Iran news in brief, May 22, 2019

Iran news in brief, May 22, 2019

Pompeo Says 'Quite Possible' Iran Behind Gulf Incidents

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday it was "quite possible" Iran was responsible for sabotage of Gulf oil interests as he prepared to brief lawmakers on rising tensions.

Pompeo cautioned that the United States has not made "a definitive conclusion" that can be presented publicly over mysterious sabotage incidents of oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates or drone strikes on a crude pipeline in Saudi Arabia but "given all the regional conflicts that we have seen over the past decade and the shape of these attacks, it seems like it's quite possible that Iran was behind these".

Saudi Cabinet Calls on International Community to Stand Firm Against Iran's Regime

Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities by taking a firm stand against the Iranian regime to stop and prevent it from spreading destruction and chaos.

A statement from Saudi Minister of Media Turki al-Shabanah read: “Iran and its agents need to move away from its reckless behavior and spare the region the risks and not push them to undesirable consequences”.

U.S. Defense Chief Says Iranian Threats 'Put on Hold'

Potential attacks by the Iranian regime have been "put on hold" by US countermeasures, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Tuesday.

Shanahan told reporters at the Pentagon: "I think our steps were very prudent and we've put on hold the potential for attacks on Americans and that is what is extremely important.

The U.S. has in recent weeks deployed additional warships and military jets to the Gulf, on Iran's southern coast.

Swindled Investors of the Caspian Credit Firm Protest in Tehran

Swindled investors of the Caspian credit firm, affiliated to the Iranian Regime’s Revolutionary Guards, held a rally on Tuesday outside the office of the mullahs’ President Hassan Rouhani demanding their stolen savings be returned.

The protesters chanted: “Where is our money?” “Enough with promises; we have nothing to eat!” “We trusted you with our money; you betrayed us!”

Retired Iranian Teachers Protest in Tehran

A group of retired Iranian teachers gathered on Tuesday in Tehran outside the Ministry of Education in protest to their economic woes.

Pensioners held banners and placards which read, “The result of 30 years of hard work should be provided for all at once. We will no longer tolerate any more delays.”

Retired teachers have in the past year held a number of protest rallies since none of their demands have been met.

900 Iranian Writers Condemn Recent Harsh Sentences

More than 900 writers, poets, essayists, and journalists in Iran have condemned the recent harsh verdicts against three prominent members of the Iranian Writers Association as an “unjustified,” and “severe damage to the fundamental rights of all Iranians” that “kills freedom.”

The statement published on Sunday, May 19 calls upon the Iranian regime’s judiciary to immediately and unconditionally exonerate Baktash Abtin, Kayvan Bajan and Reza Khandan Mahabadi.

The judiciary sentenced the three to six years in prison each on May 15.