|
|
|
Join UANI
Top
Stories
Reuters: "Iran's supreme leader, at a
meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran, said on Monday
U.S. policies in the Middle East region were a threat to both countries
and called for closer ties between Tehran and Moscow. The civil war in
Syria has evolved into a wider proxy struggle between global powers, with
Russia and Iran supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while Western
powers, Turkey and Gulf Arab states want him out. 'The Americans have a
long-term plot and are trying to dominate Syria and then the whole region
... This is a threat to all countries, especially Russia and Iran,' Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei said, according to his website, at the meeting on the
sidelines of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit in Tehran.
'The United States is now trying to achieve its failed military
objectives in Syria by political means,' he added, referring to proposed
peace talks to end the civil war in Syria." http://t.uani.com/1lfStvB
FT: "Iran's Supreme Leader said on Monday that the
US had 'no right' to remove Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and
described Washington's policy in the Middle East as a threat... Mr Putin
was in the Iranian capital for his first visit in eight years and had two
hours of talks with Mr Khamenei. The ayatollah praised Russia's campaign
in Syria, where Moscow says it has intervened to fight Isis, the militant
group, although many of its air strikes have targeted Mr Assad's
opponents rather than the jihadis... During their talks, Ayatollah
Khamenei praised Mr Putin for adopting 'very good and creative' policies
on a number issues over the past year and a half - a clear reference to
his confrontation with western states over Ukraine - telling him: 'you
foiled the US policy to sideline its rivals'... Mr Putin told the
ayatollah that he considered Iran 'a reliable ally'. 'Unlike others, we
are committed to not stabbing our partners in the back and to not acting
against our friends behind closed doors,' Iranian media quoted Mr Putin
as saying." http://t.uani.com/1MA4HIJ
Reuters: "Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei on Tuesday accused the United States of trying to divide Iraq
along sectarian and ethnic lines and urged Iraqis to withstand any such
plans. Shi'ite Muslim power Iran wields great influence in Iraq, which
has a majority Shi'ite population. Its military advisers are helping
direct Baghdad's campaign against Sunni Islamist militant group Islamic
State, which seized around a third of Iraq's territory last year... 'The
Americans must not be allowed to consider Iraq as their personal property
... and dare to openly talk about disintegration of Iraq,' Khamenei said
according to his website. 'The Iraqi people, Shi'ites, Sunnis, Kurds and
Arabs have been living together peacefully but some regional countries
and some foreigners are trying to amplify differences among them,' he
added. On Tuesday Khamenei met Iraq's President Fouad Massoum on the
sidelines of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit in
Tehran." http://t.uani.com/1N5SLf9
Nuclear
Program & Agreement
IRNA
(Iran):
"Iran joins club of enriched uranium suppliers by selling 9 tons of
enriched uranium to Russia, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of
Iran Ali Akbar Salehi said on Tuesday. According to the Joint
Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA), Iran will sell 9 tons of its 4
percent enriched uranium to Russia, he added. Speaking to reporters early
Tuesday, Salehi said in the meantime that Iran will import 140 tons of
natural uranium from Russia. Russia had good cooperation with Iran during
nuclear negotiations, he noted. Salehi said that Russian officials have
also accepted to help Iran to upgrade its centrifuges for production of
stable isotopes. Iran has also a plan to construct Bushehr nuclear fuel
complex to provide the power plant's required fuel under the license of
Russia, he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a
document to remove limits and restrictions on broadening nuclear
cooperation with Iran." http://t.uani.com/1P6d6aN
ISNA (Iran): "Head of Atomic Energy Organization of
Iran(AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi expressed the hope that construction of Phase
2 and Phase 3 of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant would be started jointly
with Russia by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (which ends
on March 20, 2016). 'We hope that we can start construction of Phase 2
and Phase 3 of Bushehr (Nuclear Power Plant) by Russia's help by the end
of this year.' He said that Iranian and Russian officials discussed
Bushehr 2 and Bushehr 3 nuclear power plants (on Monday night) whose
documents have already been signed. Salehi said that the two sides also
conferred on producing stable isotopes, adding Russians are obliged to
help Iran in building the product." http://t.uani.com/1XopQbH
Sanctions
Relief
Reuters: "Iran is dramatically
increasing its natural gas export capacity in preparation for the lifting
of international sanctions, President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday, as
he courted foreign investment in the sector during a summit meeting in
Tehran. Addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders of seven
other countries including Algeria, Nigeria and Venezuela, Rouhani told
the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) that Iran was seeking
international partnerships to develop its vast oil and gas reserves. 'I
invite the leaders of the countries in this group to partner with Iran
and invest in developing Iran's gas resources for mutual benefit,' he
said. 'Iran is ready to play a bigger role in the supply of gas.' The
Tehran meeting of the GECF - which also includes Bolivia, Egypt,
Equatorial Guinea, Libya and the United Arab Emirates - comes a week
before Iran is due to unveil model contracts for future oil and gas
development... Iran's gas production more than doubled over a decade to
160.5 billion cubic metres in 2012, before the latest sanctions took full
effect, and Rouhani said capacity would surge to more than 1 trillion
cubic metres in another two years. 'The preparatory stages have been
completed by the government so that the needed investments will be made,'
he said. 'We believe that the situation will rapidly change with the
recent agreements between Iran and the P5+1.'" http://t.uani.com/1PM5zOk
Reuters: "Poland's state-run gas distributor PGNiG
is looking at various options in oil and gas exploration and production
in Iran once sanctions on the country are lifted, PGNiG's CEO said. 'We
are interested in the Iranian market (...) and we are considering various
business configurations there. We have an office in Iran and are at the
stage of examining that market,' Mariusz Zawisza said in an interview. He
reiterated that PGNiG was considering buying production assets in Norway,
the United States and Canada that would help it boost own oil and gas
output." http://t.uani.com/1YrKzOd
Free Beacon: "An Italian company penalized for
aiding Iran in evading U.S. sanctions has been de-listed by the Obama
administration, prompting criticism from experts who believe the United
States is caving to the Islamic Republic's demands before it upholds its
end of the recent nuclear deal, according to information provided by the
Treasury and State Departments. The Obama administration announced the
removal of sanctions on Dettin Spa on Nov. 19. The announcement came as
President Hassan Rouhani was scheduled to visit Italy over the weekend.
The trip was canceled following terrorist attacks in France. Dettin Spa,
a textile and chemical company that still has a presence in Iran, was
sanctioned by the United States in August 2014 for 'knowingly providing
Iran's petrochemical industry with goods and support whose value exceeded
$250,000,' according to a statement issued by the Treasury Department at
the time. 'Individuals and companies providing support to illicit Iranian
nuclear activities program or engaged in assisting Iran's efforts to
evade U.S. sanctions will face serious consequences,' the Obama
administration warned when it announced the company's designation as a
result of the sanctions-busting scheme... The United States first
designated Dettin Spa during a period of negotiations with Tehran over
the nuclear deal. The administration sanctioned the company for helping
Iran expand its petrochemical industry beyond what was permissible under
an interim agreement struck by Iran and world powers. The company was
de-listed from the sanctions rolls last week... Iran and Italy have made
moves to boost their trade ties in the months since the nuclear deal was
announced." http://t.uani.com/1Oq8Dwf
Mehr (Iran): "Announcing President Rouhani's
upcoming trip to Rome in a month, president of Iran-Italy joint chamber
of commerce said 1000 Italian companies will soon visit Iran in the form
of 3 trade delegations. Ahmad Pourfallah described the plans for 1000
Italian firms to enter Iran in the near future; 'the 1000 companies will
arrive in Iran in the form of three trade delegations, the first of which
consisting of 300 prominent Italian companies will visit Iran on November
29-30,' he noted. 'All the companies were supposed to visit Iran as part
of one integrated delegation but it was later decided they enter the
country in three different delegations till the end of the current
Iranian calendar year in order to conduct technical meetings with Iranian
companies in various fields,' he added. He further asserted that, 'the
first trade delegation from Italy will travel to Iran next week to hold
meetings on several issues including mechanics, automotive, environment,
renewable energy, medicine, stone, construction equipment, excavator
industry, tile making, mining, metals as well as pipes and fittings.'"
http://t.uani.com/1Nq6Lqh
Tehran Times: "The Netherlands' Minister of
Economic Affairs Henk Kamp arrived in Tehran yesterday on the head of a
large Dutch trade delegation to investigate new business opportunities in
post-sanctions Iran. Over 60 large Dutch companies active in the energy
and agriculture sectors are accompanying Kamp in his trip, according to
the IRNA news agency. The Dutch minister is secluded to meet his Iranian
counterpart as well as the other Iranian officials and also attend the
third summit meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) which
will be held today in Tehran. A new chapter has opened in the political
and economic ties between Iran and the Netherlands after Iran's nuclear
deal with the world's major powers. Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders
in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran
on September 20 mentioned agriculture, ecotourism and industry as a few
areas that his country is seeking to cooperate closely with post-sanctions
Iran. The top diplomat also said that the Netherlands is committed to
broaden political, economic and cultural relations with Iran,
particularity in the area of gas and oil." http://t.uani.com/1ShQWQH
Terrorism
JTA: "The newly elected president of Argentina said
he will cancel the agreement signed with Iran to jointly investigate the
1994 attack on the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires, as he vowed during
the campaign. 'We will propose to the Congress to cancel the pact with
Iran as we promised in the campaign,' Mauricio Macri said Monday morning
in his first news conference after being elected in a runoff vote the
previous day. Macri, the opposition candidate, will take office on Dec.
10. He won the runoff with 51.4 percent of the vote, defeating Daniel
Scioli, a close ally of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who
garnered 48.6 percent, according to the final results released Monday.
The agreement has been criticized by Israel and Argentina's Jews, among
others. Iran has been accused of being behind the AMIA bombing, which
killed 85 and injured hundreds." http://t.uani.com/1lHix3t
Opinion & Analysis
WashPost Editorial: "The fraudulence of Iran's
prosecution of The Post's Jason Rezaian is perfectly captured by the
public statements of Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, the first deputy chief
justice of the judiciary, who frequently holds news conferences in
Tehran. Last July, Mr. Mohseni-Ejei was asked about the status of Mr.
Rezaian's trial, which was being held behind closed doors. 'The trial
will continue and when the verdict is issued we will announce it to
people,' he said. Mr. Rezaian's trial apparently ended Aug. 10. But to
this day, no official verdict has been announced or communicated even to
the U.S. journalist's lawyer. Nor has a sentence been made public.
Instead, Mr. Rezaian's family has had to contend with confusing and
contradictory statements by Mr. Mohseni-Ejei and other officials, which
together demonstrate that nothing resembling a legitimate process - even
under Iran's laws - has taken place. For example, on Aug. 9, the day
before Mr. Rezaian's final known court appearance, the semiofficial
Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) quoted Mr. Mohseni-Ejei as saying
that 'this person has already been sentenced, but I don't know the details
of the verdict.' Six days later, he changed his story: The same news
agency quoted Mr. Mohseni-Ejei as saying the court was still waiting for
a written plea from Mr. Rezaian's attorney. 'I'm not allowed to give any
details, but I assume that a judgment will be issued at the end of this
week or next,' he said. Meanwhile, another judicial official, Gholam
Hossein Esmaeili, was quoted the same day by the same agency as saying
that no verdict was expected anytime soon. On Aug. 30, Mr. Mohseni-Ejei
offered a third account: He didn't know whether a verdict in the Rezaian
case had been reached. 'But the final session took place two weeks ago,'
he offered. On Oct. 11, Mr. Mohseni-Ejei told reporters that a verdict
had been 'issued' but didn't say what it was. Other Iranian reports said
Mr. Rezaian had been convicted on charges of espionage. That, however,
wasn't the end of it. On Nov. 3, ISNA spoke again to Mr. Esmaeili, who
said the case was not completed, and that a new hearing was scheduled for
Nov. 16. 'This case is still in court and the judiciary's spokesman' -
that would presumably be Mr. Mohseni-Ejei - 'will make an announcement
once it has come to a conclusion,' Mr. Esmaeili was quoted as saying.
Nov. 16 came and went. But on Sunday, Mr. Mohseni-Ejei once again said
that Mr. Rezaian had been 'sentenced to prison ,' the same account he had
offered on Aug. 9. He added that the verdict 'has not officially been
handed down' and was 'not finalized.' Meanwhile, Mr. Rezaian's lawyer,
Leila Ahsan, told the Associated Press she had not been informed about a
verdict or a sentence. What could explain this welter of misinformation?
Possibly Mr. Rezaian is being dangled by the regime as bait for a
prisoner exchange. Maybe he is a pawn in a power struggle between the
hard-line judiciary and the government of President Hassan Rouhani. We
don't pretend to know. What ought to be clear is that Iran is subjecting
an American citizen and respected journalist to extraordinarily cruel and
arbitrary treatment - and that it is doing so with impunity." http://t.uani.com/1N5Shp4
NYT Editorial: "Authorities in Iran announced
on Sunday that the American journalist Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post
reporter held by the government for 16 months and charged with espionage,
had been sentenced to prison. The Iranian government made the
announcement with as much transparency as it has shown in this case all
along: none. A press report, which was corroborated by a spokesman for
the country's judiciary, said Mr. Rezaian had been sentenced to an undisclosed
period of time following his conviction, which was announced in October.
Mr. Rezaian faced four charges, including espionage, but the authorities
have not provided details about the verdict, which was handed down behind
closed doors. Preposterously, as of Sunday, it appeared that neither Mr.
Rezaian nor his lawyer, Leila Ahsan, had been told how long the sentence
would be. The prosecution of Mr. Rezaian, a well-respected journalist of
Iranian ancestry with dual citizenship, has been a travesty since he and
his wife were detained in July 2014. The authorities have failed to
present a shred of credible evidence that Mr. Rezaian broke any law and
they have deprived him of due process. Recent suggestions by senior
Iranian officials that he could be swapped for people imprisoned for
violating sanctions against Iran strongly suggest that the case against
him was a farce all along. 'Even after keeping Jason in prison 487 days
so far, Iran has produced no evidence of wrongdoing,' Douglas Jehl, The
Washington Post's foreign editor, said in a statement on Sunday. 'His
trial and sentence are a sham, and he should be released immediately.' By
detaining him arbitrarily, Iran is sending a troubling message to the
international community as it starts carrying out the landmark deal it
reached with world powers over the future of its nuclear program. Western
officials hoped that the nuclear agreement would usher in a new era of
broader cooperation with Iran. But as they begin taking steps to ease
economic sanctions on Iran, as called for in the deal, the treatment of
Mr. Rezaian has intensified their concerns about whether Iran can be
trusted to fulfill its nuclear commitments." http://t.uani.com/1lHiO6o
|
|
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
United Against Nuclear
Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a
commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a
regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons. UANI is an
issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own
interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of
nuclear weapons.
|
|
|
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment