Iran news in brief, June 18, 2019

Iran news in brief, June 18, 2019

Pentagon Releases New Images of Iranian Regime's Tanker Attacks

The U.S. military has released additional photos that it claims bolster allegations that the Iranian regime was responsible for attacks last week on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

The Pentagon on June 17 released images, many taken from a U.S. Navy helicopter and purporting to show Iranian forces removing an unexploded mine from the hull of a Japanese-owned oil tanker.

Washington has said the photos appeared to show an attempt to remove evidence from the scene of the incident.

 Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said in a statement: “The recent Iranian attacks validate the reliable, credible intelligence we have received on hostile behavior by Iranian forces and their proxy groups that threaten United States personnel and interests across the region”.

Germany and UK Warn Iranian Regime Over Uranium Plans

Germany and Britain on Monday warned Tehran not to breach uranium stockpile limits set by the 2015 nuclear deal.

The Iranian regime set a 10-day countdown on Monday to exceed the 300-kilogram limit set on its enriched uranium stocks, dealing another blow to the crumbling nuclear accord signed by Tehran and six international powers.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas rejected the Iranian ultimatum and insisted Tehran must stick to its commitments under the deal.

A spokesman for the British government echoed the call, saying the E3 -- the European signatories to the deal -- has "consistently made clear that there can be no reduction in compliance".

White House: Iran 'Nuclear Blackmail' Must Be Met With International Pressure

The Iranian regime’s plan to exceed nuclear enrichment limits amount to “nuclear blackmail” and must be met with increased international pressure, a White House National Security Council spokesman said on Monday.

“Iran’s enrichment plans are only possible because the horrible nuclear deal left their capabilities intact,” spokesman Garrett Marquis said.

“President Trump has made it clear that he will never allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. The regime’s nuclear blackmail must be met with increased international pressure.”

German Court Rejects Iranian Regime's Protest Regarding Mahan Air

Germany’s administrative supreme court in the city of Luneburg has upheld a decision by a lower German court banning carrier, Mahan Air, from landing or taking off from any German airport.

Mahan Air is owned and operated by the Iranian regime’s Revolutionary Guards, designated as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” by the U.S. State Department.

The German Federal Aeronautic Association ruled on January 21 that Iran’s Mahan Air flights are no longer permitted to land or take off from any German airport. The decision, at the time, was based on ‘security concerns,’ according to the court ruling. Mahan Air is on U.S. sanctions list and Washington has long urged allies to ban it from their territory.

The German court made the decision based on suspicions after German Foreign Ministry claimed that Mahan Air transports military equipment and personnel to Middle East war zones.

Prominent Hardline Theorist Says Iran Regime Is Near Collapse

A prominent Iranian hardline theorist criticized the government and told officials during a speech that the regime would fall as a result of the regime’s domestic policies and not the United States’ maximum pressure campaign.

“A revolution cannot be preserved like this. You cannot keep the people (on the regime’s side) like this. If you cut your ties with the people, especially the middle to lower class and specifically the impoverished, or if you don’t understand them and they don’t understand you, you should be afraid of yourselves and not the US,” Rahimpour Azghadi, a veteran member of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution said.

The Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution is the highest body for making policies and decisions in connection with cultural, educational and research activities within the framework of the general policies of the regime. Its decisions can only be overruled by the regime’s Supreme Leader.

Azghadi attacked the government and said that the government made empty promises.

“They only give promises and create false hope and when they see that the conditions are hard, they give up and turn into the opposition,” he said.