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U.S. Sanctions Network Supporting Drone Program
On September 27, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned five companies and two people based in Iran, China, Hong Kong, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates for supporting Iran’s military drone program. The network facilitated transactions and shipments of parts used in suicide drones, including the Shahed…
Parliament Passes New “Hijab and Chastity” Bill
On Sept. 20, 2023, Iran’s parliament passed a controversial bill that would increase penalties for women not adhering to the rigid Islamic dress code. The law equated refusing to wear hijab—either in public or virtually—as “nudity.” It mandated stiff fines and prison sentences up to a decade for…
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: Detailed Fact Sheet
On Sept. 18, 2023, the United States and Iran completed a rare prisoner swap after more than a year of quiet diplomacy mediated by Oman and Qatar. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi described the swap as “purely humanitarian” and a potential “confidence builder” toward future diplomacy. President Joe…
Raisi Blasts U.S. & West at U.N.
In his 2023 U.N. speech, President Ebrahim Raisi accused Western intelligence agencies of instigating one of the biggest psychological wars in history by provoking three months of nationwide protests after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022. The Iranian leader…
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: World Reaction
The following are reactions from Qatar, Oman and Switzerland – the three countries that mediated between Iran and the United States.
Qatar
Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani
Sept. 19, 2023 interview with CNN: “We were so proud to see that Qatar helped in bringing…
News Digest: Week of September 18
Updated: September 24, 2023
September 18
Diplomacy: Iran released five Americans as part of a prisoner swap with the United States. The four men and one woman had been imprisoned on unproven charges of espionage. One had been held since 2015. In return, the Biden administration released five Iranian men imprisoned in the…
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: Hostage History
Iran’s practice of imprisoning foreign nationals, including Americans, has been a recurrent flashpoint since the seizure of the U.S. Embassy and 66 hostages after the 1979 revolution. Between 1979 and 2023, Iran detained nearly 100 Americans, including several U.S.-Iranian nationals. The Americans…
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: Iran Statements
On Sept. 18, 2023, President Ebrahim Raisi welcomed the prisoner swap with the United States as a “confidence builder” that could lead to future “humanitarian actions.” But he also criticized Washington. The swap “could have been accomplished much sooner had it not been for the wrong calculus of…
U.S. Sanctions Network Behind Iran’s Drone Program
On September 19, the United States sanctioned seven people and four companies based in Iran, China, Russia, and Turkey for supporting Iran’s military aircraft industry, including its drone program. The network facilitated shipments of parts and facilitated financial transactions for Iran Aircraft…
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: New US Sanctions
On Sept. 18, 2023, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was the president of Iran from 2005 to 2013, for supporting the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). For decades, MOIS has detained foreigners on spurious charges. “Today’s action targets Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for…
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: Congressional Reaction
The following are reactions from both Republicans and Democrats.
Republicans
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX)
Sept. 18, 2023 statement: "I am immensely relieved that the five Americans held hostage by Iran are finally reunited with their families and on their way…
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: US Statements
On Sept. 18, 2023, U.S. officials welcomed Iran’s release of five imprisoned Americans as part of a prisoner swap. “Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Sharghi, and two citizens who wish to remain private will soon be reunited with their loved ones—after enduring years of agony, uncertainty, and…
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: Hostages Speak
Updated: September 19, 2023
The following are statements by the Americans held hostage in Iran after their release on Sept. 18, 2023.
Siamak Namazi
I would not be free today, if it wasn’t for all of you who didn’t allow the world to forget me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for being my voice when I…
Iran-US Prisoner Swap: Profiles
On September 18, Iran released five Americans as part of a prisoner swap with the United States. The four men and one woman had been imprisoned on unproven charges of espionage. One had been held since 2015. In return, the Biden administration released five Iranian men imprisoned in the United…
Human Rights Groups on Protest Anniversary
In the runup to the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in detention and subsequent protests, prominent human rights groups condemned Iran’s crackdown on protesters and repressive policies. “The international community must pursue pathways for justice at the international level to address systemic…
U.S. on Protest Anniversary
On September 15, President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged support to Iranians defending human rights on the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police detention for alleged “improper” hijab. The following are statements by Biden and Blinken.
…
U.S. Sanctions on Anniversary of Amini Protests
On September 15, the United States sanctioned 29 security officials, government contractors, media executives, and news organizations for Iran’s crackdown on protests that erupted after Mahsa Amini’s death in detention in September 2022. The designations, which marked the one-year anniversary of…
Experts on State of Iran’s Protests
On September 12, four experts assessed the impact of the protest movement in Iran one year later. They also explored the state of Iranian politics, including the simmering internal flashpoints as well as the government’s response. The experts also analyzed Iran’s problems with the outside world,…
News Digest: Week of September 11
Updated: September 15, 2023
September 11
International: Israel “would have to act” if Iran enriched uranium above 60 percent, just below the weapons-grade level of 90 percent, Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi vowed. “There would not be any choice,” he added, as such an escalation would indicate that “we have…
PHOTO GALLERY: The Hijab Protests
Women across Iran challenged the government by refusing to wear the mandatory headscarf during the year after nationwide protests erupted in September 2022. For months, women and girls removed and burned their headscarves in outrage over Mahsa Amini’s death in detention for “improper hijab.” The…
News Digest: Week of September 4
Updated: September 11, 2023
September 4
Nuclear: Iran slowed uranium enrichment to 60 percent, according to the IAEA. It enriched 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds) of uranium to 60 percent between June and August 2023. In the first half of 2023, Tehran enriched more than 50 kilograms of uranium to near weapons-grade. The IAEA…
News Digest: Week of August 28
Updated: September 5, 2023
August 28
Domestic: Pop singer Mehdi Yarrahi was detained by police for criticizing the mandatory hijab ban in his song “Roosarito”, Farsi for “Your Headscarf.” The song encouraged women to remove their headscarves and featured the slogan “Woman, life, freedom,” often chanted by protesters. “Don’t…
Female Protests in Iran: One Year Later
What is the status of the protest movement as Iran nears Sept. 16, 2023, the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody?
Street protests largely subsided by early 2023. As people returned to their everyday lives, a degree of surface normalcy was restored. But as the…
Female Protests in Iran: Tools of Resistance
Many Iranian women have opposed the Islamic dress code since it was made mandatory in 1981. Why did the issue reach an inflection point in 2022?
The killing of Mahsa Jina Amini while in state custody in September 2022 reverberated throughout Iran. At age 22, the young woman embodied the nation's…
News Digest: Week of August 21
August 21
International: The U.S. Defense Department rejected Tehran’s claim that the Iranian Navy had intercepted U.S. Navy vessels, based on edited footage. “That report is not true,” said Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh. “So I don’t know where that’s coming from, but we’ve seen…
Iran to Join the BRICS Alliance
On August 24, Iran and five other countries – Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – were invited to join the BRICS bloc of emerging economies. The announcement was a diplomatic win for Iran, which has been isolated for its crackdown on protesters, nuclear advances…
News Digest: Week of August 14
Updated: August 21, 2023
August 14
Diplomatic: Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will visit Saudi Arabia “in the near future,” the foreign ministry announced. Spokesman Nasser Kanani did not provide a specific date but said that “the relations between the two countries are progressing step by step” since they…
Shooting at Shiraz Shrine
On Aug. 13, 2023, a gunman killed one person and injured eight others at the Shahcheragh shrine in Shiraz, Fars province. Security forces and shrine workers reportedly detained the assailant, Tajik national Rahmatollah Nowruzof. An injured member of the security forces died at the hospital two days…
News Digest: Week of August 7
August 7
Domestic: Iran opened candidate registration for the March 2024 parliamentary elections. They were the first national elections since protests rocked the country in 2022. Candidates for the 290-seat parliament could register online.
Military: More than 3,000 American military personnel…
U.S. and Iran Reach Agreement on Prisoners
Updated: September 12, 2023
On Aug. 10, 2023, Iran released four Americans to house arrest as part of a reported prisoner deal with the United States. The terms involved Iran's release of five Americans. In return, the United States reportedly agreed to unfreeze some $6 billion of Iranian assets held in South Korean banks and…