- To put an end to the rumors about his deteriorating health, Mr. Khamenei made a public appearance on Sunday. Nonetheless, the infighting among various factions of the Iranian regime shows that the Supreme Leader’s health is failing him.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his much-anticipated speech in the United States Congress. The speech, which condemned the Iran deal, was criticized by Democrats and praised by Republicans.
- On Tuesday, Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, said that the Senate will vote next week on a bill that would require congressional approval for any nuclear deal with Iran. The bill’s critics argue that it could thwart the nuclear talks and results in a war. By Thursday, however, the Senate majority leader withdrew his intention to move the Iran bill directly to the floor.
- While the details of the potential deal remain undisclosed, reports have emerged suggesting that Iran and the P5+1 are nearing an agreement that a final nuclear deal must require the Islamic Republic to stay at least one year away from amassing enough fuel for a nuclear weapon. Additionally, Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, stated that a ten-year moratorium on some aspects (emphasis added) of the country’s nuclear program might be acceptable (emphasis added) to Tehran.
- On Monday, Yukia Amano, the Chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, said that Iran was being slow to cooperate with the IAEA’s investigation into the Iranian autonomic program and that the inquiry could not continue indefinitely.
- On Friday, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius stated that commitments offered by Iran in the nuclear talks do not go far enough, and that more work needs to be done. Less than a day later, however, Mr. Fabius and his American counterpart, John Kerry, stressed their nations’ unity over the Iran nuclear negotiations.
- Given the increasing tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Riyadh on Tuesday to try to reassure the new Saudi king that any nuclear deal with Iran will be in the interests of Saudi Arabia.
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps increased their presence in Iraq to support the local forces fighting against the self-declared Islamic State near the town of Tikrit. According to reports, American officials are finding it difficult to explain Iran’s increasing presence in Iraq. The New York Times wrote this week that the United States is becoming more dependent on Iran and Iranian fighters in the fight against the self-declared Islamic State
- Six Iranian Kurds were reportedly executed by the regime despite calls by international human rights organizations to halt their executions. The men were accused of killing a Friday Prayer Imam in Sanandaj. Two of the men were brothers.
- Following a three-week hunger strike, Atena Farghadani, an Iranian prisoner of conscience and artist has been transferred to Evin prison. She was initially arrested for depicting regime officials as animals.
- Afghanistan is publishing books deemed “illegal” in Iran, and is exporting the books to the Islamic Republic. The prohibition of such books in Iran has resulted in the creation of a “black market” in neighboring nations such as Azerbaijan and Afghanistan
- The Islamic Republic showed the lack of civility in its judiciary system when, in an application of Sharia law, it (the state) blinded a man convicted of blinding another man in an acid attack. This event marked the first time that Iran carried out such a punishment. A host of international human rights organizations condemned this “eye for an eye justice.”