U.S. Backs China-Led Iran-Saudi Deal But Worries About Chinese Influence

Tom O'Connor

March 10, 2023

The White House has signaled support for the newly announced China-brokered deal to reestablish ties between rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia but also expressed concern over growing Chinese influence in the Middle East and other parts of the world in the wake of Beijing's milestone.

Addressing questions by reporters during a virtual call Friday, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said the U.S. had been kept informed by Saudi Arabia throughout the negotiations process leading up to the deal, and that Washington would "support any effort to deescalate tensions there in the region."

He said the historic agreement came in line with U.S. interests and took credit for the United States' own policies in the outcome.

"We think it's in our interests, and it's something that we worked on through our own effective combination of deterrence and diplomacy," Kirby said. "It appears to us that this roadmap announced today was the result of multiple rounds of talks, including talks that were held in Baghdad and Oman. And we've always supported that process as we've seen, to work hard towards an end of the war in Yemen, and to an end to Iran's aggression, quite frankly.

"We believe that what likely helped bring Iran to the negotiating table in Saudi Arabia is in fact the pressure that it's under internally as well as an effective deterrence against attacks from Iran or its proxies on Saudi Arabia. And we, as you know, help support Saudi Arabia and their effective deterrence capabilities."

Speaking to the level of mistrust between Tehran and Washington, however, he expressed uncertainty as to whether the Islamic Republic would live up to its agreement but hoped that they would.

"It really does remain to be seen whether the Iranians are going to honor their side of the deal," Kirby said. "This is not a regime that that typically does honor its word. So, we hope that they do, we'd like to see this war in Yemen end, and that this arrangement that they have might help lead us to that outcome."

Such a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia has been in the works for some time, and the fact that China has succeeded in brokering it is a major diplomatic victory for the United States' top global rival.

And while Kirby did not explicitly signal concern for Beijing's role in the matter, he expressed caution over China's overall effort to expand its soft power footprint around the world, including in the Middle East.

"As for Chinese influence there, or in Africa or Latin America, it's not like we have blinders on," Kirby said. "We certainly continue to watch China as they try to gain influence and footholds elsewhere around the world in their own selfish interest. And you're starting to see countries around the world wake up to the fact that China's influence is in their own selfish interest."

And yet a trilateral joint statement emerging from the agreement credited Beijing and its leadership for the deal.

The statement began by taking note of "the noble initiative of His Excellency President Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, of China's support for developing good neighborly relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Tehran and Riyadh have for decades competed for influence across the region and their feud came to a breaking point in early 2016. With their relationship already severely frayed over their support for opposing factions in countries like Bahrain, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, the execution of a leading Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia led Iranian protesters to storm and set fire to Riyadh's embassy in Tehran, resulting in a total collapse in the relations between the Kingdom and the Islamic Republic.

Men Wear Hijabs In Iranian Pharmacy In Solidarity After New Rule Mandates All Women Cover Up While At Work

Ethan Cotler

March 9, 2023

In a new wave of regulations following protests over Iran’s mandatory hijab law, the country’s Food & Drug Administration has ordered pharmacies to force their female employees to wear the traditional black veil in the workplace.

Across the nation, people have been protesting following the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini. And it looks like the backlash over the repressive law isn't slowing down.

Iran’s FDA operates under the guidance of the country’s ministry of health and has reportedly shut down two pharmacies due to noncompliance with the mandate. However, many Iranians are not backing down against the patriarchal regime.

Men in Iranian pharmacies have donned hijabs to join in solidarity and protest against the policy.

An Iranian journalist and activist, Masih Alinejad, posted images on Twitter showing male pharmacy employees “mocking” the government’s order by wearing the veil. Alinejad explains that men like these can help the movement succeed.

“Iranian men are mocking this order and supporting their female colleagues by wearing hijab,” Alinejad wrote. “Compulsory hijab is the main pillar of a religious relationship. Together we will bring this wall down.”

Alinejad doesn’t stop there but goes on to call on pharmacists outside of Iran to join in solidarity. She explains that noncompliance with the order puts many women’s jobs at risk.

“I call on international pharmacists to support their Iranian colleagues. Many women lost their job for the crime of resisting compulsory hijab laws,” Alinejad wrote. “Forcing women to wear hijab is an insult to all women and men across the globe. Human rights is a global matter. Show your solidarity.”

Many people applauded the men’s actions, supporting Alinejad’s belief in the necessity of solidarity.

“‘He for She’ is the only way women can win,” one person wrote. “Women’s rights are not for women, but for everyone. Kudos to these brave men.”

“Our men here are some real life heroes! We are so proud of these well-educated honorable men fighting for justice right alongside us, women,” another person added.

Feminists in Iran have been fighting for this important issue for decades. But this new wave of protests has the world looking.

So, what started the Mahsa Amini protests?

On September 16, 2022, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, died in suspicious circumstances after being arrested by Iran’s “morality” police for disobeying the hijab mandate.

People at the scene claimed they witnessed police beating Amini. She was in a coma for three days before succumbing to her injuries.

Her death sparked many in the capital of Tehran and western Iran to protest the government and its mandate, which has been in effect since 1983 following the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew Iran’s monarchy.

The new pharmacy ruling came with several crackdowns from the government. The Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, reported that Iran’s Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said the government would punish women not wearing a hijab.

“Removing one’s hijab is equivalent to showing enmity to the Islamic Republic and its values. People who engage in such an abnormal act will be punished,” Ejei said.

The pharmacy policy forces managers to ensure that their female employees are compliant. In addition, it requires them to post instructions on the hijab mandate in their establishment within view of customers.

The news publication Iran International reported the two pharmacies that the state “sealed off” due to female employees not complying with the hijab order are in the cities of Tehran and Amol, respectively.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that the Amol pharmacy’s owner, Dr. Forough Haghpanah, refused to wear a hijab after a cleric confronted her. The cleric recorded the interaction on his phone, which has since gone viral.

On top of denying his request to wear a hijab, her staff also refused to provide him with any services. Her dissent led the chief justice of Amol’s province to shut down the pharmacy “for failing to comply with the hijab law and for not providing services to a customer.”

Despite the law being in effect for decades, women before the protests could more easily circumvent it. The new governmental enforcement following the protests has made it increasingly difficult without repercussions.

Knowing how to support an issue that is so large and far away can sometimes feel daunting. However, people worldwide can provide valuable aid from the comfort of their homes.