Dozens Of Businesses Sealed In Iran For Ramadan Violations

Saudi Arabia and Iran have a long history of hostility, usually taking opposing sides in regional conflicts such as Yemen, Lebanon, and Syria.

This competition, fueled by disruptive activities and outright attacks on Saudi land and oil infrastructure, strained relations in the last two decades. However, encouraged by China, the resumption of relations in 2023 presented the possibility of some cooperation between the two regional powers. However, despite this success, Saudi Arabia has opted not to engage in Iran's energy development initiatives, citing various reasons.

The Islamic regime in Iran has long sought political and military dominance in the region, angering Sunni Arab neighbors, with Saudi Arabia having the most to lose if Shia Iran establishes supremacy. This lies behind costly rivalries in Yemen and other parts of the region.

It was believed that following restoration of diplomatic relations, their economic ties would improve, notably in the oil sector. However, Saudi Arabia has made no investments in Iran, particularly in the energy sector, during the last year.

Iran has signaled a willingness to cooperate with Saudi Arabia on oil reserves, including the contentious Arash/Durra gas field in the Persian Gulf, off Kuwait’s coast. However, Iran's oil industry receives less investment than Saudi Arabia, and there are ongoing disagreements over the Arash/Durra field, which Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait all claim.

Saudi Arabia, which has historically relied on its massive oil reserves, is seeking to diversify its energy portfolio by investing in renewable energy projects outside of its borders. This includes substantial investments in the Caspian region and Central Asia, which have abundant energy resources but require investment and technological knowledge to fully realize their renewable energy potential.

These investments provide economic benefits for both Saudi Arabia and the host nations. They provide energy security, promote economic growth, and create jobs in the renewable energy sector. Furthermore, they support host nations' attempts to diversify their energy sources and minimize carbon emissions.

Divergent economic priorities serve as another barrier to collaboration. While Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 emphasizes diversification away from oil, Iran grapples with Western sanctions and economic challenges, struggling to generate significant revenue from its oil exports. This disparity in economic goals impacts potential cooperation in Iran's energy sector, especially as Saudi Arabia focuses on bolstering its domestic economy.

US sanctions on Iran influence Saudi decision-making in expanding economic ties, as most other countries and investors who have stayed away. Iran has attracted a negligible amount of foreign investments since the United States withdrew from the JCPOA nuclear deal in 2018 and imposed sanctions.

Differences in technological capabilities, operating norms, and infrastructural development between the two nations may provide obstacles to possible investment initiatives. Disparities in resource management methods and industry norms may need to be resolved before major expenditures can be made.

The longstanding dispute between Iran and Kuwait over the Dorra oil and gas field has revived, with Saudi Arabia and its Arab ally Kuwait refusing to acknowledge Iran's claim to 40% ownership of the resource. Saudi Arabia claimed in July 2023 that it and Kuwait had "full rights" to the whole region, which was enthusiastically supported by all six Gulf Arab monarchs at their most recent summit in December.

A vast gap between Iranian and Saudi political and economic visions, such as the difference in goals between Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and Iran's fight against sanctions, provide further challenges.

These challenges are further compounded by disparities in technical and operational standards between the two countries, which need to be addressed before significant investments can be undertaken. Additionally, geopolitical interests play a crucial role, as both Saudi Arabia and Iran aim to reduce their dependence on oil. Saudi Arabia's strategy prioritizes diversification, potentially shifting its investment priorities away from Iran's oil sector. Likewise, Iran's endeavors to attract foreign investment may face competition from sectors or regions that align more closely with Saudi Arabia's geopolitical objectives, underscoring the complexities of engaging directly with Iran's oil assets.

In response to the summons, Vasmaghi said, "The Revolutionary Court is not lawful, and defending oneself in this unjust court is meaningless. I will not appear there and I do not want to confront the unjust judges."

She was arrested on Saturday after her ongoing criticism of compulsory hijab laws and her characterization of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, as a “dictator”, and the ruling regime as “oppressive”.

Vasmaghi's warrant levies accusations against her including "anti-government propaganda on social media" and "appearing in public without Islamic hijab". She has long been an advocate of women's rights. She first gained attention after she removed her own hijab in protest following the death of Armita Geravand, a teenager killed by hijab-enforcement agents in the Tehran metro last year.

Vasmaghi's family now fear for her health as she is deprived of access to adequate medical facilities. A source close to her family told Iran International that her health deteriorated on Monday morning in prison, with her heart rate exceeding 120 and her blood pressure rising above 160.

Evin prison authorities also denied Vasmaghi permission to meet her family on Sunday, citing her refusal to wear a headscarf and comply with mandatory hijab rules.

Azizi, 60, was arrested by Iranian security forces on November 12 at his private residence shortly after returning from Sweden to Iran. His lawyer had previously highlighted Azizi's deteriorating health condition, citing prostate cancer and injuries sustained from a fall in prison.

The case of Azizi adds to a series of detentions involving dual-national citizens in Iran. Notably, Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish physician and researcher arrested in 2016, and Johan Floderus, a Swedish diplomat working for the European Union detained in April 2022, have also faced accusations of espionage.

The Swedish government has expressed deep concern over the detention of its citizens, demanding their immediate release. In mid-January, Sweden called for Azizi's release, stating that Iran had detained him "without any specific reason."

Critics accuse the Islamic Republic of Iran of leveraging the detention and trial of Western or dual-national citizens as a means to advance its political agendas and to provoke tensions with Western governments. Last year, the United States unfroze $6 billion of Iran's blocked funds in exchange for the release of five hostages.

It is believed that Swedes and dual nationals have come under fire since 2022 as a result of the life-sentence handed to former Iranian jailor, Hamid Nouri, imprisoned in Sweden for his role in the purge of dissidents in 1988. Nouri, 62, received the life sentence from a Swedish district court in July 2022 for "grave breaches of international humanitarian law and murder."

After months of legal battles, an appeals court upheld the verdict in December 2023, leading Nouri to seek recourse with the Supreme Court, but the appeal was rejected. 

The Human Rights Council hosted members of the UN's fact-finding mission that was established to investigate Iran’s crackdown on the popular protests of 2022, ignited by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code.

Her death unleashed months of mass protests across Iran, marking the biggest challenge to Iran's clerical leaders in decades. The mission released an initial report last week, stating that the regime’s crackdown on protests amounts to “crimes against humanity.” 

"Our investigation established that her death was unlawful and caused by physical violence in the custody of state authorities," said Sara Hossain, the chairperson of the mission told the Council in Geneva on Monday.

She said the protests that followed were marked by "egregious human rights violations", including extra-judicial executions, arbitrary arrests, torture and ill-treatment, as well as rape and sexual violence. "These acts were conducted in the context of a widespread and systematic attack against women and girls, and other persons expressing support for human rights." 

"Some of these serious violations of human rights thus rose to the level of crimes against humanity," she emphasized, adding that since the protests women and girls in Iran were confronted daily by discrimination "affecting virtually all aspects of their private and public lives". 

"It is hard to fathom that in the 21st century, women's access to the most basic service and opportunities, such as schools, universities, hospitals, and courts, or to opportunities for employment in government or other sectors, should be subjected to a wholly arbitrary requirement of wearing the mandatory hijab," she said.

The UN's Iran rapporteur, Javaid Rehman was first to address the 55th regular session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, warning of the "deeply concerning" impunity for serious human rights violations in the country. 

He expressed concern about the high number of executions in Iran, pointing out that the number of hangings increased 43 percent in 2023 in comparison to a year earlier to over 800. Rehman underlined that many of the executions follow trials that do not meet fair trial standards, particularly highlighting the death sentences related to the 2022 protests. 

The rapporteur also decried the regime’s treatment of women who defy the mandatory hijab laws, expressing concerns about the deprivation of their basic rights as a punishment. Iran has intensified punitive measures to enforce its strict hijab laws such as banning defiers from public services and grounding their cars. 

Rehman also highlighted the situation of ethnic and religious minorities, who are disproportionately affected by the death penalty, particularly for drug-related or security offenses. He particularly expressed concern about the harassment, intimidation, targeting, arrest, and detention of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and trade union activists, as numbers soared since the 2022 uprising. At least 79 journalists alone were arrested in the year after the protests sparked by the death in morality police custody of Mahsa Amini. 

He emphasized that his mandate has been a platform to highlight and report on violations committed by state authorities and a voice for the millions of Iranians who are victims of the abuses. He called on the member states for the extension of his mandate for another year.

Rehman has been the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran for six years and the UN Human Rights Council is set to vote on the extension in the coming days. The Iranian government has refused to allow Rehman – or any other UN human rights rapporteurs -- to visit Iran since 1992.

After Rehman, the representative of the Iranian government dismissed his report as biased and politically motivated. Tehran’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Zahra Ershadi, reiterated that the country does not recognize Rehman’s mandate and repeated the regime’s propaganda.

Despite mountains of evidence, Iran claims that the human rights conditions in the country is ameliorating and rejects any report that portrays the country’s grim situation. A dominant tool for justification is shifting the spotlight to the situation in Gaza, with Ershadi accusing the West of not taking any serious action on Israel’s killing of civilians in Gaza. The war in Gaza started after Iran-backed Islamist group Hamas invaded Israel and killed 1,200 mostly civilians and took over 250 hostages. 

Following Iran's representative, member states took turns delivering brief remarks. With the exception of Iran's allies such as Russia, North Korea, China, and Venezuela — who defend Tehran's human rights record — nearly all envoys condemned the regime's atrocities and advocated for the extension of Rehman's mandate. 

At the end of the session, Rehman took the floor for his concluding remarks, during which he called on Iran to change its “contemptuous attitude on human rights.” He rebuffed Iran’s allegations of politicization, prejudice and bias, urging the Islamic Republic to allow him to visit the country. 

Rehman also called on Tehran to halt targeting foreign-based media for reporting on the situation in Iran, noting that London-based Iran International and BBC Persian staff as well as their families in the country are under constant threat and persecution and death threats by the authorities. 

Just last month, leaked documents revealed that Tehran’s Revolutionary Court convicted 44 foreign-based journalists and media activists in absentia two years ago over the allegation of “propaganda against the government. At the time of the verdict, the journalists were working for foreign-based Persian-language media outlets including Iran International, BBC Farsi, Manoto, Radio Farda, GEM TV and Voice of America. The document was revealed among a trove of files accessed after the hacktivist group Edalat-e Ali, or Ali’s Justice, breached the servers of the Iranian judiciary.

Mohammadi's message emphasized the urgent need for international pressure on the Iranian regime, notorious for its violations of fundamental rights and perpetration of crimes against humanity.

Mohammadi, speaking from her incarceration, highlighted the nature of the Iranian regime's actions over the past four and a half decades. She underscored the importance of continued scrutiny by international bodies such as the UN fact-finding mission and the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights to reveal the multifaceted dimensions of oppression and gender apartheid perpetrated by the regime.

Formed by the UN Human Rights Council in November 2022 in the wake of widespread protests under the banner of Woman, Life, Freedom that swept across Iran, the fact-finding mission focuses primarily on investigating the nationwide protests that occurred from 2022 to 2023. Despite repeated appeals for cooperation, the mission's experts have expressed disappointment at the Iranian authorities' failure to provide substantial information.

"The despotic religious regime, which violates human rights and commits crimes against humanity, must be systematically and comprehensively pressured by the United Nations and human rights institutions worldwide," Mohammadi declared.

Her plea comes amidst ongoing protests and activism within Iran, including the Women, Life, Freedom movement, which has galvanized public outcry against the regime's repressive tactics. Mohammadi's call resonates with the growing chorus of voices demanding accountability and justice for victims of state-sponsored violence and discrimination.

As Mohammadi continues to endure persecution for her advocacy, her words serve as a reminder of the imperative to stand in solidarity with those fighting for democracy and human rights in Iran.