Iran News Round Up

Mike Saidi explains how the IRGC continues to maintain a military presence in southwestern Syria near the Israeli border and how regime officials are comfortable lying about it in “Ahem: Iran still has troops in Syria on Israel’s northern border.”

IRGC Ground Force fighters clashed with militants “guided from northern Iraq” in three separate engagements in northwestern Iran near the Iraqi Kurdistan border from June 8 - 10. IRGC Ground Forces likely engaged with Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)-affiliated Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) fighters. The IRGC Ground Forces Hamzeh Seyyed ol Shohada (Northwestern) Operational Base announced that its fighters engaged and neutralized “terrorists groups” near Oshnaviyeh, West Azerbaijan Province on June 8. IRGC Ground Forces Commander Brig. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour later announced on June 10 that the IRGC Ground Forces again clashed with two groups of militants in Oshnaviyeh and Sarvabad, Kurdistan Province on June 9 and 10. Unidentified militants previously killed two Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) Border Guard officials near an LEF Border Guard outpost near Sardasht, West Azerbaijan Province along the Iraqi Kurdistan border on June 6. (Tasnim News Agency) (Tasnim News Agency) (Defa Press)

Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) head Ali Akbar Salehi announced plans to construct a centrifuge assembly center in Natanz, Esfahan Province on June 5. Salehi later noted that the AEOI aims to complete the assembly center within the next month during a separate statement on June 6. Salehi stipulated that the AEOI will not begin assembling new centrifuges but rather that the AEOI is “preparing the infrastructure and requirements [to assemble centrifuges.]” The Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant is one of the AEOI’s primary uranium enrichment sites and the sole location for active centrifuges permitted under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Salehi stated that Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities will still comply with the terms of the JCPOA. Salehi’s statement follows Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s threat to increase Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity to levels far beyond the terms of the JCPOA on June 4. (Defa Press) (Defa Press)

The Rouhani administration announced the designation of several large parks and stadiums in Tehran City as “suitable” public assembly sites during a cabinet meeting from June 10. Suitable protest sites in Tehran City include Azadi Stadium and the north side of the Iranian Parliament building. The cabinet also decided that city councils across Iran are to designate one to two sites as possible protest locations. The protest locations are required to be easily accessible for protesters and in a location that local citizens can hear protester grievances, among other requirements. Cabinet officials approved the resolution for the designation of protest sites but the government has yet to implement the order. (President.ir) (Radio Farda)

IRGC Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami suggested that the May 9 rocket strikes on the Golan Heights were Iran’s response to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) April 8 strike on the pro-Syrian regime T-4 Airbase in Homs, Homs Governorate, Syria that resulted in the deaths of seven Iranian fighters. Salami made his comments before the commencement of Friday prayers in Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Province on June 8 during Quds Day celebrations. Iranian officials did not publicly comment or claim responsibility for the strikes following reports that the IRGC Quds Force conducted the strikes. The Iranian-supported strike on the Golan Heights immediately followed the U.S. May 8 withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). (Tasnim News Agency)

Iraqi Oil Minister Jabbar al Luaibi said that logistical difficulties delayed the start of an oil swap agreement between Iran and Iraq. Luaibi added that the oil swap will commence once Iran and Iraq resolve the technical issues but did not specify what technical issues were preventing the oil swap. Luaibi’s comments contradict an Iranian Oil Ministry announcement on June 3 that claimed that Iran and Iraq began to transport crude oil from Kirkuk, Iraqi Kurdistan to Iran for refinement. (Reuters) (E)