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LONDON Iran is busy with its diplomatic maneuverings in the Middle East and beyond, but it has yielded little. As Iran's oil minister, Bijan Namdar-Zanganeh, put it: "No country is willing to sign a deal with Iran anymore."

The country's most recent overtures were to Moscow, where Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif went seeking two things from his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. One was to renew a 20-year accord the countries signed in the 1990s under President Mohammad Khatami, set to expire late in February 2021. The second was for Russia to respond to Israeli fighter jets intermittently bombarding Iranian positions in Syria and those of its proxy militias.

The Russians were evasive with the first request, saying they were unprepared to renew any agreement, and repeated their position on Syria, namely that they deplore the attacks but would not act against Israeli jets.

While Zarif was in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin found time to speak by phone to U.S. President Donald Trump and discuss, in particular, the renewal of an arms embargo on Iran that is to expire in mid-October 2020. Russia opposes its extension sine die, but may accept a renewal of four or five years. Certain European countries are planning to present that option to the UN Security Council.

On an earlier trip, to Iraq, Zarif also left empty handed. The Iranian diplomat is often termed Iran's Tariq Aziz, a reference to the Iraqi foreign minister under Saddam Hussein. Aziz was arrested after the dictator's overthrow and died in prison in 2015. He was the only regime official that Hussein, considering him considered able to exert some influence on his European counterparts, would send abroad. And at times he was effective, as is Zarif, who has occasionally managed to "sell" the Islamic Republic's policies to Western states including the United States under President Barack Obama.

In Baghdad, as a presidential adviser told Kayhan London, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi told Zarif, in so many words, that it was time for Iran to stop meddling in Iraq's internal affairs and for it to "understand the new situation." Al-Kadhimi reportedly made it clear that the United States was a "suitable" partner for Iraq and the departure of U.S. troops which is an Iranian demand is not desirable. He said his only stipulation, with respect to the U.S. military presence, is that Iraqi soil not be used for military action against neighbors, including Iran.

The unnamed Iraqi official told this paper that al-Kadhimi wants to open the Iraqi market to trade with Arab states and did not want Iran to be Iraq's sole gas and power supplier. Iraq is reportedly negotiating with Saudi Arabia for gas supplies and with other countries for electricity.

Before Zarif's visit, al-Kadhimi visited two border districts where in recent months, the Iran-backed Hashd al-Sha'bi militia had been charging money to let goods across the frontier. The Iraqi government has retaken control of the posts.

In a recent meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, al-Kadhimi stressed Iraq's independence and politely ignored Ayatollah Khamenei's request for reprisals against the United States for its targeted killing in Iraq of Qasem Soleimani, the late major general with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, head of an allied militia.

Khamenei said Iran would not interfere in Iraq's relations with the United States, but expected its "Iraqi friends" to "get to know America and know that America's presence in any country is the source of corruption, damage and destruction." He repeated that Iran wants U.S. troops to leave, as their presence "is a source of insecurity."

Al-Kadhimi insisted, in turn, that Iraq wants cordial relations with its neighbors, but would pursue a foreign policy based on its national interests.

Lebanon and Iraq are starting to push the clerical regime away.

In Lebanon, despite the country's bankruptcy and the influence Iran's proxy militia Hezbollah wields over the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab, the government has refused an offer to buy Iranian oil and pay for it in Lebanese pounds. Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar stated days before that Lebanon was not planning on buying Iranian oil, in an apparent response to the proposal made by the Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah.

Beirut-based analyst Said Kaywan told Kayhan London that Nasrallah's proposal had one goal, which was to pay the Lebanese pounds directly to Hezbollah as Iran, now under U.S. sanctions , had little money left to pay its militia.

Until recently, Lebanon and Iraq were part of Iran's regional "resistance" against Israel and the West. But now they too are starting to push the clerical regime away. And while Iran's ambassador in Moscow, Kazem Jalali, has recently insisted that Iran would buy Russian arms, Moscow seems less keen on expanding ties with Iran as crucially, these could harm its extensive ties with the monarchies of the Persian Gulf.

Even China is dragging its feet over a reported 25-year strategic pact with Iran. As a Xinhua agency correspondent told Kayhan London, this too would threaten China's ties with the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Currently, he pointed out, China had trade worth over $350 billion with the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Iraq, roughly equivalent to the total amount in would hypothetically invest over the course of 25 years were the treaty to go through.

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Iran's Deepening Isolation On The World Stage - Worldcrunch

Mrs. Rajavi hailed the oppressed workers, called on everyone to support them in obtaining their rightsToday, Saturday, August 1, 2020, workers and employees of Abadan and Mahshahr refineries, Qeshm Heavy Oil Refinery, as well as workers and employees of Parsian Refinery, Petrochemical Company in Lamerd (Fars Province), and phases 22 and 24 of South Pars in Kangan (Bushehr Province) staged a strike in protest against harsh working conditions, the lack of the minimum safety provisions, and the non-payment of their wages and bonuses.In a statement, the striking workers condemned those breaking the strike and underscored that their names would be published in the next phase of the protest campaign.On Wednesday, July 29, workers, and employees of the North Azadegan oil field stopped work in protest against low wages. The strike occurred after the executive director of the oil field threatened to fire some of the employees and workers.Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), hailed the striking workers at Abadan, Mahshahr, Qeshm, Parsian, Lamerd, and South Pars, and emphasized that the oppressed workers have risen to obtain their plundered rights by the anti-labor regime.Mrs. Rajavi underscored that through oppressive contracts, the clerical regime exploits the workers and does not even pay their meager wages. It squanders the countrys capital in nuclear and missile projects as well as terrorism or plunders it or sends it to the bank accounts of its officials and their families abroad.Mrs. Rajavi called on everyone to support the workers who have staged a strike to obtain their violated rights.Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)August 1, 2020

The rest is here:
Iran: Oil Workers Stage Strike in Abadan, Mahshahr, Qeshm, Parsian, Lamerd and South Pars Refineries in Protest Against Harsh Working Conditions, the...

Iran Protests-The repressive forces of the Iranian regime are suppressing the demonstrators-November 2019

The critical situation of Iranian society and the prospect of an uprising and the overthrow of the clerical regime have reached such a point that the state media is compelled to admit it. On August 1, the state-run website Etemad Online, in an article, under the context of an interview with a researcher, addressed the issue of social media and the hashtag #NoExecutionsInIran #_. It acknowledged that while social media only connects people, what causes these protests is the explosive situation that is rapidly taking shape in Iranian society.

It also acknowledged that Iranian society is in a state of uprising and that any dissatisfaction would quickly turn into protests. The article reflects the explosive situation of Iranian society. Translation of parts of the article is as follows:

Etemad Online state-run website -1 August 2020:

Collective actions and social protests are the results of social contradictions and feelings of relative deprivation, poverty and inequality or tyranny and authoritarianism, and illegitimacy. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the vital role of communication in the formation and functioning of social movements.

Digital communication networks are an integral part of social movements and street actions. Sometimes the pressure in cyberspace receives a proper response due to the fear of mobilization in real space

Some mistakenly think that communication technology alone and without the involvement of people can bring change, while communication technology serves as to link the people.

And what worries the proponents of maintaining the status quo and forcing them to repress or retreat is the bond between people in an autonomous space; That was, the case in the city or was the case by creating the hashtag #NoExecutionsInIran #_

Whether governments want it or not, the street is an undeniable part of the protest. Social media not only does not prevent people from going to the streets, but it also facilitates them to be in the streets.

The governments must decide, either to allow for legal street protestsor wait for the streets to be occupied by the people.

When the crisis pervades the existing structures when corruption has advanced to the Peak of Mount Damavandwhen poverty and inequality have doubled sufferings of people, and the devaluation of the national currency has made the poor poorer and the rich richer, when the disgusting smell of discrimination, has made a society hateful, it is not difficult to predict the future.

Uprisingsare the product of crises in peoples living conditions. It is an unbearable situation that forces dissatisfied people to protest. In fact, peoplesdistrust of governing institutions is an essential factor in protests and uprisings. People do not participate in protests for fun or entertainment; they take the risk to fight for a better life. In protest movements, the relations among the protesters is very important. Social media provides these links in the best possible way. But not to prevent themto gotothe street, but on the opposite,to facilitate themto go tothe street.

Whether virtual or real, every act is an exercise in creating an autonomous space and preparing for collective action andoccupying the streets. Didnt you see the protests of November 2019 just a few months ago?

Despite the persistence of crises and the inability of the governing system to reduce and resolve the current structural crises, collective action both virtual and real has no end; As I have said many times, the Iranian society is in a state of the uprising until further notice.

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Iranian Society Is in an Explosive State, and Any Dissatisfaction would Trigger a Protest - NCRI - National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)

Posted by Robert Pasbani on August 1, 2020 at 1:43 pm

The government of Iran is continuing its crusade against heavy metal music in the country, trying to censor bands and imprison them for the crime of playing heavy metal. The latest band is notable Iranian death metal band Arsames.

Earlier this month, members of the band was arrested. Metal Injection has seen the official document of the arrest which reads "The band Arsames was arrested and charged with 15 years in jail for being in satanic metal band and being against the Islamic government."

The band has been active since 2002, despite playing death metal being considered illegal in the country. The government recognizes metal as "satanic music", which is not allowed to be played in the country. They have played festivals all over the region, in countries like Turkey, Dubai and Armenia. Oh, and by the way, they friggen' shred!

Metal Injection has learned that after being arrested, the band members paid bail and are currently safe and not being held in prison, as they await the start of their trial.

We are working on getting more information and talking to the band. They are trying to keep a low profile to avoid any further trouble at the moment. We are rooting for the band and will you keep you posted on any developments.The band does not have any crowdfunding going at the moment, but if you want to help them out, buy something on their Bandcamp page.

You can follow the band on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.

We previously chronicled the journey of another Iranian metal band, Confess, who were also arrested and charged for playing heavy metal. They fled the country and are currently working on new music.

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Iranian Metal Band ARSAMES Arrested, Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For "Playing Satanic Music" - Metal Injection

Mr. Schiff, who is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Friday on MSNBC that he had been urging Bill Evanina and others in the intelligence community to level with the American people about whats going on. He said the warning gave a false sense of equivalence between what Russia is doing, what China is doing, what Iran is doing.

Mr. Schiff and the other three authors of the letter have been briefed extensively on the intelligence, and thus are prohibited from violating classification rules by describing what they have seen.

But Mr. Schiff, a frequent target of harsh criticism from Mr. Trump because he was the Democrats manager in the impeachment trial in the Senate, added, I think that our adversaries, in particular the Russians, are going to amplify the false messages that the president is putting out about, Well, you cant trust absentee ballots, even though thats how the president votes.

Some intelligence officials expressed surprise at the lawmakers letter and insisted they were not trying to play down the threat of interference from Moscow or signal that China was a greater challenge. They said Mr. Evaninas statement was meant to be the beginning of a series of public statements, according to an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The official said the statement did not play down the threat of Russian interference, but lawmakers had to understand that the 2020 contest would be different from 2016s.

It is unclear whether those statements, however, deter further action by American adversaries. But it is clear that 2020 will not be the same as 2016 the Russians know that they cannot use the same playbook, and Iran and China both seem poised to play a greater role.

The question is whether they will be on the same side, or working against each other.

After the 2016 election, American intelligence assessments concluded that the Russians ultimately intervened on Mr. Trumps behalf. But this year, Republicans and Democrats who have reviewed the intelligence have come to different assessments about whether Russia hopes to swing the election to Mr. Trump, or if President Vladimir V. Putin is simply intent on eroding confidence in the American electoral system.

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U.S. Warns Russia, China and Iran Are Trying to Interfere in the Election. Democrats Say Its Far Worse. - The New York Times