Iran's telecoms minister under fire over continued internet filtering

The relatively moderate Iranian news site Rouydad24 wrote in an editorial on Wednesday that despite the possibility of attacks on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) silence was perplexing.

“Should this silence be interpreted as tacit approval for such an attack, or does it imply the IAEA sees no reason for concern on this issue?” the editorial asked, suggesting that the agency's silence could be interpreted as either passive endorsement or indifference to the potential threat.

The website characterized Western and Israeli discussions about the possibility Israel will destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities as a warning sign that the IAEA should intervene.

Publication of such articles in the tightly controlled Iranian media may indicate that the government's top policy bodies have agreed or prompted a particular point of view to be made public.

The article may be an attempt by Iran to raise the issue of an IAEA intervention to stop a possible Israeli attack on its nuclear sites, especially since the US government has also voiced opposition to such a move.

Historically, the IAEA has remained neutral on political matters while stressing the importance of nuclear facility safety. Its statements generally focus on the consequences of strikes such as a potential radioactive release rather than on endorsing or opposing any party in a conflict.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine the IAEA took an unusually vocal stance on nuclear safety, especially around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Director-General Rafael Grossi has repeatedly warned of the severe risks from military actions near nuclear reactors and has called for a protective zone around ZNPP to prevent a potential radioactive disaster.

The outlet went on to posit that the IAEA's silence on a possible Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites could be seen as an indication that the agency perceives Israel’s threats not as imminent actions but as strategic moves aimed at influencing Iran’s stance and pressuring the US to meet certain demands.

Last year, Grossi condemned what he called Iran's "disproportionate and unprecedented" move to bar multiple inspectors assigned to the country, hindering the UN nuclear watchdog’s oversight of Tehran's atomic activities.

The editorial may highlight a catch-22: by barring inspectors, Iran itself has limited the IAEA’s influence and capacity to respond effectively to the looming threat of a possible strike by Israel on nuclear targets.

Tehran’s removal of inspectors not only limits the IAEA’s influence but also isolates Iran further from the international system, complicating any calls for international intervention to prevent Israeli strikes.

As a threshold nuclear state, Iran has accumulated highly enriched fissile material for producing a nuclear weapon, though it has not yet taken the final step toward weaponization.

Although Tehran has consistently argued that its nuclear program is meant for peaceful purposes, the current state of its nuclear program, experts say, could act as a deterrent against Israeli aggression.

Some military analysts argue that Israel would require US assistance to effectively strike Iran's nuclear targets. Despite this, the Biden administration has not received any assurance from Israel that targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities is off the table, according to a senior US State Department official who spoke to CNN last week.

The alleged mistrust is related to Israel's military and diplomatic plans in the Middle East, according to the Axios, which has quoted unnamed US officials.

That friction has only intensified, according to reports, over how Israel intends to strike back against Iran after Tehran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 2.

“Our trust of the Israelis is very low right now and for a good reason,” said one of the four US officials who spoke with Axios.

Two of the officials told the outlet about a private conversation between White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer on Friday. The US reportedly wants “clarity and transparency” from Israel in relation to a potential attack on Iran.

The US is not opposed to Israeli’s retaliation but wants it to be “measured”, one US official reportedly said.

This comes as legendary journalist Bob Woodward’s new book offers a candid, behind the scenes look at US President Joe Biden’s profanity-laced interactions with world leaders like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“That son of a bitch, Bibi Netanyahu, he’s a bad guy. He’s a bad fucking guy!” Biden declared privately about the Israeli prime minister to one of his associates in the spring of 2024 as Israel’s war in Gaza intensified, Woodward wrote.

Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) said he’s finding these stories “tedious” and that he’s “tired of them.” He called it "juvenile nonsense."

“I think they're very harmful to U.S. national security. I think they're very harmful to Israeli security. This is a very important moment as Israel considers its response to an unprecedented attack on the state of Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran, a common enemy that the United States and Israel share,” he told Iran International.

These types of conversations, which have leaked in recent weeks to various outlets, should be left behind closed doors in private, according to Brodsky who said airing it could only cause harm to security.

“The enemy reads the media and the press. We don't have time for these juvenile Washington insider baseball, gossipy books. Our adversaries read them as well. We have to also think about the message that this sends to us enemies."

Axios is also reporting the US wasn’t notified about Israel's plans to detonate pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon and the assassination of the Iran-backed proxy leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

When these leaks occur, a degree of trust is undermined, and that trust runs both ways, said Brodsky, who wasn’t surprised Israel was holding back.

“You can't expect a partner like Israel to want to or be ready to inform the United States with a lot of lead time ahead of significant operations that it wants to undertake.

Meantime, Israel's Channel 12 news reports that US and Arab countries have initiated secret negotiations with Iran to reach a comprehensive ceasefire aimed at simultaneously calming all fronts of the Mideast war. Israel is currently not involved in this initiative, but senior Israeli officials have been informed about it, the report said.

Daniel Pipes, the President of the Middle East Forum, sees some potential benefits in what he called “friction” between the long-time partners.

The ties between the two nations go far back with the US being the first country to recognize Israel as a state in 1948.

Pipes called US and Israel relations as the “family relationship of international relations.”

“Each side intervenes in the other. Each side has opinions about the other. Each side gets upset by the other. It's constant. It just never stops. It's not your usual relationship. And there's a pettiness to it. There's a grander to it and there's surprising things,” Pipes told Iran International in an interview.

He believes the ties between the US and Israel go far beyond the relationship between its leaders, but he still prefers a tense relationship, saying it gives Israel an advantage.

“Because when they get along beautifully...the Americans ask, and Israelis give things which aren't wise. And when there is this certain friction, the Americans don't ask, or if they ask, they don't get what they want. I'm fine with the current situation where Joe Biden is not happy with Benjamin Netanyahu.”

As we draw closer to the US elections, that is top of mind for American officials. Piper said the Harris campaign would dread a war in the Middle East over the impact it could have on a spike in oil prices in conjunction with people headed to the polls.

US national interest is to “keep things quiet,” said Pipes whereas it's in Israel's benefit to deal with a host of issues: defeating Hamas, dismantling Hezbollah, dealing with Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and political dissident against Netanyahu as well as keeping ultra ring-wing members in the Israeli Prime Ministers coalition content.

Both Mideast experts agree that Israel's lack of response to Iranian missiles has nothing to do with its current relations with the White House, but rather an attack of large-scale magnitude takes time and planning. They also both agree that Israel and US relations is based on strong institutional ties that supersede the personalities of its leaders.

Despite the tensions and reported lack of trust between the White House and Israel, there’s no doubt that American support is present, it’s just a matter of how far the US government will back Israel in attacking Iran.

President Massoud Pezeshkian, elected on a "reformist" platform, recently held a meeting with his chief political adversaries, the ultraconservative Paydari Party, in what appeared to be an invitation to form an undeclared coalition with the very opponents of his "national reconciliation" agenda. This unexpected move has fueled speculation about potential realignments within Iran’s political landscape and raised questions about the future of Pezeshkian’s reform oriented political promises.

This coalition is not welcomed by Pezeshkian's "reformist" allies, who played a key role in securing his victory in one of the most tepid and contentious elections in the country's modern history. Meanwhile, ultraconservatives did everything in their power to block his path, backing his main rival, Saeed Jalili, as their preferred candidate for the presidency of the Islamic Republic.

While Jalili and other hardliners continue their fierce rivalry with Pezeshkian, the President seems to have attempted to win the hearts and minds of the party's rank and file.

The government-owned Iranian Students New Agency (ISNA) reported on Monday that Pezeshkian has held a meeting "with a group of the Paydari Front's members and representatives" during which he listened to their views on various issues and explained his national reconciliation doctrine as well as the reasons behind the country's political, economic and cultural problems, according to ISNA. This is typical Iranian official reporting which is always devoid of details and elaboration.

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However, Pezeshkian emphasized to his Paydari Party guests that his vision of national reconciliation "is not a choice, but an essential requirement for addressing the country’s challenges and safeguarding it against foreign threats."

Until recently, Majles Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was regarded as Pezeshkian's strongest ally in Parliament. However, growing opposition among lawmakers to the appointment of two parliament members as governors of Kordestan and Fars Provinces may have pushed Pezeshkian closer to Ghalibaf's rival, the ultraconservative Paydari Party.

The opposition, however, seems to center primarily on the fact that the two governors were appointed before their formal resignation from the Majles was approved. In other words, Ghalibaf’s frustration may stem from the President's failure to consult him in advance about the appointments, rather than any deeper political disagreement.

According to ISNA, Pezeshkian told Paydari members at the meeting: "My only purpose is to solve the country's problems, and I am calling on the followers of all schools of thought to cooperate with us rather than fight us."

Some reformists however have criticized Pezeshkian for seeking to cooperate with the ultraconservatives. Reformist journalist Ali Talebzadeh wrote in a post on X: "Although it is the Pezeshkian'd administration, all of its middle and senior managers come from the Raisi administration. Another reformist journalist Mohammad Aghazadeh wrote: "What would Jalili have done had he won the election that Pezeshkian is not doing? Everyone acts in the same way that the system wants them to act. Nothing more. There are no differences between Iranian politicians." He added sarcastically: "That is the only meaning of national reconciliation."

Highlighting the irony of reconciliation among political rivals without addressing the public's grievances, another user commented: "They talk about national reconciliation, yet they beat protesting pensioners outside the President's Office. They threaten a university student, barring her from continuing her education for a second time, despite promises of reconciliation. Do you still believe it matters who holds the office of President?"

Reformist politicians, however, have a different idea. Cleric Mohammad Ali Abtahi wrote that "I believe Pezeshkian's national reconciliation is a continuation of [former reformist President Mohammad] Khatami's reforms. The people are tired of disputes between various parties. I hope Pezeshkian's dialogue with other political groups is mindful of social realities. Most people ignored the idea of reconciliation by not voting in the elections. We need to find a way to start a dialogue with them."

Since the start of the new academic year, security personnel have been stationed at entrances and throughout the campus, scrutinizing female students' attire and issuing warnings for non-compliance.

Students have reported incidents on campus on social media, with one student on X alleging that a security officer physically assaulted a female economics student for failing to adhere to hijab rules. The officer pushed the student against a wall and threatened to file a disciplinary report against her, the student said.

The "Tehran North Islamic Azad University Freedom Seekers" Telegram channel reported on October 7 and 8 that confrontations over hijab and dress codes have intensified since the start of the academic year.

Security personnel are inspecting aspects of female students' attire, including color, length, sleeves, and style, according to the channel, confronting those deemed non-compliant and recording their names for potential disciplinary action.

In addition to regular security stationed at the university’s entrances, more male and female officers have been deployed specifically to monitor students’ attire at entry points, the student witnesses reported.

The officers not only inspect students’ clothing and ID cards but also bar female students not conforming to the Islamic dress codes from entering the campus, they added.

Despite prior promises from senior officials including President Masoud Pezeshkian to ease restrictions, the reports indicate the enforcement and clampdown on students has not stopped.

On September 1, during the induction of Hossein Simayi Sarraf as the Minister of Science in the new administration, Pezeshkian urged a review of dismissed professors’ cases and called for the reinstatement of suspended students.

“When a student protests, I must respond; if they are right, I should listen, and if they are mistaken, I should guide them,” Pezeshkian remarked.

Nevertheless, intensified security measures and disciplinary actions against protesting students persist.

According to the Freedom Seekers channel, security officers have prevented certain students dressed in shorter garments from entering, requiring them to change into longer clothing. Officers have also recorded student ID numbers, reportedly to open disciplinary files, raising concerns of further punishment.

The channel reports that a student who receives three warnings about their attire could face disciplinary action, with penalties varying based on the severity and type of infractions.

Since its inception after 1979, the Islamic Republic has frequently detained, expelled or penalized students and professors voicing opposition.

Security measures and disciplinary restrictions in universities intensified following the 2022 nationwide protest movement, which ignited widespread demonstrations on campuses.

Rights groups have reported that during the Women, Life, Freedom uprising—sparked by the killing of Mahsa Jina Amini in morality police custody—over 12,000 students were detained, suspended or expelled, while at least 400 professors faced dismissal, forced retirement or suspension for expressing support for student protests.

According to the semi-official ISNA media outlet, Araghchi will discuss regional issues and work to halt Israel's operations in Gaza and Lebanon during his trip.

"Our dialogue continues regarding the developments in the region to prevent the shameless crimes of the Zionist regime in Lebanon, in continuation of the crimes in Gaza," Araghchi said in a video broadcast by state media.

He further added, "Starting today, I'll begin a trip to the region, to Riyadh and other capitals, and we will strive for a collective movement from the countries of the region... to stop the brutal attacks in Lebanon."

Meanwhile, Tasnim, a media outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, sharply criticized Arab leaders on Tuesday for their inaction without directly mentioning Araghchi’s visit to Saudi Arabia.

The outlet accused Arab leaders in the Persian Gulf region of having "merely been spectators to the Zionists' brutality in Gaza" over the past year, claiming that they not only refrained from taking a decisive stance against Israel's aggression but also, either openly or covertly, lent support to the regime and its actions.

Most Persian Gulf Arab states, like Iran, are major energy exporters and have conveyed a neutrality on the Iran-Israel conflict to Tehran, sources told Reuters last week.

Araghchi’s diplomatic efforts come shortly after his visits to Lebanon and Syria, two Arab states more aligned with Tehran.

During his first official visit to Lebanon, Araghchi emphasized Iran’s steadfast support for Hezbollah, declaring that his presence in Beirut, despite ongoing bombings, underscored this commitment. "Iran will always stand with the people of Lebanon," he tweeted.

Last Friday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei led prayers for the first time in five years, reinforcing a message he has focused on recently: the unity of Muslim countries against the presence of the US and other Western powers in the region. Khamenei called for solidarity, stating, “We have to tighten the belt of defense... from Afghanistan to Yemen, Iran to Gaza and Lebanon, in all Islamic countries. That’s the first issue I wanted to discuss.”

This message echoed his earlier speech in September during the 38th Islamic Unity Conference, where he reiterated his long-standing vision: "With the formation of an Islamic Ummah, Muslims can, through their internal strength, remove the malignant cancer of the Zionist regime from Palestine and eliminate the oppressive influence, domination, and interference of the United States in the region."