Already Iran is strong-arming the US in anticipation of a weak Biden administration, which it has determined will bow to the Iranian regime and be easily manipulated by it. Appeasement has never worked, nor will it ever work with Iran. Under the tough-on-Iran Trump administration, Iran released over 40 U.S. hostages and detainees.
“Iran jails U.S. businessman, possibly jeopardizing Biden’s plans for diplomacy with Tehran,” by Dan De Luce, NBC News, January 17, 2021:
WASHINGTON — Only weeks after the U.S. election and three days after an Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated, Iranian authorities convicted a U.S. businessman on spying charges, a family friend said.
The case threatens to complicate plans by the next administration to pursue diplomacy with Iran, as President-elect Joe Biden has said he would be open to easing sanctions on Tehran if the regime returned to compliance with a 2015 nuclear agreement.
The man, Emad Shargi, 56, who is Iranian American, was summoned to a Tehran court Nov. 30 and told that he had been convicted of espionage without a trial and sentenced to 10 years, a family friend said.
Shargi’s family has not heard from him for more than six weeks, the family said in a statement.
Only a year earlier, in December 2019, an Iranian court had cleared Shargi, but the regime withheld his Iranian and U.S. passports.
The about-face by the Iranian authorities took place only weeks after Biden won the U.S. presidential election and three days after the killing of a leading nuclear scientist and senior defense official, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, east of Tehran. Iran blamed Israel for the assassination; Israel has declined to comment….
Infidel says
If anyone, including an Iranian-American, was moronic enough to do business in Iran, I’ll pass any sympathy for him/her/zim/zer, and not hold Biden responsible for ignoring ____ while dealing w/ Iran
Rarely says
Not the best vacationing destination for sure. As a business destination? Even worse.
mortimer says
No habeas corpus in Iran.
Beneath the Veil of Consciousness says
Let the games begin! Iran pulls a wild card from up their sleeve. Biden was probably anticipating that they would play nice in the sandbox.
Jacquethelad says
Seems as if anyone, especially a westerner, who visits that country for whatever reason is likely to be arrested for ‘Spying’. Be they business men or simply mother’s with toddlers visiting family. Anyone with half a brain knows that these trumped up charges are a crock of sh#t. But it is an Islamic country so truth is unimportant!
Keith O says
This was a foregone conclusion.
Biden is already busy doing to the Iranian dictatorship what Lewinski did to Bill Clinton.
I wonder how many millions in cold hard cash Biden will pay for the release of this guy?
underbed cat says
Iranian-American?….Was he doing business for any prominent American family or country.? Curious the type of business deal he may have attempted or type of company that would send him without backup security. Oil, gas, rare minerals….to produce what? If he is Iranian- American how long has he been American…or westernized, he must have felt safe to travel to Iran but he was not, especially since the American part since that part is usually seen by Iranian shia as the” worst of all people This is a terrible situation to be in just for a business deal to support his family.
gravenimage says
Iran jails American businessman for ‘spying,’ threatening Biden’s plans for rapprochement
…………
This poor man. This just shows how emboldened Iran is with Biden in the White House.
Mojdeh says
gravenimage says
Jan 21, 2021 at 11:22 pm
Iran jails American businessman for ‘spying,’ threatening Biden’s plans for rapprochement
…………
This poor man. This just shows how emboldened Iran is with Biden in the White House.
Yes Theocracy exists in Iran. If i go Iran i will be jail and re raped by Ghani new Ghasim .
Hell with terrorist regime of Iran i ask free Robert Levin-son ex FBI agent now or USA will bomb you to death. I ask free all USA, EU, and Canada plus all political prisoners at once. We ask all Iranian real enemy is here in Iran your Ayatollahs are enemy of Iran.
Mojdeh says
go to https://www.israelnewstalkradio.com and push chat free.. Hope to see Grave Image there… Is most freedom Radio Shows in the world. Say there you hate Islam see… ok Grave Image.
gravenimage says
I checked it out, Mojdeh–thanks for the link. Just a single poster at this hour, though.
Mojdeh says
Go to chat also listen on top programs good, find them on the Youtube page INTR or ISRAELNEWSTALKRADIO Enjoy… I hope we all become friends… We all are hearts is clean and want good for all world. I understand it ,some times you misunderstood me … I do not want war or disunity between any of us here.I raise flag of peace here with you graveimage you know a lot about Islam and Mohamed.
I must credit you that . We all know now here we must put peaces together to know what exactly happened. Salam. Shalom. Kaman Achein, Namazkar,
Mojdeh says
President’s Office Demands State TV Apologize After Cleric Says Rouhani Smokes Opium
Alireza Moezi, a deputy to President Hassan Rouhani’s Chief of Staff, has criticized Iran’s state television Thursday for airing a program in which a cleric accused Rouhani of using opium. Moezi said that the program was an “insult” and a “shameful fiasco,” and that Rouhani’s office expected a prompt and frank reply from the broadcaster, which is under the supervision of the Supreme Leader’s office.
Unlike alcohol, opium is not prohibited by Iran’s religious laws and many, including clerics, smoke it as an aphrodisiac or relaxant. But its use might be considered self-indulgent, especially in a president, and long-term users can become slothful.
The cleric, Ahmad Jahanbozorgi, had charged on the state television’s Channel 4 that “an official…sits at his home possibly smoking opium and even his cabinet ministers cannot reach him.” Reminding viewers of a former culture minister who said he drank donkey’s milk, Jahanbozorgi quipped that many other officials did the same.
The video clip of the television program and Jahanbozorgi making his statement is widely circulating on social media.
Moezi, who administers Rouhani’s social media accounts, insisted that the president’s office would follow up the case at the highest level. Tempers are rising in the run-up to June’s presidential election in which Rouhani will be ineligible to stand for a third consecutive term. But guilt by association might damage any Rouhani ally who does stand, while allegations of opium-smoking might also dampen speculation over Rouhani as a contestant in due course to replace Ali Khamenei, 81, as Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Opium use has a long history in Iran and is widely smuggled from neighboring Afghanistan. According to a 2015 report by the Tasnim news agency, which is linked to Revolutionary Guards, Iranians consume 460 tons of opium and methamphetamine every year. A 2020 report put the figure for opium consumption alone at 2 tons per day.
All Mullahs smoke weeds and Hashish is not new?