Iran news in brief, June 7, 2019

Iran news in brief, June 7, 2019

Trump, Macron Agree Iran Regime Must Not Develop Nukes

President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday they agree on the need to prevent Iran Regime from developing nuclear weapons, and hope to renew talks with Tehran.

“I don’t think we have differences over Iran,” Mr. Trump told reporters during a meeting in France. “The president [Macron] doesn’t want to see Iran have nuclear weapons and neither do it.”

Mr. Macron said “we do share the same objective.”

We had an instrument [agreement] until 2025,” Mr. Macron said, but “we want to go further. So we have to deliver together this sole objective.”

US Commander for Mideast Says Iran Regime Threat 'Very Real'

 Iran has chosen to "step back and recalculate" after making preparations for an apparent attack against U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region, but it is too early to conclude the threat is gone, the top commander of American forces in the Mideast said Thursday.

In an interview with three reporters accompanying him to the Gulf, Gen. Frank McKenzie said he remains concerned by Iran's potential for aggression, and he would not rule out requesting additional U.S. forces to bolster defenses against Iranian missiles or other weapons.

"I don't actually believe the threat has diminished," McKenzie said. "I believe the threat is very real."

Saudi Arabia, U.a.E., Norway at UN Blame 'State Actor' for May 12 Tanker Attacks

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Norway have told the UN Security Council that the recent attack on four oil tankers off the U.A.E. coast was a “sophisticated and coordinated” operation most likely conducted by a “state actor.”

Saudi Arabia's UN ambassador, Abdallah al-Mouallimi, told reporters after the briefing: "We believe the responsibility for this attack lies on the shoulders of Iran,”.

Iran: Regime's Education Minister Officially Resigns

Mohammad Bathaei, Iran regime’s minister of education, has officially resigned following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Some reports say Bathaei intends to run for a seat in the Majlis (parliament) in February 2020, according to the state-run IRNA news agency is reporting that.

Various state-run outlets are describing this resignation as a sign of the Rouhani cabinet’s incapability to provide for due paychecks and pensions for teachers and education providers.

The resignation comes after Iranian teachers held several nationwide strikes over the last two years to protest low wages. Since April, some Majlis members had begun to talk about Bathaei's impeachment.

Iran Regime Launches New Patrols to Counter "Improper Hijab" in Northern Province

An IRGC commander in the northern province of Gilan announced the launch of a 2,000 strong Basij group to counter what the regime calls “improper hijab”.

Mohammad Abdollahpour, the commander of the Gilan Quds Force, announced on June 4 that a new “chapter of promoting virtue and prohibiting vice” had started in the northern province. Abdollahpour said that the 2,000 Basij groups would give verbal notices and would also take action against what they deemed improper in the society, though he did not elaborate.

It would seem that this new wave of crackdown against civil liberties is linked to the “Razavion” patrols announced by Iran’s Police Chief in early May. 

20,000 Unemployed Iranian Nurses as Employed Nurses Die Under Workload

The General Secretary of the Iranian Nursing Organization said that there were 20,000 unemployed Iranian nurses in the country, even though hospitals faced a severe shortage of nurses.

This is while, Eghtesad Online state-run website quoted the Deputy Minister of Nursing at the Ministry of Health last spring as saying that according to international standards, Iran lacked around 120,000 to 150,000 nurses.