- On Monday, 47 U.S. Senators wrote an open letter to Iranian officials telling them how the U.S. Constitution works, how Congress ratifies international treaties, and how term-limits work. The letter went on to explain that the signatories of the letter "will consider any agreement regarding [Iran's] nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei. The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.” The letter received criticism from Iranians and Americans alike. President Obama said he was embarrassed for the senators who signed the letter, and stated, "I think it's somewhat ironic to see some members of Congress wanting to make common cause with the hard-liners in Iran…It's an unusual coalition." Khamenei said the letter was indicative of a “collapse of political ethics” in the United States. Iranian foreign minister called said the letter had no value and was simply a propaganda ploy, while John Kerry called the letter “unconstitutional.”
- You can read this for a more thorough legal analysis of the issues related to the open letter.
- Secretary of States John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif will meet Sunday for the latest round of nuclear talks. While an agreement looks likely, Kerry has said that the remaining are mainly “political.”
- Ali Motahari, an Iranian Member of Parliament, was attacked in the Shiraz city airport. Mr. Motahari, who has been advocating the release of opposition leaders from house arrest, had been in Shiraz to deliver a speech. Unknown individuals on motorcycles attacked Mr. Motahari's car with stones and sticks, breaking the windows, before the car drove away to a nearby police station. Motahari reportedly sustained an eye injury in the attack and had to cancel his speech. In response to the attack against Mr. Motahari, President Rouhani and other members of parliament have demanded that prosecutions be brought against the attackers.
- After the Shiraz Friday prayer imam, Assadollah Imani, stated that “if someone invades the privacy of the Supreme Leader and the Assembly of Experts, should [he] expect others to respect his privacy? If you play with fire, you will get burned,” Mr. Motahari responded by writing an open letter to Imani and accused him of supporting the attackers.
- Mehdi Hashemi, son of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has been sentenced to 15 years in jail after being tried for security offences and financial crimes.
- Iran held elections for Majles-e Khobregan (Assembly of Experts) and elected the hardliner 83-year-old Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi as the chairman. The Assembly chooses and supervises (supposedly) Iran’s Supreme Leader. Ayatollah Yazdi defeated former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani by 47 votes to 24.
- Benjamin Netanyahu and his party took a dip in the polls shortly before the Israeli elections. According to some reports, the right-wing Likud party now trails a collation led by Issac Herzon.
- After a week of fighting against the self-declared Islamic State in Tikrit, Iraqi forces claimed they’re closing in on the city and heaped praises on Iran. Of course, Iranian proxies and Iraqi militias are receiving much help from the American airpower. This has resulted in increased worries in the region about Iran’s growing influence.
- Perhaps as a sign of increasing cooperation between the two nations, the United States has asked for Iran’s help in finding an American FBI Agent, Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran eight years ago.
- According to an Oslo-based Iranian human rights group, state sanctioned executions have soared during president Rouhani’s tenure to two per day.