Iran News Round Up

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed the impossibility of renewing nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran in remarks on July 20 to the New Yorker. Zarif stated that “reaching the [first] agreement was accompanied with enough difficulties, and reaching another agreement would be impossible.” Zarif did not rule out the possibility of a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and added that Iran had “no opposition” to such a meeting as long as it was necessary for the continued upholding of the nuclear deal. He stated that he had not yet received a request for such a meeting and that he did not “imagine [he would] receive one in the future.” (ISNA)

Kuwait announced on July 20 that it would close the cultural and military bureaus of Iran’s embassy in that country and decrease the number of diplomats at the embassy from 19 to 4. The move follows accusations last month that a Shia group had spied in Kuwait on behalf of Iran and Hezbollah.

• Foreign Ministry responds to scale-back of relations. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghassemi responded to Kuwait’s actions and stated that it was unfortunate that Kuwait had “levied accusations at Iran” rather than working towards “the decrease of useless tensions in the region.” (BBC Persian)
• Iran summons Kuwaiti Chargé d’Affaires. Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Kuwaiti Chargé d’Affaires Falah al Hajraf to discuss his country’s diplomatic steps against Iran. (Radio Farda)

Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari met with Syrian President Bashar al Assad on July 20 during a visit to Damascus. Jaberi Ansari emphasized the “continuation of [Iran’s] support for restoring stability and calm to Syria, in the framework of preserving [its] unity, territorial integrity, coordination, and national governance.” Assad told Jaberi Ansari that “the recent Iranian presidential elections were a great blow to Iran’s enemies.” Assad thanked Iran for its continued support and added that as a result of the elections “Iran’s prestige in the region and the world has increased.” He and Jaberi Ansari also reportedly discussed the Astana talks as well as various economic matters. (Fars News Agency)  

• Jaberi Ansari meets with Palestinian groups. Jaberi Ansari also reportedly met with a coalition of Palestinian groups based in Damascus during his visit. The groups included the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, the Palestine Liberation Organization, and the Saeqeh Group. (Mehr News Agency)   
• Iran Deputy Foreign Minister meets with Syrian Prime Minister. Jaberi Ansari met with Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis in Damascus on July 19 to discuss developments in Syria and the region and bilateral cooperation between the two countries. (IRNA)
• Iran Deputy Foreign Minister meets with Syrian Foreign Minister. Jaberi Ansari met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al Muallem on July 19. Al Muallem praised Iran’s role in establishing peace and stability in Syria. Ansari and al Muallem discussed the issues raised during the Astana and Geneva peace talks as well as the agreement on a ceasefire in southern Syria. (Fars News Agency)

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghassemi issued a response to U.S. State Department’s release of its Country Reports on Terrorism 2016 in which Iran is listed as a state sponsor of terror. Ghassemi countered that Iran stands “at the front line of combating the most dangerous form of terrorism in the region.” He stressed that “Iran is determined to continue with its fight against terrorist groups and violent extremism” which it views as “the greatest international threat.” Ghassemi stated that creating a region without terrorism required “a coalition of honest governments.” (Mehr News Agency)

Qatari coast guards arrested three Iranian fishermen from Eslaviyeh, Bushehr Province, near a Qatari oil rig in the Persian Gulf on July 19. Officials in Eslaviyeh reported that they were making efforts to inquire about that state of the vessel and free the fishermen. (BBC Persian)

President Hassan Rouhani hit back at conservative critics during remarks at a meeting of his cabinet on July 19. Rouhani emphasized that the rights of all of Iran’s citizens will be preserved under his government but stressed that “today it is the turn of the 24 million” who voted for him. He added that “otherwise for whom do we vote and why do we hold elections?” Rouhani noted that “one [side] became a minority and one [side] a majority… and we must respect the vote of the majority.” (BBC Persian)  

Head of the Guardian Council Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati addressed the Guardian Council’s role in Iran’s electoral system in a statement to mark the Council’s 37th anniversary. Jannati emphasized the importance of the council’s role in vetting potential presidential candidates and stated that “some [prospective] candidates had connections of which people were not aware and we were forced to reject those candidates on the basis of [that] background.” Jannati added that some were rejected on these grounds despite “having a good [reputation] among the people.” He stressed that the Council is independent of external influence and that it “stands by its positions.” (Fars News Agency) (Mehr News Agency)

Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi referred to former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statement on the imprisonment on July 11 of his former vice president Hamid Baghaei as “criminal.” Ahmadinejad's statement referred to Baghaei’s arrest as a “great tyranny” after Baghaei declared that he was on hunger strike. Dowlatabadi countered Ahmadinejad's accusation and asked whether “the actions of the Tehran Prosecutor General’s office, which is [investigating] an individual accused of corruption” are tyrannical. He suggested instead that “the actions of somebody who supports corruption” should be called tyrannical.  (BBC Persian)  

President Hassan Rouhani will meet with the independent faction on the week of July 24 to discuss the formation of the cabinet for his second term in office.  (Tasnim News Agency)

175 parliamentarians wrote a letter to President Hassan Rouhani demanding the inclusion of “competent women” as ministers in the twelfth cabinet. Rouhani did not comment directly on the appointment of women ministers but has previously stated that the presence of women in senior positions should be a “step-by-step” process. (Radio Farda)

Chief Advisor to the Supreme Leader’s Representative in the IRGC Brig. Gen. Mohammad Ali Assoudi responded to suggestions that Iran was establishing military bases in Syria in remarks on July 20. Assoudi stressed that “Iran has no such intention anywhere and any presence that Iran has in Syria and Iraq is only advisory.” (YJC)