UK PM Urges Iran To Provide Answers About Execution Of Dual National

IRNA news agency reported that the vessel named Anil overturned because containers being placed on it were configured incorrectly.

Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization says rescue forces were immediately dispatched and all 12 crew members of the vessel were rescued.

No further details have been published about the cargo of the Tanzanian-flagged ship.

Iran and Tanzania have less than $100 million in trade per year. Tanzania Imports from Iran totaled $11.51 million in 2021, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade.

Iranian officials claim the Islamic Republic has exported 2.2 million tons of non-oil products valued at one billion dollars to African countries from March 21, 2022 up to December 31.

Iran’s imports and exports have slowed down due to banking and oil sanctions imposed by the United States after President Donald Trump in 2018 withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

The Biden Administration appears to be more resolute in enforcing US sanctions, with designating individuals and third-party companies that are involved in one way or another in doing business with sanctioned Iranian entities.

The Committee to Follow up on Situation of Arrested Journalists has prepared a list of these people saying at least 24 journalists are still under arrest.

Based on official and unofficial reports, the association says almost 100 journalists have been arrested or summoned since the beginning of anti-regime protests in mid-September, and some of them released on bail.

Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi, who published the news about the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody for the first time, are among the ones behind bars.

The committee also noted that it will soon publish a separate list of the names of journalists who have been temporarily released on bail.

Meanwhile, the reformist Ham-Mihan daily in a report on Wednesday said large bails are set for the temporary release of the detained protesters.

According to this report, the bail set for journalists was usually between 30 to 40 thousand US dollars, an astronomical sum for most Iranians.

In the past weeks, a number of detained journalists received heavy jail sentences, including Ehsan Pirbornash, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

In its 43-year history, the Islamic Republic has arrested hundreds of journalists, and many have been killed inside and outside prisons. The regime keeps tight control over all print media and has a monopoly over radio and television. It also tightly censors Internet content by blocking thousands of websites and major social media platforms.

A spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the ABC, “The Australian government is deeply concerned by reports of foreign interference, including the harassment and intimidation of Australians online and in-person".

"We have raised our concerns about foreign interference directly to the Iranian regime in no uncertain terms," said the spokesperson who did not want to reveal her identity.

"Australia will continue to work domestically to keep Australians safe from foreign interference and with our like-minded partners to apply pressure on the Iranian regime over its egregious human rights abuses."

She also noted that Australia has been integral to building pressure internationally and was at the forefront of efforts to remove Iran from the Commission for the Status of Women.

Based on a report tabled in parliament, ABC reported that Iranian Revolutionary Guard-affiliated elements have launched targeted cyber-attacks on Australian organizations, with the aim of using the data obtained for extortion.

“The IRGC-affiliated actors are actively targeting a broad range of entities, including entities across multiple US critical infrastructure sectors as well as Australian, Canadian, and United Kingdom organizations,” the report says.

The report suggests IRGC agents often operate under the auspices of Najee Technology Hooshmand Fater LLC, based in Karaj, Iran, and Afkar System Yazd Company, based in Yazd, Iran.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Amir-Abdollahian said as a result of Washington’s “interventionism” two million people have been “slaughtered” in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria, and the United States is also “enflaming the fire of the Ukrainian war”.

“Stop hypocrisy. The great nation of Iran knows well the malevolence behind nice-sounding words,” he added.

His comments come after US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said Monday that the US is united with its allies and partners in the need to confront Iran’s leadership for its human rights abuses and destabilizing activities.

Islamic Republic’s foreign minister claimed that the White House still insists to hold direct negotiations with Iran. “If there is a serious will on the other side, we believe an agreement would be attainable,” he said at a meeting at the foreign ministry.

Referring to anti-government protests, Amir-Abdollahian said Monday that the Americans realized earlier than the three European countries that nothing special has happened and will not happen in Iran.

The United States has openly stated that its “focus” now is on “the remarkable bravery and courage that the Iranian people are exhibiting through their peaceful demonstrations”, and the EU has come up with new sanctions on Tehran.

The unrest in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini have garnered strong sympathy around the globe. At the same time Iran’s unwillingness to compromise on the nuclear issue persuaded the US to adopt a tougher position toward Tehran.

Raisi also described the relations between the two countries as strategic stating that Iran will always stand by Syria.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is a true friend of the Syrian nation because it stood by the Syrian nation and government during the period of resistance against terrorism and is ready now to stand by them during the reconstruction period by boosting all-round economic cooperation,” Raisi told the Syrian minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas.

The comments by Raisi comes at a time when Iran is facing one of its most severe economic crises with the national currency at a historic low, with tens of millions hit by unexpected poverty.

Meanwhile, in a separate meeting, Commander of the Revolutionary Guard Hossein Salami told the Syrian official that Tehran is ready to help Bashar al-Assad’s armed forces in the required fields.

On Monday, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri also expressed the Islamic Republic’s willingness to help the Syrian military in restructuring, training, and supplying equipment. He further stressed the need for staging a joint military wargame by Iran and Syria.

The extent of Iranian military expenditures and financial aid to Syria to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power is not known, but by some estimates Tehran has spent more than $30 billion over the last decade to support Assad’s regime.