Social and Political

Al-Monitor – The UN Security Council convened Dec. 12 to address the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). US Secretary of State Pompeo said that Iran’s pace of missile activities has not diminished since the JCPOA and that the United States seeks to reimpose ballistic missile restrictions that were outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 1929.

Al-Monitor – Since February 2011, Iranian opposition leaders Mir-Hossein Mousavi, his wife Zahra Rahnavard and Mehdi Karroubi have been effectively under house arrest with virtually zero access to the outside world. The punishment without trial came after Mousavi and Karroubi, two of the defeated candidates in the country’s 2009 presidential elections, leveled accusations of vote rigging and called for public protests. Supported by a large majority …

Radiofarda – Iran’s Supreme Leader has said that his country has been able to defeat U.S. plans to change the regime but has warned regime officials and the people to be alert to “America’s deceptions”.

Radiofarda – Tehran’s embassy in Kabul has officially denied accusations that arms and ammunition recently discovered in the province of Ghazni in Afghanistan are related to Iran.

Radiofarda – The top State Department official dealing with Iran announced that the issue of family members of senior Iranian officials residing in the United States will be looked upon.

Radiofarda – Five labor and civil rights activists detained by the Iranian security forces have been released, the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (SWTSBC) announced on December 11, hours after reporting their detainment.

Al-Arabia – Two launch units for anti-tank guided missiles recovered by Arab coalition in Yemen appear to have been manufactured in Iran during 2016 and 2017, according to a confidential United Nations report seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Al-Arabia – In the middle of December last year, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned of the expectation of mass protests and responded by dispatching special patrols of Basij forces in order to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation across the country to prevent any expression of popular dissent.

Iran-HRM – Human rights sources have reported that steel factory worker, Meysam Al Mehdi was arrested today at his home and was taken to an unknown location.

RFL/RE – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to travel to New York on December 12 to participate in a UN Security Council meeting on Iran.