Iran Denies Direct US Talks Over Sanctions Relief

Bahram Zonoubi Tabar, the head of the Labor Coordination Council in Fars Province, said that the escalating inflation rate and the steep costs of essential goods are causing significant hardships meaning children are increasingly being forced into the workplace.

Recently, Iran's Parliament Research Center released a report indicating a concerning surge in the number of working children. The report revealed that 15% of school age children are now working, depriving them of crucial educational prospects.

Tabar said, "With the commencement of the school year, numerous workers are grappling with difficulties enrolling their children," adding that the country's 100% increase in commodity prices within a year, compared to the annual wage increments of around 20% for workers, has made conditions unbearable for large numbers of Iranian families. Even basic necessities such as chicken and meat are becoming unaffordable for many.

While the precise number of working children in Iran remains undisclosed, the Ministry of Labor reported in 2017 that out of the country's nine million children, 499,000 were categorized as "active," signifying that nearly half a million Iranian children were either employed or actively seeking work. The number is believed to be far higher as global sanctions continue to wreak financial havoc on the country. 

Masoud Setayeshi, Iran's judiciary spokesperson, revealed details of the wide scale operation on Tuesday, the network's distribution having led to the poisoning, blindness, and disability in 191 other Iranians.

Eleven defendants were charged with "corruption on earth" for distributing toxic and hazardous methanol-laced substances, a charge which often carries the death penalty, though only four were sentenced to death. Others in the gang were charged with one to five year prison terms.

For decades, Iran has grappled with alcohol poisoning due to the consumption of counterfeit alcoholic beverages, resulting in fatalities, blindness, and severe injuries. Despite the Iranian regime's strict ban on alcohol, a recent survey by Iran Open Data revealed that half of all adults continue to regularly consume alcohol, often resorting to homemade beverages to evade the prohibition.

In recent months, Iranian cities have witnessed a concerning surge in alcohol poisoning cases, leading to hospitalizations and deaths, as reported by local news outlets.

A 2018 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked Iran ninth out of 189 countries in terms of alcohol consumption per capita, underscoring the persistence of alcohol consumption despite the government's ban.

During an interview with the state broadcaster Monday, IRGC Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri announced the construction of approximately 900 residential units by his force for the people on the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa. 

The measures by the IRGC are in line with the Islamic Republic’s policy to encourage people to live in the islands, where living conditions are dire in the absence of basic facilities. The government has also announced it is mulling over a plan to give free plots of land measuring 300sq meters (3,230sq feet) to anyone who commits to living on them. Moreover, it will also offer loans to build a home, as part of a national homeownership scheme, in a bid to incentivise Iranians to populate the contested area. 

The three Persian Gulf islands have historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be corroborated by historical and geographical documents. However, the UAE 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 – the last monarch of Iran -- 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. 

Tangsiri reiterated that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has personally ordered efforts to increase the islands’ population “as a means to increase their security. We believe that we should settle the people on these islands so that our friends do not fear that we want to establish a military base against them," he stated, referring to Arab countries of the region who have collectively asserted the United Arab Emirates' right to sovereignty over the islands. 

The Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (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.” 

Like China did in December, Russia signed a statement with the Gulf Cooperation Council in early July challenging Iran's ownership of three islands. Last week, the GCC foreign ministers, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and GCC Secretary General Jasem Albudaiwi published a joint statement following their meeting in New York expressing “their support for the United Arab Emirates’ call to reach a peaceful solution to the dispute.”

Speaking at the annual United Nations General Assembly earlier this week, UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy also reiterated her country’s demand that Iran stop its “occupation” of the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa. She added that the UAE “continues to seek a resolution, either through direct negotiation or through the International Court of Justice. This has been our firm stance for decades.”

On Monday, Iran's permanent mission to the UN rejected the claim as “baseless,” saying, “Iran regards such groundless statements as violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a member of the United Nations and a gross violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.” 

Tangsiri's remarks came against the backdrop of a series of maritime incidents involving Iran's seizure and harassment of vessels that prompted the US to strengthen its military presence in the region. This also came as Arab countries have stepped up efforts to claim the three islands leveraging their relations with Russia and China to sideline Iran. 

In recent months, Tehran's military forces have hijacked several Western tankers in what is seen as retaliation for previous Western seizures of Iranian oil. Iran's introduction of advanced maritime weaponry prompted Washington to extend armed protection to commercial ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz. In July, the US Defense Department announced the deployment of F-35 jet fighters and a Navy destroyer to the Middle East. 

Each day, 85 vessels, primarily oil tankers, pass through the Strait of Hormuz on average. A substantial portion of the world's crude oil is transported through these waters and thus, it has strategic importance.

Highlighting the strategic significance of the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC Navy commander said that “the island of Greater Tunb, resembling an unsinkable aircraft carrier, is strategically positioned in the middle of the Strait of Hormuz, with full control over the entrance and exit routes of the strait.” 

Tangsiri added that the three islands along with Farvar, Sirri, and Lesser Farvar islands provide complete dominance over the entry and exit routes of the region. 

The Persian Gulf has numerous small islands with about 20 residential ones under Iran’s rule as well as about 20 without any local residents. Most islands are sparsely populated, with some being barren, and some utilized for communication, military, or as ship docks. 

Tangsiri said, “Foreigners have long cast covetous eyes on this region,” noting that the region’s vast oil and gas resources have further grown their eagerness.

In a meeting with Rafael Grossi, the Director-General of the IAEA, on the sidelines of the 67th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna on Monday, Eslami said, "These countries [in the West] are trying to use the agency's capacity to pressure Iran through political pressure and resorting to sanctions."

Eslami claimed that the regime would not yield to any political pressure, clear by its actions in recent weeks to ban one third of the organization's inspectors, in addition to flouting the regulations imposed under sanctions.

He claimed Tehran is ready to use its nuclear capabilities to "serve humanity in other parts of the world" in a bizarre twist, echoing President Ebrahim Raisi's odd claims this week from New York where he said Iran had no ambitions for nuclear weapons.

Grossi stated that in order to prove the peaceful nature of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, "credible assurances" need to be provided. He said that the cooperation between the agency and Iran should continue within the framework of the agreement reached between the two parties in March 2022 until tangible progress is achieved.

The statements came as Grossi, in his speech admitted that there has been no progress in implementing the activities outlined in the most recent joint statement he made with Iran in March 2023.

He emphasized that after years, important issues related to the Islamic Republic's compliance with its non-proliferation obligations remain unresolved.

Moeinoddin (Moein al-Din) Saeedi accused Russia on Monday of endangering Iranian national interests more than any other country, while expressing concerns about the significant challenges Iran faces in the Caspian Sea due to Russia's dam construction projects.

"One of the most recent examples is the ongoing situation regarding the Caspian Sea's water entrance," he pointed out, referring to the declining water levels in the Caspian Sea, which endanger fragile ecosystems dependent on its waters.

Last month, the head of Iran's Department of Environment, Ali Salajegheh, attributed the crisis to the closure of vital access points to the Caspian Sea, with particular emphasis on the closure of the Volga River by Russia. Salajegheh voiced his apprehensions, stating, "Neighboring countries have closed off access to the Caspian Sea, especially the Volga River entrance. This has resulted in a significant drop in the sea's water levels, presenting a severe ecological challenge."

The Iranian official further detailed the severity of the issue, highlighting, "The Caspian Sea's water level has steadily decreased, with alarming statistics indicating a reduction of approximately one meter over the past 4-5 years. On average, the sea recedes by 20 centimeters annually."

It is a rare outburst against one of Iran's strongest allies, the two sanctioned countries working hand in hand on the likes of missile and drone production, and Iran providing Russia with drones used against civilian targets in Ukraine.