Website In Tehran Slams Government’s Diplomatic Appointments
A moderate news website in Iran says the country's hardliners are going out of their way to send their supporters who are not qualified as ambassadors abroad.
A moderate news website in Iran says the country's hardliners are going out of their way to send their supporters who are not qualified as ambassadors abroad.
In an article entitled "Ambassadorial positions under the hammer," Entekhab news website cited the recent appointment of midwife and city councilwoman Massoumeh Abad as Iran's ambassador to Finland as an example.
Entekhab stated that Abad's appointment undermined the long-standing principles observed in ambassadorial appointments. Many former diplomats and media outlets as well as social media users have lashed out at the Iranian Foreign Ministry for appointing a midwife as an ambassador.
According to Entekhab, the appointment disregarded the Foreign Ministry's stated policy of promoting "economic diplomacy," which aimed to send diplomats capable of expanding Iran's economic relations with other countries. Despite the sanctions imposed on Iran, the country is seeking ways to circumvent them and improve its struggling economy by expanding trade.
This situation is exacerbated by the fact that Tehran currently lacks ambassadors in major European capitals, including London, Paris, Berlin, and Stockholm. Entekhab highlighted this as evidence of the Foreign Ministry's lack of understanding regarding the importance of ambassadors during this critical period. Alternatively, it may reflect conflicts among different power centers and political factions in Iran, all vying for a share of influence, including control over Iran's embassies abroad.
The website argued that President Ebrahim Raisi's pledge to boost economic diplomacy could only be achieved by sending qualified diplomats abroad, well-versed in diplomatic knowledge and economic expertise. However, the reality has contradicted Raisi's declared ideals.
For over a year, President Raisi has faced extensive criticism for his handling of the economy, which has plunged further into crisis. He has been accused of mismanagement, appointing inappropriate individuals to top positions, and relying on false promises to buy himself more time.
For over a year, President Raisi has faced extensive criticism for his handling of the economy, which has plunged further into crisis. He has been accused of mismanagement, appointing inappropriate individuals to top positions, and relying on false promises to buy himself more time.
Mohsen Bakhtiar, Iran's new ambassador to Beijing, previously held a position in the Ministry of Energy, unrelated to diplomacy. The website also criticized Bakhtiar for lacking the necessary linguistic and diplomatic expertise required for such a significant role in a key country. His knowledge of foreign relations and ability to employ appropriate diplomatic tools are also questionable.
Entekhab further highlighted the appointment of former Central Bank Governor Ali Salehabadi as ambassador to Qatar, which was deemed even more perplexing than the other two appointments. This move seemed to be a mere face-saving measure for the former banking official who lost his position due to Raisi's impromptu decision. Raisi believed that replacing the central bank governor would solve Iran's economic problems.
By appointing an inexperienced individual as ambassador to a crucial region where diplomatic relations have recently gained momentum, the Foreign Ministry demonstrated a lack of understanding regarding Doha's significance in the nuclear negotiations and the restoration of Tehran's ties with Arab capitals.
Moreover, the absence of ambassadors in major European capitals indicates that the government fails to grasp the importance of those countries. Relations with European nations deteriorated during the recent nationwide protests in Iran, further isolating the Islamic Republic. Entekhab argued that by not dispatching ambassadors to these countries, Tehran has deprived itself of the leverage necessary to counter diplomatic and political pressures.
According to Entekhab, the failure to appoint chief diplomats to these European capitals has significantly diminished Iran's bargaining power in international relations.
Sudani said Iran had cut gas exports to Iraq by more than 50% as of July 1 after Baghdad failed to secure US approval to disburse owed funds, but Tehran had now agreed to resume gas exports in exchange for crude oil.
The deal was reached during talks with an Iranian delegation that was in Baghdad since Saturday, Sudani said in a televised speech.
Iraq imports electricity and gas from Iran that total between a third and 40% of its power supply, especially crucial in sweltering summer months when temperatures can top 50 Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) and power consumption peaks.
Iraq has had trouble paying for those imports. It owes Iran around 11 billion euros ($12.1 billion) in outstanding debts, Sudani said, and struggles to pay due to US sanctions that only allow Iran to access funds to buy non-sanctioned goods, such as food and medicine.
Even those procedures are complicated, and "contribute to unwanted delays in making the payments, and subsequently the funds are not paid to the Iranians", Farhad Alaaldin, foreign affairs adviser to the prime minister, told Reuters.
The United States agreed to the release of more than $2.7 of Iran’s funds in early June to be used for purchasing food and medicine. “Iran can only access its funds held in accounts for Iraq for humanitarian and other non-sanctionable transactions,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed on June 13.
By trading Iraqi crude for Iranian gas, Sudani said, Iraq would avoid rolling power cuts every summer while working to complete gas capture and extraction projects that would help make the country self-sufficient.
"We can't for the next two or three years come to citizens every summer and tell them: 'They stopped the gas, they started the gas'," he said.
A State Department spokesperson declined comment on the reported barter deal between Iraq and Iran and did not address whether such an arrangement might violate US sanctions.
"There has been no change in US policy towards Iran or Iraq, and the Biden Administration continues to implement all US sanctions on Iran," the spokesperson said, adding that Washington "strongly supports Iraq's path to energy autonomy."
Henry Rome, an analyst with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank, said a barter pact was unlikely to stop Iran from continuing to seek hard currency from Iraq.
"I am not convinced that a pure barter arrangement as described by Sudani is satisfactory for Iran, given its need for hard currency," he said. "Even if this arrangement is implemented, it would likely not obviate Iran’s pursuit of the billions of dollars still held in Iraqi accounts."
Iran is also under US oil export sanctions and although it ships around 1.5 million barrels mostly to China by illicit channels, it already does have close to 50 million barrels in storage that it must dispose of. Selling more oil will not be easy for Tehran and because it offers huge discounts, it might lose money if Iraq delivers the oil according to market prices.
The United States has pushed Iraq, OPEC second-largest producer, to cut its reliance on Iranian gas.
Iraq spends roughly $4 billion per year on imports of Iranian gas and power while burning massive quantities of natural gas as a byproduct of its hydrocarbons sector.
It has taken steps to change course. On Monday Iraq signed a massive deal with French oil major TotalEnergies that includes plans to capture gas from oilfields in the southern Basra region.
With reporting by Reuters
Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House of Representatives committee on foreign affairs, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on June 30 seeking "a full and transparent accounting" about why Malley was suspended and was under investigation.
Malley’s suspension was first reported by Iran International June 29, and formally announced the following day by Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department, calling it "a leave of absence”, adding that his duties would be temporarily assumed by his deputy, Abram Paley. However, it is believed he had been suspended as early as April.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a US official said Malley was put on unpaid leave on June 29 after news broke that his security clearance was under review.
In a response made public by McCaul's office, Naz Durakoglu the assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, said the agency had a "thorough and comprehensive process" to assess an individual's eligibility to access classified information.
"Consistent with longstanding Executive Branch and Department of State policies and practices, the Department is not in a position to provide further documents or information related to this personnel-security clearance matter," she said.
McCaul, in a brief statement, said: "This is an absolutely unacceptable response."
"Congress deserves to know exactly why the US Special Envoy (for) Iran had his security clearance suspended, was then suspended from his position, and now, according to news reports, is being investigated by the FBI," McCaul added, saying he would ask the agency for a classified briefing next week.
Former State Department Advisor on Iran Gabriel Noronha tweeted that the administration failed to clarify the nature of Malley’s security infractions and “they contemptuously refer Congress to the Foreign Affairs Manual.”
When news that his security clearance was under review broke on June 29, Malley said: "I have been informed that my security clearance is under review. I have not been provided any further information, but I expect the investigation to be resolved favorably and soon. In the meantime, I am on leave."
In a regular briefing on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Matt Miller said Malley "stopped performing the duties" of special envoy for Iran on June 29 and "went on leave "several weeks before that," but he declined to provide further details.
In fact, Malley was absent from a Congressional briefing in May, when the State Department said he could not attend because of a family health emergency.
Three other Republican senators spoke with Iran International on Tuesday, criticizing the Biden administration for its Iran policy and Malley’s security investigation.
Appointed soon after Democratic President Joe Biden took office in 2021, Malley had the task of trying to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Then-President Donald Trump, a Republican, had abandoned the pact in 2018 and reimposed U.S. sanctions on Iran.
But Iranians opposed to the Islamic Republic never trusted Malley, who they believed was inclined not to be tough with the regime and played down popular sentiments to replace the clerical regime with a secular and democratic government. Some US lawmakers have also hinted that they share the distrust.
Having failed to revive the deal, the United States has held talks with Iran to try to ease tensions by sketching out steps that could limit the Iranian nuclear program, release some detained U.S. citizens and unfreeze some Iranian assets abroad, Iranian and Western officials said in June.
With reporting by Reuters
In a joint Russia-GCC statement at the sixth joint ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Russian Federation, held in Moscow on Monday, ministers affirmed their support for the United Arab Emirates which also claims sovereignty over the islands.
A statement called for "bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international law and the United Nations Charter, to resolve this issue is in accordance with international legitimacy".
However, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani, on Tuesday rejected the contents of the statement about the three islands and said they “eternally belong to Iran and such statements are inconsistent with Iran’s friendly relations with its neighbors,” referring to the detente between the Iran with its neighbors the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The first meeting of the Russia-GCC strategic dialogue was held in the Saudi capital in 2017 but Moscow’s inclination towards the Arab countries has been on the rise in recent years, especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, the allegiance on the contentious matter of the islands with the UAE, will be a blow to Tehran which since the war in Ukraine has forged a growing alliance with Moscow.
The three Persian Gulf islands have historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be corroborated by historical and geographical documents. However, the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly laid claim to the islands, describing the situation as “the continued occupation by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The three islands fell under British control in 1921 but on November 30, 1971, a day after British forces left the region and just two days before the UAE was to become an official federation, Mohammad Reza Shah sent the Iranian navy to secure all three. Iranian forces remain on the islands, with only Abu Musa having a civilian population which is less than two thousand.
The GCC - a regional organization bringing together six countries of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia - repeatedly expresses support for “the right of the State of the UAE to regain sovereignty over her three islands and over the territorial waters, the airspace, the continental shelf, and the economic zone of the three islands, as they are an integral part of the State of the United Arab Emirates.”
Urging the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to the efforts of the UAE and the international community in solving the issue by peaceful means or taking recourse to the International Court of Justice, the GCC demands “that Iran abide by the basic pillars of promoting good neighborly ties, mutual respect, and non-interference in the internal affairs.”
In the statement issued at the end of the summit in Moscow, the Russian and GCC ministers also welcomed the agreement between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic on the efforts and mediation of Oman, Iraq and China. They also expressed hope that this agreement would constitute a positive step to resolve differences and end all regional disputes through dialogue and diplomatic means.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who hosted his Arab counterparts from the Persian Gulf, also welcomed the recent rapprochement, saying that “this creates a more positive atmosphere in this region."
The GCC countries have kept warm relations with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, despite their claims that they support the international community’s view about the war.
“Our position on the Russian-Ukrainian crisis is based on the principles of international law and the UN Charter,” Al Budaiwi said during an address to the meeting on Monday.
In March, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on a visit to Moscow that Riyadh was ready to mediate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Saudi Arabia has also strengthened its relationship with Kyiv, sending significant amounts of humanitarian aid, as well as mediating between Russia, the US and Ukraine on prisoner exchanges.
According to an analysis by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, many Arabic media platforms adopt a narrative that justifies the Russian invasion with reference to Russia’s right to defend its national security. It portrays the narrative that Ukraine is a Western puppet that initiated hostilities and threatened Russia.