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Top Stories
Reuters:
"Iran's oil exports have fallen by an estimated 40 percent since the
start of the year as Western sanctions tear into the country's vital oil
industry, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday. The agency,
which represents the interests of major consuming nations, said
preliminary indications suggested exports - the lifeblood of Iran's
economy - fell to 1.5 million barrels per day in April-May from 2.5
million at end 2011. 'In months ahead, Iran may need to shut in
production volumes if export markets remain similarly constrained and
storage fills up,' the IEA said in its monthly report. It said it
believed Iran was still producing 3.3 million bpd, down from 3.5 million
last year and stockpiling unsold oil... Earlier this year, oil prices
rallied to $128 a barrel, their highest since 2008, on fears of a loss of
Iranian production. But they have since fallen below $100 per barrel on
signs of slowing economic growth in China, weak U.S. data and an
escalation in Europe's debt crisis." http://t.uani.com/KEHMcz
Bloomberg:
"Iranian oil stored on tankers at sea rose to as much as 42 million
barrels, the International Energy Agency said. The Persian Gulf country
added about 10 million barrels of floating storage by the end of last
month, the Paris-based adviser to industrialized countries said in a
report today, citing unnamed shipping analysts. About 17 supertankers and
seven Suezmaxes are holding crude, with another estimated 25 million
barrels being kept in onshore tanks, the report showed. U.S. and European
Union sanctions will cut Iranian crude exports by 1 million barrels a day
this year to about 1.5 million barrels a day, the IEA said." http://t.uani.com/KmSJob
AFP:
"World powers will outline to Iran a 'very clear path' to resolve
the impasse over its suspect nuclear program at talks in Moscow next
week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday in a joint
appearance with President Shimon Peres at the Saban Center for Middle
East Policy in Washington. 'There is a unified position being presented
by the P5+1 that gives Iran, if it is interested in taking a diplomatic
way out, a very clear path that would be verifiable and would be linked
to action for action,' Clinton told a US think-tank. 'I am quite certain
that they are under tremendous pressure from the Russians and the Chinese
to come to Moscow prepared to respond. Now whether that response is
adequate or not we will have to judge,' she added... Clinton said the
threat posed by Iran 'is real' and it was clear 'we are dealing with a
regime which has hegemonic ambitions.' 'The continuing effort by the
Iranians to extend their influence and to use terror as a tool to do so
extends to our hemisphere and all the way to East Asia. So the threat is
real,' she added." http://t.uani.com/LVOejn
 Nuclear Program
AFP: "Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov flew into Iran on Wednesday for a brief
visit expected to exert international pressure on Tehran over its
disputed nuclear programme, and to discuss the conflict in Syria. The
trip comes ahead of a new round of negotiations between Iran and the
major powers that is to be held in Moscow next Monday and Tuesday. US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on the eve of Lavrov's visit that
the Iranians 'are under tremendous pressure from the Russians and the
Chinese to come to Moscow prepared to respond' to proposals by the powers
to alleviate the showdown over Tehran's nuclear activities. The Russian
foreign ministry said Lavrov would devote 'particular attention to
preparations' for the Moscow meeting on the nuclear talks but gave no
other details." http://t.uani.com/OzJ1Ok
Sanctions
Reuters:
"The European Union will not cancel or delay a July 1 embargo on EU
countries providing shipping insurance for Iranian oil tankers, EU Energy
Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said at an industry conference on
Tuesday. The ban will leave India struggling to find a way to insure oil
shipments from Iran, Oil Minister S. Jaipal Reddy told reporters at the
same OPEC-organised conference. Major Asian importers of Iranian crude
have been pressing the EU to reconsider as the embargo will cover the
London insurance market - the leading provider of protection and
indemnity cover for global shipping markets. When asked about the
possibility of a delay or cancellation of the insurance embargo, Oettinger
said: 'No, let me say this, we have a clear position starting with the
oil ban on the first of July.'" http://t.uani.com/L76UhX
WSJ:
"ING Bank has agreed to pay a record penalty of $619 million for
illegally moving billions of dollars through the U.S. banking system on
behalf of Cuban and Iranian clients and threatening to fire employees if
they failed to conceal the origin of the money. The U.S. prohibits
certain countries and entities from accessing the U.S. banking system
through sanctions enforced by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign
Assets Control. Banks in Manhattan, which process most of the world's
U.S. dollar payments, use 'filters' to prevent terrorists, money
launderers and other criminals from gaining access. But the bank, a unit
of ING Groep NV, one of the Netherlands largest banks, used a system to
'strip,' or delete, references to Cuba and Iran and, through more than
20,000 separate transactions, successfully moved more than $2 billion
through the U.S. financial system. It is the fourth major bank to settle
with New York and U.S. authorities in recent years over such
activities." http://t.uani.com/L4U0Qh
Reuters:
"The United States has pressed Turkey to follow up on a 20 percent
cut in oil purchases from Iran with a further cut in six months time to
help persuade Iran to quit stalling in talks over its nuclear program, a
U.S. diplomat said on Tuesday. The diplomat said Washington granted
Turkey a 180-day exception from financial sanctions as a result of the
initial cut made by Tupras, Turkey's sole refiner and a unit of Koc
Holding. 'So Turkey now has 180 days, Tupras has 180 days to take a look
at its oil situation to decide - can it reduce further, can it get to
zero? - what it needs to do,' the diplomat said. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton said on Monday the U.S. would exempt India, South Korea,
Turkey and four other countries from financial sanctions because they
have significantly cut purchases of Iranian oil. That means Turkey's
Halkbank will be able to make payments to the Iranian Central Bank for
oil shipments to Tupras without fear of being blacklisted by the United
States." http://t.uani.com/MLZC21
AP:
"China defended its imports of Iranian oil but wouldn't say Tuesday
whether it might reduce them to avoid U.S. sanctions against Chinese
banks as the U.S. tries to squeeze Iran financially. Beijing says it has
normal economic relations with Iran, and Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu
Weimin said Beijing remains opposed to unilateral sanctions such as those
being pushed by the U.S. to pressure Tehran over its nuclear program.
'China imports oil from Iran through normal channels, which are
transparent and do not violate U.N. resolutions and do not hurt other
countries' interests,' Liu said at a daily news conference. Still,
China's oil imports from Saudi Arabia, Angola and Russia have risen this
year in an indication it is shifting away from Iranian sources." http://t.uani.com/LCOaUQ
WSJ:
"India is among seven countries the U.S. this week exempted from
sanctions aimed at financial institutions in countries that import large
quantities of oil from Iran. It's a reprieve for India, whose financial
institutions now won't face severe penalties for doing business with
Iran. India's oil purchases from Iran have dipped from about 16% of total
crude imports in 2008 to about 10% now - apparently enough to please
Washington, which is seeking to apply pressure on Tehran to abandon its
nuclear ambitions. But even though New Delhi is escaping the new
sanctions, it still faces significant challenges sourcing even these
much-lower amounts of oil from Iran. Transporting oil from the Middle
Eastern country is getting trickier for India because shipping companies
rely on U.S. and European firms to provide insurance coverage -
arrangements that are now much more difficult to secure than they were a
few years ago." http://t.uani.com/KBrIdx
Reuters:
"An independent panel of experts has recommended that the U.N.
Security Council's Iran sanctions committee add two Iranian firms to a
U.N. blacklist for violating a U.N. ban on arms exports by Tehran. The
recommendation to sanction Iran's Yas Air and SAD Import-Export is
included in a confidential report by the panel of experts, seen by
Reuters last month, which U.N. Security Council diplomats said was due to
be released in the near future. That report said Syria remained the top
destination for Iranian arms shipments in violation of a U.N. Security
Council ban on weapons exports by the Islamic Republic... Earlier this
year the U.S. Treasury Department imposed U.S. sanctions on Yas Air,
which is an Iranian cargo airline, along with three Iranian military
officials and a Nigerian shipping agent for supporting illegal arms
shipments to the Middle East and Africa." http://t.uani.com/LJ7guY
Bloomberg:
"Iran, seeking to combat high prices and the hoarding of goods by
shop owners, will increase the numbers of inspectors at bazaars, Shargh
reported, citing a top commerce official. Some 10,000 inspectors will be
sent to monitor the bazaars, said Javad Taghavi, the deputy minister of
Industries, Mines and Commerce, according to the Tehran-based newspaper.
The report didn't specify whether the measure was implemented nationwide
or in the capital, Tehran, alone. The ministry has set up a phone number
for Iranians to report and file complaints, Taghavi said, according to
the newspaper. Offenders will be punished, he added. International
sanctions aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program have targeted trade and
banking, pushing up the price of goods inside the country." http://t.uani.com/LytP4l
Human Rights
AP:
"A prominent Iranian human rights lawyer has been sentenced to 13
years in prison by a Tehran revolutionary court, his daughter has said.
Abdolfattah Soltani was originally given 18 years but appealed and has
now been told more years will be taken off if he denounces the Iranian
Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi. Maede Soltani, who lives in Germany,
said her family was officially notified on Monday of last week's appeal
ruling. Abdolfattah Soltani co-founded the Centre for Human Rights
Defenders with Ebadi. He was arrested last year. A court in March
initially sentenced the 58-year-old to 18 years in prison on various
charges, including co-founding the centre, spreading anti-government
propaganda and endangering national security." http://t.uani.com/KEPcfN
Opinion &
Analysis
UANI CEO Amb. Mark
Wallace in The Detroit News: "Earlier this year, GM
announced a new partner: French automotive giant PSA Peugeot Citroen
(Peugeot). While many are still speculating about the financial
implications of this trans-Atlantic alliance, there is no doubt that from
a foreign policy perspective, it is problematic, and raises numerous
questions that GM is unfortunately refusing to answer. My organization,
United Against Nuclear Iran, learned of the GM-Peugeot partnership
earlier this year, as well as GM's subsequent acquisition of a 7 percent
share of Peugeot. This concerned us greatly, since Peugeot was actively
doing business in Iran - a nation run by a brutal regime that is allied
with al-Qaida, has killed dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan,
plots terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, and is illegally pursing nuclear
weapons. The facts are beyond dispute: Peugeot is partnered with Iran's
Khodro Group, a subsidiary of an entity - IDRO - controlled by the
Iranian regime and associated with Iran's brutal Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps. Over half a million Peugeot vehicles were sold in Iran in
2010 alone, making Peugeot the leading foreign auto manufacturer produced
and sold there. Peugeot has more expatriate employees working in Iran
than any other western company. UANI respectfully raised these concerns
in a March 9 letter to GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson, asking that GM
'use its influence and leverage to compel Peugeot to immediately end its
business in Iran.' 'In the event Peugeot does not comply,' we added,
'UANI calls on GM to end its partnership with Peugeot.' In response to
UANI, a GM spokesman, Greg Martin, told Agence France-Presse that Peugeot
has 'halted its business dealings with Iran.' GM also told the Wall
Street Journal that Peugeot had 'made the decision to suspend the
production and shipment of material into Iran some time ago.' These would
ordinarily be welcome and reassuring statements. However they simply do
not jibe with reality. According to industry data, in the last year,
ending March 19, nearly half a million Peugeot vehicles were produced in
Iran - some 38,000 in the final month alone. On April 15, a report out of
the Middle East read, 'Iran's largest carmaker Iran Khodro Company branch
in Fars is scheduled to produce 15 thousand Peugeot Pars sedans.'
Another, on April 19, said that Peugeot's Iranian partner 'has not yet
received any official announcement from Peugeot indicating a halt in
their mutual cooperation.' In fact, the very article in which Martin was
quoted included a contradictory statement from a Peugeot spokesman, who
said that while Peugeot had halted March and April shipments, the larger
decision about ceasing business in Iran was being taken 'month by month.'
Similarly, a report in Just-Auto last month quoted a Peugeot spokeswoman
saying Peugeot had suspended Iran shipments until July, but is
considering resuming them in September. We are always open to new
information or explanations but, faced with the facts, it is hard not to
feel like GM and Peugeot are simply trying to make this controversy go
away without making the responsible decision to truly end their business
in Iran." http://t.uani.com/OzzMh4
Daniel
Schwammenthal in WSJ: "After the usual games of
brinkmanship and lowering expectations, Tehran just raised hopes again
ahead of next week's round of nuclear talks in Moscow. On Monday, in a
one-hour phone call with European Union High Representative Catherine
Ashton, according to her office, Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili
agreed 'to engage' on the proposals previously made by the major powers.
Before cheering, it's worth discussing the proposals' risks to Western
security. In exchange for technical support and a few eased trade
restrictions, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council
plus Germany (P5+1) demand that Iran, as a first step, stop enriching
uranium to 20%; ship abroad its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium; and
close the underground Fordow enrichment facility. Faithfully implemented,
such a deal would certainly delay parts of Iran's enrichment program. But
it would not stop Iran's march toward nuclear-weapons capabilities, and
might even offer certain advantages for its atomic plans. Particularly
troubling is that Iran would be allowed to keep and even grow its
stockpile of 3.5% enriched uranium, only this time with de-facto
international approval. That would be a significant political and, in the
end, military victory for the regime. It would permit Iran to stay much
closer to a bomb than the weapons-grade requirement of 90% enrichment
suggests. As Olli Heinonen, the former deputy director general of the
International Atomic Energy Agency, has repeatedly pointed out, mastering
low enrichment of 3.5% is 70% of the enrichment effort required for an
atomic weapon. With 20% enriched uranium, you are 90% there. Using IAEA
and official Iranian data, the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control
estimates that by mid-May, Iran had accumulated enough 3.5% to fuel-if
further enriched-not one but at least four nuclear weapons. Iran would
probably need three to 12 months to produce one bomb's worth of
weapons-grade material from its 3.5% stockpile. According to the
Wisconsin Project, Iran has also around 100 kilograms of 20% enriched
uranium; about 140 kilograms are needed for a bomb's worth of
weapons-grade material. Critically, the deal would do nothing to disrupt
the other elements of the regime's nuclear program. As we know from the
IAEA's November report, Iran has pursued every major area of
nuclear-weapons development, including triggers, computer simulations of
nuclear explosions, ballistic missiles and fitting them with nuclear
warheads. Partly controlling Tehran's enrichment activities will not halt
Iran's ability to move forward in those other areas. This is why U.N.
Security Council Resolution 1929 of June 9, 2010 demands that Iran
suspend all of its uranium enrichment activities, not just those below
20%, and requires full access for IAEA inspectors to suspected nuclear
sites and the cessation of any illegal activity. If this was the right
way forward in 2010, it certainly is the right way forward today." http://t.uani.com/KBtHOP
Ilan Berman in
Forbes: "The returns from Baghdad have been even
more meager. Iran and the 'P5+1' group of nations (the U.S., Russia,
China, Great Britain, France and Germany) didn't come to terms on an
agreement limiting the Iranian regime's uranium enrichment-a key point of
contention between Iran and the West. In fact, regime officials have
defiantly rejected the idea that they might stop enriching uranium to 20
percent, as per U.S. and European demands. Instead, all the parties
managed to do was agree to meet again for more talks, now slated to take
place later this month in Moscow. That outcome, of course, isn't
cost-free. It provides Iran with diplomatic breathing room, and delays-at
least temporarily-the application of significant additional economic
pressure on Iran by the U.S. and its allies, since Iran has already
warned that further sanctions could 'jeopardize' the nuclear talks now
underway. Tehran, moreover, can expect a more favorable playing field in
Moscow, where the Kremlin will likely provide much-needed political cover
for its sometime strategic partner. That may be fine by the White House.
With the U.S. presidential election looming this Fall, the Obama
administration is justifiably worried about the possibility of a
diplomatic rupture, or worse, with Iran-and eager to keep talking in
order to avoid one. It likewise wants to forestall unilateral military
action by Israel, which has signaled in no uncertain terms that it may
act alone against the Iranian regime if the West fails to make progress
on resolving the current nuclear crisis. For these reasons, Washington sees
negotiations as a net benefit, at least for the moment. So, too, does
Iran. A protracted negotiating track confers tremendous benefit to the
Iranian regime, providing it precious time to continue work on its
nuclear program and adapt its economy to better weather international
sanctions. That's precisely what it looks like Iran will receive. And
it's why Iran-for all of its bluster to the contrary-is likely to remain
engaged in the current round of talks with the West. Simply put, from
Iran's perspective diplomacy is indeed succeeding. It's exceedingly more
difficult, though, to put a similar spin on the West's position. Having
agreed to reopen talks with Tehran, the United States and its allies now
find themselves locked in protracted negotiations that play to Iran's
timetable even as the Islamic Republic inches closer to the bomb. America
and Europe will be hard-pressed to depict that outcome in a positive
light, no matter how hard they try." http://t.uani.com/MrzOYk
Laura Rozen in
Al-Monitor: "The Obama administration is considering
putting forward a broader proposal to Iran, rather than the more
incremental one presented at a meeting last month in Baghdad, diplomatic
sources told Al-Monitor. Those arguing in favor of the 'go big' approach
say their thinking has been influenced by two recent diplomatic
encounters with Iran that cast doubt on the viability of an incremental
deal, as well as by Israeli concerns over any interim deal being the last
one reached with Iran for the next few years, officials said. 'The
Israelis are concerned that once you get a deal, it will be the last deal
for a long time - the next two to three years,' a Western official told
Al-Monitor Thursday on condition of anonymity. 'So the Israelis are
afraid that we will agree to a s----- deal, and tell ourselves it's only
the initial step,' the official continued. No new sanctions are likely to
be imposed at that point, even if the parties do not go on to agree to
other steps, as currently planned, the official said about Israeli thinking.
The current Obama administration discussion revives a debate that took
place among US officials much of last year about whether to propose a big
or more incremental offer to Iran. Senior policy officials at the Defense
Department are said to have favored offering a bigger deal to Iran,
accompanied by a military threat were it not accepted. They were
countered by officials, mostly at the State Department, who argued that
there was such a lack of trust or diplomatic contact between the West and
Iran that it was more prudent to first propose a smaller
confidence-building measure. The group that argued for an incremental
approach prevailed as talks resumed in Istanbul in April." http://t.uani.com/LTz3Fg
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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.
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