Iran news in brief, June 5, 2019

Iran news in brief, June 5, 2019

Trump: U.S., Britain 'Determined' to Prevent Iran Regime From Developing Nukes

During his state visit to Britain, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Washington and London are "determined to ensure" Iran Regime does not develop nuclear weapons and stops supporting terrorism.

Trump told a joint press with British Prime Minister Theresa May on June 4 following a meeting at her Downing Street residence: "Among the pressing threats facing our nations is the development and spread of nuclear weapons -- perhaps that's our biggest threat,".

He said: "The United States and United Kingdom are determined to ensure that Iran never develops nuclear weapons and stops supporting and engaging in terrorism."

US to Press Russia for Help Countering Iran Regime in Syria

A senior official in the Trump administration on Tuesday said that the US was going to tell Russia that Iran Regime should withdraw from Syria, and ask for Moscow’s suggestions on how to counter Tehran’s influence in the region.

US officials were going to make the request in talks between security advisers from Israel, Russia and the US at a summit in Jerusalem at the end of June, according a Channel 13 report.

He added that Washington was sure that the summit, with Israel hosting both Russia and the US in Jerusalem, would irk the Iranian leadership, and said that the fact that Russia was participating was a positive sign.

US National Security Adviser John Bolton, Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and Russian Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev are scheduled to meet in Jerusalem later this month, according to an announcement made by the White House last week.

Iran Regime Bans Religious Minority Teachers From Kindergarten

The country’s Organization of Welfare has issued a ban forbidding religious minorities from teaching in kindergarten due to a difference in “religious values.” The policy applies to all kindergartens except those used solely by religious minorities.

This kind of directive once again shows the extent to which the Iranian Regime seeks to separate religious minorities from mainstream culture. Iran ranks as a Tier 1 Country of Particular Concern by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

CPJ Condemns Sentence for Iranian Journalist, Calls for His Immediate Release

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has strongly condemned the sentencing of Iranian journalist Masoud Kazemi on national security charges and called for his immediate release.

Kazemi on June 3 was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison for "spreading misinformation" and "insulting" the country's supreme leader and authorities. He was also banned from "media activities" for two years, according to his lawyer.

CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney said in a statement:  "With this heavy prison sentence, Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps is clearly signaling that any journalist who reports on government corruption will face a similar fate,".

Pressure Ramps up on Iranian Women to Observe the Compulsory Veil

Hossein Rahimi, Chief of Tehran Police, reiterated the need for Iranian women to observe the compulsory veil, saying, “Removing the veil and improper veiling are considered among obvious social crimes.”

Rahimi implicitly acknowledged that the majority of Iranian women oppose the compulsory veil by saying, “Today, the State Security Force (SSF) deals not with improper veiling but with those who remove the veil.”