August 5, 2021

Daily News Brief

August 5, 2021

Top of the Agenda

Hard-Line Iranian President Sworn In Amid Stalled Nuclear Talks

Hard-line cleric and former judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi will be sworn in today (CNN) as Iran’s president, beginning his tenure as talks with the United States to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement have stalled.

Raisi takes office as economic stagnation and political disillusionment roil Iran, where his election saw historically low voter turnout. His predecessor, Hassan Rouhani, was a major backer of the nuclear deal. While Raisi plans to continue nuclear negotiations (Al-Monitor), U.S. officials say he could present “unrealistic demands.” The talks in Vienna stalled in June (NYT), surprising U.S. negotiators. Iranian media reported this week that Iranian officials dropped discussions (Reuters) of a prisoner swap with the United States.  

Analysis

“Raisi’s team will be seeking to get a better, more secure deal from the [Joe] Biden administration, and in search of sustainability, which is key for the Iranian economy, will play hardball and up the pressure in order to extract and one-up the Rouhani team,” Chatham House’s Sanam Vakil tells Al-Monitor.

“Iran has already started building advanced centrifuges; with the [nuclear deal], Tehran can build 400 advanced machines in two years and put rotors into them in four. Even as a mechanism to kick the can down the road, the nuclear deal no longer makes much sense,” CFR’s Ray Takeyh and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Reuel Marc Gerecht write for the Wall Street Journal.

Pacific Rim

U.S. Announces First Arms Sale to Taiwan Under Biden

The U.S. Department of State notified Congress (Bloomberg) of a proposal to sell $750 million worth of weapons to Taiwan. It is expected to gain congressional approval and would be the Biden administration’s first arms sale to the island. Beijing vowed to take countermeasures (SCMP).

This Backgrounder unpacks Taiwan’s relationships with China and the United States.

Australia: The federal government announced it will pay around $280 million (SMH) in reparations for Indigenous Australians who were separated from their families by government, church, and welfare groups. Individual survivors will be eligible for up to $56,000 each.

South and Central Asia

India’s Top Court Hears Complaints on Pegasus Spyware

India’s Supreme Court began hearing journalists’ petitions (FT) calling for an independent investigation into claims that the government improperly surveilled politicians, journalists, and officials using the Pegasus spyware made by Israel’s NSO Group.

Pakistan: The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, a civil rights group that criticizes both the Taliban and the Pakistani military, alleged (VOA) that government pressure prevented local media from covering the group’s recent rally (TOLOnews) calling for peace and denouncing the Taliban. 

Middle East and North Africa

Israel Strikes Lebanon After Rocket Fire

Israel said it launched air strikes (AFP) into southern Lebanon, its first strikes in the country in seven years, in response to two days of rocket fire from across the border. The Lebanese army said it is investigating who fired the rockets.

This Day in History: August 5, 1963

The United States and the United Kingdom sign the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty with the Soviet Union, prohibiting the above-ground detonation of nuclear weapons.

Sub-Saharan Africa

South Sudan’s Vice President Ousted by Party

South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar’s party removed him (Al Jazeera) as head of the party. It named First Lieutenant General Simon Gatwech Dual as his interim replacement. The party’s military wing said Machar weakened the party’s position in the coalition government formed in 2020.

South Africa: The country’s electoral commission applied to postpone local elections (News24) from October to February due to the impact of the pandemic.

Europe

EU to Buy Two Hundred Million Novavax Vaccine Doses

The European Commission signed a preliminary agreement (AFP) to buy up to two hundred million doses of U.S. firm Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, bringing the European Union’s total vaccine access to 4.6 billion doses so far.

Greece: More than 150 fires have burned (Kathimerini) across the country in recent days. Greece deployed troops to fight them, and Cyprus, France, and Sweden sent reinforcements.

Americas

Mexico Sues U.S. Gun Companies

The Mexican government sued ten U.S. gun companies (WaPo) in a U.S. federal court, saying they contributed to the illegal flow of weapons to Mexico. Legal experts say the Mexican government is unlikely to be victorious, but that it seeks to raise awareness about the widespread use of American-made guns in Mexico.

This Backgrounder looks at U.S. gun policy from a global perspective.

Brazil: The central bank raised interest rates (FT) by a full percentage point, its biggest rate hike since 2003, to battle rising inflation.

United States

Biden to Announce Target of 50 Percent Electric-Vehicle Sales by 2030

The White House said President Biden will sign an executive order setting a target for half of all cars and light trucks sold in 2030 to be zero-emissions vehicles, while federal environmental and transportation agencies are set to announce stricter emissions standards. The sales target is voluntary (WSJ), but major U.S. automakers expressed their support.

CFR’s Stewart M. Patrick writes that Biden’s climate pledges put U.S. credibility on the line.

Global

WHO Urges Moratorium on COVID-19 Booster Shots

The World Health Organization (WHO) called for a global moratorium on COVID-19 booster shots (CNN) until the end of September to give all countries time to vaccinate at least 10 percent of their populations.

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