IAEA Director General May Attend Iran Nuclear Technology Conference

Analysis from Anthony Ruggiero and Andrea Stricker:
fdd.org/analysis/2024/…

📰 via Reuters:
Iran’s judiciary said Tuesday that it commuted a death sentence for a tycoon to 20 years in prison after he returned around $2.1 billion in assets from illegally selling oil abroad, the official IRNA news agency reported.
reuters.com/world/middle-e…

Though Hezbollah has vowed to fight until a cease-fire in Gaza, its response to Zahedi’s death shows it is looking for a way out of the clashes that are harming it more than its adversary - David Daoud:
wsj.com/articles/hezbo…

📰 via Reuters:
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi is scheduled to visit Iran to take part in a nuclear conference from May 6-8 and meet Iranian officials, Iran’s Mehr news agency said on Tuesday.
reuters.com/business/energ…

Excellent piece in the WSJ from my colleague David Daoud analyzing Hezbollah's calculations.

'Notwithstanding its hesitations, Hezbollah has no intention of ending its pursuit of Israel’s destruction. By coupling a Gaza cease-fire with one in Lebanon, the group is essentially

Crush and eliminate Hamas: Navigating ties with Hezbollah, Iran, and Saudi Arabia

Normalization with Saudi Arabia is crucial but shouldn't come at the cost of significant concessions.

Jacob Nagel in The Jerusalem Post: fdd.org/analysis/2024/…

Iranian IRGC Agents Murdered Teen Protestor Whose Death Was Ascribed to ‘Suicide,’ Leaked Document Reveals

Analysis by Enia Krivine & Janatan Sayeh: fdd.org/analysis/2024/…

Hezbollah Stumbles Into a War of Attrition

The Lebanese group isn’t ready for a larger conflict. Israel shouldn’t let that opportunity go to waste.

David Daoud in The Wall Street Journal:
wsj.com/articles/hezbo…

📰 via AFP News Agency:
Syria has avoided getting embroiled in the Gaza war, experts said, despite a strike on a building near Iran’s Damascus consulate, blamed on Israel, that threatened to ignite a regional conflagration. timesofisrael.com/israel-threate…

📰 via Iran International English:
A report from the German newspaper Bild says a Düsseldorf-based subsidiary of Iran’s Mapna Group — Mapna Europe — may be involved in circumventing international sanctions.
iranintl.com/en/202404297997

📰 via Iran International English:
The Iranian government’s ongoing crackdown against non-governmental charitable organizations has struck another blow, resulting in the closure of the Mehre Shams Afrid NGO safe house.
iranintl.com/en/202404307452

📰 via AFP News Agency:
Iran on Monday criticized a police crackdown in the United States against university students protesting against the rising death toll from the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
timesofisrael.com/iran-us-renegi…

📰 via Bloomberg:
An official delegation from North Korea is in Tehran to attend a trade show and have trade talks with the government and private sector, a spokesman said.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

📰via AFP News Agency:
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement said Saturday it had targeted northern Israel with drones and guided missiles after cross-border Israeli strikes killed three people, including two of its members.
arabnews.com/node/2500531/m…

📰via The Wall Street Journal:
Israel and Hezbollah are locked in an escalating cycle of violence that risks spiraling further in the aftermath of an unprecedented exchange of direct fire between Israel and Iran.
wsj.com/world/middle-e…

Why weren't any consular officials killed in the strike in Damascus that killed several senior IRGC-QF officials? 🤔

Behnam Ben Taleblu serves some food for thought 👇

🎧: bit.ly/4b8GnOk

📰via AFP News Agency:
The United Nations said Friday that it was concerned by reports of new efforts to track and punish Iranian women, some as young as 15, who refuse to wear the headscarf required under the country’s Islamic law.
arabnews.com/node/2499806/m…

📰via Reuters:
Iran’s foreign minister said the crew of a seized Portuguese-flagged ship linked to Israel have been granted consular access and are expected to be freed, Iranian media reported on Saturday.
reuters.com/world/middle-e…

📰via Reuters:
Russia is ready to expand military and technical cooperation with Iran, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told his Iranian counterpart Gharaei Ashtiani at a meeting on Friday, the RIA state news agency reported.
reuters.com/world/europe/r…

📰via The Wall Street Journal:
An Iranian court has sentenced a popular dissident rapper to death following his outspoken support of the 2022 women’s rights movement, drawing international criticism of Tehran as it renews a crackdown on dissent.
wsj.com/world/middle-e…