Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Eye on Iran: Obama Vows to Veto 'Any New Sanctions' on Iran








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The Hill: "President Obama pledged to veto any new sanctions on Iran during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night. 'New sanctions passed by this Congress, at this moment in time, will all but guarantee that diplomacy fails - alienating America from its allies, and ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again,' the president warned lawmakers. 'It doesn't make sense,' he continued. 'That is why I will veto any new sanctions bill that threatens to undo this progress. The American people expect us to only go to war as a last resort, and I intend to stay true to that wisdom.' Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) have recently drafted legislation that would impose sanctions on Iran if it walks away from international negotiations or violates the terms of any deal... Obama touted the negotiations, saying they had helped halt Iran's nuclear program and urging patience. 'Our diplomacy is at work with respect to Iran, where, for the first time in a decade, we've halted the progress of its nuclear program and reduced its stockpile of nuclear material,' the president said. 'Between now and this spring, we have a chance to negotiate a comprehensive agreement that prevents a nuclear-armed Iran; secures America and our allies - including Israel; while avoiding yet another Middle East conflict,' he said. Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) office responded to the president's remarks by sharing news articles showing broad support in Congress for sanctions. 'There is bipartisan support for Iran sanctions legislation, and bipartisan opposition to the president's veto threats,' said a statement." http://t.uani.com/1CbcVTB

Reuters: "As prices of food, water and electricity rise further beyond reach, struggling Iranians are losing belief in their pragmatic president and his promise of a brighter future. The country has been hit by the double hammer blows of persisting Western sanctions over its nuclear activities and plunging oil prices - but its leaders tell the people that adversity will make them stronger.  This offers scant comfort to many ordinary Iranians struggling to support their families as high unemployment and low wages take their toll. They had pinned their hopes on President Hassan Rouhani, who won power in 2013 with pledges to improve the economy by ending the decade-long nuclear stand-off with the West - but a comprehensive deal has still not materialized. 'All these promises of improving the economy are just nice words,' said Morad Rezaian, a father-of-five who owns a small grocery shop in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas. 'I can't feed my kids with empty promises.'" http://t.uani.com/1BEWKPm

NYT: "Iran's highest Revolutionary Guards commander issued a threat against Israel after the death of an Iranian general in an Israeli helicopter strike along the border with Syria, saying that 'destructive thunderbolts' awaited. The commander, Mohammad Ali Jafari, said in a statement distributed by the state news media on Tuesday that the fact that an Iranian general had been so close to Israeli territory proved that Iran's power 'has passed over geographical borders.' The Iranian general, Mohammad Ali Allahdadi, was killed along with a Hezbollah commander and the son of the group's former military leader, Imad Mughniyeh, in Sunday's attack on a Hezbollah convoy near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. After issuing a ritual denunciation of the 'Zionist regime,' Mr. Jafari said: 'These martyrdoms prove that we should not distance ourselves from the jihad; the Zionists should prepare themselves for our shattering thunderbolt. They have experienced our rage in the past.'" http://t.uani.com/1Be5oSd

   
Military Matters

Reuters: "Russia might deliver a long-overdue S-300 air defense missile system to Iran, honoring a contract that was canceled in 2010 following strong pressure from the West, Iranian and Russian media said on Tuesday. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is visiting Tehran and signed an agreement with Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan to boost cooperation, Iran's Fars semi-official news agency said. Fars said the two countries would resolve problems with the delivery of the advanced missile system, while Russia's RIA state news confirmed the issue was once again under discussion. 'A step was taken in the direction of cooperation on the economy and arms technology, at least for such defensive systems such as the S-300 and S-400. Probably we will deliver them,' RIA quoted Colonel General Leonid Ivashov as saying... The United States and Israel heavily lobbied Russia to block the missile sale, saying it could be used to shield Iran's nuclear facilities from possible future air strikes. Iran in turn has taken Russia to arbitration to finalize the sale." http://t.uani.com/159x8eQ

Congressional Sanctions

The Hill: "Facing heavy pressure from President Obama, Senate Democrats on Tuesday signaled they have reservations about moving forward with Iran sanctions legislation. Some senators who had previously backed a sanctions bill treaded carefully when asked whether they support holding a vote on legislation before the Iran talks wrap up in June. 'Well let's wait and see when there's a bill. There's no bill yet,' said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). 'Let's wait and see how the whole thing plays out.' 'There's a question and a debate about timing, and that's something we should continue to discuss,' said Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.). 'I don't have a sense that there's anything that will happen in the near term,' Casey added. The legislation, sponsored by Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), would sanction Iran if the country walks away from the negotiations over its nuclear program or violates the terms of any deal. The Senate banking committee had scheduled a hearing for Tuesday to debate and vote on sanctions, but postponed the session until next week, with outside opponents of the bill citing a lack of bipartisan support. A spokeswoman for Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), the panel's chairman, said the hearings were 'rescheduled to give senators more time.' The committee's ranking Democrat, Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio), opposes passing a sanctions bill ahead of the June 30 deadline. 'There's not a rush on this. I mean these negotiations are going forward, I don't want to disrupt the negotiations. ... Our long-term allies are saying 'Don't do this.' So I don't know what the hurry is except for Mitch McConnell's politics,' Brown said.  Brown said he wants to see what administration officials have to say at a classified briefing on Iran next week. 'I want to hear the briefings before I commit for sure on Menendez-Kirk,' he said.  The White House is pushing Senate Democrats to withhold their support, arguing passage has the potential to end the chances for reaching a historic diplomatic accord with Iran." http://t.uani.com/1xX10lR

AP: "Senators are pushing to have a say about the ongoing international negotiations aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a move they say will further destabilize an increasingly volatile Mideast. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is working on legislation that would allow Congress to weigh in by allowing it to take an up-down vote on any deal the Obama administration reaches with Tehran. A committee hearing on Wednesday will focus on the status of the negotiations and the role of Congress. 'Whether it's the intelligence agencies in Israel or the people we deal with around the world, I have had no one yet say that Congress voting up or down on this deal would do anything but strengthen the administration's hand and help cause this process to come to fruition,' Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said Tuesday." http://t.uani.com/1J817mI

Sanctions Relief

Free Beacon: "The Obama administration on Wednesday paid $490 million in cash assets to Iran and will have released a total of $11.9 billion to the Islamic Republic by the time nuclear talks are scheduled to end in June, according to figures provided by the State Department. Today's $490 million release, the third such payment of this amount since Dec. 10, was agreed to by the Obama administration under the parameters of another extension in negotiations over Tehran's contested nuclear program that was inked in November. Iran will receive a total of $4.9 billion in unfrozen cash assets via 10 separate payments by the United States through June 22, when talks with Iran are scheduled to end with a final agreement aimed at curbing the country's nuclear work, according to a State Department official. Iran received $4.2 billion in similar payments under the 2013 interim agreement with the United States and was then given another $2.8 billion by the Obama administration last year in a bid to keep Iran committed to the talks through November, when negotiators parted ways without reaching an agreement. Iran will have received a total of $11.9 billion in cash assets by the end of June if current releases continue on pace as scheduled... The first two payments were made in December, followed by Wednesday's payment. The next release is scheduled for Feb. 11, with two more scheduled for March. The rest of the frozen cash assets will be given back to Iran on April 15, May 6, May 27, and June 22, respectively." http://t.uani.com/1BF0gcx

WSJ: "As talks over lifting sanctions on Iran continue, Renault SA is positioning itself for what executives hope will be a reopening of one of the Middle East's biggest car markets. The French auto maker recently resumed selling automotive components to Iran, where the parts are used at a plant run by an Iranian partner to assemble Renault-branded cars. Renault halted those shipments in 2013 amid Western sanctions specifically prohibiting them and amid tightened banking sanctions that made getting payments out of Iran effectively impossible. Renault executives have also considered investing in Iranian joint venture partner Pars Khodro should the West lift sanctions, according to people familiar with the matter... Pars Khodro is 85%-owned by Iranian state-run auto maker Saipa. Renault's Iranian unit, Renault Pars, has broached the idea of taking on as much as 45% of Pars Khodro, these people said." http://t.uani.com/1xWVgIB

Human Rights

RFE/RL: "Six thousand satellite receivers and dishes have been destroyed in a stadium in the city of Shiraz, according to reports by Iranian news agencies that posted photos of the police action, in the latest phase of Iran's ongoing war on banned satellites. The dishes were decorated with slogans highlighting all the ills and threats that Iranian officials claim satellite channels bring into society. 'Rule of Satan on Life,' read one of the hand-written slogans. Others included 'Enemy of Islam,' 'Enemy of the Family,' 'Spread of Prostitution,' 'Drug Addiction,' 'Lies,' 'Insecurity,' and 'Death to Zionism.' Iranian authorities regularly crack down on satellite dishes by raiding homes, dismantling their equipment, and fining the homeowners. Iran also jams foreign broadcasts." http://t.uani.com/15tD2rK
      

Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Eye on Iran is not intended as a comprehensive media clips summary but rather a selection of media elements with discreet analysis in a PDA friendly format. For more information please email Press@UnitedAgainstNuclearIran.com

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