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Satellite dishes such as those seen on a balcony in Tehran are widely used by Iranians to watch BBC news. Photograph: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images

The BBC has criticised Iran for imposing an asset freeze on staff at its London-based Persian-service, the latest crackdown against the corporations Iranian employees.

Tehrans judicial authorities have issued a court order listing more than 150 BBC Persian journalists and former contributors, preventing them from conducting financial transactions or selling properties in their homeland because of their affiliation with the British media organisation.

BBC Persian is banned in Iran but its radio shows and TV channel are still popular with an audience hungry for news not reported by the state-run channels. They are watched by millions of Iranians via illegal satellite dishes on residential rooftops. The broadcaster says it has an audience of 13 million in Iran, making it BBC News seventh-biggest market worldwide.

Its Iranian staff, who have been victims of a campaign of intimidation and smears in recent years, are unable to return to Iran for fear of reprisal, and most if not all BBC Persian staff cannot visit their families back home.

We deplore what appears to be a targeted attack on BBC Persian staff, former staff, and some contributors. It is appalling that anyone should suffer legal or financial consequences because of their association with the BBC, said Francesca Unsworth, director of the BBC World Service.

We call upon the Iranian authorities to reverse this order urgently and allow BBC staff and former staff to enjoy the same financial rights as their fellow citizens.

The latest crackdown is a sign that the authorities are renewing pressure on the corporation, and stepping up a wider crackdown on journalists after the re-election of Hassan Rouhani as president.

Iran is one of the worlds five biggest prisons for journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders. At least 10 journalists and 17 citizen-journalists are incarcerated. It emerged on Sunday that Sasan Aghaei, an Iranian journalist with the reformist Etemaad newspaper, had been arrested.

About 140 employees work for BBC Persian from outside Iran, but authorities have maintained a campaign of harassment against them by summoning their family members who live in the country. A number of staff have also been victims of false allegations of sexual misconduct, duplicated Facebook accounts, fake blogs and online identity theft designed to discredit them.

The Guardian understands that at least one BBC Persian employee has been prevented from leaving Iran after visiting her home country. The UK has refused to grant visas to a number of family members to visit the journalists in the UK.

Britain, often dubbed by Iranian hardliners the old fox, has a special place in Iranian official demonology. They consider BBC Persian as a subversive arm of Britain Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, aimed at fomenting regime change in Iran.

Historical suspicions dates back to the 1941 Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran and later to the still unacknowledged MI6-engineered coup against the countrys first democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, who had dared to nationalise the Anglo-Iranian oil company.

BBC News said on its website that the latest ruling against BBC Persian staff was issued by Shahid Moghadas courthouse, which is based in Tehrans Evin prison. The BBC was not notified of the court order, and only learned about the asset freeze when a relative of a BBC Persian employee tried to sell a property on their behalf, said a news article carried by the BBC.

The imprisonment of British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been sentenced to five years in jail, may also be connected to Irans hostile view of the BBC. Her husband, who has condemned the criminal charges as a self-serving fabrication, has indicated that her imprisonment might be connected to her previous work at the BBC in London.

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Iran freezes assets of BBC Persian staff in crackdown on journalists - The Guardian

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How Donald Trump's travel ban has hit Iran's tourism renaissance - The Independent

The Azadi tower in Tehran is strung with black flags. Photograph: Amos Chapple/Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

In 1966, a 24-year-old architect who had just graduated from Tehran University hesitantly entered a competition to design a monument to mark the 2,500-year celebration of the founding of the Persian empire.

In hindsight, it was a competition of a lifetime, organised by the shah of Iran, who envisioned that the monument would act as his memorial tower, or Shahyad.

The architect, Hossein Amanat, had no idea that his hastily prepared design, which went on to win the competition, would one day become a focal point of the Iranian capitals skyline, serving as a backdrop to some of the countrys most turbulent political events.

The 50-metre (164ft) tall structure, now known as the Azadi (Freedom) tower, rode out the 1979 Islamic revolution, an eight-year war with Iraq and the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad-era anti-government demonstrations.

But as his tower prospered, Amanats life unravelled.

The monarchy was overthrown in the 1979 revolution, which ushered in an Islamic Republic with Ayatollah Khomeini as supreme leader. The shah, along with many of those believed to be associated with him, left the country and there was a crackdown on the Bah faith, which Amanat practises.

His name was put on a death list, and his belongings were confiscated. He fled Iran and has not returned since.

The Bahs are Irans most persecuted religious minority. After the revolution, more than 200 Bahs were executed in Iran because of their religious allegiance. In 1981, the religion was banned.

Since then, its followers have been deprived of many of their fundamental rights, including access to higher education and the right to work freely. In July, at least six Bahs were arrested in the cities of Gorgan, Kashan and Shiraz.

The Iranian authorities link Bahs to Israel, mainly because its governing body is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, and have accused adherents of spying or conspiring to topple the Islamic establishment.

In a rare interview discussing his religion, Amanat, who also designed three Bah administrative buildings in Haifa, called on Iran to rethink its approach.

They should put aside the suspicion, Amanat, 75, said. Bahs dont have any aims to harm the Islamic establishment. They [the authorities] have repeatedly claimed that Bahs are spies, but have they found even a single document of proof? Theyve found nothing. They should let Bahais live like other Iranians.

The Bah faith, which is monotheistic, accepts all religions as having valid origins. It was founded in Iran in the 19th century by its prophet, Bahullh, who defined the purpose of religion to establish unity and concord among the peoples of the world; make it not the cause of dissension and strife. Nearly 300,000 Bahs are believed to live in Iran, and about 6 million worldwide.

According to Asma Jahangir, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, discrimination against Bahais is legally sanctioned by a lack of constitutional recognition.

A follower was murdered outside his home in Yazd last year by two young men because of his faith, a March report by Jahangir said, and at least 90 Bahais are behind bars.

Amanat was hopeful when Irans moderate president, Hassan Rouhani, was elected in 2013, but said nothing had changed and the situation had even got worse in some situations.

Iran has a special place in the hearts of the Bahai community, he said. Im saddened that my fellow Bahais are under pressure. If theyre given the opportunity they can do good for their country.

Amanat expressed regret for not being able to live in Iran and contribute more to its architecture.

The Azadi tower, he said, was an opportunity to design modern architecture using old language, to preserve the good things about a culture, leave aside the meaningless parts and create something new and meaningful. A tribute to an old human civilisation, the monument was such that if this was erected somewhere else it would have no meaning you cant put Shahyad in Cairo.

It took five years for the Azadi tower to be finished. In 1971 the Shah unveiled the tower, having flown to Tehran from the ruins of Persepolis in Shiraz, where he had held an enormous, lavish event to celebrate the Persian empires 2,500th birthday.

Of all the towers defining moments in modern Iranian history, one incident struck a chord with Amanat.

I was touched deeply once when millions of people went to Shahyad in 2009 [during unrest under Ahmadinejad], and then they were beaten up and many were killed, he said.

I was so saddened by it. As a Bahai, I forgive others, I dont dwell on the injustices done to me, I go forward, but when that happened it was difficult for me because people had taken refuge there.

Reflecting on the country of his birth, Amanat said: I miss Iran a lot, partly because of the sun and the architecture. I am away from everything I had and from my neighbourhood. I have three kids, theyve tried to learn Farsi but cant read a Farsi newspaper fluently and this makes me sad none of them have ever seen the Azadi tower in their life.

Continued here:
After Azadi: man behind Iran's freedom tower on how his life unravelled - The Guardian

1. Charlottesville It took a couple days, but President Trump finally condemned and called out by name the white nationalists, neo-Nazis and other extremist groups that brought violence and death to Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend. Trump's words, while strong, would have been much more powerful if he'd said them Saturday, so for a lot of folks, this was just too little, too late. 2. North Korea Looks like Kim Jong Un is in wait-and-see mode. The North Korean leader has reviewed plans to launch a missile attack on Guam but wants to see what the "foolish Yankees" do before he makes his next move. Whatever move that is, Defense Secretary James Mattis warns Kim to think carefully. Mattis said if the North fired on Guam or any other part of the US, it would be "game on." But South Korean President Moon Jae-in later said the US would need the South's OK before launching any attack on North Korea. 3. Iran nuclear deal Is anybody happy with the Iran nuclear deal? President Trump, when recertifying it last month, said Iran is violating the "spirit" of the deal. Now Iran's President says he could pull his country out of it "within hours" if the US imposed more sanctions.President Hassan Rouhani says Iran remains committed to the deal, though any breaches by other parties would prompt "appropriate" responses. The 2015 agreement lifts most sanctions against Iran in exchange for limits on its nuke program. 4. Sierra Leone mudslides Hundreds of people are feared dead after mudslides ripped through Sierra Leone. The bodies of about 200 people have been recovered, but that number is sure to rise. Mudslides hit areas just outside the capital of Freetown, sweeping down hillsides and obliterating everything. Entire families are reported missing in the West African nation of 6 million residents. The mudslides have been fed by rainfall that's triple the average for this time of year. A presidential spokesman said the "whole country is traumatized." 5. Taylor Swift Taylor Swift won her civil countersuit against an ex-DJ she said groped her. David Mueller, the former DJ, has to pay her damages of $1, but for Swift, this obviously wasn't about the money. It was about standing up and speaking out for victims of sexual assault. After the verdict, Swift said she hopes to "help those whose voices should also be heard." The "Bad Blood" singer wasn't the only member of her family victorious in court. The jury also found Swift's mom not liable for tortious interference. QUOTE OF THE DAY

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5 things for August 15: Charlottesville, North Korea, Iran nukes ... - CNN

Iranian lawmakers voted to raise spending on the nations missile program and elite forces, bolstering twin pillars of the security establishment that are at the center of a growing dispute with the U.S.

Parliament on Sunday overwhelmingly approved a bill sanctioning an additional 20 trillion rials ($609 million) for Irans missile program and the Qods Force arm of the Revolutionary Guards. The legislation cited hostile U.S. policies against Iran and American adventurism in the region, according to Tasnim news agency. President Donald Trump has expanded sanctions on Iran and swung behind its Gulf rivals since taking office, amid signs he might attempt to sink the 2015 nuclear accord that opened the Islamic Republic for business.

The extra funding -- on top of two years of increased defense spending -- serves as amultifaceted message, according to Ariane Tabatabai, a senior associate with the Proliferation Prevention Program at theWashington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The missile program serves to project power and show strength at a time where the region is incredibly volatile and is geared toward Irans regional adversaries like the Gulf Arabs, as well as ISIS and other terrorist groups, she said. It also serves to show the U.S. that the chest-thumping wont intimidate Iran. From their perspective, this is about deterrence.

In another sign of escalating tensions, the U.S. said an Iranian drone operating without navigation lights came within 1,000 feet (305 meters) of U.S. aircraft from the carrier Nimitz that were in flight during night operations in the central Persian Gulf on Sunday. The approach created a dangerous situation with the potential for collision and is not in keeping with international maritime customs and laws, Commander Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said Monday in a statement.

The seven-party agreement curbing Irans nuclear program led to increased Iranian oil sales and investor interest in Iran, and was heralded as a basis for talks on easing clashes over Mideast flashpoints where Iran and Sunni powers allied to the U.S. are on opposite sides. But the deal has run into greater turbulence under Trump, who argues that its overgenerous terms have emboldened authorities in Tehran that oppose American interests.

His administration has so far found Iran to be in compliance with the accord after quarterly reviews -- a judgment also made by international monitors -- while saying its missile tests and overseas military interventions are in breach of its spirit.

Irans other malign activities are serving to undercut whatever positive contributions to regional and international peace and security were intended to emerge from the accord, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said last month.

In June, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signaled that support for peaceful regime change in Iran may be one option for the U.S. to consider.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, whose diplomatic overtures concluded with the landmark breakthrough, on Sunday again warned against unilateral efforts to undermine it.

Anyone who harms the accord harms himself and his country, Rouhani was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students News Agency. If the U.S. acts against the agreement everyone will side with us and against the person who wants to weaken it, he said in reference to other signatories to the deal, including Germany and France, which strongly support its continuation.

Rouhani has come under growing pressure from conservative opponents at home who want a more assertive response to Trump.

The bill passed on Sunday, which had been before parliament for two months, constitutes a first step, speaker Ali Larijani was quoted as saying by the official Islamic Republic News Agency. If the U.S. applies sanctions that violate the multi-party nuclear deal with Iran, the Iranian government will be bound to react, he said.

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Iranian officials have asserted that the legislation doesnt violate the agreement and a subsequent United Nations resolution, which discouraged but didnt bar missile development. Tehran considers American actions to have contravened the accord as the extra sanctions have further disrupted efforts to normalize trade. The bill needs to be approved by Irans Guardian Council, a body of Islamic law experts and jurists, in order to take effect.

With assistance by Anthony Capaccio

Excerpt from:
Iran Military Boost Signals Resolve to Resist US Pressure - Bloomberg