Biden Admin Must Accept Return To JCPOA Is Not In US Interest– Senator Menendez

Raja News website which speaks for the ultraconservative Paydari party quoted governor general of Khuzestan Province Sadegh Khalilian as saying that the Metropol Towers were built during Iran's previous government, adding that "the building was erected on the foundations of corruption and unhealthy relations."

Officials say they have recovered more than 40 bodies but citizens say many more people were inside when it collapsed.

Earlier, Iranian media and social media activists had pointed out that the owner of Metropol maintained illicit links to individuals, as high-ranking as Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme Council of National Security. They accused the bigwig of helping the owner Hossein Abdolbaghi by using his influence through local officials including his nephew Mo'ud Shamkhani.

Mr. Shamkhani, an IRGC general, categorically denied using his influence, but subsequently, other reports mentioned further details about the link including family bonds between the Shamkhanis and Abdolbaghis, which could not be denied.

The decision to hint at some of the corruption involved in building the towers could have been made at a higher level in the government. The official Instagram account of the Iranian government on June 5 also posted a photo of the ruins of Metropol Tower in Abadan that collapsed on 23 May. The text in the post quoted Khalilian as saying: "The Metropol incident is the consequence of unhealthy relations and lack of supervisory measures."

Khalilian was the first high-level official to confirm media reports about financial corruption in the tragedy. He acknowledged that there has been corruption in the province dating back to 2015-2020, distancing himself and the Raisi administration that assumed office in 2021.

Unlike most of Iran's local governors who come from the Revolutionary Guard’s top brass, Khalilian was previously an academic at the University of Ahvaz and the Teachers Training University in Tehran although he had started his career as a petty officer in the IRGC.

Khalilian said that the local authorities at the time were aware of the building's instability in with at least two series of reports given to them by the engineering supervisory body in 2017 and 2019, but they simply ignored it because of those "unhealthy relations", which means bribery in the Iranian administrative jargon.

He added that the building was illegally constructed in an alleyway that was only 4 meters wide and this made search and rescue efforts difficult, and that the building permit was for a 6-story building and five floors were added later.

Khalilian had earlier said that 13 local officials including the cities last three mayors are under arrest. Earlier this week, former governor general of Khuzestan Gholamreza Shariati who has been implicated in corruption cases, left Iran for the United Arab Emirates and reports about his "escape" were published on social media. Later, the Iranian Judiciary said that he was not implicated in the case.

On Tuesday, Shariati wrote on social media that he is back in Iran, however, there is no evidence that the statement was really made by him or if he did return. Khalilian said that leaving the country was a mistake by the former governor and called on the judiciary to take this into account.

Talking further about corruption Khalilian said, "Perhaps no money has changed hands, but when high-ranking officials take part in the opening ceremony of the building, this creates an aura of security around the owner, and everyone believes that he is a well-connected person."

Initial reports by local reporters living abroad indicated that Abdolbaghi had given expensive lands or buildings to some local officials as gift.

Republican Senator Mike Rounds from South Dakota said on Wednesday that “they have intents other than peaceful desires with regards to nuclear weapons. They have clearly been on the road to developing a nuclear weapon from day one.”

Highlighting that Israel is at risk of attacks by Iran, Rounds said the US has done “hopefully” its best to limit the Islamic Republic’s ability to get a nuclear weapon. 

Criticizing the Biden administration's Iran policy, he said that “when you move from one admin to another you have to have a consistent policy.”

He added that he had disagreed in the past and still disagrees with “the proposed settlements between the US and Iran."

Indiana’s Republican Senator Todd Young said the path Iran is pursuing is going to make the country even more isolated, noting, “This is not going to any place good for Iran's leaders. They want to continue to be isolated by the international community.”

Referring to the recent anti-government protests across the country, he said that “If they want to continue to hurt their people who have recently been rising up against their leadership because of their economic circumstances, then they're doing the right thing. If instead, they would like to enjoy prosperity and opportunity for their people and longer-term security, they're going to need to abide by the terms in the spirit of IAEA mandates to go in and look at all the facilities to ensure Iran is not trying to develop nuclear weapons."

The Greek court overturned an earlier court ruling that had allowed the confiscation in May by the United States of part of a cargo of Iranian oil on an Iranian-flagged tanker off the Greek coast, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

The court ruling has not yet been made public, but Iranian officials and state media confirmed the news on Thursday.

The United States has imposed oil export sanction on Iran since 2018 when Washington withdrew from the Obama-era nuclear agreement with Tehran known as the JCPOA.

"Following intensive follow-up, the Greek Court of Appeals will overturn the initial court ruling on the confiscation of Iranian oil and, by God's grace, the entire oil shipment will be returned," Iran's ambassador Ahmad Naderi said on the embassy's Twitter account.

The confiscation of the cargo prompted an angry response from Iran, with Iranian forces last month seizing two Greek tankers in the Gulf after Tehran warned it would take "punitive action" against Athens.

"The issue will remain on the agenda of intensive consultations between the two countries until the full implementation of the ruling is certain," Naderi added.

The semi-official ISNA news website on Thursday quoted an informed source that in reaction to the resolution, Tehran would speed up production and installation of IR-6, IR-4 and IR-2 centrifuge machines. On Wednesday, Iran had also announced it was disconnecting two monitoring devices installed by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), anticipating the passage of the resolution.

ISNA also reported that Tehran has informed the IAEA about its decisions.

However, the United States, its European allies, Israel and other countries expressed satisfaction at the overwhelming passage of the resolution on Wednesday.

“We, the Governments of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, welcome the IAEA Board of Governors’ adoption of a resolution responding to Iran’s insufficient cooperation with the IAEA…” a joint statement said after the vote.

Russia and China, the Islamic Republic’s allies, were isolated in the June 8 meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors.

Of 35 members states on the board, 30 voted in favor of the resolution sponsored by the ‘E3’ (France, Germany, the United Kingdom) and the United States. India, Libya and Pakistan abstained, while Russia and China voted against.

“The overwhelming majority vote at the IAEA Board of Governors today sends an unambiguous message to Iran that it must meet its safeguards obligations and provide technically credible clarifications on outstanding safeguards issues,” the joint statement added.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman reacted swiftly by condemning the resolution.

Israeli officials, who had campaigned to highlight Tehran’s lack of cooperation with the IAEA, expressed their satisfaction with the outcome. “In addition to condemnation, the international community must take concrete steps,” defense minister Benny Gantz tweeted, adding that every monitoring device “that is turned off should be met with diplomatic and economic sanctions.”

The resolution called on Iran to engage with the IAEA without delay and expressed “profound concern” at Iran’s failure to satisfy the agency over traces of uranium found at three undeclared sites and highlighted last week in a report from IAEA director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi.

The resolution comes with year-long talks paused since March between Iran and six world powers aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), and with continuing preparations in Israel for an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites.

Earlier in the day before the vote, Iran reacted by announcing that it would turn off two monitoring devices installed by the IAEA at its nuclear installations, a decision that the US condemned.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry welcomed the resolution, urging the Islamic Republic to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog without any delay. Like Israelis, the Saudis have reason to be concerned with Iran’s nuclear program and supported former US president Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA.

Riyadh has been concerned with President Joe Biden’s policy of trying to restore the agreement, which would result in sanctions relief for Tehran, its staunch opponent in the region.

The US, however, did not try to show a victory lap. Officials emphasized that they do not want to escalate the situation with Iran and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan emphasized that the talks aimed at reviving the JCPOA should remain separate from the safeguards and IAEA monitoring issue that brought about the resolution.

However, few believe that the two issues can remain separate and the stalled nuclear talks not to be affected by the turn of events at the IAEA board. Every Iranian retaliation, such as turning off IAEA monitoring equipment, could become an additional complicating factor in the Vienna talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

The explosive drone detonated on Pirmam road in Erbil's outskirts at 9:35 p.m. Iraq time, the statement said.

Two security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the drone was shot down.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

A security source said earlier that a drone attack targeted the US consulate but did not give further details.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi told Kurdish Prime Minister Masoud Barzani in a phone call that Baghdad will cooperate with Erbil to hold the perpetrators accountable, according to a statement.

"Bomb-laden drone hit Erbil-Pirmam road, causing civilian injuries and damage," the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq said on Twitter. "Iraq does not need self-proclaimed armed arbiters. Asserting State authority is essential. If the perpetrators are known, call them out and hold them to account."

Last month, Iran Revolutionary Guards artillery fire hit an area north of Erbil, targeting what Iranian state television described as terrorist bases.

Also, in March the Guards attacked the capital of the Kurdish region with a dozen ballistic missiles in an unprecedented assault on the capital of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region that appeared to target the United States and its allies

At least three other attacks have targeted oil refineries in Erbil since the March attack, but no group has claimed responsibility for them.

Report by Reuters