News Digest: Week of September 19

September 21, 2022

September 19

International: During a hearing, Iran told the International Court of Justice that the United States violated international law by seizing $2 billion from Iranian government bank accounts to compensate 241 victims of the 1983 U.S. Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon.

Sports: Iran’s freestyle wrestling team took second place in the 2022 World Championships in Serbia with two gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals for a total of 150 points. The United States finished in first with 198 points.

 

September 20

Economy: In a tweet, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that he would seek exemption from sanctions on Iran to provide Starlink satellite broadband service in Iran.

Domestic: Five people had been shot and killed during protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who had been detained by the morality police for improper hijab. Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which is based in Norway, also reported that 75 people had been injured.

Diplomacy: French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called on Iran to accept the final draft deal on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal. She warned that “there will be no better offer on the table for Iran, and that the onus is really on Iran to make its decision.”

Regional: Iran was preparing to send ships laden with fuel to Lebanon, which was mired in an economic crisis, the Iranian embassy in Beirut said. The shipments, intended to help power plants run, could arrive within one to two weeks. Lebanon’s energy ministry said that it would welcome “any gift from anywhere.”

Domestic: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s representative in Kurdistan province offered condolences to the family of Mahsa Amini. “All institutions will take action to defend the rights that were violated,” vowed Abdolreza Pourzahabi

 

September 21

International: During his in-person debut at the U.N. General assembly, President Ebrahim Raisi declared that U.S. power and influence were waning. The United States “keeps equivocating militarism with security and has pursued its interests in the world at the expense of other countries.” Washington “cannot accept the fact that certain countries have the right to stand on their own two feet.”

Raisi
President Raisi

 

Domestic: Several Iranian government websites and state media websites were temporarily shut down by hackers. The “Anonymous” group said that it was carrying out cyber operations to show solidarity with Iranian protestors.

International: The United States urged the International Court of Justice to dimiss the case presented by Iran to recover almost $2 billion worth of frozen assets that the U.S. Supreme Court had awarded the victims of the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut and other attacks linked to Tehran.

Domestic: Supreme Leader Khamenei gave his second speech in less than a week since The New York Times reported that the 83-year-old had been on bedrest under medical observation. Â