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AP:
"Iran's supreme leader said Wednesday the United States cannot be
trusted to lift sanctions in a future nuclear deal and that Tehran should
instead develop an 'economy of resistance.' ... 'The Americans are
impudently saying that even if Iran backs down on the nuclear issue, all
the sanctions will not be lifted at once. They are saying that clearly.
It shows that this enemy cannot be trusted,' Khamenei told visitors at
his Tehran residence, in remarks carried by state TV... 'Officials should
not pin hopes on foreigners and should know that one step in retreat
prompts the enemy to advance. You should take the instrument of sanctions
out of the enemy's hands. If you pin hopes on the enemy, sanctions will
remain in place,' he said. Khamenei said Iran should develop an 'economic
of resistance' in which it boosts local production of strategic goods and
reduces its reliance on oil exports, which would make the sanctions less
painful." http://t.uani.com/1yABcSC
Bloomberg:
"Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would reject
conditions for the lifting of sanctions that undermined the country's
'honor.' 'If world powers set as a condition for lifting sanctions
something that your honor won't permit, what would you do?' Khamenei said
as he met a group of Iranians from the holy city of Qom, according to the
Iranian Students News Agency. 'For sure, no official in the country would
agree to it.' ... In his speech today, the supreme leader said that Iran
must strive to develop "immunity" in the face of sanctions. Diplomats
from Iran and the group known as P5+1 -- the U.S., U.K., France, Germany,
Russia and China -- are set to resume nuclear negotiations on Jan. 18,
Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said yesterday, according to local
media. The two sides failed to reach an accord by the self-imposed Nov.
24 deadline, extending negotiations by seven months." http://t.uani.com/1DxtfN3
National Journal:
"Congressional Republicans have long railed against President
Obama's approach to nuclear negotiations with Iran. Now that the GOP has
control of both the House and Senate, they're preparing to confront him
on the matter this month. As the 114th Congress sorts out its priorities,
voting on the Keystone XL pipeline and sanctions on Iran have risen to
the top of the agenda. GOP Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois told Fox News last
week that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the Senate's first
vote will be on the Keystone pipeline. 'He has also said the second big
vote will be on Iran sanctions,' Kirk added, 'so I would expect that
coming up.' ... When the Senate was controlled by Democrats, Obama relied
on then-Majority Leader Harry Reid to stop the House's attempts to insert
Congress into the process, but this week's power shift means Republicans
have a much better chance of passing Iran-sanctions legislation." http://t.uani.com/1BHPdeE
Nuclear Program & Negotiations
AFP:
"Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was backed in a
hastily convened vote Tuesday over his handling of long-running nuclear
talks, after he was heavily criticised in a stormy parliamentary session.
Zarif, who is leading Iran's negotiations with world powers aimed at
ending international concern over Tehran's nuclear programme, was
answering questions from lawmakers when he came under fire. Barely half
the 229 lawmakers present supported him in a vote ordered after a
hardline conservative MP said he was "not convinced" by Zarif's
answers. Some 125 lawmakers backed Zarif but 86 voted against him, eight
recorded no preference and 10 abstained. The vote was not a formal
confidence motion with defined repercussions, but it would have undoubtedly
undermined his credibility had he lost... 'Today the world is watching
Iran as a powerful and logical actor that cannot be set aside or
ignored,' Zarif said. 'Large countries and large corporations are lining
up at our door,' he said." http://t.uani.com/1ArlwSr
Sanctions
Relief
WSJ:
"Lawmakers asked U.S. authorities to investigate a London conference
on oil investments in Iran for possible sanctions violations. One
problem: by the time the senators got their protest letter out the event
had already been cancelled. The event, cancelled about a month ago, shows
the extent to which investors are poised to get a foot in the door in
Tehran should there be a breakthrough. But the row also shows that
U.S. officials are ready to pounce if companies move before the status
quo does... The conference was intended to allow senior officials from
Iran's oil and gas sector to pitch opportunities to investors 'in
preparation for a post sanction Iran,' according to the program's
website, which has since been taken offline. 'The Iran Oil & Gas
Summit will bring together the oil & gas community with Key Iranian
figures to discuss the opportunities in Iran - Post Sanctions.' U.S.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Charles Schumer (D.,N.Y.), Robert Casey
(D-Pa.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D.,N.Y.) said they had 'grave
concerns' that a London event focused on investment opportunities in
Iran's oil sector may violate U.S. sanctions, in a letter sent to U.S.
Treasury Department Secretary Jack Lew shortly before Christmas and made
public last week." http://t.uani.com/1FmUO0a
Human Rights
IHR:
"Four prisoners were hanged in two different prisons today. 21
prisoners have been executed in the first 6 days of 2015 in Iran. Three
prisoners were hanged in the prison of Urmia (Northwestern Iran) according
to unofficial sources. According to the sources Iran Human Rights
(IHR) has been in contact with one of the prisoners was identified as
Saber Mokhalad Mowaneh (Picture), who was sentenced to 5 years in prison
for membership in Kurdish political party and to death for a murder
committed in 2009." http://t.uani.com/1s5c0RW
IranWire:
"Basij assembly leader Saeed Nazari has claimed that enemies of Iran
invest large amounts of money to destroy the country's family values.
'The enemy is spending 168 million tomans [$48,000] on each Iranian
family per month just to destroy the institution of the family,' he
announced at a press conference in Hamedan on January 4. 'Satellite TV
channels damage the family and have reduced contact time among family
members from 24 hours to just 17 minutes a day,' a website affiliated
with the Revolutionary Guards reported Nazari as saying. 'There are
currently 46 million people involved in computer games, of which only 20
percent play the games professionally,' he added. 'Most of the satellite
TV channels are at the service of Satan and Zionists. We must stand up to
them.'" http://t.uani.com/1yAARQ3
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