Former political prisoner advocates militarised nuclear programme
Saeed Laylaz, an outspoken reformist analyst, claimed in an interview with the Shargh daily that Iran‘s nuclear programme has consistently aimed to obtain nuclear weapons, adding that the country has no choice but acquiring such power.
“Since its inception in 1975, Iran’s nuclear program has pursued no other objective but to obtain the atomic bomb,” he stated, referring to its launch under the US’s Atoms for Peace initiative.
While Iran has consistently claimed its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, recent direct military confrontations between Iran and Israel have prompted speculation in Tehran that the programme may move towards a military direction.
Laylaz dismissed this as a new development in nuclear strategy.
“The recent discussions about conducting the first atomic bomb test do not represent a change in strategy. While this strategy hasn’t been openly acknowledged before, current geopolitical conditions necessitate some individuals to publicly discuss testing Iran’s first atomic bomb,” he explained.
Laylaz, a vocal critic of conservatives, was arrested and held in solitary confinement for over 100 days during the 2009 Green Movement. He stands as the sole reformist analyst publicly advocating a military goal for the nuclear programme.
“We must conduct the first nuclear bomb test. Iran finds itself geopolitically isolated, and the circumstances in the Middle East demand that we take steps towards nuclearisation,” he concluded.
Rwanda turns into nightmare for Iranian refugees
Thousands of undocumented Iranian refugees stranded in the UK have faced the consequences of a newly passed immigration law that permits British authorities to send them to Rwanda, BBC Persian reported.
In the report, the UK-based Farsi outlet interviewed refugees who had received official letters informing them of their transfer to Rwanda until decisions were made regarding their cases.
The refugees detailed the hazards they faced in Iran and the risks they took crossing several borders on foot and by sea to reach the UK.
Mehdi was one of the undocumented immigrants who, along with 49 others, entered the UK by boat last year. He was the only person to recently receive the “Rwanda Letter”.
“All 50 of us had more or less the same situation, and we all arrived from France. I don’t know why only I have received the letter… I was forced to leave my country, and now here I feel discriminated against again,” he told the BBC.
Other Iranian immigrants whose cases were being processed but have not yet received the letter also expressed severe concerns about being transferred to Rwanda.
“You put your entire life in a suitcase, risk your life and after countless painful experiences, you arrive here. Then you are told that you will be sent to a place that has nothing to do with here. Tell me, how would you not be worried?” said another Iranian immigrant.
Former minister praises Saudi crown prince as young progressive
Ali Jannati, former minister of culture and Islamic guidance of Iran, made an unprecedented comment, praising Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a young and educated force capable of reshaping Iran’s relations with Middle Eastern countries.
Iran and Saudi Arabia, longstanding rivals in the Middle East, have had fragile relations both before and after the 1979 revolution.
Since Mohammed Bin Salman assumed power in Saudi Arabia in 2017, most Iranian politicians have harshly criticised him, citing him as a disruptor of the region’s political balance.
However, in an interview with the Etemad daily, Jannati discussed Iran’s relations with Arab countries: “In recent years, young forces have risen to power in all Persian Gulf countries. Previously, countries like Saudi Arabia were ruled by elderly leaders. Today, we see the emergence of young and educated figures.”
He stressed: “A prime example of these young forces is [Mohammed] Bin Salman in Saudi Arabia.”
In another part of the interview, Jannati accused Persian Gulf Arab countries of intelligence and security cooperation with Israel against Iran. He also alleged that Arab nations hinder Iran’s efforts to improve relations with Western countries.
Regarding these countries’ relations with Israel, Jannati remarked: “In recent years, the presence of the Zionist regime in these countries and the development of security and espionage activities have compounded existing issues. At times, over 50 flights operate between the Emirates daily, indicating traffic between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.”
In March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia signed a historic deal, marking a significant shift in their decades-long animosity. This breakthrough prompted a change in attitude among Iranian conservative politicians towards Riyadh.
*Iranian press review is a digest of news reports not independently verified as accurate by Middle East Eye.
