February 4, 2020.  Calling a spade a spade.  The IRGC is called out by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change for being a terrorist organization.  See “Report compares Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to Daesh, Al-Qaeda,” Benedict Spence, Arab News, February 4, 2020.  The news story says, “Western governments and international bodies, including the EU, should designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization, the London-based Tony Blair Institute for Global Change said in a report published on Tuesday. The IRGC acts as an “institutionalized militia,” and uses its vast resources to spread a “mission of jihad” through an “ideological army” of recruits and proxies, said the report, titled “Beyond Borders: The Expansionist Ideology of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.” The IRGC’s interpretation of Islam bears a “striking” resemblance to the extremist teachings of Sunni groups such as Al-Qaeda and Daesh, the report added. The institute published its findings on the back of work to translate training manuals, used and freely distributed by the IRGC online, into English from Farsi for the first time. Its analysis of the material uncovered what it called a “formalized system of indoctrination that seeks to radicalize its recruits with an extremist Islamist ideology.”  Tony Blair, former UK prime minister and executive chairman of the institute, said the international community needs to recognize the role that the IRGC plays in spreading terrorism and extremism. “The IRGC is not simply an arm of the state, it is a body dedicated to advancing an ideology based on an extreme and intolerant distortion of Islam. It is time we recognized this formally,” he said. “Extremist ideology gives rise to violent extremism. Defeating it, and calling out those groups and organizations which promote it, is a vital part of a peaceful and prosperous future for the region.” The report found that the IRGC’s indoctrination process includes promoting a universal Shiite Islamist worldview that it said is “violent and absolutist,” and that “casts both non-Muslims and regime opponents (including Muslims) as enemies of Islam and calls for armed jihad against them.” The report said the IRGC exists as a way of life in the way it spreads edicts on the ideal structure of society, including promoting the subjugation of women. The report’s author, Kasra Aarabi, said the IRCG’s use of the internet to radicalize people is something that tech companies in the West have yet to come to terms with. The IRGC is able to operate “unhindered” by safeguards normally employed to monitor and restrict propaganda by Salafist-jihadist groups, he added. Recognizing this, and moving to prevent the IRGC’s dissemination of material, would be a key component of any strategy by the international community to combat its extremism, he said. “These internal manuals reveal how the IRGC operates as an institutionalized militia, with a formal program of indoctrination that seeks to radicalize its members and proxies in the region with a violent distortion of Islam,” Aarabi added in the report. “As the new evidence in our report shows, the IRGC’s Shia extremist ideology has much in common with Salafi-jihadism and policymakers should therefore treat it with the same seriousness as Daesh (Daesh) and Al-Qaeda.” Prof. Saeid Golkar, an expert on the IRGC at the University of Tennessee in the US, said: “Until now, there has been a void in any tangible evidence put to policymakers about the material and content distributed by the IRGC to its growing number of recruits.” He added: “It is clear from the documents analyzed in this report that the IRGC has a comprehensive and harmful indoctrination system that seeks to radicalize its members with a violent Islamist ideology that will be hard to reverse without a concerted effort.”"

“Iran Upholds Death Sentence for Alleged CIA Spy,” Aresu Eqbali and Sune Engel Rasmussen, Wall Street Journal, February 4, 2020.

“Iran-Backed Fighters Claim They Were Deployed Against Protesters In November,” Radio Farda, February 4, 2020.

“U.S. Embassy Attack Victims Get $1.5 Billion Award Against Iran,” David McAfee, Bloomberg Law, February 4, 2020.

February 4, 2020.  If Soleimani was really about to meet with Saudi officials when he was killed by the U.S., this could be confirmed from hearing from the Saudis (or having some sort of documentary evidence from Iran).  Otherwise, this looks like an attempt by Iran to infer that the U.S. didn’t want peace to be discussed between Iran and Saudi Arabia.  “Slain Iranian General Was Set to Deliver Reconciliatory Message to Saudi Arabia, Diplomat Says,” Reuters, Haaretz, February 4, 2020.

“Iran’s Zarif phones Abbas to voice opposition to Trump plan,” Times of Israel, February 4, 2020.

“Europe to avoid taking Iran nuclear dispute to U.N., EU's top diplomat says,” Reuters, February 4, 2020.

“'Protest Migration' Of Athletes Serious Challenge, Iran Olympic Chairman Says,” Radio Farda, February 4, 2020.

“Why Does Iran Accuse Kuwait?,” Media Line, February 4, 2020.

“Egypt: Ministry of Health website still down after Iran hacking attack,” Middle East Monitor, February 4, 2020.

February 4, 2020.  The “[n]omination of Mohammed Allawi stokes further resentment among anti-government protesters, who seek out-and-out change.”  See “Iraqi shi’ite leader – and, apparently, Iran – embrace PM-designate,” Tara Kavaler, The Media Line, Jerusalem Post, February 4, 2020.

“Iranian Rapper Wanted By Tehran Freed From Turkish Prison,” Radio Farda, February 4, 2020.

February 4, 2020.  Why vote if they’re all cookie cutter?  And if they are all hardliners?  Not much incentive for the average Iranian.  “Rouhani's Spokesman Says GoingcTo Polls Prevents Islamic Republic's 'Collapse',” Radio Farda, February 4, 2020.  "The Spokesman for President Hassan Rouhani administration has urged Iranians to go to the polls in the upcoming parliamentary elections to prevent the collapse of the Islamic Republic. Addressing reporters at a news conference in Tehran on Monday February 3, Ali Rabiei said "The upcoming election is the most important election in the history of the Islamic Republic. The only way to resist the collapse of Iran is going to the polls." This is by far the most radical comment ever made by an Iranian official about the state of affairs in the Islamic Republic of Iran.  Rabiei promised that the government will do its best to ensure a healthy election. This comes while only two weeks ago, President Hassan Rouhani said all the candidates who have been allowed to run belong to the conservative faction. The Guardian Council has disqualified nearly one third of the current members of the parliament on charges of "financial and ethical corruption" and reform-minded figures have complained that there are very few reformist candidates allowed to run for the Majles in the February 21 elections. This has reduced the choice for voters mainly to the hardliner candidates, with the consequent lack of incentive for people hoping for change to go to the polls. Many voters are already disillusioned with the country's economic conditions and harsh repression of recent protests.  Regardless of criticisms, the spokesman for the Guardian Council, Abbas Ali Kadhodai said on Saturday that some 7,000 candidates have been qualified to run. He said 24 candidates will compete for every parliament seat.  He added, "More than 50 percent of those who registered as candidates have been qualified to run for the Majles."  But according to Kayhan newspaper, during the news conference on Saturday, a reporter from the reformist daily Etemad questioned the Guardian Council's impartiality and said that all those qualified come from the same faction. Kadkhodai said: "This is your opinion and we do not accept that." Following Kadkhodai's defense of the Guardian Council's performance in the vetting, some of the disqualified candidates, mainly current MPs have spoken to the press, questioning the Guardian Council's argument. Ali Motahari, the outspoken MP for Tehran, told reporters that he was invited to talk with Guardian Council members on Friday about his disqualification.”

February 4, 2020.  “There’s a reason why Iranian students in STEM fields are being asked questions and sometimes turned away by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.”  See “Iran’s Spy Games Can Turn Deadly,” Peter Theroux, Tablet, February 4, 2020.

“Iran’s Mahan Air Continues China Flights for Days After Ban, Upsetting Some Iranians,” Michael Lipin, Mehdi Jedinia, and Asim Kashgarian, VOA, February 4, 2020.