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TOP STORIES
Political infighting among Iran's ruling elite has moved
on to a new battleground - the relief effort after an earthquake that
killed at least 530 people and injured thousands. Hardline media are
accusing the government of pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani of
reacting too slowly to last weekend's quake, while highlighting aid
work by the Revolutionary Guards - a rival power center.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir said on
Thursday the kingdom's actions in the Middle East were a response to
what he called the "aggression" of Iran.
Israel's military chief of staff yesterday said in an
interview that his country was prepared to cooperate with Saudi
Arabia to face Iran's plans "to control the Middle East."
CONGRESS & IRAN
In parallel with a visit this week by US national
security officials to Israel to discuss Tel Aviv's concerns over the
US-Russia de-escalation deal and Iran's presence in South Syria, a
bipartisan group of 43 congress members sent a letter to US secretary
of state Rex Tillerson echoing the same demands and calling for a
change of strategy in Syria. The letter, dated November 14 and signed
by members of both main parties after their trip to Israel, called
for "a strategy for Syria that includes how the United States
plans to prevent Iran from gaining a permanent foothold on Israel and
Jordan's doorstep and to block Iranian arms exports to
Hizbollah".
BUSINESS RISK
According to Iranian agencies, the
black currency market in Tehran has stopped the selling and buying of
foreign currencies because of a sharp rise in the price of the US
dollar, the euro and the pound to levels that existed before the
nuclear agreement was reached.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Behind the grimy frosted windows of an abandoned
shopfront in the backstreets of central London lies a plush modern
office, full of banks of computer screens monitoring Iran's internet
output. The office is one of many Western media projects working to
outwit the censors who seek to suppress all but the official
discourse of Iran's Islamic Republic. Much of the funding comes from
America's Near East Regional Democracy programme, which allocates
about $30m a year to promoting democracy and human rights in Iran.
Britain said on Thursday that moves toward paying half a
billion dollars to Iran for a debt owed since the 1979 Islamic
Revolution had nothing to do with a bid to secure the release of a
jailed Iranian-British aid worker.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Iran accused France of fueling tension in the Middle
East by taking a "biased" stance on Tehran's regional
policy, state TV reported on Friday... French Foreign Minister
Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday that France was worried about Iran's
involvement in the Middle East crisis and its disputed ballistic
missile program.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri's older brother broke his
silence Wednesday over the premier's mysterious resignation, saying
he supports his brother's decision to step down over the
"growing demands and actions of Hezbollah."
SYRIA CONFLICT
The Kremlin said on Thursday Russia would host a Syria
summit on Nov. 22 involving officials from Iran and Turkey.
IRAQ CRISIS
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi must disband the
majority of the Iran-linked Shia paramilitary groups that fought
alongside the army against the Islamic State or risk sparking an
outbreak of sectarian violence following the terror group's looming
defeat, one of Iraq's leading Sunni politicians warned Thursday.
GULF STATES, YEMEN, AND IRAN
Few things are as explosive as the combination of power,
ambition and anxiety - and there is plenty of all three in Riyadh
these days. Once a cautious and passive regional power, Saudi Arabia
has found a new purpose in recent years. The ruthless ambition of
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in full display at home with his
crackdown on businessmen and members of the royal family, also
radiates across the Middle East, driven by the urgency to check
Iranian influence. Prince Mohammed has a point. Iran is set on
becoming the dominant power from Iraq to Lebanon. Saudi Arabia may
exaggerate Iranian intentions and power, but Western and Asian
countries typically understate them. The Iranians themselves are
clear about how they view the region: "No decisive actions can
be taken in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, North Africa and the Gulf region
without Iran's consent," Hassan Rouhani, Iran's president,
reportedly boasted last month.
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