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Iran's supreme leader on Tuesday ruled out the holding of popular referendums on state policies.

Iran faced calls for a referendum on the Islamic Republic itself during anti-government protests last year, and a moderate former president recently suggested such votes should be held to decide major policies as a way of reducing divisions.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say over such policies, rejected the idea when asked about it during a meeting with university students.

"Where in the world is this done? Is it possible to hold a referendum for various issues of the country?" he asked. "For any single issue, the country would be engaged in debate and arguments and polarization for six months, so that a referendum can be held on that issue."

He appeared to be referring to recent remarks by former President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate, who had suggested holding referendums on domestic and foreign policies.

Iran holds regular presidential and parliamentary elections overseen by clerical bodies that vet candidates. Under the constitution, a referendum is only possible if two-thirds of parliament votes for it and a 12-member constitutional body half of whom are appointed by the supreme leader approves.

Iran saw months of nationwide anti-government protests sparked by the death in September of a 22-year-old woman who was detained by the morality police for allegedly violating the country's strict Islamic dress code. The protests rapidly escalated into calls for the overthrow of the ruling clerics, marking a major challenge to their four-decade rule.

The protests died down earlier this year amid a violent crackdown by authorities, though there are lingering signs of discontent.

Iran held referendums to establish an Islamic Republic and approve a new constitution shortly after the 1979 revolution. It held another referendum in the late 1980s to amend the constitution.

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Iran's Top Leader Rules Out Referendums on Divisive Issues - Voice of America - VOA News

Five American universities are working with Iranian bodies sanctioned by the US and the EU, according to watchdog United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI).

The nonprofit organization dedicated to monitoring threats from the Islamic Republic wrote to Virginia Tech University, University of Washington, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Clarkson University, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in December.

UANI claimed employees and students at these institutions worked on technical research with Iranian entities sanctioned by Western governments,reported Washington Examiner on Monday.

UANI reviewed academic journals featuring papers co-authored by students, researchers, or faculty members along with staff from the Iranian Aerospace Research Institute, the Iranian University of Science and Technology, and Sharif University of Technology.

UL Lafayette, Virginia Tech, Worcester Polytechnic, and Clarkson University all told the Washington Examiner their actions were legal and did not sidestep any federal sanctions. However, Clarkson University and the University of Washington said they were investigating the matter.

UANI Research Director Daniel Roth told the Washington Examiner that the appearance of cooperation between the schools and Iranian institutions was a "big red flag."

While Roth acknowledged that working with sanctioned Iranian institutions might be illegal, he also recognized that the universities might have a valid explanation.

The sanctions on Iranian Universities are part of an effort to pressure the Iranian regime to end its nuclear weapons program and other activities that are seen as a threat to global security.

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Watchdog Accuses US Schools Of Ties With Sanctioned Iranian Entities -

Two international business organizations pleaded guilty and were sentenced today in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for their participation in a criminal conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws and sanctions by sending U.S.-origin goods to Iran.

Taiwan business organization DES International Co. Ltd. (DES), and Brunei business organization Soltech Industry Co. Ltd. (Soltech) each pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations. The two companies were each sentenced to pay a fine of $83,769, which is three times the value of the goods unlawfully exported to Iran, and to serve a five-year term of corporate probation. The sentences were issued by U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb.

The defendant companies, which shared common directors and employees, have pled guilty to obtaining U.S. export-controlled goods for the benefit of the government of Iran and concealing the US origin of those good to facilitate their illicit transfer, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division. Today we are holding them accountable for violating our laws at the expense of U.S. national security.

These criminal convictions demonstrate that we will pursue any individual or organization, wherever located, that would violate our sanctions against Iran and thereby threaten our national security, said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia.

HSI will continue to work with our federal and international law enforcement partners to ensure offenders who are violating U.S. export laws and sanctions are brought to justice, said Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of HSI San Antonio. We will remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our homeland from all adversaries.

The defendants in this case took actions that placed profit and economic gain above U.S. national security and global stability, said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. Todays sentencing demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the FBI, U.S. Attorneys Office, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defence and Department of Commerce (DOC) to hold accountable anyone who would threaten U.S. national security and the safety of the American people.

Keeping our nation's sensitive technologies out of the hands of our adversaries is one of our highest priorities, said Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southwest Field Office. DCIS, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General and our federal partners are committed to identifying and holding accountable those that seek to evade U.S. export enforcement laws, putting our war fighters at risk.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)s aggressive enforcement of the Export Administration Regulations plays a critical role in protecting U.S. national security, said Special Agent in Charge Trey McClish of the DOC. In this instance, our partnership with HSI, DCIS, FBI and the U.S. AttorneysOffice sendsthemessage that violating U.S. export control rules on Iran will not be tolerated.

According to the plea agreement documents, DES and Soltech, which were affiliatd with one another by virtue of common directors, employees and customers, both procured goods from the United States for the benefit of Iranian government entities and business organizations. In particular, a sales agent for both DES and Soltech helped an Iranian research center obtain U.S. goods without a license from the Department of the Treasury. These goods included a power amplifier designed for use in electromechanical devices as well as cybersecurity software. The companies sales agent took steps to conceal the U.S. origin of the goods, including by removing serial number stickers with the phrase Made in USA from packages, and by causing the cybersecurity software to be downloaded onto a computer outside of Iran. In addition, the sales agent shared developments regarding this illegal conduct with other employees and directors of DES and Soltech. An arrest warrant issued for the sales agent has not yet been executed.

The FBI San Antonio Field Office, HSI, DCIS and DOC investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Friedman for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Christopher M. Rigali of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

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International Business Organizations Convicted of Criminal ... - Department of Justice

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Its rarely easy to discuss politics calmly as a British lawyer. Its even harder as a child of Iranian immigrants.

The news from Iran over the last few months has been alarming. Over 15,000 protesters calling for more basic freedoms for women have been arrested, and security forces are estimated to have killed at least 537 people. State-directed torture and sexual abuse has become routine. Meanwhile, schoolgirls across the country face horrifying chemical attacks without much support from the government.

So far this has elicited an ineffectual response from Western governments. Condemnation and sloganeering has been futile. Iranians and human rights activists abroad are right to feel frustrated by this state of affairs, but theres a lot we can do still do.

International law grants rights to all people regardless of where they live, not just to citizens of certain countries, said the former head of the UN, Kofi Annan. As lawyers concerned about global human rights, its time we put that into practice.

Today, a group of lawyers, academics, journalists and activists, some of Iranian heritage, will join together to launch a new initiative to get justice for human rights abuses in Iran. We aim to build a global group of experts to help document and analyse the human rights abuses in Iran, with a view to securing justice for the victims in international courts.

We want to put the Iranian government on notice. It can choose to dismiss Western government actions as posturing and interference, but it cannot take the same attitude when its own people have submitted evidence of brutal human rights violations to independent bodies.

The recent and unprecedented arrest warrant issued for Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court judges was an example of how international law can be pushed beyond what was previously thought possible. In our modern world, where citizens can more easily record and share evidence of state abuse, it set an important marker. Expect to see a lot more such arrest warrants.

The beauty of international law is that much of it is newly established. That makes it fertile territory for creating new precedents. We believe that monitoring and documenting human rights violations in Iran and preparing that evidence so it can stand up in court, is a powerful way to hold the regime to account. Those guilty should have evidence presented against them at international courts.

In November 2022 the United Nations Human Rights Council decided to establish an independent international fact-finding mission to thoroughly and independently investigate alleged human rights violations in Iran. It has also invited groups and organisations to submit evidence towards that mandate. We believe this is an excellent starting point.

We also believe that by using the full force of the law alongside a globally connected community of academics, politicians and the media, we can be a force to hold those abusing their power to account.

The people of Iran must know that someone out there is documenting their plight and bringing it, in all its harrowing detail, to the international stage. Perhaps one day they will finally get the justice they deserve.

Alicia Alinia is global chief operating officer at Pogust Goodhead

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Opinion: How we'll take Iran to court for crimes against women - The Independent

Javad Owji, Irans Oil Minister, and Pedro Rafael Tellechea, his Venezuelan counterpart, signed deals to expand bilateral cooperation in the energy sector.

IRNA reported on April 16 that while visiting Caracas, Javad Owji signed cooperation documents and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with senior Venezuelan officials aimed at reinforcing bilateral cooperation in both the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil industry.

According to reports, the agreements between Javad Owji and Venezuelan officials aim to develop oil and gas fields, renovate and reconstruct Venezuela's oil refineries, and maximize their production capacity.

As part of the agreements, Iran will offer technical and engineering support, as well as equipment, to aid in the modernization of Venezuelas petrochemical complexes, loading docks, and oil terminals. Additionally, the two countries have reached deals related to the trade and export of oil, gas condensate, and petroleum products.

In recent years, Iran has established strategic cooperation with its Latin American ally, with bilateral trade between the two countries encompassing industries such as oil, gas, and automotive. Furthermore, since December 2022, Iran has been operating its ocean liners to transport merchants along routes to Venezuela.

Amir Bayat, the marketing deputy head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRISL), has stated that Venezuela is an excellent destination for Iranian-made construction materials, petrochemicals, and oil products. He has also encouraged Iranian merchants to utilize the shipping line for exporting these items.

Tehran has been reportedly providing assistance in the renovation of some of Venezuelas largest refineries, despite sanctions imposed by the United States on Venezuelas state oil company PDVSA. Iran has sent a total of four shipments, consisting of 8 million barrels of naphtha, to Venezuela in 2022. This product has played a significant role in boosting Venezuelas oil production. Moreover, in January 2023, Iran delivered a tanker carrying 440,000 barrels of naphtha to Venezuela.

In early January, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met with the Venezuelan ambassador, Rafael Silva Aponte, and emphasized the positive outcomes of the constructive talks and good deals that were achieved between Tehran and Caracas during President Nicolas Maduro's visit to Iran in June 2022.

Implementation of these agreements can expand bilateral cooperation between the two countries by using the various capacities of the two countries, President Raisi told the ambassador.

During a meeting in Tehran in June 2022, Iran and Venezuela signed a 20-year cooperation plan, which encompassed cooperation in various sectors such as oil, petrochemicals, defence, agriculture, tourism, culture, the repair of Venezuelan refineries, and the export of technical and engineering services. In May of that year, the National Iranian Oil Engineering and Construction Company signed a contract worth around 110 million euros to undertake repairs on Venezuela's smaller refinery with a capacity of 146,000 barrels per day.

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Iran, Venezuela Strengthen Ties in Oil Industry with New Agreements - Caspian News