Civil Society Groups Urge UN Rights Official To Postpone Iran Visit

The group said in a statement that its decision aimed at preventing "embarrassment" to the Iraqi government, as President Joe Biden said he had made up his mind about responding to those who were behind a deadly attack on US troops.

The decision follows the killing of three US troops in a drone attack near the Jordan-Syria border - an attack that the Pentagon said bore the "footprints" of Kataib Hezbollah, though a final assessment had not yet been made. However, after three days, the White House is yet to order a military response.

Founded in the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah is one of the elite Iraqi armed factions closest to Iran.

It is the most powerful armed faction in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of hardline Shi'ite armed groups that have claimed more than 150 attacks on US forces since the Gaza war began in early October.

Iraq's government is backed by parties and militias close to Iran, though not directly by the hardline groups that have been firing on US forces, Western and Iraqi officials say.

Baghdad has condemned the attacks while also saying regional escalation would continue as long as the Gaza war went on.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed on Monday the US would take "all necessary actions" to defend its troops after the deadly drone attack, even as President Joe Biden's administration stressed it was not seeking a war with Iran.

Iranian sources told Al-Jazeera Arabic that “The US sent more than one message to Tehran over the past two days via third parties.”

The report adds that Tehran rejected Washington's threats and said targeting its territory is a red line, and crossing the line would be met with an appropriate response.

“Tehran's message said that it does not want a war with Washington either, but it will forcefully confront any American adventure.”

Iranian-backed militants carried out a drone attack on US troops in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, resulting in the deaths of three US service members and injuring over 40 others with five suffering from traumatic brain injuries.

Since October, there have been over 160 recorded attacks targeting American soldiers in Iraq and Syria. However, less than ten percent of the attacks have been retaliated against. Critics of Biden argue that it is precisely such an imbalance in aggression that has resulted in the loss of three soldiers' lives.

The incident marked the first deadly strike against US forces since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October, signaling a significant escalation in the tensions gripping the Middle East.

According to the court's statement, Tavakoli, a prominent student leader and human rights activist, was found guilty of attempting to "overthrow the Islamic Republic and establish a liberal system," as stated in a letter from the ministry of intelligence.

Tavakoli's activism traces back to his involvement in the student protests following the disputed Presidential Election of 2009, during which he was arrested multiple times by Iranian intelligence authorities. 

His arrest sparked international attention, particularly after allegations surfaced that he had cross-dressed as a disguise to evade capture. In a show of solidarity, a campaign protesting his imprisonment emerged, with men posting photos of themselves wearing hijabs.

He was arrested again during the Iranian protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022.

Tavakoli's incarceration began in October 2023, as he was transferred to the notorious Evin maximum-security prison in Tehran.

In response to his conviction, Tavakoli maintained his innocence, stating, "This verdict is issued only because of my writings in the last few years. Due to my insistence on independent activity, there is no evidence of such activities or connection with the hostile government."

Biden, speaking to reporters as he left the White House on a campaign trip to Florida, did not elaborate on his decision, which came after consultations with top advisers at the White House.

On Sunday, Biden blamed Iran-backed militant groups for the attack, but it is not clear if he intends to retaliate directly against Iran or its proxy forces. Many lawmakers and former officials have urged a direct response to deter Tehran from further attacks. Since mid-October, the militant groups have launched 160 attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria.

He said the United States does not need a wider war in the Middle East, echoing comments from other officials on Tuesday that the United States does not want a war with Iran.

Three days after the drone attack that killed three and injured 40 US service members, Biden has been weighing his options and the expectation has been that there will be retaliatory strikes, but the timing of the response has been unclear.

"I don't think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That's not what I'm looking for," said Biden.

Biden replied "yes" when asked if he had decided how to respond to the attacks.

Asked if Iran was responsible, Biden added: "I do hold... them responsible in the sense that they're supplying the weapons" to those who carried out the attacks.

In a meeting with approximately a thousand business people and leading industrialists on Tuesday , Ali Khamenei underscored the pivotal role of the private sector in realizing Iran's major economic objectives, pressing for government backing, especially in removing obstacles to business. 

Almost all industrial sectors of the country, including oil, gas, petrochemicals, auto manufacturing and banking systems are owned and governed by state entities. Khamenei claimed that the country’s economy is under “supervision of the government, which is different from intervention.” “This supervision is absolutely not subject to compromise," he underlined. 

Khamenei’s meeting took place a day after he visited an “exhibition of Iran’s domestic production capabilities.” Unlike similar events that are normally held in designated fairgrounds, the event was held in a bunker at Khamenei’s residence, the so-called Imam Khomeini Hussainia, prompting a lot of Iranians to mock it online. “The exhibition we had the opportunity to visit was very inspiring and important. I believe this exhibition was a showcase of the scientific and technological prowess of the country,” Khamenei said Tuesday. 

According to a report by Iran's leading economic newspaper Donyaye Eghtesad (World of Economy) earlier in January, production-related issues such as raw material shortages and difficulties in securing foreign currency have led to the suspension of many production units, pushing the manufacturing industry further into decline.

Soaring inflation, reduced consumer purchasing power, and a decline in demand for intermediate goods, also known as producer goods or semi-finished products, coupled with the government’s contractionary approach to the industrial sector and its interventions, have exacerbated the downturn in sales.

Despite the national currency rial hitting unprecedented lows due to escalating tensions in the Middle East and the potential for a US military clash with Iran as well as the prospect of Donald Trump winning the US presidency, Khamenei continues to outwardly retain an air of optimism. He expressed confidence that despite obstacles such as sanctions and unemployment, the Iranian economy has made substantial progress.

He emphasized that the private sector has the potential to propel Iran toward achieving the targeted 8% growth outlined in its seventh five-year plan. Conversely, the World Bank reported the outlook for Iran's GDP growth as 2.9% in 2022, 2.2% in 2023, and 1.9% in 2024. 

The rial hit an all-time low on Tuesday amid fears of US retaliation for a drone attack over the weekend that killed three American servicemen in Jordan. The US dollar rose to nearly 600,000 rials, the highest since February 2022, when it briefly traded at that level.The Iranian currency, which has steadily lost value since the 1979 revolution, has fallen about 13-fold since 2018, when then-president Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal and imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil exports and international banking. Since then, the dollar rose from 42,000 rials to more than 580,000. Before the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, the dollar traded at 70 rials.

On Tuesday, as the devaluation of the rial gained momentum, Iran International learnt that currency exchange offices in Tehran are now forbidden from publicly disclosing rates. The market is enveloped in a security atmosphere marked by the presence of plain clothes agents. Many exchange offices opt to abstain from transactions at the government-issued rates, leading them to either shut down or claim insufficient funds for currency exchanges.

Sepehr Khalaji, the Chief of Iran’s Economic Information and Publicity Headquarters, said Tuesday that “the enemy has orchestrated a situation to create economic fluctuations.” In the Islamic Republic's jargon "enemy" is used to refer primarily to the United States and Israel, and sometimes to their allies.

Hardline newspaper Kayhan, Khamenei’s mouthpiece, also claimed Tuesday that “the exchange rate of the dollar is determined by several Telegram channels outside the country and some channels affiliated with those foreign entities within the country,” once more falling back on foreign influence for the country's decline.  

Iranian authorities consistently exhibit ambivalence about the impacts of international measures on the nation's economy. They often attribute any shortcomings to the actions of the US and its allies while simultaneously asserting that these punitive measures lack substantial efficacy.