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Iran Bans Ahmadinejad from Traveling over 'Security Concerns'

A photo published by the “Dolat Bahar” website shows Ahmadinejad surrounded by his associates at Khomeini Airport today.
A photo published by the “Dolat Bahar” website shows Ahmadinejad surrounded by his associates at Khomeini Airport today.
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Iran Bans Ahmadinejad from Traveling over 'Security Concerns'

A photo published by the “Dolat Bahar” website shows Ahmadinejad surrounded by his associates at Khomeini Airport today.
A photo published by the “Dolat Bahar” website shows Ahmadinejad surrounded by his associates at Khomeini Airport today.

Iran confiscated on Thursday the passport of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and prevented him from traveling over security reasons including the international sanctions imposed on him and concerns about getting arrested over his membership in the Expediency Discernment Council.

Ahmadinejad was prevented from traveling to Guatemala to participate in a conference, according to the Dolat Bahar website.

The website reported that security agents confiscated Ahmadinejad's passport at Imam Khomeini International Airport, claiming that he was prohibited from departing.

IRGC-affiliated Tasnim agency affirmed the travel ban on Ahmadinejad, revealing that he was informed earlier that he wouldn’t be allowed to travel to avoid the security risks.

It added that Iran has no active embassy in Guatemala while the Zionist entity and other groups are active there.

The Sabrin News Telegram channel, which is closely affiliated with the IRGC, quoted a source as saying that Ahmadinejad's trip to Guatemala was canceled due to the "precarious political situation" in that country and "reports of potential security concerns."

"He has been strongly advised against undertaking the journey, taking into account international sanctions and the risk of detention," the source added.

On 18 Sep., the US imposed sanctions on Ahmadinejad and on the country's intelligence ministry over their involvement in “illegal arrests”.

The sanctions were imposed after the two countries agreed to a detainee swap.

Ahmadinejad was disqualified from running in Iran’s presidential elections in August 2021 elections which was won by Ebrahim Raisi.

He had harshly criticized the Iranian government and judiciary during the term of former President Hassan Rouhani, especially after he was removed from the presidential race in 2017.

Ahmadinejad was also associated with the legislative elections scheduled for next February-March.

In a press interview, the representative of the city of Tabriz, MP Ahmed Ali Reza Baghi, said that Ahmadinejad doesn't intend to participate in the upcoming legislative elections or support any electoral lists or candidates.

Baghi denied that Ahmadinejad was close to becoming an opponent of the regime.

The Iranian deputy expressed his regret that the country was going through situations that Ahmadinejad had warned would happen.

Despite Ahmadinejad’s severe criticism of the authority, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei renewed his membership at the Expediency Discernment Council and ruled out former President Hassan Rouhani.

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Iran to Launch 'Advanced Centrifuges' in Response to IAEA Censure

Western countries successfully moved a resolution at the IAEA to censure Iran over its nuclear program - AFP
Western countries successfully moved a resolution at the IAEA to censure Iran over its nuclear program - AFP
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Iran to Launch 'Advanced Centrifuges' in Response to IAEA Censure

Western countries successfully moved a resolution at the IAEA to censure Iran over its nuclear program - AFP
Western countries successfully moved a resolution at the IAEA to censure Iran over its nuclear program - AFP

Iran said Friday it would launch a series of "new and advanced" centrifuges in response to a resolution adopted by the UN nuclear watchdog that censures Tehran for what the agency called lack of cooperation.

The censure motion brought by Britain, France, Germany, and the United States at the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) follows a similar one in June.

It came as tensions run high over Iran's atomic program, with critics fearing that Tehran is attempting to develop a nuclear weapon -- a claim the Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied.

The resolution -- which China, Russia and Burkina Faso voted against -- carried with 19 votes in favor, 12 abstentions and Venezuela not participating, two diplomats told AFP.

"The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran issued an order to take effective measures, including launching a significant series of new and advanced centrifuges of various types," a joint statement by the organization and Iran's foreign ministry said.

Centrifuges are the machines that enrich uranium transformed into gas by rotating it at very high speed, increasing the proportion of fissile isotope material (U-235).

"At the same time, technical and safeguards cooperation with the IAEA will continue, as in the past" and within the framework of agreements made by Iran, the joint Iranian statement added.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, Iran's atomic energy organization spokesman, on Friday said the new measures are mostly related to uranium enrichment.

"We will substantially increase the enrichment capacity with the utilisation of different types of advanced machines," he told state TV.

Iran's retaliatory measures "are reversible if this (Western) hostile action is withdrawn or negotiations are opened," Tehran-based political analyst Hadi Mohammadi told AFP.

- 'Legal obligations' -

The confidential resolution seen by AFP says it is "essential and urgent" for Iran to "act to fulfil its legal obligations" under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) ratified in 1970.

The text also calls on Tehran to provide "technically credible explanations" for the presence of uranium particles found at two undeclared locations in Iran.

In addition, Western powers are asking for a "comprehensive report" to be issued by the IAEA on Iran's nuclear efforts "at the latest" by spring 2025.

The resolution comes after the IAEA's head Rafael Grossi returned from a trip to Tehran last week, where he appeared to have made headway.

During the visit, Iran agreed to an IAEA demand to cap its sensitive stock of near weapons-grade uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity.

- 'Cycle of provocation' -

"Iran did not start the cycle of provocation -- the Western side could, without passing a resolution... create the atmosphere for negotiations if it really was after talks," the analyst Mohammadi said.

In 2015, Iran and world powers reached an agreement that saw the easing of international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.

But the United States unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and reimposed biting economic sanctions, which prompted Iran to begin rolling back on its own commitments.

On Thursday, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs Kazem Gharibabadi warned of Iran's potential next step.

"Iran had announced in an official letter to European countries that it would withdraw from the NPT if the snapback mechanism was activated, and the Security Council sanctions were reinstated," Gharibabadi said in a late-night interview with state TV.

The 2015 deal contains a "snapback" mechanism that can be triggered in case of "significant non-performance" of commitments by Iran.

This would allow many sanctions to be reimposed.

Tehran has since 2021 decreased its cooperation with the agency by deactivating surveillance devices monitoring the nuclear program and barring UN inspectors.

At the same time, it has ramped up its nuclear activities, including by increasing its stockpiles of enriched uranium and the level of enrichment to 60 percent.

That level is close, according to the IAEA, to the 90 percent-plus threshold required for a nuclear warhead and substantially higher than the 3.67 percent limit it agreed to in 2015.