Iran News Round Up - April 6, 2018

Defense Minister Artesh Brig. Gen. Amir Hatami traveled to Moscow, Russia on April 3 to attend the seventh Moscow International Security Summit from April 4-5. Hatami expressed Iran’s opposition to any violations of Syria and Yemen’s territorial integrity, likely a reference to ongoing Turkish operations in northern Syria against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units. Hatami reiterated Iran’s willingness to cooperate with other parties toward conflict resolution in Syria and Yemen during a speech at the summit. Hatami also discussed military relations during separate meetings with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Belarusian Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov. Hatami also discussed conflict resolution in Syria with Shoigu. (Defa Press) (Defa News) (Defa News)

President Hassan Rouhani gathered on April 4 with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Turkey for trilateral talks on the Syrian Civil War. Rouhani, Putin, and Erdogan reiterated their support for Syria’s territorial integrity and emphasized that there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict in a joint statement released after the talks. The statement advocated for political dialogue to facilitate the peace process. The three also reemphasized their commitment to combating terrorism in Syria. Rouhani also met with Putin and Erdogan separately during the summit to discuss the expansion of bilateral relations respectively as well as the conflict in Yemen. (President.ir) (President.ir) (President.ir) (Fars News Agency) (President.ir)

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned Israel and reiterated Iran’s support for Hamas and the Palestinian people on April 5. Khamenei warned that any “Arab leaders” negotiating with Israel would be “an unforgivable mistake.” Khamenei’s comment was likely directed at Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who stated that “the Palestinians and the Israelis have the right to have their own land.” Zarif called for the UN and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to support Palestinians against Israeli aggression during a phone call with Hamas Political Bureau head Ismail Haniyeh and during a speech in Baku, Azerbaijan. Khamenei and Zarif’s admonishment comes after Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) killed 15 Palestinian protesters on the Israel-Gaza Strip border on March 30. (Khamenei.ir) (IRIB News) (Fars News Agency)

Hundreds of Iranian Arabs took to the streets of Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province on March 28 to protest the regime’s discrimination of Iranian Arabs. The protests began shortly after state-run media outlet Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) broadcasted a controversial segment from a children’s TV show on March 22. The segment included a map of Iran’s various ethnic minorities but failed to include Iranian Arabs wearing traditional Arab garb. Protesters gathered in front of the IRIB’s Khuzestan Province office in Ahvaz on March 28 and demanded an official apology from IRIB. Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that protesters began to voice additional grievances during their protests including complaints regarding water issues, employment, Arabic language education, and the establishment of independent Arabic-language media outlets. The protests have continued as of April 6. The protests have turned violent and local Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) have deployed tear gas and anti-riot forces to quell the protests. Unconfirmed reports state that regime security forces have detained approximately 200 protesters. (HRA News) (Radio Farda) (Instagram)