The Week in Review: April.26th – May.3rd

By Natasha Phillips

MAY 3 – Iranian oil sanctions waivers were stopped by U.S. President Donald Trump this week as part of his Maximum Pressure Campaign against Iran. Iran relies heavily on oil exports to bolster its economy. Saudi Arabia said it would step in to off-set the shortage. Qatar and India expressed concern that the move might increase oil prices and lead to a rise in inflation. Meanwhile, Turkey remains doubtful that it can diversify its oil imports.   

A trade mechanism called the Special Trade and Finance Institute (STFI) was launched by Iran’s government on Monday. The vehicle has been designed to work alongside INSTEX, the trade mechanism launched by the UK, France and Germany to enable trade with Iran after U.S. sanctions were re-imposed. STFI has been allocated one billion rials (approximately $24,000) in capital to kick-start its activity. 

• The unexplained murder of a cleric in Hamadan, Iran has created intense speculation on social media over the reason for the killing. Hojatoleslam Mustafa Ghasemi, a 46-year-old cleric, was shot in Hamadan last Saturday. The shooter was identified by police as Behrouz Hajilou though the motivation behind the attack remains unclear. Iranians using Twitter inside the country were quick to offer their views, with some suggesting the attack was an elaborate plot staged by the Iranian government to frighten the clergy.
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• A stark warning about the ongoing feud between Iran and the U.S. was issued by a former Iranian ambassador to Germany. Seyyed Hossein Mousavian urged Iranian officials to act with caution, in an editorial published by state-run media outlet Iran Daily. Mousavian also talked about conflicting views on Iran within the U.S. government, “Mr. Trump and his National Security Advisor John Bolton do not agree on Iran. Trump’s main aim is to score a political win by forcing Iran back to the negotiating table. Mr. Bolton, however, wants a regime change and to break up Iran into smaller regions.”
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• Another round of teacher strikes took place, this time in more than 30 cities around Iran. Riot police attended the protest. At least two teachers were arrested. The teachers demanded better pay and working conditions; an end to sexual, ethnic, and religious discrimination within the school curriculum; and the immediate release of imprisoned educators. The demonstrations were organized by the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Associations.
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• More flash floods could head towards southern Iran if the snow on the Zagros mountain range melts, Reza Ardakanian, the Minister of Energy said. The water levels in the Karkheh and Karun rivers in the southern province of Khuzestan could rise significantly if the warmer weather melts the snow on the mountains. As a precautionary measure, authorities have begun evacuating villages along the banks of both rivers. The floods have also brought on water-borne diseases in Iran including malaria and severe skin conditions.
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