Iran news in brief, March 13, 2019

Iran news in brief, March 13, 2019

Mike Pompeo Says: U.S. 'COMMITTED to BRINGING IRANIAN CRUDE OIL EXPORTS to ZERO

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the United States is seeking to "bring Iranian crude oil exports down to zero as quickly as market conditions will permit."

In a speech to oil-industry executives in Houston, Texas, on March12, Pompeo urged the industry to work with the administration of President Donald Trump to promote U.S. foreign-policy interests and restrict "bad actors" in global affairs.

The United States has reimposed sanctions against Iran after withdrawing from a landmark 2015 agreement under which Tehran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Iran Hangs Four Prisoners in Urmia, Zahedan

Four prisoners were hanged in the cities of Urmia, northern Iran, and in Zahedan, west of the country.

Three of the prisoners, identified as Naji Omarzadeh, Khalil Salehi and Hossein Ebrahimi, were hanged on Monday, March 11, in Urmia Central Prison.

On Sunday, the Iranian regime hanged another prisoner in the city of Zahedan, eastern Iran. The prisoner was identified as Ebrahim Karkije, 33, married and father of two.

Iran’s human rights record recently came under sharp criticism at the U.N. Human Rights Council, with a U.N. expert singling out Iran’s crackdown on dissent and practice of sentencing children to death.

Iran: Closure of Bakeries and Long Queues at Poultry Shops

On Saturday, March 9, 2019, bakeries in the major city of Tabriz, northern Iran, closed down due to the shortage of flour. Tabriz is not the only city facing this shortage, many other major cities are also facing the same disaster forcing bakeries to close down early or not open their shops at all. 

On Saturday, people waited in long queues to buy chicken in the northern city of Sari. People had to wait long hours to buy frozen chicken.

Iran: Grim Living Conditions of 93,000 Workers on the Verge of Nowruz

On the cusp of the Persian New Year, tens of thousands of Iranian workers are left either jobless or have not been paid for months.

"Salary compensations for 93,000 workers from 900 production units have not been paid during the past year," admitted Ali Khodai, deputy chairman of the so called Islamic Job Council Association of Iran.

"These 900 production units are owned and operated by the government or government-affiliated entities," Khodai added.

"Due to numerous problems with production, these workers are embarrassed in front of their spouses and children during the New Year."

Iran Reviving Maritime Smuggling Route to Syria Using Civilian Firms

An analyst said to media on Tuesday that Iranian companies, sanctioned by the United States over ties to the Revolutionary Guards Corps, have recently begun unloading shipments at Syria’s Latakia port raising suspicions that the dormant maritime trade route is being revived and may be exploited for weapons smuggling.

The Mediterranean Sea port of Latakia on Syria’s western coast has long been known as a transit point for illegal weapons and technologies arriving from Iran and North Korea.

In light of increased supervision of the sea routes leading to the country Iran has more recently transported its military cargo to Syria via a civilian air route that passes over Iraq.