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Lebanon bombing victims’ Iran judgment overturned by US appeals court

By
IFP Media Wire
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Iran Central Bank

The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said a lower court judge should have addressed questions of state law before ruling against Bank Markazi and Luxembourg intermediary Clearstream Banking, a unit of Deutsche Boerse.

In a 3-0 decision, the panel also rejected a claim that a 2019 federal law designed to make it easier to seize Iranian assets held outside the United States waived Bank Markazi’s sovereign immunity.

That law “neither abrogates Bank Markazi’s jurisdictional immunity nor provides an independent grant of subject matter jurisdiction”, Circuit Judge Robert Sack wrote.

The court returned the case to US District Loretta Preska in Manhattan to address state law questions in the 11-year-old case, and whether the case can proceed at all in Bank Markazi’s absence.

Bombing victims sought to hold Iran liable for providing material support for the Oct. 23, 1983, suicide attack that killed 241 US service members, by seizing bond proceeds held by Clearstream in a blocked account on Bank Markazi’s behalf.

Bank Markazi claimed immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which generally shields foreign governments from liability in US courts.

In the Bank Markazi case, the plaintiffs sued in 2013 to partially satisfy a $2.65 billion default judgment they had won against Iran in 2007.

Another judge dismissed the case in 2015, but the 2nd Circuit revived it in 2017.

Then in 2020, the US Supreme Court ordered a fresh review in light of the 2019 law, which then-President Donald Trump signed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.

The plaintiffs have announced they hold more than $4 billion of judgments against Iran and have been unable to collect for decades.

Iran minister slightly injured in road accident

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Mohammad Atabak

The accident occurred at around 5 a.m. local time, while Mohammad Atabak was en route from Karaj to the western province of Kordestan.

He was immediately transferred to a hospital in Karaj for treatment.

According to reports, the minister sustained minor injuries and is expected to make a full recovery soon.

IRNA news agency quoted an official with the ministry as confirming that no serious injuries occurred to the minister or his companions.

The director of the internal affairs of Aaram Hospital in Karaj stated that the minister suffered a minor surface injury and is in good health condition.

Atabak’s visit to Kordestan included plans to inspect several industrial and construction projects in the cities of Qorveh and Bijar, as well as meetings with businessmen.

Despite the accident, the minister’s advisors and experts remain in Kordestan to ensure that scheduled visits and plans proceed as intended.

Trump taps Iran hawk Marco Rubio for secretary of state

By
IFP Media Wire
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Trump Rubio

Trump in a statement praised Rubio as a “Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom”.

“He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” he added.

Rubio’s selection to serve in Trump’s Cabinet completes a drastic turnaround from 2016, when the two were fierce rivals in a GOP presidential primary and exchanged personal insults.

Earlier this year, Trump nearly chose Rubio as his running mate before selecting Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).

The Florida senator is seen as a foreign policy hawk who is tough on China and Iran. In a September interview with NBC, Rubio stated it was apparent the war between Ukraine and Russia would end “with a negotiated settlement”.

Trump has vowed to quickly restore his “America First” foreign policy vision upon taking office. He has expressed skepticism about continued US support for Ukraine in its war against Russia and called for European allies to do more to aid Kyiv and to support their own defense through the NATO alliance.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have given the Rubio choice a warm reception since it was first reported late Monday.

In a statement following the nomination announcement, Rubio said he is honored by the trust Trump has placed in him and will work every day “to carry out his foreign policy agenda”.

“I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the US Senate so the President has his national security and foreign policy team in place when he takes office on January 20,” he added.

The Florida senator spoke to reporters on Capitol Hill minutes before his nomination was announced, and offered thoughts on some of Trump’s proposals, voicing opposition to the strategy of recess appointments, something Trump has pushed for commitment from senators as a way around the confirmation process for his administration’s posts.

“Ideally you’d have a nominations process where people are getting voted on and people can vote any way they want,” he continued, noting, “Recess appointment is something that you would use as a last resort, if you have these really important positions and people are just being unreasonable in their obstruction in terms of time.”

Rubio stated he has concerns about the national security risks of the app TikTok but said Trump holds the power on whether to reverse a ban that was passed into law.

“I still have concerns about the app and the vulnerability it poses, but ultimately I’m not the president of the United States,” he added.

When asked about Ukraine, Rubio deferred to Trump, saying “he wants the war to end,” and it’s “the president’s job to figure his way through it. I’m not going to discuss his strategies or the decisions he makes in that regard”.

“I think he’s made it pretty clear that that’s a war that needs to end. It’s become a stalemate and it’s setting Ukraine back a century,” Rubio added.

Rubio would not commit to more Ukraine funding ahead of the transition.

“Let’s wait until the new administration’s in place before we can figure that… We, still have to fund government next month.”

Trump also announced Wednesday that former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard would serve as his director of national intelligence

Trump has rapidly rolled out his national security team after winning last week’s election. He has chosen Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as his ambassador to the United Nations and tapped Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) to serve as his national security adviser. Trump also tapped Fox News host and veteran Pete Hegseth as his nominee to lead the Pentagon.

US charges CIA official with leaking document on Israeli attack on Iran

By
IFP Media Wire
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CIA

The man, Asif William Rahman, was indicted in the US District Court in Eastern Virginia by the Department of Justice on Nov. 7, on two counts of the willful retention and transmission of national defense information.

The case was filed Wednesday in the US District Court in Guam after Rahman was arrested by the FBI in Cambodia and brought to the American territory.

Rahman had access to top secret information in his role at the CIA. The indictment does not identify his role in the government or what documents he leaked.

The pair of leaked documents from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency circulated online late last month, just days before Israel struck sensitive military sites in Iran.

The documents showed the types of aircraft or weapons Israel might use in a possible attack on Iran and revealed the movement of munitions. They also tracked Israeli exercises in preparation for an attack.

The arrest comes just a day after Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira was sentenced to 15 years in prison for leaking classified documents in 2023 about the war in Ukraine and US thinking about allies and other nations.

UK, France, Germany pushing for anti-Iran resolution at IAEA: Report

By
IFP Media Wire
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Iran nuclear program

The resolution would task the IAEA with issuing a so-called “comprehensive report” on Iran’s nuclear activities in addition to its regular quarterly ones, which would describe in more detail and put further focus on uranium traces allegedly found at undeclared sites.

Reuters claims that the aim is to force Iran back to the negotiating table to agree new restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief – both less far-reaching than those in a 2015 nuclear deal with major powers that Donald Trump pulled the United States out of in 2018, prompting its collapse.

“Our concerns about Iranian nuclear activity are well known. It feels a natural point to be asking the IAEA for a thorough report. That then provides a basis to deal with Iranian behavior,” a European diplomat was quoted as saying.

The United States has not been the driving force behind the resolution but is still expected to back it, as happened with the last resolution against Iran in June, diplomats said, adding that European powers are discussing the draft with the outgoing US administration.

The news agency wrote that such a resolution carries the risk of escalating diplomatic tensions as Grossi is in Tehran to hold talks in continuation of a joint statement issued in March with the aim of resolving all remaining issues.

Three European countries- Britain, France and Germany- known as Troika or E3, had issued a statement and reiterated their claims and accusations regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear program in the IAEA board meeting in Vienna in June.

Without mentioning which country is to blame for failing to implement the 2015 nuclear agreement or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the statement pointed to Iran’s compensatory measures, saying it had continued to enrich uranium far beyond its commitments.

The statement then demanded the IAEA chief continuously inform the Board of Governors on the status of Iran’s nuclear program and make the agency’s report public.

The call was unusual since the IAEA in every three months, that is, on the eve of the quarterly meetings of the 35-member Board of Governors, publishes two reports on Iran’s nuclear activities under the titles “NPT Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran” and “Monitoring and Verification in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015)”.

The IAEA in it’s over a dozen reports has already verified Iran’s compliance with the 2015 agreement, but non-adherence of the JCPOA by Britain, France, and Germany, along with the United States prompted Tehran to gradually scale down its commitments by invoking mechanisms enshrined in the clauses of the accord.

Erdogan says Turkey severed all relations with Israel

By
IFP Media Wire
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Erdogan

Erdogan made the comments to journalists aboard his plane following visits to Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.

“The government of the Republic of Turkey, under the leadership of Tayyip Erdogan, will not continue or develop relations with Israel,” Erdogan said.

“[Our ruling coalition] is resolute in its decision to cut ties with Israel, and we will maintain this stance in the future as well.”

“We, as the Republic of Turkey and its government, have currently severed all relations with Israel,” he added.

Despite imposing a trade embargo on Israel in May, Ankara continues to maintain diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv.

Although the Turkish government formally recalled its ambassador last year for consultations, Turkish diplomatic missions in Tel Aviv remain open and operational.

Similarly, Israel evacuated its embassy in Ankara last year, citing regional security threats.

Erdogan also emphasised on Wednesday that Turkey would do everything in its power to hold Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accountable for his actions in Gaza, which international human rights groups have described as genocide.

Earlier this year, Turkey intervened in a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in support of Palestine and advocated for an arms embargo against Tel Aviv.

Erdogan said 52 countries and two international organisations had expressed their support for the arms embargo initiative Turkey launched at the United Nations in early November, aimed at preventing the shipment of weapons and ammunition to Israel.

“We recently submitted our formal letter regarding this initiative to the president of the United Nations Security Council and the secretary-general of the United Nations,” Erdogan added.

“During our summit in Riyadh, a decision was made to invite all organisations and members of the Arab League to sign this letter.”

Turkish-Israeli relations have deteriorated sharply since a meeting between Erdogan and Netanyahu in New York in September of last year, which was intended to symbolise reconciliation between the two nations.

However, following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza, which has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, Ankara has intensified its criticism of the Netanyahu government.

This led to a series of actions, including legal measures and trade sanctions, especially after the local elections in Turkey where Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was punished in part over its weak response to the war on Gaza.

Since September, ongoing Turkish trade with Israel through third countries and Palestine has sparked a public pressure campaign by the opposition, who accused Erdogan of failing to close loopholes that facilitate continued interaction.

Iran strongly condemns Israeli official West Bank annexation comment 

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Esmael baghaei

Esmaeil Baghaei said this statement is yet another clear sign of the racist and expansionist nature and the aggressive approach of Israel that was created and expanded based on grabbing Palestinian territories and carnage as well as forced displacement of Palestinians.

Baghaei said this policy is part of the Israeli genocide and its policy of wiping out Palestine, which have been implemented in the most brutal way possible
over the past year.

He put emphasis on the legal and moral responsibility of all governments to prevent and punish genocide as well as to deal with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Baghaei strongly regretted the failure of the US and Germany to hold the leaders of the regime accountable and to drag them before the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.

Baghaei called for decisive action by the international community and the UN Security Council to stop the genocide in Palestine and the war-mongering acts of the occupying regime in Lebanon and West Asia.

Baghaei stressed Israel has no faith in the principles and standards of international law and the UN Charter, and its declared and applied policy is to humiliate and weaken the UN and its norms and institutions.

Minister: Iran’s population will decrease to 35 million in over 7 decades

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Aging population in Iran

Eskandar Momeni said at the current growth rate, Iran’s population will decrease to 35 million people in over 7 decades.

The current population of Iran stands at over 85 million.

He added that if the problem of population is not resolved, it will first become a population hole and then a population well.

According to the Iranian interior minister, when such a problem turns into a well, it is not possible to get out of it easily, and at once it will face a big challenge called population reduction.

Experts say that Iran’s shift toward smaller family sizes and delayed marriages, along with economic challenges, have contributed to the population decline.

Iran reeling from murder of heart specialist 

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Crime Scene

The victim, identified as Dr. Masoud Davoudi, was shot dead by a man whose brother had died of a heart attack at a hospital in the Iranian city of Yasuj, purportedly due to negligence by medical staff.

Now the victim’s brother has spoken out about his murder that happened a couple of days ago in the southwestern Iranian city.

According to Mahmoud Davoudi, Dr. Davoudi’s brother, three years ago, a man was admitted to the emergency room after having a heart attack in Yasuj where there is a lack of medical staff.

“My brother was looking after another patient at that time, and he asked about the history of the new patient over the phone and then prescribed medicine so that he could get over there and do the treatment himself,” Mr. Davoudi said.

He added that the staff did not do as his brother had instructed them and those in the next shift also forgot to take care of the issue.  “When my brother reaches, the patient’s gone”, he said.

Mr. Davoudi also said that the family of the patient filed a complaint against the heart specialist but he was acquitted of all charges.

Mr. Davoudi noted that their family is actually from the city of Shahroud, hundreds of kilometers east of Tehran and that his brother went to Yasuj to complete his medical project 15 years ago.

“He became interested in the city and stayed there upon completing his project two years later”, he added.

Dr. Davoudi was married and had a child.

Heavy autumn snow blankets Damavand 

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Snow Iran

Parts of the Haraz Road that links the Iranian capital to Mazandaran province, northern Iran, including Emamzadeh Hashem, a village in Damavand, was converged with snow.

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