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NYT: "The authorities in Iran have long made clear
that Iranian-Americans with backgrounds in news gathering, military
training and Christian proselytizing are suspect. Now add business
consulting to the list. When Iran freed four Americans of Iranian descent
last month in a prisoner deal with the United States, announced when the
nuclear agreement took effect, a prominent business consultant whose
release had been expected was missing. The incarceration of the
consultant, Siamak Namazi, has stirred anxiety among Iranian-Americans
who thought the nuclear deal portended a new era. 'It's a very
devastating situation, to be honest,' said Ahmad Kiarostami, a
California-based software and multimedia executive who knows Mr. Namazi.
'Unfortunately, there's absolutely no news about his case.' Other
Iranian-Americans, some of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity, said
they were postponing or scrapping planned trips to Iran until Mr. Namazi
was released, or at least until the circumstances surrounding his case
were clearer. Mr. Namazi, 44, was particularly well connected in Iran. He
was also well versed in the ways of the United States, where he became a
citizen and a scholar of public policy... Mr. Namazi's attributes as a
dual citizen may seem ideal for reconciliation between Iran and the
United States. But friends and acquaintances say his background also
worries the hard-liners who control Iran's intelligence and security
agencies, sensitive to what they view as influential Iranians poisoned by
Western values. 'There are a lot of Siamaks out there in the Iranian
diaspora,' said Farhad Alavi, a Washington lawyer who is a friend of Mr.
Namazi's. 'I think arresting him was an effort to send a message.' ...
Even though the United States retains many restrictions on doing business
in Iran, the nuclear agreement was still viewed among Iranian-Americans
as a hopeful sign. Mr. Namazi's arrest has effectively deflated much of
that optimism, acquaintances say, and is one low-cost way for
conservatives to exert control. 'Siamak's arrest has had a chilling
effect on those members of the Iranian diaspora who had been thinking of
returning to Iran to help the country's development in the post-sanctions
atmosphere,' said Bijan Khajehpour, Mr. Namazi's former consulting
partner and a cousin by marriage, now based in Vienna. Saeid Golkar, a
senior fellow of Iran policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and
a lecturer at Northwestern University, said he knew of many
Iranian-Americans who had put off trips to Iran. Mr. Namazi's arrest, he
said, had sent a message that 'the nuclear deal was a great deal but not
for Iranian-Americans.'" http://t.uani.com/1WaWrlS
NYT: "Russian companies are broadly
gearing up to get back into Iran. Sukhoi wants to sell its Superjet
airliners to a market starved for transportation. Avtovaz has started
talks to open an assembly plant for Lada cars in Iran. The oil and
natural gas giants Gazprom and Lukoil are weighing investments in a
liquefied natural gas project on the Persian Gulf, and an oil field. The
Eurasia Drilling Company, an oil field services business, and Tatneft, a
second-tier Russian oil company based in Tatarstan, a predominantly
Muslim region east of Moscow, both have good prospects. 'If you have dry
firewood and the wind is blowing, the fire will get going,' Sergei G.
Chetverikov, director of the pipe factory here, said of TMK's prospects
in Iran. 'All you need is the match.' ... Russia has an advantage. It has
long backed Iran diplomatically and it has deep military ties. After the
nuclear deal, Vice Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin of Russia said his
country was beginning to supply S-300 antiaircraft missile systems to
Iran. 'This contract is now executed and paid for,' Mr. Rogozin said. He
noted that the deals between Russia and Iran were not just in the
military arena. The S-300 supply, he added, would 'open the entire road
for cooperation with Islamic Republic of Iran.' Like other countries,
Russia sees opportunity in a country long starved for capital." http://t.uani.com/1Pzq7F9
Tasnim
(Iran): "The
managing director of Iran's leading car manufacturer, Iran Khodro Company
(IKCO), on Sunday said US car manufacturing technology will be indirectly
imported to Iran through cooperation with the Italian company Fiat. As
regards cooperation with American car manufacturers, the IKCO sticks to
the policies of Iran's ministry of industry, mine, and trade, Hashem
Yekke Zare said in a press conference held in Tehran on new deals with
foreign auto manufacturers. However, he added, the technology of American
cars can be indirectly imported to the country through the partnership of
IKCO and Italy's Fiat. 'Fiat is a strong auto manufacturing complex,' he
said, adding that IKCO has made a good choice by selecting Fiat as its
fourth foreign partner. Meanwhile, Chairman of Iran-Italy Joint Chamber of
Commerce Ahmad Pourfallah announced that a joint company will be formed
between IKCO and Fiat. 'No deal has been sealed yet but satisfactory
progress has been made in the talks, which will hopefully result in good
collaboration between the two car-makers,' he told Mehr News Agency on
Sunday. Based on the negotiations, Fiat's new cars will be produced in
Iran and exported to regional countries, he said, adding that joint
production rather than import is on the agenda." http://t.uani.com/1Q5eyVy
Nuclear
Program & Agreement
Tasnim
(Iran): "Head
of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi
stressed that the country is seriously pursuing construction of its first
nuclear hospital, which he said will be a special nuclear research
center. 'We are seriously following up on the construction of the nuclear
hospital,' Salehi said in a televised interview with IRIB on Monday
night. The recent visits President Hassan Rouhani paid to Italy and
France have offered promising prospects for the hospital's construction,
he added. 'The hospital will have the most advanced radio-equipment,'
Salehi noted, predicting that its first phase will be inaugurated within
the next 3 to 4 years. 'The Iranian nuclear hospital will not just be a
hospital, but a nuclear research center, where nuclear engineers will
work on medical issues,' he added. According to the Iranian nuclear
chief, the hospital will cost some $330 million to build. Salehi had
earlier announced that Iran is seriously pursuing the necessary measures
to turn the country into a hub of nuclear medicine production in the
Middle East." http://t.uani.com/1Q5dUrj
U.S.-Iran
Relations
Fars
(Iran):
"Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali
Khamenei scoffed at Washington's claim of support for human rights and
democracy, noting that the US support for Saudi-Israeli wars in the
region says it all. 'The Americans don't have any answers to the easiest
questions from the world community. They don't say why they support those
behind the ongoing crimes against humanity in Yemen. The don't shy away
from backing those behind the ongoing state terrorism against the
defenseless people of Yemen,' Ayatollah Khamenei said Monday in an address
to the Air Force and Air Defense commanders and personnel. Ayatollah
Khamenei added, 'They (the US) support the child-killer Zionist regime
and regional allies which aren't familiar with and don't understand
elections at all.' Ayatollah Khamenei further advised the Iranian
officials to be wary of American officials who commit the worst possible
crimes 'then smile and talk to you.'" http://t.uani.com/1Xg2CWK
Congressional
Action
The Hill: "Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) late
Monday filed an amendment to a North Korea sanctions bill that would
require the administration to disclose to Congress any cooperation
between the rogue Asian nation and Iran on nuclear weapon and ballistic
missile development. A House-passed version of the bill has a similar
provision, but it was stripped out of the Senate version. The Senate is
slated to take up the bill, called the North Korea Enforcement Sanctions
Act, on Wednesday. Congress took up the issue after North Korea said it
successfully tested a hydrogen bomb last month. On Saturday, the country
conducted a missile launch that it claimed was to put a satellite into
space for peaceful purposes, but the U.S. and allies suspect was a
long-range missile test in violation of international law. Perdue and
other members of Congress suspect that North Korea and Iran are
cooperating and that the administration has been reluctant to disclose to
Congress what it knows. 'It's undeniable that Iran and North Korea have
been cooperating on nuclear weapon and ballistic missile development for
years now,' said Perdue, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, in a statement. 'Iranians have reportedly been present for at
least three of North Korea's nuclear tests,' he said. Perdue's amendment
would require the administration to submit a semiannual report to
Congress on North Korea's cooperation with Iran on nuclear weapon and
ballistic missile testing, development and research. It would also
require the administration to disclose to Congress the identity of
individuals who have knowingly engaged in or directed material support or
exchanged information between governments of Iran and North Korea for
their nuclear programs." http://t.uani.com/20Tda06
Sanctions
Relief
WSJ: "Greek Prime Minister Alexis
Tsipras on Monday became the first Western leader to visit Iran since the
lifting of trade sanctions against the Middle Eastern nation, as Greece
aims to become a conduit between the European Union and Tehran. 'Greece
will become an energy, economic and trade bridge between Iran and
European Union,' the Greek prime minister said in Tehran. On Monday, Mr.
Tsipras met Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani, who has already made a European tour to sign a
number of business deals. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation
on energy, technology, commerce, tourism and construction, according to
Greek officials. Talks also focused on the importance of dealing with
Islamic State militants, improving stability in the region and finding a
diplomatic solution to the Syrian conflict. 'Iran and its reintegration
in the international community can play a role in stabilizing the wider
region from Afghanistan to the Mediterranean,' Mr. Tsipras said after the
meeting with Mr. Rouhani... Greece and Iran launched discussions to
resume Iranian oil deliveries to Greece in late January, when Iran's
deputy petroleum minister, Amir-Hossein Zamaninia, and other Iran
officials visited Athens. Greece's largest refinery, Hellenic Petroleum,
also agreed to buy oil from the National Iranian Oil Co., marking the
first sale of Iranian crude to a European country since the lift of
sanctions after an agreement between the major world powers and Iran over
its nuclear program." http://t.uani.com/1o0bRyK
IRNA
(Iran): "Italy
is interested to be one of the main trade partners of the Islamic
Republic, says the Italian ambassador to Tehran. 'Iran and Italy maintain
very good relations and this encourages Rome to seek to become as
Tehran's main trade partner,' said Mauro Conciatori on Tuesday addressing
the participants of Iran, Italy trade conference at Espinas Hotel. Iran
and Italy second trade conference attended by the Iranian ministers and
their Italian counterparts kicked off Tuesday morning. Referring to the
event, Conciatori said that the participation of two Italian ministers
shows the importance Rome attaches to expanding ties with Tehran...
'Italy wants to become a regional economic hub with Iran playing the
central role,' he said... Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas
Akhondi, Minister of Agricultural Jihad Mahmoud Hojjati, and Deputy
Petroleum Minister for International Affairs Amir-Hossein Zamani-Nia
along with Maurizio Martina, Italy's Minister of Agricultural, Food and
Forestry Policies, and Graziano Del Rio, the European country's Minister
of Infrastructure and Transport were among high-ranking officials present
at the trade conference." http://t.uani.com/20IbEkY
Economic
Times (India):
"Freed of international sanctions, Iran has asked India to
reactivate its accounts with Indian banks and allow Iranian banks to open
offices here. Keen to quickly normalise banking and commercial relations
with the world, Tehran also wants UCO Bank to open a representative
office in Iran, official sources said. Tehran has already opened an
account with IDBI Bank... Central Bank of Iran's vice governor Gholamali
Kamyab has conveyed to Indian authorities that Bank Pasargad and Parsian
Bank were keen to open representative offices in India while Saman Bank
was interested in opening a subsidiary, they said. Tehran wants Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) and Ministry of Finance to reactivate Iranian bank
accounts with Indian banks. State Bank of India (SBI) has accounts of 11
Iranian banks including Central Bank of Iran (CBI). Iran's proposal to
India come close on the heels of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
Ltd, a Chinese multinational banking company, and Russia's Tempbank
planning to open branches in the Persian Gulf nation... Sources said
Kamyab has conveyed that Iran would help UCO Bank to open a
representative office for the help it had extended to Iran during last
three years of sanctions. UCO Bank operated an account of National
Iranian Oil Company ( NIOC) that received rupee payment for oil sold to
Indian refiners." http://t.uani.com/1SdKeyq
Shana
(Iran): "The
International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO) has
agreed with the return of National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) to the
forum following removal of sanctions in the wake of implementation of
nuclear Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). INTERTANKO Executive
Committee in its recent meeting agreed with NITC's return and full
membership in the association, the Iranian tanker company announced. The
decision was communicated in a letter signed by INTERTANKO Chairman
Nikolas Tsakos to NITC Managing Director Ali-Akber Safaei. NITC became a
member of the association in February 2007 but INTERTANKO discontinued
cooperation with its Iranian member under escalation of sanctions." http://t.uani.com/23UFnWU
Reuters: "Iran plans to turn itself into
a major food exporter, hoping the lifting of sanctions will boost
international trade and allow investment in the agricultural sector, an
official in Iran's state grain buying agency said. 'We are ready for a
big leap in the post-sanctions era. We hope by removing the shackles of
sanctions from our farmers' hands, we can see an increase in production
and even exports,' Amir Hossein Shahmir, head of international trade at
the Government Trading Corporation (GTC) told Reuters." http://t.uani.com/1nVehhB
Terrorism
AFP: "Bahrain's prosecution service
said Monday it has charged 11 suspects with forming a 'terrorist' group,
including a number trained by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the
Hezbollah branch in Iraq. The group, including four suspects on the run,
has been charged with 'establishing and joining a terrorist group;
possessing explosives, weapons and firearms; and receiving training for
terrorist purposes', Advocate General Ahmed al-Hamadi said. He said four
suspects 'attended military training camps operated by Iran's
Revolutionary Guards and the Iraqi branch of Hezbollah', although it was
unclear if they were the fugitives. The charges were filed after a probe
into a weapons cache found in a warehouse in the Shiite village of
Nuwaidrat, he said in a statement. 'In excess of 1.5 tons of high-grade
explosives, including C4-RDX, TNT and other powerful chemical explosives
were discovered in the counter-terrorism operation in September last
year,' he said." http://t.uani.com/1RlHZba
Times of
Israel: "An
Iranian official on Monday rejected reports that Tehran has ceased
funding the Palestinian terror group Hamas, and stressed that supporting
the fight against Israel remains a 'principled policy,' the semi-official
Tasnim news agency said. Speaking at his weekly press conference in
Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari rejected
media reports that funding for the Gaza-based group ceased in 2009. Ansari
said that supporting 'Palestinian resistance movements' is part of Iran's
foreign policy, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
He called the Palestinian issue 'pivotal and basic' for Muslims,
according to the agency. Ansari's comments contradict a phone
conversation recently published by London-based daily A-Sharq al-Awsat in
which senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk is heard to say: 'We
haven't gotten anything from them since 2009, and everything [the
Iranians] are saying is a lie.'" http://t.uani.com/20IhEdu
Iraq
Crisis
Long War
Journal: "Kata'ib
Sayyid al Shuhada (KSS), an Iranian-backed Shia militia which operates in
both Syria and Iraq, has been spotted using a US-made M1 Abrams tank in a
recently released video. The video, which is a montage of different
militias within the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU's), a Shia-led
collection of militias in Iraq, has been shared on several PMU social
media outlets. Around the 16 second mark of the video, a KSS flag can
clearly be seen atop an Abrams... KSS is not the first Shiite militia to
publicize its use of an M1 Abrams. The Hezbollah Brigades, a
US-designated foreign terrorist organization, showed an Abrams flying the
Hezbollah Brigades flag earlier last year... The Badr Organization,
another Iranian-backed Shiite militia, has also publicized photos showing
its forces in possession of an Abrams... KSS is closely linked to Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) - Qods Force, the Iranian government's
special operations branch which foments and supports Islamic revolutions
in the Middle East." http://t.uani.com/1O1o5M0
Domestic
Politics
AFP: "Prominent but as yet unnamed
reformists are among more than 1,400 initially rejected candidates now
eligible to contest Iran's parliamentary elections on Feb. 26, a
government official said Tuesday. The new approvals raise the potential
for a change in the balance of power in Iran's parliament, a prospect
that looked impossible after thousands of contenders were barred in a
first round of vetting. Anyone seeking to become one of Iran's 290 MPs
must satisfy the Guardian Council, a conservative-dominated
constitutional watchdog of clerics and jurists, of their suitability for
public office. No names of the new approvals have yet been officially
released but a final list is expected on Feb. 16. Parliament is now
dominated by conservatives, and a reformist official said that last
month's exclusions had left only one percent - 30 of the group's 3,000
candidates - eligible for the election. Iran's Interior Ministry, which
will supervise the ballot, said efforts by President Hassan Rouhani's
government led to previously barred reformists, moderates and
conservatives being approved. The number of people allowed to contest the
parliamentary election now stands at 6,185 - 51 percent of original
applicants - including 586 women." http://t.uani.com/20TfDb2
Foreign
Affairs
Saudi Gazette: "Some 27 people - mostly Saudis
- are to appear before the Criminal Court in Riyadh for spying for Iran,
Makkah daily reported on Sunday. The accused were arrested in 2013 in
Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah and the Eastern Province. The national security department
of the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution (BIP) has already
completed the list of charges against the accused. The bureau had
sufficient evidence on the involvement of the accused. The list of
charges includes gathering data on a number of vital installations in the
Kingdom. The Interior Ministry had announced on March 19, 2013, that it
had captured 18 people accused of spying for Iran. The accused include 16
Saudis, a Lebanese and an Iranian arrested in simultaneous crackdown in
four regions. The Lebanese was later released for lack of sufficient
evidence against him. Two months later the ministry announced that 10
more people were arrested for spying for Iran including eight Saudis, a
Turkish national and a Lebanese raising the total number of the accused
to 27. The ministry had earlier said that 21 of them have confessed and
legally documented their confessions." http://t.uani.com/1Tawc0D
Opinion
& Analysis
Khaled
Abu Toameh in JPost:
"Emboldened by its nuclear deal with the world powers, Iran is
already seeking to enfold in its embracing wings around the Arab and
Islamic region. Iran's capacity for intrusions has been starved by years of
sanctions. Now, with the lifting of sanctions, Tehran's appetite for
encroachment has been newly whetted -- and its bull's-eye is the West
Bank. Iran has, in fact, been meddling for many years in the internal
affairs of the greater region. It has been party to the civil wars in
Yemen and Syria, and, through the Shi'ite Muslims living there, continues
actively to undermine the stability of many Gulf states, including Saudi
Arabia and Bahrain. The lives of both the Lebanese and the Palestinians
are also subject to the ambitions of Iran, which fills the coffers of
groups such as Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad. Until recently, Iran held
pride of place as Hamas's primary patron in the Gaza Strip. It was thanks
to Iran's support that Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas, held hostage
nearly two million Palestinians living in the Strip. Moreover, this
backing enabled Hamas to smuggle all manner of weapons into the Gaza
Strip, including rockets and missiles that were aimed and fired at
Israel. But the honeymoon between Iran and Hamas ended a few years ago,
when Hamas refused to support the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad
-- Tehran's major ally in the Middle East -- against the Syrian
opposition. Since then, the Iranians, who have lost confidence in their
erstwhile Hamas allies, have been searching among the Palestinians for
more loyal friends. And they seem to have found them: Al-Sabireen ('the
Patient Ones'). Al-Sabireen, Iran's new ally, first popped up in the Gaza
Strip, where they recruited hundreds of Palestinians, many of them former
members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Palestinian sources report that
Al-Sabireen has also succeeded in enlisting many disgruntled Fatah
activists who feel betrayed by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its
president, Mahmoud Abbas. This sense of betrayal is the fruit of the PA's
failure to pay salaries to its former loyalists. In addition, anti-Israel
incitement and indoctrination in mosques, social media and public
rhetoric has radicalized Fatah members and driven them into the open arms
of Islamist groups. The Iranian-backed Al-Sabireen is already a headache
for Hamas. The two terror groups share a radical ideology and both seek
to destroy Israel. Nonetheless, Al-Sabireen considers Hamas 'soft' on
Israel because it does not wage daily terror attacks against its
citizens. The 'Patient Ones' are seeking Palestinians as a group to
become an Iranian proxy in the region. Buoyed by the nuclear deal and the
lifting of sanctions against Tehran, Al-Sabireen members are feeling
optimistic. The group recently described these developments as a
'victory' for all Muslims and proof of their 'pride and strength.'
Muslims should now unite, they said, in order to stand up to the 'world's
arrogance and remove the Zionist entity from the land of Palestine.'
Indeed, Al-Sabireen appears to be redoubling its efforts to eliminate the
'Zionist entity' and replace it with an Islamist empire. Toward that
goal, the group is now seeking to extend its control beyond the Gaza
Strip. The lifting of the sanctions against Iran coincided with reports
that Al-Sabireen has infiltrated the West Bank, where it is working to
establish terror cells to launch attacks against Israel. According to
Palestinian Authority security sources, Al-Sabireen has already located
some West Bank Palestinians who were more than happy to join the group's
jihad against Jews and Israel. PA security forces recently uncovered a
terror cell belonging to Al-Sabireen in Bethlehem and arrested its five
members. The suspects received money from the group's members in the Gaza
Strip in order to purchase weapons to attack Israeli soldiers and
settlers in the West Bank. Al-Sabireen is not the only Iranian proxy
whose eye is on the West Bank. Last month, in the West Bank city of
Tulkarm, Israeli security forces uncovered and broke up a terrorist cell
commanded by Hezbollah, which was planning suicide bombings and shooting
attacks. The Palestinian members of the cell had been taught by Jawed
Nasrallah, the son of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, how to carry out
suicide bombings, assemble bomb vests, gather intelligence, and set up
training camps. All of this sounds eerily familiar. As it has spread its
wings over Al-Sabireen and Hezbollah, Iran has done much the same with
its other proxies such as the Houthis in Yemen and members of the Shi'ite
communities in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, all the while fomenting
instability and gaining bases of local power." http://t.uani.com/1T3DS3F
Hanin
Ghaddar in NOW Lebanon: "Hezbollah's chief Hassan Nasrallah declared his
victory in Lebanon in his last speech and he's right. Hezbollah won
Lebanon and no one seems to care. March 14 dissolved long before its
leaders nominated March 8 figures for presidency. Political opponents to
the Party of God and its hegemony over Lebanon lost the battle a long
time ago, when they compromised values for political gains. The state is
increasingly weakened by the void in its institutions, corruption of its
spearheads, and petty individual interests. Regional powers are busy in
Syria and Yemen while the international community seems to have given up
on Lebanon. As long as Hezbollah's involvement in Syria is not challenged
by the international community, it means only one thing for Lebanon; that
Iran has been given a free hand to take over. The release of a criminal
and terrorist of Michel Samaha's caliber is nothing but a sign of who
runs the show, and how weak we are to even protest it. Iran won Lebanon!
And Iran can do anything it wants in Lebanon without any political
opposition or challenges. And now Iran can focus to win what it needs in
Syria, while everyone is busy making business deals with the 'new Iran.'
Lebanon, on the other hand, is going to pay a very high price for all
these deals and compromises, more so as Iran, Russia and the Assad regime
are scoring more gains in Syria. To protect Hezbollah's arms, Iran will
do anything; whatever it takes and no matter how many people and lives are
sacrificed. The arms are above all. The sacredness of these arms was
justified by fighting Israeli aggression and occupation, and is justified
today by fighting terrorism and takfiris. However, the real purpose and
ultimate goal of Hezbollah's arms is their mere existence. Hezbollah's
arms are a symbol of its power and authority over Lebanon and the
Lebanese. So without them, Hezbollah has nothing, and Iran will lose
influence in Lebanon and the region. Even if they're not in use, arms are
the backbone of this power. With the changing dynamics in the region,
Iran's deal with the West and the escalating Sunni-Shiite conflict in the
region, Hezbollah wants to make sure nothing changes the status quo of
its arsenal. Today, there is no one to challenge Hezbollah's arms in
Lebanon. To guarantee that for the longest time possible, Hezbollah will
need more void and the disintegration of state institutions, which will
intensify and become worse... Despite the challenges, the Party of God is
steadily moving to take whatever is left of Lebanon. If no one stops it,
Lebanon will be a state-within-Hezbollah's-state, not the other way
around. And we are not far from it." http://t.uani.com/1PzHlSX
Thomas
Karako in Defense One:
"North Korea's test is also not disconnected from Iran, its frequent
partner in missile development. Unless this recent event was unlike most
previous long range missile tests, foreign dignitaries and engineers
(from Iran and elsewhere) were likely on hand to witness the launch at
Sohae, either as potential customers or as a part of a more substantial
coproduction arrangement. Only last month, the U.S. Department of the
Treasury identified and sanctioned Iranian people and corporations for
contributing to a North Korean 80-ton booster-probably about the size of
the rocket launched on Feb. 7. Of particular concern is if Unha's engines
and other ICBM-related technologies could help develop a longer-range Iranian
missile, including one sometimes called Simorgh. While the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) put a number of restrictions on
nuclear weapons development within Iran, it does not touch its missile
program, and even paves the way to eliminate international ballistic
missile-related sanctions after eight years. In recent months, the Obama
administration has rebuked Iran for conducting several ballistic missile
tests in direct violation of UNSCR 1929 and its successor, UNSCR 2231.
Transnational cooperation is, of course, nothing new to the world of
proliferation. Indeed, besides missiles, nuclear weapons development and
even testing within North Korea could be a basis for future Iranian
breakout, while avoiding the appearance of noncompliance with the JCPOA.
For these and other reasons, missile defense efforts under the European
Phased Adaptive Approach continue to remain important. The Obama
administration and its NATO allies have therefore prudently retained the
EPAA implementation despite the nuclear deal with Iran." http://t.uani.com/1o0cYOQ
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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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