Outcry In Southern Iran After Police Kill Fuel Smuggler

The minister for external economic relations, Yun Jong Ho, left Pyongyang on Tuesday by air leading a ministry delegation to visit Iran, the North's KCNA news agency said. It gave no other detail.

Iranian government media have not reported on the visit on Tuesday.

North Korea and Iran have long been suspected of cooperating on ballistic missile programs, possibly exchanging technical expertise and components that went into their manufacture.

Iran has provided a large number of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine, Reuters reported in February.

North Korea is also suspected of supplying Russia with missiles and artillery, although both countries have denied the allegation. Observers often mention a Russia, China, Iran and North Korea axis.

Yun has previously worked on the country's ties with Syria, according to South Korean government database.

Yun has been active in the country's increasing exchanges with Russia, earlier this month leading a delegation to visit Moscow, according to KCNA.

While the Pakistani prime minister invited Raisi to Islamabad, he was not there to greet him on Monday. The Iranian government’s official website posted images of Raisi’s arrival at Nur Khan Airbase and the only official from Pakistan receiving Raisi was named Riaz Hussain Pirzada, federal minister for housing and works.

Critics of the current government such as Abdolreza Davari, one of ex-President Ahmadinejad's confidants, drew a stark comparison between this incident and the reception of ex-president Hassan Rouhani in 2016 when Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif greeted him at Nur Khan Airbase.
The conservative website Khabar Online slammed the imbalance of power and said “this level of reception does not reflect the level of the visit" of the embarrassing reception.

This is not the first time Raisi's international trips have been in the spotlight. In January 2022, neither Putin nor any senior Russian official escorted President Ebrahim Raisi upon his departure from Moscow. During the same trip, the long distance between the two presidents during their discussions was also a trending topic on social media.

Ebrahim Raisi's picture at a table with champagne at a meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization leaders sparked controversy in September 2022.

Nevertheless, the controversy extends beyond Raisi. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Raisi's foreign minister, was filmed waiting in his car at the Russian Foreign Ministry to be formally welcomed by Sergey Lavrov last March. While the Russian top diplomat did not leave the building when Amir-Abdollahian entered, Lavrov asked him, "Didn't you want to get out of the car," and the Iranian foreign minister said, “I was waiting.” Lavrov asked what he was waiting for, to which the Iranian foreign minister mumbled and refused to reply.

Lavrov's reaction angered government voices in Iran. Cleric Rahmatollah Bigdeli said on Twitter, “This much disrespect to the authorities of a country by Russian officials is shameful!”

Iran's Raisi's visit follows a period of tension between the two countries. Pakistan conducted airstrikes three months ago following attacks by Iran's Revolutionary Guards within Pakistani territory. According to both countries, their strikes aimed at "terrorist hideouts" ended up killing civilians, including women and children.

The Iranian government claimed that its operation targeted the Jaish al-Adl Sunni militant group, while the Pakistani government said it targeted insurgents generally known as "Sarmachar."

"This time, the nation of Iran has punished Israel," Raisi stated, referring to the recent aerial bombardment which saw 350 projectiles launched towards Israel, though almost all were intercepted by Israel and a US-led coalition. "If Israel makes another mistake and attacks Iranian soil, the situation will be different, and it is uncertain if anything will remain of that country," he added.

The visit follows recent tensions highlighted on Friday when explosions were heard over Isfahan in central Iran. Sources attributed them to an Israeli attack, though Tehran downplayed the severity of the incident and indicated no immediate plans for retaliation. Israel is believed to have targeted air defenses for Iran's two nuclear sites.

On April 13, Iran responded to a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus which had killed a senior Quds Force commander and several IRGC personnel.

In his speech in Lahore, aiming to repair ties between Iran and Pakistan after ongoing border clashes, President Raisi also stressed Iran's continued support for the Palestinian resistance, positioning it as a matter of “national honor.”

Raisi, who began a three-day visit to Pakistan on Monday, emphasized his commitment to increasing bilateral trade between the two nations to $10 billion annually. 

The incident, which took place on April 13, saw Jordan's air force joining a US-led coalition downing Iranian drones that violated its airspace, part of an aerial bombardment of over 350 drones and missiles aimed at Israel.

Jalalzadeh argued that Jordan must be held accountable for its actions, which he views as antagonistic toward Iranian interests.

In a covert threat to Israel's allies, he also warned that If Israel utilizes facilities from regional countries and American bases against Iran, there will be a military response. Jordan was among multiple nations including the US, UK and France, involved alongside Israel in defending itself from the unprecedented air assault.

Iran claimed the barrage was in response to an alleged Israeli air strike at the start of the month in which a senior Quds Force commander was assassinated and multiple other high ranking members of the IRGC were killed.

According to a statement from the Jordanian cabinet the day following the incident, Jordan intercepted several airborne objects that had entered its airspace to safeguard the safety of its citizens. “Some shrapnel fell in multiple places during that time without causing any significant damage or any injuries to citizens,” it added.

Jordan, which borders Iranian proxy strongholds Syria and Iraq, increased its defensive measures by requesting the deployment of Patriot air defense systems from the US last year.

The latest developments come amid reports of increased US military aid to Jordan, which hosts hundreds of American troops conducting regular exercises with the Jordanian army.

The registration, filed on March 7, 2024, marks the first time the think-tank has reported lobbying activities in Washington since the first quarter of 2015.

The move follows just months after an extensive investigation by Iran International revealed that the Crisis Group signed an undisclosed deal with the Iranian government in 2016.

Another Iran International expose, published in September 2023, based on thousands of emails from Iranian diplomats, showed that three current and former Crisis Group members were part of the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), established by the Iranian foreign ministry in 2014 to extend Tehran's soft power.

This network was active while the Crisis Group was attempting to shape US policy on Iran during and after the negotiations for the 2015 nuclear deal that the Obama administration negotiated with Tehran.

The Crisis Group did not answer specific questions on whether the move to hire Mercury was made in direct response to Iran International’s reporting.

“To help achieve our mandate, we have partnered with Mercury to assist Members of Congress from all political parties who want to meet with our analysts who work in conflict zones across the globe,” the Crisis Group’s Elissa Jobson told Iran International in an email statement.

Documents show that Patrick Costello, the firm’s Senior VP in its Washington DC office, will work on the account for Mercury.

According to the firm’s website, Costello is “part of the bipartisan federal lobbying team and leads the NGO/Think-Tank engagement practice” and is a seasoned expert in US foreign policy and national security.

In a subsequent filing, for the first quarter of 2024, the income related to lobbying activities listed was $20,000, for addressing issues related to foreign relations, with efforts directed towards both the US Senate and the US House of Representatives.

In response to inquiries regarding the specific funding source for the lobbying activities, and whether Qatar, one of the NGOs donors, will contribute financially to the lobbying efforts on its Iran file, Jobson told Iran International, “all fees and services provided are publicly disclosed, and Qatar has no role, financial or otherwise, in the engagement.”

The Brussels-based NGO previously rejected Iran International’s reporting, saying that it “mischaracterizes Crisis Group’s mandate and methodology” and that “these accounts distort the nature of the meetings” between its members and the Iranian government.

In its joint reporting with Semafor, Iran International also said that in 2016 the Crisis Group established a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the inhouse think tank of the foreign ministry of Iran, the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), but never publicized it.

Following Iran International’s and Semafor investigations, three Republican lawmakers have asked the US Department of Justice to investigate the Crisis Group for potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). 

FARA mandates that any individuals or organizations representing foreign entities in a political capacity must register their affiliations and activities with the Department of Justice. Established in 1938, the law does not necessitate funding from a foreign government for registration. Instead, it concentrates on efforts to influence the media, Congress, or government officials.

In their letter to US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, the members of Congress say the Crisis Group has undisclosed ties and a formal relationship with the government of Iran, specifically pointing to the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding.

“There is a clear pattern of behavior indicating that the Crisis Group is in fact not an independent organization, but a chief mouthpiece of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the United States. Given this evidence, we urge you to launch an investigation of the Crisis Group without delay for potential FARA violations to protect our nation from malign foreign influence,” the letter said, signed by Jim Banks of Indiana, Elise Stefanik of New York, and Mike Waltz of Florida.

The lawmakers also referred to President Joe Biden’s special envoy on Iran, Robert Malley, who has been placed on leave while his security clearance is reviewed – reportedly for disqualifying personal conduct and mishandling of classified information. The exact cause of his suspension remains unclear.

Earlier this year, the State Department’s Inspector General opened an internal investigation into the steps leading up to and after Malley’s suspension.

Malley, who ran the Crisis Group during Donald Trump’s presidency, worked closely with the three Iran experts who were members of the influence network formed and guided by Tehran.

The IEI members simultaneously worked for top Western think tanks and gave advice to the US and Europe.