Iran news in brief, April 5, 2019

Iran news in brief, April 5, 2019

Iran: Flood Damage to Farms Runs to Hundreds of Millions of Dollars

Flooding has caused hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to Iranian agriculture, an official said on Thursday, as the speaker of parliament questioned whether government funds would be adequate to compensate affected communities and farmers.

About 1,900 cities and villages have been affected by floods and exceptionally heavy rains that began on March 19.

Early estimates put flood losses in agriculture sector at 47 trillion rials (about $350 million), the head of the agriculture ministry’s crisis management, Mohammad Mousavi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA, based on the unofficial exchange rate of 135,000 rials to a dollar.

The government has assured citizens, and especially flood-affected farmers, that all their losses will be compensated, but the speaker of parliament said on Thursday the new year budget would not suffice to cover the damages. The speaker, Ali Larijani, said the government should seek other resources.

Iran: The Wrath of Flood Stricken Residents of Poldokhtar

In a sham demonstration of solidarity and concern to the flood-ravaged residents of Poldokhtar, west of Iran, former IRGC commander, Mohsen Rezaie traveled to the city taking pictures and shooting videos to pretend government concern and attention.

 But the people who have lost their entire livelihood to the flash floods are angry at the clerical regime for destroying the environment. When Mohsen Rezaie visited their city, people welcomed him with curse and hatred.

They shouted slogans against Rezaie saying “What do you want here? Leave, you animals. You are a disgrace, leave. Are you taking selfies to put it over your graves? And forced him to cut his visit short and leave hastily.

South Korea Tests U.S. Super Light Oil as Iran Waiver Uncertainty Grows

 South Korea has begun testing super-light U.S. oil sold by Anadarko Petroleum Corp as a substitute for Iranian crude while it awaits word from Washington on whether it can keep buying oil from the Middle Eastern nation, sources said.

South Korea is one of Iran’s biggest Asian customers and was one of eight importers that received waivers to keep buying Iranian oil when the United States re-imposed sanctions in November.

Washington is expected to reduce those waivers in May, disrupting South Korea’s supply of Iranian condensate, an ultra-light crude oil that is used in its large refining and chemical industry.

West Texas Light is seen as a potential substitute for Iranian condensate because, when refined, WTL yields a large volume of the refined product naphtha, which can be used to produce petrochemicals. Most WTL is produced in the western part of the Permian Basin in Texas.

Dearborn Islamic School Linked to Iran, Hezbollah Propagandists

Clarion Project has discovered that a private Islamic school in Dearborn, Michigan is linked to diehard supporters of Hezbollah and the Iranian regime. The school teaches students from kindergarten through 9th grade.

Great Revelations Academy was founded in 2015 by open supporters of Mullah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. By their own admission, the school’s founders are dedicated to spreading his message.

Fadlallah was a supporter of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran and is considered to be a key inspirer of Hezbollah. Some go so far as to describe him as the terrorist group’s “spiritual leader.”