Editor’s Note: A model of this story first appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile within the Middle East e-newsletter, a three-times-a-week look contained in the area’s greatest tales. Sign up right here.
Abu Dhabi
CNN
—
A prime Iranian army official issued a warning to Saudi Arabia final week as his authorities continued to face off towards protesters at house. “You are involved in this matter and know that you are vulnerable, it is better to be careful,” he mentioned on the sidelines of a army drill.
Major General Hossein Salami, the pinnacle of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was referring to what state information retailers referred to as a “media war” that they are saying is being waged towards “the Iranian youth and nation” by international conspirators in search of to create unrest within the nation by supporting protesters there.
Then, on Thursday Iran once more warned Saudi Arabia, in addition to the United States and the United Kingdom, to “stop interfering in the country’s internal affairs.”
Iran final week mentioned it sanctioned numerous media retailers within the UK for “supporting terrorism” and “inciting violence”, reported Tasnim information company The sanctioned entities embrace, amongst others, Volant Media, Global Media, and DMA Media, in addition to the “anti-Iranian TV channels” that the businesses assist, reminiscent of Iran International, reported Tasnim company.
Now of their sixth week, protests have swept by way of the Islamic Republic following the demise of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died on September 16 after being detained by “morality police” and brought to a “re-education center,” allegedly for not abiding by the nation’s conservative costume code.
As the protests rage, Iran is popping up the warmth on its adversaries, primarily the United States and Israel. But final week, Saudi Arabia discovered itself within the line of fireplace, which dangers additional complicating makes an attempt by the 2 regional rivals to fix ties.
Riyadh hasn’t publicly commented on the protests. The kingdom’s international minister refused to provide his view when requested to throughout an interview with Al Arabiya information channel on October 12.
“Saudi Arabia has a fixed policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of states,” he mentioned. “Surely, we are following [the situation] and we wish Iran and its people the best.”
Iran and Saudi Arabia severed ties in 2016 and each events have backed reverse sides in proxy conflicts throughout the Middle East. Last yr, they started direct talks in an try to enhance relations. Baghdad has hosted 5 rounds of talks to date, the final of which was held in April.
At the guts of Iran’s most up-to-date accusations towards Saudi Arabia could also be Iran International, a Persian-language information channel that broadcasts from London. The channel has turn into one of many go-to sources for a lot of Persian audio system in search of information on the protests. It has been on the forefront of masking the demonstrations, getting breaking information and unique footage of the occasions on the bottom. Its Twitter account has over one million followers.
Founded in 2017, Iran International has beforehand come beneath scrutiny by the Iranian authorities. Some say it is because of their protection of the protests at house, which in current weeks have rocked the Islamic Republic.
Salami didn’t identify the channel in his warning, however government-backed Iranian media final week accused Saudi Arabia of funding it. Saudi Arabia has not addressed the allegations. Karim Sa djadpour, a senior fellow on the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace assume tank in Washington DC, mentioned on Twitter that Iran has demanded the shuttering of the channel in talks with Saudi Arabia, citing a senior Gulf official.
In 2018, Iran International launched a press release denying connections to any authorities, together with Saudi Arabia or Iran after The Guardian reported that it was funded by a agency whose director has ties to Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Saudi Arabia didn’t touch upon the Guardian report. The Saudi authorities didn’t reply to CNN’s request for remark.
“We have heard these accusations before most often promoted by those in whose interests it is to deny a free press,” a spokesperson for Volant Media instructed CNN.
“Iran International and its sister channel, Afghanistan International, are editorially independent television channels owned by Volant Media, a company based in London owned by a Saudi Arabian/British citizen; it has no state backing or affiliation,” added the spokesperson.
Azadeh Moaveni, affiliate professor of journalism at New York University, described the channel as “one of the most pernicious and damaging forces to enter the Iranian media sphere,” calling it an arm of Saudi international coverage. “I would not describe Iran International as pro-reform, or organically Iranian in any manner,” she instructed CNN.
Mohammad Marandi, a professor on the University of Tehran who was additionally an adviser to the Iranian nuclear talks negotiating crew, mentioned there’s “no doubt” that Iran International is funded by Saudi Arabia. A distinguished determine on state-funded Iranian retailers, Marandi added that Iran International spreads rumors, ethnic and sectarian strife “and it tries to use misinformation to create fear, chaos and promote violence.”
Saudi Research and Marketing Group, a media conglomerate with ties to the Saudi ruling household, has run the Persian language web site of the UK’s Independent newspaper since 2018. Its account on Instagram, the place many Iranians get their information, has over 600,000 followers.
CNN’s guardian firm is Warner Bros. Discovery, which has a partnership with Saudi Research and Media Group, a Saudi joint inventory firm.
Saudi Arabia has for years accused Iran of doing the identical with its personal Arabic-language information channels: focusing on Arab audiences with propaganda. State-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting runs Al Alam TV, an Arabic information channel that has interviewed Saudi opposition figures and has been blocked by Arab states. Iran-backed Hezbollah’s Al Manar channel has additionally been blocked.
“It’s about time Iran gets a taste of its own medicine,” mentioned Ali Shihabi, a Saudi writer and analyst. “Iran has spent decades inciting and funding instability in the Arab world so having them pay the price of such behavior themselves is certainly a source of satisfaction to a lot of people,” he instructed CNN.
The channel “is making an impact on public behavior in Iran and they are nervous about their domestic situation,” added Shihabi.
Analysts say that Iran’s tight grip on home media retailers and its lack of freedom of expression have created “fertile ground” for anti-establishment platforms reminiscent of Iran International to flourish.
“It is not so much the broadcasters themselves, but the situation in Iran has provided the possibility for broadcasters outside of Iran to gather a certain degree of popularity in the Iranian context,” mentioned Gholam Khiabany, a reader in media and communications at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Harun Najafizada, a former journalist at Iran International who’s now a director on the sister Afghanistan International information channel, mentioned the guardian firm Volant Media is privately funded however “I don’t care as long as they do not influence my editorial take,” including that shareholders by no means intrude in determination making.
Iran International stood out from different Western-backed Persian language information retailers “by taking the side of the disenchanted, oppressed, voiceless people,” whereas competitor Persian channels within the West have been targeted on bringing steadiness by giving the Iranian authorities a voice, he instructed CNN.
“They have a vision, of course – they don’t do it for God,” mentioned Najafizada, referring to the shareholders. “That vision is democracy.”
Just two days after Salami’s first warning, nonetheless, Ali Akbar Velayati, a prime adviser to Iran’s supreme chief, was quoted saying that the 2 nations ought to reopen their embassies to facilitate a rapprochement, in line with the semi-official Iranian information company ISNA.
“We are neighbors of Saudi Arabia and we must coexist,” he was cited as saying by ISNA. “The embassies of the two countries should reopen in order to solve our problems in a better way.”
Business homeowners and manufacturing facility employees in Iran’s Kurdish area went on strike over the weekend as anti-government protests continued.
Video shared with CNN by pro-reform activist outlet IranWire exhibits Sanandaj, the capital of the Kurdish area, quiet in the beginning of the work week as shops stay shut.
The Norway-based Iranian rights group Hengaw mentioned shopkeepers have been on strike in Bukan, Sanandaj and Saqez, in addition to Marivan. Strikes and protests have turn into frequent in cities and cities throughout Iran as folks unite towards the regime.
The nationwide protests are actually of their fifth week, triggered by the demise of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died three days after being arrested by the nation’s morality police and brought to a re-education heart.
Here’s the most recent on this growing story:
Iran will file a lawsuit towards the United States claiming the US had direct involvement in current riots, Kazem Gharibabadi, the deputy head of the Iranian judiciary and secretary of the nation’s High Council for Human Rights, mentioned on Saturday, in line with state information company IRNA.
The Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations (CCITTA) on Saturday referred to as for a nationwide strike in protest on the current deaths and detention of scholars within the nation, in line with a press release revealed on Telegram. The council additionally introduced a interval of public mourning for college students who’ve died in current weeks from Thursday by way of Saturday, and referred to as for a sit-in on Sunday, October 23 and Monday, October 24.
Protests passed off in central Berlin on Saturday, with near 80,000 folks standing in solidarity with Iran, German state broadcaster RBB reported, citing police officers.
Israel and Lebanon might signal maritime border settlement on Thursday, Biden vitality adviser says
Senior US adviser for international vitality safety Amos Hochstein mentioned on Sunday that Israel and Lebanon might signal their historic maritime borders settlement as early as Thursday.
Background: “We’re going to have a deal. We’re going to sign it hopefully this Thursday,” Hochstein mentioned on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “And I hope that this continues our commitment to stability in the region and prosperity for both countries,” he added.
Why it issues: The US-brokered settlement settles a years-long maritime border dispute involving main oil and fuel fields within the Mediterranean. Still technically at warfare, Lebanon and Israel each have a lot to realize. Not solely does the settlement settle down current safety tensions, it additionally permits Israel to start drilling and exporting fuel to Europe and affords potential financial reduction to Lebanon.
Human Rights Watch says LGBTQ folks subjected to arrest and mistreatment in Qatar forward of World Cup
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Qatar’s safety forces of arbitrarily arresting lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) folks and subjecting them to ill-treatment in detention forward of the FIFA World Cup.
Background: HRW mentioned in a report issued Monday that it documented six instances of “severe and repeated beatings and five cases of sexual harassment in police custody between 2019 and 2022,” the latest of which passed off in September. Security forces arrested folks in public locations based mostly solely on their gender expression and unlawfully searched their telephones, the HRW report mentioned, including that as a requirement for his or her launch, safety forces mandated that transgender girls detainees attend “conversion therapy sessions” at a government-sponsored “behavioral healthcare” heart. Homosexuality is illegitimate in Qatar and punishable by imprisonment. A Qatari official instructed CNN that the HRW allegations “contain information that is categorically and unequivocally false.”
Why it issues: Ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which begins November 20, Qatar has mentioned it could welcome LGBT guests, after issues have been raised from the LGBT neighborhood over how protected they are going to be on the event.
Egypt has ordered the discharge of distinguished activist, presidential pardon committee member says
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Monday pardoned a distinguished activist and former parliamentarian, Zyad el-Elaimy, in line with a presidential pardon committee member.
Background: Jailed since 2019, el-Elaimy was one of many key contributors within the 2011 uprisings that led to the downfall of former longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak. His launch is “in response to calls by political parties and forces,” presidential pardon committee member Tarek el-Khouly wrote on Facebook. Young members of political events, politicians and the presidential pardon committee additionally coordinated to assist safe his launch, added el-Khouly. El-Elaimy was given a five-year sentence final yr on fees of spreading false information.
Why it issues: The launch comes two weeks forward of November’s COP27 summit in Egypt. The nation has are available for sharp criticism in current months, with activists denouncing international leaders’ attendance within the mild of Sisi’s questionable human rights document. Egypt has been selling strikes to enhance its rights document, however activists and critics have described current reforms as largely beauty.
United Arab Emirates: #Diwali
Also often known as Deepavali, the vacation is extensively trending throughout social platforms within the United Arab Emirates, with many flooding Twitter with colourful photographs of candles and wishing pleasure and prosperity to the world.
Some are additionally posting photographs of themselves in conventional celebratory clothes. Diwali is without doubt one of the most necessary festivals in Hinduism, the biggest faith in India. This yr, it falls on October 24.
India and the UAE share a powerful political and financial relationship, one which has grown nearer lately.
The Indian expatriate neighborhood within the UAE is round 3.5 million, in line with the Indian embassy within the UAE, including that it’s reportedly the biggest ethnic neighborhood within the oil-rich Arabian Gulf state. Approximately 15% of the diaspora are within the emirate of Abu Dhabi, added the Indian embassy, whereas the remainder are in six northern Emirates, together with enterprise hub Dubai.
The UAE additionally accounts for 33% of international remittances to India, at greater than $20 billion a yr.
Diwali can be vital for Sikhs and Jains. It is well known in India, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore and different nations with South Asian diasporas.