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WSJ:
"As talks progress between Iran and six world powers over Tehran's
controversial nuclear program, multinational companies are beginning to
prepare for an eventual lifting of sanctions against the Islamic
Republic. But despite the thaw at the political level, European companies
feel impeded in trading with Iran, in part because many banks refuse to
handle their payments. The companies fear their American rivals will be
able to move first once sanctions are lifted. In an effort to level the
playing field, three European business bodies - the Iranian chambers of
commerce of France, Germany and the U.K. - have formed an alliance to
facilitate business between Iran and the European Union... So the Iranian
chambers of commerce have formed a European-Iranian Business Alliance,
showing a united front to seize the opportunity offered by the oil-rich
nation... Nigel Kushner, a director of BICC and the chief executive of W
Legal Ltd., a law firm that specializes in sanctions, adds: 'I am already
seeing a rush to market by U.S. and EU companies and no one wants to be
left behind. There is certainly an element of competition between US and
EU exporters and EU companies may feel they have strength in numbers by
unifying.'" http://t.uani.com/1CkSVdj
Al-Monitor:
"Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., hopes to
have his committee vote on legislation giving Congress a say over a
nuclear deal with Iran in the next few weeks, Al-Monitor has learned.
Corker is seeking a vote right after next week's recess, potentially
setting up one more congressional showdown with the Barack Obama
administration over Iran. The White House has vowed to veto any
legislation that would force an up-or-down vote on a final deal, arguing
that it would derail the ongoing multiparty talks. 'I hope to be in a
position fairly soon after recess to do something on it,' Corker said.
One source close to the issue said a committee markup of the bill has
been tentatively scheduled for the last week of February, but that may
slip by a week as lawmakers focus on President Obama's war authorization
request and other pressing matters. Corker introduced legislation last
year that would in effect have given Congress veto power over a final
agreement, but he suggested Feb. 11 that the new bill may differ substantially.
He told Al-Monitor that the mechanism by which Congress would weigh in
was an 'evolving concept' as he tweaks his bill to get more members of
both parties on board, but that his goal remains 'for the president to
have to submit this to Congress.'" http://t.uani.com/16XI14F
IRNA (Iran):
"The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will put into operation
small centrifuge with over 80,000 cycles per minute within next six
months, head of AEOI said on Tuesday. 'The spinning speed of our
centrifuges today is 60,000 cycles per minute and the speed of the new
centrifuges put into operation Tuesday will be 70,000 cpm, but the future
generation of the Iranian centrifuges will have speeds around 80,000 to
100,000 cycles per minute,' said Ali-Akbar Salehi in an address on
unveiling ceremony of the scientific Iranian tubular centrifuge for
medical purpose. Salehi stressed that the quality of the newly
manufactured centrifuges is incomparable with the previous generations,
setting example of the usage of engine belts, but the new centrifuges are
equipped with gearboxes." http://t.uani.com/1zOJsOf
Nuclear Program & Negotiations
Tehran Times:
"President Hassan Rouhani has reaffirmed that the Iranian nation is
seeking 'constructive interaction' with the world and at the same time
will continue to protect its national interests and remain committed to
the Islamic Revolution's principles and ideals. Rouhani made the remarks
while addressing a massive gathering of people in Tehran celebrating the
victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution on Wednesday. Rouhani said these
rallies indicate the reaffirmation of the Iranian nation's allegiance to
the Islamic Revolution. He called for the annulment of all sanctions
against Iran and dismissed the claims that Tehran has sat to the
negotiating table with powers under pressure and sanctions. 'That you say
Iran has come to the negotiating table because of sanctions is a lie.
Iran has not come to the negotiating table due to the pressure of
sanctions, [but] on account of logic and to establish peace and stability
in the region and the world,' Rouhani noted. 'If you say that sanctions
have forced Iran to negotiate, why don't you keep imposing sanctions [on
Iran]? Stop telling lies and be honest with your nations,' he added.
'Speak honestly and admit that you have been left with no other option
against the Iranian nation but interaction, and say it to the world out
loud that if you intend to establish peace and stability and uproot
terrorism in the Middle East region, you have no way out but [to interact
with] the Islamic Republic,' Rouhani underscored." http://t.uani.com/1A01lsn
Al-Monitor:
"At a speech commemorating the 36th anniversary of Iran's Islamic
Revolution Feb 11, President Hassan Rouhani defended his administration
in the nuclear negotiations with the five permanent members of the UN
Security Council plus Germany (P5+1). Rouhani said that only 'Iran's
enemies' are opposed to a nuclear and that 'it's only the Zionists who
are putting all of their efforts to oppose a nuclear deal. But today the
world has found out about their betrayal, especially after the crimes
they committed in Gaza.' The use of the word 'betrayal' was an
interesting choice given that earlier in his speech, Rouhani used the
same word toward those not supporting Iranians on the battle front. In
discussing the Iran-Iraq war era, he said: 'Those days when our fighters
were fighting in battle, behind the front, all the people were supporting
those fighting at the front. And no betrayal is higher than a betrayal
behind the front. And today, all the people and the leader of the
revolution support those who are at the diplomatic front and
battle.'" http://t.uani.com/16XIxj7
Tehran Times:
"A senior Iranian commander has highlighted Iran's defensive
capabilities, saying the country's ballistic missiles can hit any targets
in the Middle East with any desired precision. 'Today our ballistic
missiles can fly thousands of kilometers and can hit any targets in the
region with whatever desired precision and intensity,' Press TV quoted
the second-in-command of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
Hossein Salami as saying on Tuesday. The brigadier general also said the
IRGC has thousands of high-speed warships at its disposal, which are
capable of launching massive naval operations against enemy targets. The
senior commander also said that the Islamic Republic's unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs) can fly thousands of kilometers, adding that they can
capture images and transmit them directly or indirectly to terrestrial
stations. Salami said that Iran's drones have been equipped with
high-precision smart missiles that can hit high-speed vehicles with
pinpoint precision." http://t.uani.com/1DJkL7r
Sanctions
Relief
Reuters:
"India slashed imports of Iranian oil in January as New Delhi
scrambled to bring its purchases from the OPEC member in line with 2013
levels, according to data obtained from trade sources and ship tracking
data on the Thomson Reuters terminal. India, Iran's top client after
China, took about 273,500 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude in
January, a decline of 21.5 percent from the previous month, the data
showed. The imports were about a third less than a year ago. The cuts
still leave India's daily average volumes for the April-January period
above sanction limits as Iran and world powers try to outline an
agreement by March 31 to end Tehran's isolation in return for curbs to
its nuclear programme... India, with daily imports now running above
those volumes, last month asked refiners to cut oil purchases from Iran
to keep the shipments in line with the previous fiscal year's levels of
about 11 million tonnes or 220,000 bpd. In the first 10 months of this
fiscal year, though, India has taken about 10.6 million tonnes or 252,500
bpd, up a quarter from the same year-ago period, the data showed." http://t.uani.com/1CkPa7S
Foreign Affairs
CNN:
"Houthi rebels took all U.S. Embassy vehicles parked at the Yemeni
capital's airport and wouldn't let departing U.S. Marines take their
weapons with them, a top Sanaa airport official said about the latest
evidence of unrest in an Arab nation long seen as key in America's fight
against terrorists. The actions come after the United States, along with
Britain, suspended operations at their embassies and moved out staffers
because of the instability in Yemen. According to the official, the
Houthis seized many U.S. Marines' weapons at the airport, and the
American troops also handed over some to random airport officials.
However, a senior U.S. military official told CNN the Marines disabled
their weapons and gave them to a Yemeni security detail, which had
escorted them to the airport, because the Marines were flying commercial.
The U.S. Marine Corps sharply denied the allegations." http://t.uani.com/1zOLFsU
Press TV (Iran):
"Commander of Iran Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' Quds Force says
foreign-sponsored Takfiri militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq
have suffered humiliating defeats, and will soon breathe their last.
'Given the crushing defeats that ISIL and other terrorist groups have
suffered in Iraq and Syria, we are certain that they have reached the end
of their life,' Major General Qasem Soleimani said at a rally marking the
36th anniversary of the victory of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution in the
southeastern city of Kerman on Wednesday, Fars News Agency reported. He
further noted that arrogant powers, in their last scheme, have organized
Takfiri groups in a bid to tarnish the image of Islam and fan the flames
of sedition and internal war among Muslims." http://t.uani.com/1Afgppd
Opinion &
Analysis
UANI Advisory
Board Member Irwin Cotler in HuffPost: "As P5+1
proceeds, it is important to appreciate that the prevention of a 'nuclear
breakout' capability is inextricably intertwined with the Iranian
regime's ongoing massive repression of human rights. Indeed, negotiations
proceed while human rights violations in Iran continue unabated -- and
have even intensified -- under the 'moderate' President Rouhani. Iran's
massive repression of the human rights of its own people should inform
our approach to the nuclear negotiations. Simply put, Iran's assault on
the human rights of its own people should engage the nuclear negotiating
front. First, the prospect of a rights violating regime seeking to
possess nuclear weapons itself warrants concern. Second, the reality of
Iran's repressive treatment of its citizens -- and blatant breaches of
its international law obligations in this regard -- should cause us to
question the veracity of any commitments made by the regime in the context
of the nuclear negotiations. What follows is an overview of some of the
more serious human rights violations that continue in Iran -- and the
corresponding Iranian defiance of its international commitments --
underpinned by an ongoing culture of impunity." http://t.uani.com/1EfsqZ0
Jacob Siegel in
The Daily Beast: "In an announcement that could
complicate the cornerstone of America's mission in Iraq-training Iraq's
military to fight ISIS-an Iranian general said Monday that he also is
prepared to begin training Iraqi military officers. The message comes
after Baghdad and Tehran reached a security agreement in December, which
has not been made public but will reportedly increase military
cooperation between the two countries. Washington and Tehran have quietly
cooperated in the fight against ISIS largely by avoiding direct contact
and keeping to separate spheres of influence. If Iran begins training
Iraqi officers at the same time the U.S. carries out its own multi-year
training mission, those spheres could collide. Iran hasn't actually begun
any training yet, only signaled its readiness, but if it does start,
there are some obvious logistical questions to sort out that carry
broader implications. It's not clear whether the U.S. and Iran would
split up the Iraqi army in some sort of shared custody training different
units, or if a single Iraqi officer could end up receiving direction from
both American and Iranian advisers. The American military began training
Iraq's forces in late December, days before Iran and Iraq concluded their
security agreement. Currently the U.S. vets Iraqi troops to ensure they
don't have ties to terrorist groups, but has not reported screening for
ties to other armies. A Pentagon official told The Daily Beast that the
department was unaware of Iran's announcement about training Iraqi
officers. The official did not provide further comment on how the U.S.
mission to train Iraq's military would be impacted if Iran began a
similar program. It's no secret that the U.S.-backed war against ISIS
relies on sectarian militias sponsored by Iran to combat the group in
Iraq. After the Iraqi military collapsed during the initial ISIS
onslaught, militias filled the gap, battling ISIS outside of Iraq's
Kurdish regions. While the militias counter ISIS on the ground, the U.S.
has focused on conducting airstrikes and retraining the Iraqi military to
eventually take on the group. But the growing influence of Shia militias
with ties to Iran, which have operated under U.S. air cover in the past,
poses problems for both the U.S. and Iraq. While Baghdad attempts to form
a national government and bring the country's Sunnis back into its
political system, Shia militiamen are accused of massacring more than 70
Sunni villagers last month. The statement Monday from Brigadier Gen.
Hossein Valivand about training Iraqi officers was reported by Iranian
media, but received little notice in the West. Valivand, who runs the
Iran Army's Command and General Staff College, said 'Iranian military
experts are prepared enough to offer training to Iraqi forces,' according
to Presstv, Tehran's English-language news outlet. 'Valivand added that
the issue of training Iraqi soldiers had been discussed during a recent
visit by Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi to Tehran,' Presstv
reports. The 'recent visit' is a reference to a December meeting between
Iraq's defense minister and his Iranian counterpart that resulted in a
security agreement between the two countries. Al Arabiya provided some of
the few details on the agreement in English. Citing Iranian state
television accounts, Al Arabiya reported that the defense ministers had
'agreed to continue cooperation in the defense arena with the creation of
a national army to protect the territorial integrity and security of Iraq.'
'The Iranian proxy forces which include elements from the IRGC [the
Revolutionary Guards, Iran's expeditionary military force] were already
doing this for months,' said Phillip Smyth, a researcher on Shia Islamist
militarism at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 'It's an
interesting kind of public messaging campaign,' Smyth said of Monday's
announcement, 'to demonstrate further support for the Iraqi national
entities while they are simultaneously militia-izing the rest of the
country.'" http://t.uani.com/1KNwwM5
Mortimer Zuckerman
in NYDN: "Iran believes time is on its side to build
a nuclear bomb and the means to deliver it. Only an optimist blind to the
history of Iran's clandestine ways and the labyrinthine story of the
negotiations from 2003 could think otherwise following our grant of a
second extension of time. There was a time during negotiations when Iran
froze most of its program and kept up with its commitments. That promise
of hope was unfortunately disproved when President Obama led the 5+1 not
simply in an extension of time, but inducements to keep talking: Ok,
Tehran you can keep your underground Fordow fuel enrichment plant; you
don't have to dismantle your Arak plutonium facility; you can maintain
the right to enrich uranium; and forget what we have been saying for
years about getting rid of all your centrifuges, those spinning cylinders
that enrich uranium potentially to weapons grade for a nuclear bomb. How
about 4,000-5,000 centrifuges and we'll throw in some small easement of sanctions?
All the red lines imposed have evaporated. We went from saying 'no
enrichment of uranium' to a 'temporary complete enrichment freeze' to a
'partial freeze,' coupled with shipping some of Iran's stockpile to
Russia to be diluted for power generation. Iran has gone from
insignificant levels of enrichment - low-grade or otherwise - prior to
2010 to thousands of kilograms of enriched uranium. Big question: Why
didn't the 5+1 lock in these concessions as the price of not tightening
sanctions? And if the parties were so close to agreement last November,
why did they extend by months instead of a few weeks? The retreats have
hardly stiffened spines. Now it seems Russia and China are apt to accept
any Iranian compromise they can package as reasonable. They can return to
raking in millions in Iranian trade. Iran knows and is empowered by this.
Just about every western leader is consistently on record saying 'No deal
is better than a bad deal.' But the rhetoric does not match the reality.
There are secret letters begging Iran for a compromise. No one is talking
about dismantling Iran's program anymore. There is a sickening smell in
the air, the harbinger of a bad deal. The Obama administration has
ignored its previous commitment to Congress to ensure that Iran will not
have nuclear weapons. It has acted in a way that ensures that Iran will
pay no price for negotiating in bad faith and will suffer no consequences
for recalcitrance. We cannot leave Iran with thousands of centrifuges to
enrich uranium when it doesn't even need a single centrifuge to have
peaceful nuclear energy. We must insist Iran cuts to 500 kilograms its
reserves of uranium that has been enriched to 3.5%; it must stop
enriching more uranium at Fordow and end tests of new generation
centrifuges. We must insist on our having the right to inspect all its
nuclear facilities. Witness the 10-year runaround that Iran has given the
International Atomic Energy Agency. But the issue before the world is not
just whether Iran can operate 9,000 or 4,000 uranium enrichment
centrifuges. We also have to confront Iran's program for missiles. Iran
doesn't need intercontinental ballistic missiles to reach Israel; they
need them to reach Europe and the U.S. and the only thing to carry on an
intercontinental ballistic missile is a nuclear warhead... We
should remember that Iran remains the Islamic republic, with all the
ambitions of a hegemonic power. Its human rights record is deplorable;
its ties are stronger than ever to terrorist organizations like Hamas and
Hezbollah, whom Iran supplies with weapons, money and advisers; it
supports bloody regimes like the one in Syria and sectarian governments
like Iraq. They now claim a negative role in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and
Iraq. What is Obama's message? It seems to be more to want an
accommodation with Iran than preventing its expansion, to avoid even a
confrontation over its ability to attack the U.S. with a nuclear-tipped
ICBM. We must have a clear message to Iran. We must make them understand
what we consider an unacceptable deal: anything that fails to roll back
their program to small numbers of centrifuges; anything that permits more
than one bomb's worth of enriched uranium in country; or allows a
heavy-water plant and, vitally, any deal that does not allow for scrutiny
and understanding of what the consequences of cheating would be. We
cannot live with a just-in-time Iranian nuclear program that leaves it
with the option of going for a weapon at a moment of its choosing." http://t.uani.com/1CZaepR
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Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against
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email Press@UnitedAgainstNuclearIran.com
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