Iran Crisis Update, February 28, 2023
Regime incompetence and mismanagement is driving further protest activity and popular frustration toward the regime and may unite citizens with disparate grievances.
Iran has intensified efforts to expand its influence over the Iraqi state security services in recent days.
At least 20 protests occurred in 15 cities across 14 provinces on February 28.
The Wall Street Journal reported on February 28 that the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA) confirmed the discovery of traces of 84-percent enriched uranium—near weapons-grade—at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant in a confidential report circulated among member states.
The IRGC Aerospace Force and Artesh Air Defense Force conducted an annual “Velayat Sky Defenders” joint air defense exercises on February 28.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-february-28-2023
Top US Defense official says Iran could produce ‘one bomb’s worth of fissile material’ in ‘about 12 days’
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4134720/posts
The Iranian regime is tolerating a country-wide, coordinated campaign to poison Iranian school girls.
Social media users documented incidents of chemical poisoning at 26 girls’ schools throughout the country on March 1 alone.[1] Hundreds of Iranian schoolgirls have reported respiratory and neurological poisoning symptoms since November 2022, many of whom have required hospitalization.[2] The first reported incident occurred on November 30, 2022, in Qom City, Qom Province when 18 Shahed Razaviyeh Secondary School students reported experiencing nausea, coughing, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, and lethargy.[3] Initial poisoning cases primarily affected female high school students in Qom. In recent weeks, however, poisoning cases have spread across Iran and have also targeted elementary, middle school, and university students, as well as less frequent incidents at boys’ educational facilities.[4] CTP recorded a significant increase in poisoning cases on March 1, with students from at least 26 schools falling ill. Most poisonings on March 1 occurred in Tehran and Ardabil Provinces.[5] It remains unclear why these cities appear to have been disproportionately targeted.
The regime's failure to protect Iranian schoolgirls from the ongoing poisoning campaign is exacerbating anti-regime sentiments.
Russia is possibly concerned that Iranian-backed militias will target US military positions in eastern Syria in the coming days or weeks.
At least five protests occurred in three cities across two provinces on March 1.
Raisi administration-controlled Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on March 1 that prominent Sunni cleric and regime critic Moulana Abdol Ghaffer Naghshbandi fled the country.
The value of the Iranian rial appreciated to 546,500 against the US dollar.
Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami denied reports that Iran has enriched uranium to 84 percent purity while acknowledging the fact that traces of 84-percent enriched uranium were discovered at one of Iran's nuclear facilities.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed normalization efforts between Turkey and the Assad regime with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on March 1.
Unidentified senior Russian military officials met with their SAA counterparts near Tel Rifaat, Aleppo Province on February 28.
Israel Alma, an Israeli think tank focused on regional security issues, released a report claiming that as many as 1000 alleged Iranian aid convoys have entered Syria from Iraq and Lebanon since February 6.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-march-1-2023