News Digest: Week of November 11

November 11

International: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman warned Israel against launching further attacks on Iran in a statement at a summit of Muslim and Arab leaders in Riyadh. He also condemned Israel for committing “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza.

Economy: Iran deepened financial cooperation with Russia by linking the Iranian Shetab interbank network with Russia’s MIR payment network. This allowed the use of Iranian banking cards at Russian ATMs. Iranian state media said that the use of Iranian cards in Russian stores would be available soon. Both Iranian and Russian financial institutions were previously cut off from the SWIFT international payment system and sought an alternative financial system.

 

November 12

Military: New Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said that Iran was “more exposed than ever to strikes on its nuclear facilities,” following Israeli strikes on Iran on October 26. 

Military: Iran started construction on a tunnel beneath Tehran linking the metro network to the Imam Khomeini hospital. The construction of the “defensive tunnel” began after Israeli strikes on sites near Tehran on October 26.

 

November 14

Domestic: International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi traveled to Tehran for a two-day visit. He met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss compliance with safeguards on Iran’s nuclear program. Araghchi said that Iran was “willing to negotiate” with national interests and sovereignty in mind but would not do so “under pressure and intimidation.”