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Ted Cruz and Michael McCaul 8:23 a.m. ET March 3, 2017

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Feb. 21, 2017.(Photo: Handout via AFP/Getty Images)

When news from Iran flashes across television screens in the United States, Americans have grown accustomed to seeing belligerence, including ballistic missile tests, harassment of U.S. forces, the kidnapping of our sailors and the unlawful imprisonment of U.S. citizens.

These are not the actions of a rational or friendly regime.They are the actions of autocratic thugs.

The Obama administration appeased Iran for eight years.Now the Trump Administration is ensuring America finally and rightfully stands up against Iranian hostility.

We believe they should also start pushing back against the regimes disturbing and unabashed support for our terrorist enemies.

Iran is the worlds foremost state sponsor of terror, and we are alarmed by their increasing assistance to a whos who list of Islamist militant groups.

Earlier this year, weintroduced a bill to direct the State Department to determine whether the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of the regimes military, meets the criteria to be designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

The Trump administration should do exactly that. The IRGC is responsible for exporting the Islamic Republics radical ideology and subsidizing terror across the globe.

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But the threat goes far beyond the IRGC.The mullahs in Tehran are well-known as the chief patrons of Hezbollah, which has killed scores of Americans from Beirut to Baghdad, and for their financial and military support of Hamas, which has launched thousands of rockets into Israel. Both have been designated as terrorist organizations by the State Department.

Yet Irans long-standing support for al-Qaeda is what always seems to fly under the radar and its a relationship that should cause particular concern in the West. Consider the 9/11 Commission Report, which described strong evidence that Iran facilitated the transit of al-Qaeda members into and out of Afghanistan before 9/11, including future 9/11 hijackers.

Once the United States invaded Afghanistan, some of al-Qaedas top leaders fled to Iran, including high-ranking members, such as Abu Khayr al-Masri and Saif al-Adel, both wanted by the FBI for their involvement in the 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Eastern Africa. Osama bin Ladens son Hamza, who has followed in his fathers footsteps, also relocated there.

Iran has refused to bring these operatives to justice, and in the meantime has deliberately allowed Iranian territory to be used as a facilitation pipeline for al-Qaeda fighters and funding.

In fact, despite allegedly putting al-Qaeda operatives under house arrest, Iran has let them return to the battlefield.Take al-Masri, for instance, who was allowed to leave Iran for Syria, where he has been operating as al-Qaedas second-in-command until being killed this week in a drone strike.

Whats more, theintelligencetrove obtained fromOsamabin Ladens compound in 2011reportedlyrevealeda close,symbiotic relationship between theregimeand al-Qaeda, whichthe reclusive terror leaderpersonallydeemedessentialto al-Qaedasoverallsurvival.

"Iran is our main artery for funds, personnel, and communication," he wrote to subordinates in Iraq, warning them not to threaten attacks in Iran.

Sadly, the Obama administration sought to downplay these ties, likely to minimize public backlash against the White Houses misguided nuclear deal.And Obamas aides helped fuel a false conventional wisdom inside the D.C. Beltway that Iran, a Shiite theocracy, would not really cooperate with al-Qaeda, a Sunni organization.

The past two decades of evidence, however, present a starkly different reality. The Treasury and State departments have for years publicly called out Irans safe harboring of al-Qaeda operatives.

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The terror group has used its protected status in Iran to fund and support new operations, and to escape U.S. counterterrorism efforts so it can rebuild the leadership cadre decimated by targeted drone strikes. When the Treasury Department sanctioned three Iran-based al-Qaeda leaders this past July, it noted they were part of a new generation of al-Qaeda operatives.

The takeaway here is obvious:the murderous radicals who planned 9/11 are replenishing their ranks, and they are doing so with the support and protection of one of Americas biggest foes. We cannot allow that to happen.

The U.S. military, diplomatic corps, and intelligence community must redouble their efforts to aggressively target the al-Qaeda facilitation networks operating in Iran, work to shut them down, and bring those responsible to justice.

We are encouraged that Trump and his team have already been clear-eyed about the Iranian threat, and now they should also focus on the Iran-led axis of terror, including by designating the IRGC as a terror group.

Moreover, any engagement with Iran, such as further negotiations on the Obama-era nuclear deal, must address Tehrans harboring of al-Qaeda members. And we must pressure our allies to do the same.

We will never appease Iranian leaders into moderating their extremism. But we can protect our country and our interests by standing up to them.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, serves on the Committee on Armed Services. Rep. MichaelMcCaul, R-Texas, is chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

You can readdiverse opinions from ourBoard of Contributorsand other writers ontheOpinion front page,on Twitter@USATOpinionand in our dailyOpinion newsletter.To submit a letter, comment or column, check oursubmission guidelines.

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Hold Iran accountable for terrorism: Sen. Cruz and Rep. McCaul - USA TODAY

TEL AVIV Israel and Iran may not be on speaking terms but some of their citizens are breaking out in song together.

Israeli rock star Aviv Geffen and his Iranian counterpart Shahin Najafi performed two pieces at a concert on Thursday night alternating between Hebrew and Persian.

The crowd of some 6,000 packed into the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds clapped and cheered and not just at the music.

Fans erupted when Najafi stopped to read a message to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, who have both escalated anti-Iran rhetoric in recent months.

"Stop the violence between people before it's too late. Let's stop dividing people," Najafi said.

So the two have some things in common, aside from music.

Geffen has often protested about Netanyahu's right-wing government. Najafi, meanwhile, frequently speaks about life in Iran and getting on the wrong side of the Islamic republic's leaders.

The pair met while touring Europe and Geffen invited Najafi to perform in Israel an offer that was taken up.

"For me it's a miracle to bring Shahin to Tel Aviv because of the history between Israel and Iran," 43-year-old Geffen said, referring to decades tensions between the two countries.

"I think Shahin is one of the bravest artists I have ever met," he told NBC News before Thursday night's concert.

While Najafi left Iran for Germany in 2005, a fatwa was reportedly issued against him by clerics in the country of his birth following the release of 2012 song, "Ay Naghi."

The song caused uproar among religious conservatives in Iran because of how it represented an important 10th century Shiite Muslim religious leader.

Soon, an Iranian website offered a $100,000 bounty to anyone who killed Najafi in 2012.

But relaxing in a Tel Aviv studio as he rehearsed ahead of the show, Najafi didn't act like a man with a price on his head.

He spoke of the controversy surrounding his music and why he is compelled to take on the topics he does.

"I believe in what I do and I'm fighting for what I believe in: For democracy, for freedom and for peace and I'm ready to die for it," Najafi said.

The 36-year-old also opened up on his visit to Israel.

Aviv Geffen and Shahin Najafi at their rehearsal session in a studio in Tel Aviv on Monday. David Copeland / NBC News

Israel and Iran have long been at loggerheads. Netanyahu recently spoke to Fox News of a "grand mission" with the U.S. to confront Iran. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei referred to Israel's government as a "cancerous tumor" earlier this month.

The two countries do not even have diplomatic relations.

"Israel is considered a taboo in Iran and I'm very pleased to break this taboo," Najafi said. "I do this in the name of art, freedom and democracy."

Then they practice performing Geffen's hit, "Hope."

Najafi follows the cues from his host as they sing together: "Let's march to our dream, no race or nationality, let's try until things get better."

It's a message both hope will be heard in Israel and Iran.

"This is a great opportunity to show the world that Iran and Israel can stand together on the same stage and respect each other," Geffen said.

See the rest here:
Iran's Shahin Najafi and Israel's Aviv Geffen Come Together in Song - NBCNews.com

Mehr News Agency - English Version

The Gulf States Are Ready for Peaceful Coexistenceif Iran Is - WSJ Wall Street Journal (subscription) U.A.E. Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba writes that with Washington now alert to the threat, we welcome greater U.S. engagement in the region. 'Iran's regional influence not a threat to others'Mehr News Agency - English Version Strengthen Iran's Moderates Before It's Too LateForeign Affairs Iran Prepares for 'Weapons Shopping Spree' After UN Resolution ExpiresBreitbart News Fox News -Arutz Sheva all 31 news articles »

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The Gulf States Are Ready for Peaceful Coexistenceif Iran Is - WSJ - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

By Karen Freifeld | NEW YORK

NEW YORK Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp (000063.SZ)(0763.HK) is nearing an agreement to plead guilty to U.S. criminal charges and pay hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties over allegations it violated U.S. laws that restrict sale of U.S. technology to Iran, a person familiar with the matter said.

The company has not yet signed a deal with the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Treasury, cautioned the person, who declined to speak on the record because the negotiations are not public.

Others noted that with a new U.S. administration prompting changes in personnel at government departments, a final deal may be delayed or even scuttled.

But ZTE is expected to plead guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, among other charges, the source said, and pay penalties in the hundreds of millions.

A ZTE spokesman declined to comment, as did spokesmen for the Justice and Treasury departments. A spokesman for the Department of Commerce did not respond to requests for comment.

An agreement would cap a year of uncertainty for the Shenzhen-based company, which was placed on a list of entities March 2016 that U.S. suppliers could not work with without a license. ZTE acted contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests, the Commerce Department said at the time.

One of the worlds biggest telecommunications gear makers and the No. 4 smartphone vendor in the United States, ZTE sells handset devices to U.S. mobile carriers AT&T Inc (T.N), T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS.O) and Sprint Corp (S.N). It relies on U.S. companies including Qualcomm (QCOM.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Intel (INTC.O) for components.

The listing could have severely disrupted the company's supply chain, but the Commerce Department granted ZTE a temporary license so U.S. companies could continue to do business with the Chinese firm while it cooperated with the investigation.

The temporary license was extended several times, with the latest reprieve expiring on March 29.

The last extension, a ZTE spokesman told Reuters in an email last week, was "a sign of the progress" made.

ZTE was working with the U.S. government "toward permanent removal from the Entity List," the company spokesman said at that time, and under new leadership was conducting business in a way that "meets and exceeds export compliance standards."

The spokesmans comments followed a Feb. 14 filing by ZTE to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The ZTE filing said it was negotiating with the U.S. Commerce, Treasury and Justice departments to conclude the investigation.

ZTE said that the outcome remained uncertain, but that it would likely have a material impact on its financials. ZTE has annual sales of more than $15 billion.

SCRUTINY CAN MEAN COMFORT

The implications of a guilty plea are unclear. Experts said it can result in a denial order, which imposes a complete bar on the receipt of U.S. origin goods and technology. But, as part of a settlement, the order could be suspended for years.

Typically, the reputational taint of a guilty plea on U.S. suppliers or customers would be limited in duration, according to Washington attorney Douglas Jacobson, an export controls and sanctions expert.

In fact, a company that has faced the type of scrutiny that ZTE has ... actually gives U.S. suppliers and customers a greater degree of comfort that they will be a compliant company in the future, said Jacobson, who represents some U.S. suppliers to ZTE.

The Commerce Department released alleged internal documents last year, showing senior ZTE executives instructing the company to carry out a project for dodging export controls in Iran, North Korea, Syria, Sudan and Cuba.

ZTE replaced the senior executives allegedly involved, including naming a new president, and also appointed a new, U.S.-based chief export compliance officer. The Shenzhen-based company has a U.S. subsidiary in Richardson, Texas.

A settlement also would likely include the imposition of a compliance monitor, experts have told Reuters.

The uncertainty has already weighed on ZTEs business. In January, company sources told Reuters that the equipment maker was cutting about 3,000 jobs, or 5 percent of its 60,000 global workforce.

The Commerce Department investigation followed reports by Reuters in 2012 that the company had signed contracts to ship millions of dollars worth of hardware and software from some of America's best-known technology companies to Iran's largest telecoms carrier.

(Editing by Nick Zieminski and Andrew Hay)

BARCELONA Once famous mobile phones such as Nokia's classic 3310 from the turn of the century have been given a new lease of life as Chinese manufacturers revive Western brands to get an edge in an increasingly cut-throat handset market.

WASHINGTON A coalition of 53 companies on Thursday backed transgender rights at the U.S. Supreme Court, signing on to a brief supporting a Virginia student who is fighting to use the school bathroom that corresponds with his gender identity.

RIYADH Drivers from ride-hailing services Uber and Careem are barred from picking up passengers from Saudi Arabia's airports, Al Madina newspaper reported, quoting a spokesman from the kingdom's General Directorate of Traffic.

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Exclusive: China's ZTE expected to plead guilty over Iran sales - source - Reuters

Prior to beginning nuclear negotiations with Iran, the Iranian economy had shrunk 5.4% according to Irans own statistics. The Iranian currency was in free fall and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Nevertheless, simply to get Iran to the table, President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry approved nearly $12 billion in incentives, an amount equal to more than twice the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps annual budget. When even supporters of the Iran deal say they believe it could have been better, the basis of their criticism is that Kerry and his team squandered the leverage provided by Irans financial desperation.

Tehran skyline as seen from Irans interior ministry in Tehran, October 24, 2016. Picture taken on October 24, 2016. REUTERS/Gabriela Baczynska.

But, whatever the merits of the dealhistorians will have the ultimate say on whether it was wise or naveone thing is clear: Ordinary Iranians expected to benefit from its conclusion. After all, the deal unfroze tens of billions of dollars of frozen assets and lifted barriers to trade. European leaders have raced to invest in the country, no matter that this often means partnering with businesses controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Even that money is not the sum total of all that has flowed into Iran. The Obama administration, for example, has paid more than $1 billion in ransom for Us hostages.

Heres the problem for ordinary Iranians: Even if the Islamic Republic now operates back in the black, Iranians have not experienced much if any economic benefit in the aftermath of the deal. Irans state-controlled media and their various agents of influence might try to argue that the problem are the remaining terror sanctions, but Iranians know better. The quagmire in which the Iranians find themselves in Syria costs the Islamic Republic billions, as does Irans continued adventurism in Yemen, and its continued military build-up. (Note: Be wary of those who downplay Irans military spending by comparing it to that of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The statistics Iran releases are not reflective of reality; Irans true military budget is a closely-held secret). Let the Iranian people direct their anger where it is dueat the corrupt clerical and Revolutionary Guard class that has run Iran into the ground while enriching themselves to the tune of millions and, in some cases, billions of dollars.

This means that as Iran heads to presidential elections in May, ordinary Iranians may be reticent to participate in the charade knowing that once again even self-described reformists have failed to meet their expectations. This angry apathy is a dynamic which the Iranian leadership very much fears.

So what should the United States and Europe do? For those who believe that Iranians deserve a better tomorrow and that the last US administrations strategy of legitimizing and empowering the regime endangered rather than enhanced US national security interests, then perhaps it is time to tap into Iranian unease with the inability of their leaders to provide.

Left-of-center European groups like the Greens should support overtly Irans nascent independent trade union movement. If Iranian leaders are forced to invest more in salaries than in ballistic missiles, thats a win for both the Iranian public and for the outside world. At the same time, its essential that US leaders of both parties drill in the point both in Western media and in Persian-language media targeted to the Iranian audienceabout the true reasons for the continued poverty of ordinary Iranians: Let the Iranian people direct their anger where it is dueat the corrupt clerical and Revolutionary Guard class that has run Iran into the ground while enriching themselves to the tune of millions and, in some cases, billions of dollars.

Historically, Iran and the United States have been friends and partners. The last four decades have been an aberration, but not one that needs to be accepted as permanent. President Obama had a choice to side with the Iranian regime or the Iranian people. He chose the former. President Trump should understand that it is in the interests of both Iranians and Americans and progressives and conservatives to side with the latter. Growing unease among Iranians at their governments failure to improve their lives even after the Iranian nuclear deal provides a real opportunity.

More here:
Iran's Achilles' heel: Unfulfilled expectations - American Enterprise Institute