Updates

• The Persian rug weaver strikes in the US’s backyard through Venezuela
• Perspectives on Iran’s Satellite Launch
• Two years after US withdrawal from the Iran deal, where are we now?
• U.S. and Iran Need a Coronavirus Peace Plan
• U.S. cannot invoke snapback mechanism after JCPOA withdrawal: international law expert

The Persian rug weaver strikes in the US’s backyard through Venezuela Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Elijah J. Magnier Iranian tankers were 2200 km from the US coast when the Iranian-flagged “Fortune”, followed by “Forest”, entered Venezuelan waters, challenging the US embargo and the US’s threats. The Islamic Republic was broadcasting loud and clear a strong message. Read More...   Perspectives on Iran’s Satellite Launch Friday, May 22, 2020 On 22 April 2020 Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) successfully launched a small satellite – the Noor-1 (Farsi for ‘Light’) – on a previously unseen satellite launch vehicle called the Qased. Over the course of this week SpaceWatch.Global is running a series of perspectives on the strategic, political, and geopolitical implications of the launch for Iran, the Middle East region, Europe, and the United States. Today’s perspectives come courtesy of Dr. Seyed Hossein Mousavian of Princeton University in the United States. Read More...   Two years after US withdrawal from the Iran deal, where are we now? Wednesday, May 20, 2020 Jalil Bayat Two years have passed since the unilateral U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran. Today, evidence suggests this has resulted in increased tensions and mistrust between the two countries and weakened diplomacy and multilateralism in the international system. Read More...   U.S. and Iran Need a Coronavirus Peace Plan Monday, May 18, 2020 Dianne Feinstein While Americans are rightly focused on handling the coronavirus at home, the government must also remain vigilant to threats around the world. Yet the Donald Trump administration’s approach to Iran, in particular, increasingly lacks any clear policy or overarching strategy. Read More...   U.S. cannot invoke snapback mechanism after JCPOA withdrawal: international law expert Saturday, May 16, 2020 M.A. Saki Seyed Yaser Ziaee, an associate professor of international law from the University of Qom, says it is not possible for the United States to invoke snapback sanctions against Iran based on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which it abandoned in May 2018. Read More...   Zarif elaborates on US deal-breaking in letter to UN chief Thursday, May 14, 2020 Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif has written a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to elaborate on the US violations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, demanding the international body to safeguard its reputation. Read More...

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