Short news summary for Friday, September 9, 2018. Read the most important news from Iran and the world on the ninth day of September 97 here moment by moment.
Latest updates:
22:00 9.6.1397 - Two more lawyers arrested in Iran: Reports indicate that on Friday, September 9, Payam Darafshan and Farakh Forouzan, two lawyers, were arrested at the home of Arash Kikhavari, a jailed lawyer. No report has been published regarding the reason for their arrest. Payam Darafshan represents Arash Kikhavari, who was arrested on Saturday, August 18, along with Qasem Shaleh-Saadi and Masoud Javadiyeh, two other lawyers, in front of the parliament. Qasem Shaleh-Saadi announced in a video on Friday that he would attend the parliament on Saturday in protest against the supervisory oversight, emulating Mohammad Mossadegh. Payam Darafshan and Arash Kikhavari also represent the family of Kavous Seyed Emami.
21:02 9.6.1397 - Leader of Eastern Ukraine Separatists Killed: Reports indicate that Alexander Zakharchenko, the leader of the separatists in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, has been killed. Russian news agencies like Interfax reported that Zakharchenko was killed in an explosion at a café that is a hangout for separatists in Donetsk. The Ukrainian government considers the eastern separatists to be supported by Russia and is trying to reclaim areas under their control.
19:17 9.6.1397 - Israel: Iranian Activities in Syria Decreased: Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's Defense Minister, stated that Iranian activities in Syria have decreased to the point where the Islamic Republic currently has "no activity" regarding the construction of missile base facilities in Syrian territory. The minister attributed the cessation of Iranian missile activities to "Israel's hard and daily work in Syria" and also to the current economic problems in Iran. Israel has consistently stated that it will not allow Iran to establish bases and missile facilities to solidify its presence in Syria. Israeli officials have also reported several attacks on Islamic Republic positions in Syria and the destruction of "warehouses and missile manufacturing facilities," but Iran denies this.
17:17 9.6.1397 - Senior British Foreign Office Official Visits Tehran: Alistair Burt, a senior British Foreign Office official, arrived in Tehran on Friday. Reuters reported that Mr. Burt will discuss Iran's role in the wars in Syria and Yemen with Iranian officials. This is the first visit by a senior British Foreign Office official to Tehran since the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran.
14:53 9.6.1397 - 15 Iranian Dams in "Red Status": The CEO of the Iranian Water Resources Management Company announced that out of 172 dams in operation, 15 are in "red status." According to Mohammad Hajrasouliha in an interview with the official IRNA news agency, a dam's reservoir must be able to supply drinking water for the region's inhabitants for up to 18 months; a dam that does not meet this condition is considered to be in "red status." He noted that in some provinces, such as Hormozgan, there has been no water inflow to the dam's reservoir, making the situation of dams in these areas concerning.
14:47 9.6.1397 - Tehran City Council Does Not Consider Mayor Subject to Retirement Ban: The spokesperson for the Tehran City Council announced on Friday that the council does not consider the mayor of Tehran to be subject to the retirement ban law. Ali E'ta stated, "We are subject to the will of the legislator, but at present, our interpretation in the council is that the mayor of Tehran is not subject to this resolution." This refers to the approval of the "amendment to the law banning the employment of retirees" that occurred last month.
14:40 9.6.1397 - Mashhad Friday Prayer Leader Reacts to Report on "Sex Services": English Conspiracy: The Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, in his sermon on September 9, denied reports about "sex services" being offered to pilgrims in Mashhad, calling it an "English conspiracy" that started with the Guardian newspaper. This comes despite a report from the Citizen newspaper in Tehran on Sunday, September 4, citing tourism activists in Mashhad stating that some Iraqi pilgrims choose their accommodation based on the condition of having a woman for temporary marriage. Two days after this report, the Ministry of Interior officially denied it. However, reactions to this news continue. Ahmad Alamolhoda described such reports as a "conspiracy" with three goals, including harming Iran-Iraq relations and damaging Iran's economy. He stated, "I thought the anti-revolutionary movement and aligned groups were opposed, but we realized this is an English conspiracy and their scheme. They first raised this issue in the Guardian and then expanded it."
14:20 9.6.1397 - Identification and Recruitment of Spies on LinkedIn by China: The U.S. counterintelligence director stated in an interview with Reuters that China is using LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, to recruit spies in the U.S. According to William Evanina, Chinese intelligence agencies are trying to recruit Americans with access to government and commercial secrets using fake accounts on LinkedIn. This senior intelligence official refrained from mentioning the number of these fake accounts on LinkedIn, the number of Americans contacted by the Chinese, and the extent of China's success in this regard.
13:32 9.6.1397 - First Street Concert Held in Tehran: The first free outdoor music performance in Tehran was held on Thursday night, September 8, in a park. ISNA news agency noted that this concert was held "without security issues." The street concert by the National Instruments Orchestra with singer Mohammad Mo'tamedi took place in the Water and Fire Park without security issues. Mr. Mo'tamedi stated, "We intend to show the police that holding such programs will not pose a problem for public security."
13:24 9.6.1397 - Reporters Without Borders Protests Against "Continued Suppression of Information Freedom" in Iran: Reporters Without Borders issued a statement on Friday protesting against the "continued suppression of information freedom" in Iran by government officials. The organization defending journalists' rights condemned the intensification of "internet censorship," stating: "Reporters Without Borders condemns the ongoing suppression of information freedom by the Iranian government." The statement mentioned that in the past two weeks, several journalists expressing opinions on social media have been sentenced to heavy prison terms and lashes. Reporters Without Borders specifically mentioned journalists Amir Hossein Esmaeili, Ejlal Ghavami, and Hengameh Shahidi.