who had declined to read or even discuss it. This was not a “three noes” meeting. While the bloc as a whole rejected the Vision, the head of the Arab League said that there was time only for an initial study of the plan, adding that the Palestinian response would be key in shaping a &#8220;collective Arab position.” It should be noted that a day after announcing it would scrap security cooperation with the U.S. and Israel, the Palestinian Authority announced that, in fact, it <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Palestinians-wont-halt-security-ties-with-Israel-US-Ramallah-officials-616503">would not do so.</a>
<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/oic-hold-emergency-meeting-trump-middle-east-plan-200203064919675.html">Al Jazeera</a> wrote, “The announcement of Trump&#8217;s plan drew mixed responses from Arab states.” While joining in the vote, Egypt and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-at-jewish-journal-saudi-arabia-is-now-more-pro-israel-than-the-democratic-party">Saudi Arabia said separately that they “appreciated”</a> Mr. Trump’s efforts and called for renewed negotiations. Sudan’s leader announced a “principled stance on the Palestinian issue and the right of its people to establish its independent state &#8230; in accordance with the Arab consensus and Arab League decisions,” even as in a bit of irony — having hosted the Khartoum Declaration meeting — it established a mechanism for <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Israel-Sudan-set-up-normalization-teams-616526">opening diplomatic relations with Israel.</a>
OK, yes, the <a href="https://www.memri.org/reports/qatar-qatar-backed-international-union-muslim-scholars-blast-trumps-peace-plan-it-belongs">International Union of Muslim Scholars</a> (IUMS) consigned the Vision to the “dust heap of history,” but the IUMS is a creation of Qatar and Qatar is a puppet of Iran.
And speaking of Iran, European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josip Borrell met with Iranian leaders and shortly afterward tried to <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/eu-reportedly-blocked-from-resolution-condemning-trump-plan-annexation/">ram a condemnation</a> of the Vision though the EU. But EU statements have to be unanimous and, of its 27 countries, six refused — including Italy, Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Borrell then issued the statement in his own name.
The interim commissioner-general of UNRWA said, “The plan … is extremely unsettling for the Palestine refugees living under occupation, under blockade and through conflict after conflict and crisis after crisis, hoping for justice and human rights. The international community must send a clear message to Palestine refugees and to the world at large that the international community stands firmly behind them.”
Rightly, Israel chose to <a href="https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/02/04/israel-harshly-criticizes-eu-over-rejection-of-trump-middle-east-peace-plan/">respond more harshly</a> to the EU and <a href="https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/02/03/israel-slams-unrwa-head-for-attacking-trump-peace-plan/">UNRWA</a> than it did the Arab League.
It has been hard for Arab states to move on from decades of adamant rejection of Israel to talk and trade, and generally accept the nation-state of the Jewish people. That is the reality, not an excuse. But for the EU and UNRWA, to encourage Palestinians in outmoded, fanatical, and dangerous thinking is inexplicable.
Except it isn’t.
&nbsp;
Shoshana Bryen is Senior Director of <a href="https://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/">The Jewish Policy Center</a> in Washington, and Editor of inFOCUS Quarterly.

President Trump Meets With Israeli PM Netanyahu At The White House

BRYEN: The Arabs And Europeans React To Trump’s Middle East ‘Vision’

Egypt

Europe

European Union

Israel

Jerusalem

Palestinians

A leaked audio recording from January 8, the day that Iran shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane, reportedly shows that Iran immediately knew that it had shot down the plane.
The revelation was made on a Ukrainian television station on Sunday night when an audio recording of a &#8220;pilot of another plane can be heard saying he saw &#8216;the light of a missile&#8217; in the sky before Ukrainian International Airways flight 752 crashed in an explosion,&#8221; Reuters reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that the audio proved &#8220;that the Iranian side knew from the start that our plane had been hit by a missile.&#8221;
Reuters added that Iran, which falsely denied responsibility for three days, blamed Ukraine for the release of the audio file which it reportedly described as &#8220;confidential evidence.&#8221;
Iran also indicated that it would no longer share evidence with Ukraine regarding the crash.
Reuters also noted that Ukraine International Airways said in a statement that the recording provided “yet more proof that the UIA airplane was shot down with a missile, and there were no restrictions or warnings from dispatchers of any risk to flights of civilian aircraft in the vicinity of the airport.”
Suspicions around what led to the crash went mainstream after photographs from the crash site showed bulldozers destroying the scene of the crash.
&#8220;Iran has used bulldozers to clear away debris at the site of Ukrainian airliner crash, potentially destroying evidence as Tehran continues to deny Western allegations that one of its own missiles downed the jet, killing all 176 people on board,&#8221; The Times of Israel reported. &#8220;Photos from the site show at least one bulldozer clearing away wreckage and Giancarlo Fiorella of Bellingcat, a journalism website that focuses on fact-finding, said the group had verified pictures of other bulldozers at work at the scene, calling it &#8216;distressing.'&#8221;
Fiorella told a British news station: “It’s distressing, this is a potential crime scene, if this was a shoot down you don’t want to disturb the crash site before a thorough investigation has taken place. The presence of heavy machinery, the bulldozing of the wreckage is very distressing.”
Immediately following the crash, Iran <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/passenger-plane-crashes-in-iran-now-iran-wont-turn-over-black-box-to-boeing">said</a> that it would not turn over the black box from the plane to Boeing, but instead would give it to one of its allies.
Several days after falsely denying responsibility, Iran admitted that it shot down the plane but blamed the United States for its actions.
“It is unfortunate that the psychological operation of the US government and those supporting it are adding insult to the injury of the bereaved families and victimising them for certain goals by propagating such fallacies,” Iranian Government spokesman Ali Rabiei <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7872337/Iran-accuses-big-lie-missile-claims.html">said</a>. “No one will assume responsibility for such a big lie once it is known that the claim had been fraudulent.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter: “A sad day. Preliminary conclusions of internal investigation by Armed Forces: Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster. Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations.”
Iran&#8217;s talking points on the crash closely aligned with the talking points of some Democrats.
Democrat presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/just-despicable-democrat-pete-buttigieg-blasted-for-blaming-u-s-for-iran-shooting-passenger-plane">responded</a> by saying, “Innocent civilians are now dead because they were caught in the middle of an unnecessary and unwanted military tit for tat. My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of all 176 souls lost aboard this flight.”
Democrat Rep. Jackie Speier (CA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-iran-admits-it-shot-down-passenger-plane-killing-176-people">said</a>, “This is yet another example of collateral damage from the actions that have been taken in a provocative way by the president of the United States.”

Iran plane crash

Leaked Audio Shows Iran Immediately Knew It Shot Down Passenger Plane

Iraq

Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky

Perhaps the sole silver lining of the otherwise-harrowing capitulation to fundamentalist jihadist evil that was President Barack Obama&#8217;s Iran nuclear deal was the fact that the leading Sunni Arab states — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt chief among them — began to warm up to the Jewish state of Israel. The enemy of my enemy, as the venerable maxim goes, is indeed my friend. And these Sunni stalwarts have found common cause with Israel in opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran&#8217;s decades-long hegemonic ambitions, which were only augmented by the capitulatory cash influxes provided by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
To date, however, the thawing of relations has generally taken a clandestine form — mostly on the intelligence and counterintelligence level. But the unveiling yesterday of President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Deal of the Century&#8221; peace proposal for Israel and the Palestinian-Arabs represents the clearest public sign yet of just how far this thawing has progressed.
It is nothing short of remarkable just how far we have come, when considering the &#8220;Three No&#8217;s&#8221; of the infamous 1967 Khartoum Resolution, decreed in the aftermath of Israel&#8217;s miraculous Six-Day War victory: &#8220;No peace [with Israel],&#8221; &#8220;no recognition [of Israel],&#8221; and &#8220;no negotiations [with Israel].&#8221;
For starters, as The Daily Wire&#8217;s Hank Berrien <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-deal-of-the-century-for-israel-palestinians-a-realistic-plan-with-arab-states-backing-it">reported</a> yesterday, &#8220;Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba of the UAE, Ambassador Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa of Bahrain, and the Ambassador Hunaina al-Mughairy of Oman <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Bahrain-UAE-envoys-come-to-White-House-for-Trump-Deal-of-the-Century-615706">were in the East Room</a> of the White House on Tuesday as Trump announced his plan.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Three great friends of peace &#8211; you, your countries &amp; your leaders are courageous. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being at the event at the <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WhiteHouse</a> today &amp; thank you for your encouragement &amp; support! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UAE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UAE</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bahrain?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bahrain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oman?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oman</a> <a href="https://t.co/N3LvtQufvz">pic.twitter.com/N3LvtQufvz</a>
&mdash; Jason D. Greenblatt (@GreenblattJD) <a href="https://twitter.com/GreenblattJD/status/1222227819033518083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It is unprecedented to have such leading representatives from Sunni Arab governments effectively recognizing Israel&#8217;s right, under U.N. Security Council <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-meaning-of-un-security-council-resolution-242">Resolution 242</a>, &#8220;to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.&#8221; It is even more unprecedented for such Arab governments to effectively recognize this international law right in the context of what is quite clearly, on the underlying merits, the <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/The-Trump-Plan-How-Israel-Should-Respond-615681">most pro-Israel peace plan ever offered</a> by an American president — and one that is offered by a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-jerusalem-matters-ben-shapiro">historically pro-Israel American president</a> and a conservative Likud party Israeli prime minister, no less.
Numerous Arab governments, furthermore, have offered public endorsements of Trump&#8217;s plan that invariably refer to it as a welcoming or promising development.
From the <a href="https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&amp;newsid=2027848#2027848">Kingdom of Saudi Arabia</a>, home to the Islamic holy city of Mecca and the centuries-long epicenter of the Sunni Muslim world: &#8220;The kingdom appreciates the efforts of President Trump&#8217;s administration to develop a comprehensive peace plan between the Palestinian and the Israeli sides, and encourages the start of direct peace negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, under the auspices of the United States, and to resolve any disagreements with aspects of the plan through negotiations.&#8221;
From (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-al-jazeeras-disgraceful-holocaust-denying-josh-hammer">deeply problematic &#8220;ally&#8221;</a>) <a href="https://news.qna.org.qa/lang/en/w/article/1580250375011598800">Qatar</a>: &#8220;The State of Qatar welcomes all efforts aiming towards a longstanding and just peace in the occupied Palestinian territories. It also appreciates the endeavors of President Trump and the current U.S. administration to find solutions for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, all solutions should be consistent with international law and the relevant U.N. resolutions.&#8221;
From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1452664425061142/posts/2592875164373390/?d=n">Egypt</a>: &#8220;The Arab Republic of Egypt appreciates the continuous efforts exerted by the U.S. administration to achieve a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue, thereby contributing to the stability and security of the Middle East, ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.&#8221;
From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1021964141227620/posts/2670012913089393/">Kingdom of Morocco</a>: &#8220;The Kingdom of Morocco expresses the wish that a constructive peace process be launched from now on, with a view to a realistic, applicable, equitable and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian question, satisfying the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, for an independent, viable and sovereign State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and enabling the peoples of the region to live in dignity, prosperity and stability.&#8221;
Contrast that with the leading 2020 Democratic Party presidential candidates, who have <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/democratic-candidates-censure-trump-peace-plan-warn-against-annexation/">all assailed</a> the plan. Or contrast it with Hamas/Hezbollah-loving Jeremy Corbyn of Britain, who calls it a &#8220;<a href="https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/1222303875593637891">travesty</a>.&#8221;
The Arab world is desperately trying to move on and finally resolve the Palestinian issue once and for all. But the American and European Left will not let them do so.
Kudos, nonetheless, to the Trump administration and the main actors/former actors there responsible for crafting the plan — including but hardly limited to Jason Greenblatt, Jared Kushner, and Avi Berkowitz — for their work in this very <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/eugene-kontorovich-trump-israeli-palestinian-peace-plan-is-fair-and-just-but-palestinians-wont-compromise">fair and thoughtfully devised</a> peace plan.

Donald Trump at White House with Benjamin Netanyahu

HISTORIC: Arab States Welcome Trump’s Israeli-Palestinian Peace Plan

Anti-Semitism

Barack Obama

Benjamin Netanyahu

Islam

At the Davos World Economic Forum on Wednesday, President Trump got into an <a href="https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-davos-world-economic-forum-transcript-trump-holds-news-conference-in-davos">exchange</a> with a reporter about the traumatic brain injuries (TBI) reportedly suffered by U.S. military members during Iran’s retaliatory strike following the killing of Quds Force leader Qassem Soleimani by the United States.
<blockquote>REPORTER: Mr. President, a question on Iran. Initially, you said repeatedly to Americans that after Iran retaliated for the Soleimani strike, no Americans were injured. We now know at least 11 US service men were airlifted from Iraq. Can you explain the discrepancy?
TRUMP: No. I heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things, but I would say, and I can report it is not very serious, not very serious. REPORTER: So you don’t think that [their] potential traumatic brain injury is serious?
TRUMP: They told me about it numerous days later. You’d have to ask Department of Defense. No, I don’t consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries that I’ve seen. I’ve seen what Iran has done with their roadside bombs to our troops. I’ve seen people with no legs and with no arms. I’ve seen people that were horribly, horribly injured in that area, that war. In fact, many cases – put those bombs, put there by Soleimani, who’s no longer with us. I consider them to be really bad injuries. No, I do not consider that to be bad injuries, no.</blockquote>
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In response to the president’s comments, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) National Commander William Schmitz issued the following <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2020/1/vfw-expects-apology-from-potus">statement</a> on Friday:
<blockquote>In light of today&#8217;s announcement from the defense department that 34 U.S. service members suffered traumatic brain injuries as a result of Iran&#8217;s retaliatory strike and President Trump&#8217;s remarks which minimized these troops’ injuries, the Veterans of Foreign Wars cannot stand idle on this matter.
TBI is a serious injury and one that cannot be taken lightly. TBI is known to cause depression, memory loss, severe headaches, dizziness and fatigue – all injuries that come with both short- and long-term effects.
The VFW expects an apology from the president to our service men and women for his misguided remarks. And, we ask that he and the White House join with us in our efforts to educate Americans of the dangers TBI has on these heroes as they protect our great nation in these trying times. Our warriors require our full support more than ever in this challenging environment.</blockquote>
<a href="http://news.trust.org//item/20200124162455-zquh2/">Reuters</a> reports that according to the Pentagon, “on Friday &#8230; 34 service members had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following missile strikes by Iran” on the Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq.
The new tally surpasses what was previously announced to have been the total number of traumatic brain injuries following the strike.
A Pentagon spokesperson stated that 17 of the injured are already back in Iraq on duty, eight who had been taken to Germany are now in the United States (some of whom are at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center), and nine are still in Germany “undergoing evaluations and treatment.”
As of publication, President Trump has not responded to the apology request from the VFW.

Trump.

Veteran Org Asks Trump For Apology After He Suggests ‘Traumatic Brain Injuries’ Are Not ‘Very Serious … Relative To Other Injuries’ He Has Seen

Qasem Soleimani

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

No one died after Iran launched a missile at a U.S. base in Iraq on January 8, but 34 U.S. soldiers have now been diagnosed with concussions or traumatic brain injuries.
NPR <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/01/24/799342078/pentagon-says-34-u-s-troops-suffered-brain-injuries-from-iranian-missile-strike">reported</a> that eight of the troops with the brain injuries have been moved to the United States for treatment. Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?468516-1/pentagon-34-us-troops-diagnosed-concussions-tbi-iran-missile-strike-iraq">a press briefing</a> on Friday that the troops were injured after Iran fired missiles at the al Asad airbase where the troops were station in Iraq. The attack was Iran’s response to the U.S. killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, which was in response to Iran’s escalated attacks on U.S. bases and an embassy in Iraq.
President Donald Trump initially said “No Americans were harmed in last night&#8217;s attack by the Iranian regime,&#8221; but the Pentagon has now had to correct his remarks. Trump was correct to say that &#8220;We suffered no casualties.&#8221; Trump later downplayed the severity of the injuries, <a href="https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/24/us-soldiers-iran-traumatic-brain-injury-pentagon">according to The Guardian</a>, saying: “I heard that they had headaches. And a couple of other things. But I would say, and I can report, it is not very serious.”
Hoffman said during his press briefing that “This is a snapshot in time, what he wanted to make sure is that you’re provided with the most accurate numbers.”
Hoffman also suggested that news about the injuries was slow to develop based on the timeline of symptoms for brain injuries.
&#8220;What we saw was the number of people who were initially screened for concussion-like symptoms that showed up at one of the medical providers on the base saw their conditions improve rapidly,&#8221; he said during the briefing. &#8220;Others we saw their conditions didn&#8217;t improve — some got worse and had severe enough symptoms that they were transported on for further treatment.&#8221;
More from NPR:
<blockquote>The 8 wounded American soldiers who arrived in the U.S. are part of a larger contingent of 18 troops diagnosed with TBI who were initially medically evacuated to <a href="https://rhce.amedd.army.mil/landstuhl/">Landstuhl Regional Medical Center </a>in Germany. Those now in the U.S. will be treated on at out-patient basis either at <a href="https://tricare.mil/mtf/Walterreed">Walter Reed National Military Medical Center</a> in Bethesda, Md. or at their home bases, according to Hoffman.
The 9 U.S. troops who remain in Landstuhl will continue to undergo evaluation and treatment there. One American soldier who was diagnosed with TBI after the Iranian attack and transported to Kuwait has now returned to duty in Iraq; 16 others who stayed in Iraq after being diagnosed with TBI have also returned to duty.</blockquote>
Hoffman was questioned whether the soldiers who received traumatic brain injuries would be awarded Purple Hearts, since the injury qualifies for the award. Hoffman wouldn’t confirm or deny any awards, saying, “That is a decision the services will have to make in due time.” He added: &#8220;I&#8217;m not going to get ahead of the service secretaries on that.&#8221;
Hoffman also said that Defense Secretary Mark Esper called for acting under secretary for personnel and readiness Matt Donovan to help staff review the procedures for reporting injuries.
&#8220;The secretary&#8217;s direction is focused on the fact that if you look at the different types of reporting systems that we have, sometimes the administrative reporting of an injury is different than the medical reporting. We need to get that clarified, we need to get a little better handle on it,&#8221; Hoffman said. &#8220;We need to be as transparent as possible on this.&#8221;

Iraq troops

34 Soldiers Received A Traumatic Brain Injury During Iranian Missile Strike, Pentagon Says

U.S. Soldiers

In its latest annual <a href="http://www.islamophobia.org/reports/228-2018-civil-rights-report-bias-incident-data.html">hate crimes report</a>, the <a href="https://www.adl.org/education/resources/profiles/the-council-on-american-islamic-relations-cair">Council on American-Islamic Relations</a> (CAIR) vilified U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials as the nation’s greatest perpetrators of anti-Muslim discrimination. So, when as many as 60 Iranian and Iranian-American travelers were delayed for hours earlier this month at the U.S.-Canada border, CAIR was quick to accuse the federal agency of living up to its purported reputation. Has the U.S. government decided to make life difficult for Iranians living in America, as CAIR contends? Or are the nonprofit’s actions part of an enduring campaign to subvert U.S. border security?
In response to a January 2 air strike which <a href="https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/opinion/soleimani-iran-tom-cotton.amp.html">killed</a> Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/ntas/alerts/20_0104_ntas_bulletin.pdf">published</a> a bulletin warning that Hezbollah and other Iranian loyalists could carry out homeland-based plots by targeting “critical infrastructure.” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo deployed the national guard to protect public transportation, while <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-01-03/us-cities-on-alert-after-killing-of-iran-leader-qassem-suleiman">government officials</a> in California, Washington, and Massachusetts ordered increased police patrols or warned citizens to remain extra vigilant.
Meanwhile, the Peace Arch Border Crossing in Blaine, Washington became congested on January 4 after as many as 60 Iranian natives were allegedly selected for additional screening and detained, in some cases, for several hours. The travelers, who were returning from a pop concert in Vancouver, put a <a href="https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article238985213.html">strain</a> on CBP resources as customs agents struggled to keep up with the sudden increase in cross-border traffic. However, CAIR officials explicitly alleged that delays and mistreatment were premised solely on national heritage.
Soon after, CAIR’s Washington chapter issued a <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cair-wa-assisting-iranian-americans-detained-at-us-border-300981286.html">press release</a> accusing CBP officials of treating Iranians and Iranian-Americans to prolonged interrogations at the U.S.–Canada border. “A source at CBP reported that the [DHS] has issued a national order to CBP to ‘report’ and detain anyone with Iranian heritage entering the country who is deemed potentially suspicious or ‘adversarial,’ regardless of citizenship status,” CAIR wrote.
CBP <a href="https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/us-border-protection-denies-reports-that-iranian-americans-were-detained-at-washington-canada-border/281-e276b43b-21a1-46d3-8de7-f1e700b0016a">rejected</a> these allegations. &#8220;Social media posts that CBP is detaining Iranian-Americans and refusing their entry into the U.S. because of their country of origin are false. Reports that DHS/CBP has issued a related directive are also false,” said CBP spokesperson Michael Friel.
So far, CAIR has failed to produce any evidence supporting its discrimination claims. Instead, the nonprofit denigrated CBP personnel based on the testimony of frustrated tourists who experienced delays while crossing an international border during a period of heightened geopolitical tension.
What can’t be known about the recent cross-border controversy, because it falls beyond the public purview, is whether there was specific intelligence from the Terrorist Screening Center that indicated a need to conduct a more robust screening operation at the Peace Arch crossing. It is telling that <a href="https://www.thenorthernlight.com/stories/order-to-detain-iranian-american-travelers-likely-originated-in-blaine-say-lawyers,9173">no other enhanced security measures</a> were enforced at other U.S. entry points around the same time.
Even public knowledge of the threats posed by Shi’ite Islamism suggests that it was credible national security risks, and not uninformed profiling, that guided CBP’s actions. The agency must contend with Hezbollah’s elite external operations unit, known as the Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO), whose members have been <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/07/iran-has-terrorists-embedded-inside-the-united-states-and-across-our-border/">trained</a> to &#8220;maintain ostensibly normal lives” until they are activated to serve the Iranian regime&#8217;s interests.
<a href="https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/07/iran-has-terrorists-embedded-inside-the-united-states-and-across-our-border/">FBI reports</a> indicate that Canada serves as a staging area for future homeland attacks. Ali Kourani, a Hezbollah sleeper agent <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/hizballah-operative-sentenced-40-years-prison-covert-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s">convicted</a> in 2019 of planning attacks in the U.S., <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/06/14/hezbollah-isnt-just-in-beirut-its-in-new-york-too-canada-united-states-jfk-toronto-pearson-airports-ali-kourani-iran/">told </a>FBI agents that IJO is “even more active in Canada than they were in the United States.” Kourani’s Iranian handlers discussed the strategic advantages of cultivating familial ties to Canada, so that “it wouldn’t appear suspicious or odd if he were to make travel to Canada with some regularity or frequency.”
Iran is a country that is regularly <a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-state-department-iran-remains-world-s-worst-state-sponsor-of-terrorism-/30248755.html">cited</a> as a state sponsor of terrorism, with a track <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/06/14/hezbollah-isnt-just-in-beirut-its-in-new-york-too-canada-united-states-jfk-toronto-pearson-airports-ali-kourani-iran/">record</a> of penetrating U.S. borders. For instance, between 1995 and 2000, Lebanese immigrant Mohammed Youssef Hammoud oversaw a vast “<a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/mohamad-youssef-hammoud-sentenced-30-years-terrorism-financing-case">criminal enterprise</a>” in Charlotte, North Carolina, which accumulated millions of dollars in capital intended for Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon.
In 2011, Soleimani’s Quds Force was implicated in a clandestine <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">plot</a> to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. and bomb the Saudi embassy in Washington D.C. Then there is Alexei Saab, a New Jersey resident charged in September with a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/manhattan-us-attorney-announces-indictment-new-jersey-man-terrorist-activities-behalf">nine-count indictment</a> for surveilling targets on behalf of IJO, probing for “soft spots” throughout New York City.
CAIR’s position on screening for terrorists, however, has been to <a href="https://www.cair.com/cair_to_announce_complete_victory_in_constitutional_challenge_to_federal_terror_watchlist">undermine</a> the process wherever possible. Indeed, the organization exerts a great deal of <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cair-asks-federal-court-in-mich-to-prohibit-fbi-border-agents-from-interrogating-muslim-travelers-about-religious-beliefs-and-practices-300858541.html">effort</a> challenging the government’s immigration and border security policies.
In September, CAIR proclaimed “complete victory” in a <a href="https://www.cair.com/cair_to_announce_complete_victory_in_constitutional_challenge_to_federal_terror_watchlist">lawsuit</a> that challenged the constitutionality of the <a href="https://apnews.com/f8abc66af1a64cc7a5f4fba0420cfc54">terrorist watch list</a>, a security protocol that subjects implicated airline passengers and border transients to additional screening. (Fewer than 0.5% of watch list suspects are U.S. citizens or legal residents.) For more than a year, CAIR filed lawsuits and amicus briefs that <a href="https://www.cair.com/fighting_the_unconstitutional_muslim_ban">stalled</a> Trump administration efforts to implement a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-proclamation-enhancing-vetting-capabilities-processes-detecting-attempted-entry-united-states-terrorists-public-safety-threats/">travel ban</a> affecting visitors from select high-risk countries
CAIR has even directed Muslim Americans who are detained by customs officials to <a href="https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wtsp.com/amp/article/news/politics/muslim-rights-groups-urge-passengers-to-refuse-secondary-questioning/67-395025140">obstruct</a> the screening process whenever possible, perhaps explaining the delays experienced at the Peace Arch Border Crossing. “Whether you wait an hour or four hours, remain silent until they let you out,” advised CAIR-Florida executive director Hassan Shibly.
National-level law enforcement efforts must be led by consulting relevant intelligence <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/law-enforcement-guard-iran-retaliation-u-s-after-commander-killed-n1109826">sources</a>. Given the geopolitical context, the enhanced security posture at the U.S.-Canada border can be attributed to due diligence, and not some nefarious desire to pester Iranian-Americans. Yet, CAIR is far too eager to paint American security personnel as aggressors. CBP was merely taking reasonable precautions in the face of escalating hostility from a rogue nation that has spent decades building powerful Islamist infrastructure across North America.
&nbsp;
David Firester is a writer for Islamism in Politics, a project of the <a href="https://www.meforum.org">Middle East Forum</a>. He is the founder and CEO of TRAC Intelligence, LLC, an Adjunct Lecturer at Hunter College, and a former U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst.

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Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has been doing some impressive bipartisan lobbying. Politicians from across the spectrum, from Former Secretary of State <a href="https://en.radiofarda.com/a/kerry-met-iran-zarif-several-times/29488152.html">John Kerry</a> to Sen. <a href="https://freebeacon.com/politics/mark-levin-rips-into-rand-paul-over-iran/">Rand Paul</a> (R-KY), are all taking their turns to meet with him. Their common goal: Get President Donald Trump to end his “maximum pressure” campaign against the hostile Tehran regime.
Last year, this leftist-libertarian alliance was codified into a new &#8220;non-interventionist&#8221; think tank, the Quincy Institute. On its board is Trita Parsi, a man who has for decades worked behind the scenes — often in tandem with Iranian officials, including Javad Zarif — to weaken America&#8217;s resistance to Iranian aggression and nuclear ambitions.
In the weeks since the killing of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-the-just-and-proper-strike-of-mastermind-iranian-jihadist-qassem-soleimani">terrorist mastermind</a> Qassem Soleimani, agitation by the Iranian regime&#8217;s apologists has reached a crescendo. In response, I asked <a href="https://twitter.com/AdelleNaz">Adelle Nazarian</a>, senior media fellow at the Gold Institute for International Strategy in Washington, D.C. and fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, India, to tell us more.
What follows is a question-and-answer interview with Nazarian.
Who is Trita Parsi?
Nazarian: Trita Parsi is the Iranian-born founder of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group that is <a href="https://freebeacon.com/national-security/congress-seeks-investigation-into-pro-iran-lobby-group-tied-to-tehran-regime/">allegedly the lobbying extension</a> and arm of the Iranian regime. That would be the same Iranian regime rife with corruption, terrorism, and the murder of its own people. Parsi and NIAC’s support for the Iranian regime is <a href="https://twitter.com/AdelleNaz/status/1217693851890126848?s=20">in violation of FARA [Foreign Agents Registration Act ] law</a> and they were instrumental in helping pass the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal. Parsi is an activist who has <a href="https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2014/03/the_ayatollahs_lobby_on_k_street.html">maintained a close relationship</a> with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2015-03-31/iran-s-charmer-in-chief-wins-again">Javad Zarif</a> and was a lead advisor to the Obama administration throughout the process of executing the JCPOA. NIAC falsely claims it supports the full spectrum of Iranian interests, but it actually only cares about pushing the regime’s interests. NIAC is at odds with Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, his supporters, and any Iranians who do not share the dictatorial vision of the Iranian regime. If Iran’s regime falls, it will be seen as the failure of Trita Parsi.
What is the Quincy Institute?
Nazarian: Trita Parsi is the executive vice president and co-founder of the Quincy Institute, which is funded by both Charles Koch and George Soros. It is also co-founded by Iran deal advocates. This think tank aims to compel American politicians to adopt a non-interventionist foreign policy by actively funneling misinformation and propaganda to the media and, by extension, the American people. The think tank’s board is anti-Israel, with fellows having written books very critical of America’s close alliance with Israel. John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt — both co-authors of “The Israel Lobby&#8221; and fellows at the Quincy Institute — have an issue with the so-called &#8220;Israel lobby,&#8221; but have no issue working with the Iran lobby. While on the surface, the organization presents itself with the noble aim of ending endless wars in the pursuit of international peace, its co-founders — namely Andrew Bacevich, Stephen Wertheim, Eli Clifton, and Suzanne DiMaggio — are Iran deal advocates. The group also boasts Gary Sick as a “distinguished fellow.” In 1980, Mr. Sick infamously and falsely accused officials in Ronald Reagan&#8217;s presidential campaign of making a secret deal with Iran to delay the release of the American hostages until after the election.
What are Iranians and Iranian-Americans saying? 
Nazarian: Iranians and Iranian-Americans know the Quincy Institute pushes misinformation. Parsi’s move from NIAC to the Quincy Institute is an attempt to further his lobbying and propagandizing efforts. Due to funding from Soros and Koch, Parsi has been able to shield his anti-American and pro-Iranian views and actions. Iranians do not want war with America and President Donald Trump’s neutralization of IRGC-Quds Forces Commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani pushed Iran to stop its antagonistic and provocative behavior that was swiftly deteriorating U.S.-Iran relations and leading us to war.
Though Parsi claims to speak on behalf of the full spectrum of Iranian-Americans, <a href="https://twitter.com/AdelleNaz/status/1139620277396987905?s=20">a poll conducted in June</a> shows an overwhelming 85% of participants see NIAC and its affiliates as the “enemy.” Due to President Trump’s decisive actions, the machinations and manipulations of Trita Parsi have been undone. Regardless of the future, it is clear that Trita Parsi is a menace.

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