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Top Stories
AP:
"Iran will block the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the
Persian Gulf, the passageway through which a fifth of the world's oil
flows, if its interests are seriously threatened, a senior Iranian
military commander said Saturday. 'We do have a plan to close the Strait
of Hormuz,'state media quoted Gen. Hasan Firouzabadi as saying Saturday.
'A Shiite nation (Iran) acts reasonably and would not approve
interruption of a waterway ... unless our interests are seriously
threatened,' Press TV quoted him as saying. The comments by Firouzabadi,
the chairman of Iran's Joint Chiefs of Staff, come days after the
European Union enforced a total oil embargo against Iran for its refusal
to halt its uranium enrichment program." http://t.uani.com/N8LgJM
WSJ:
"The U.S. State Department said Friday it welcomed a decision by
Italian company Edison International SpA to withdraw from Iran's energy
sector. Edison withdrew from its contract to explore Iran's Dayyer
natural gas field, the State Department said, and it pledged not to
engage in activity with Iran in the future that is subject to U.S.
sanctions. The State Department said, as a result of the company's
decision, it granted a 'special rule' under the Iran Sanctions Act to
Edison that says the company will not be subject to an investigation into
past Iran-based activities, so long as it lives up to the assurances it
gave to the U.S. government." http://t.uani.com/M9kUCG
JPost:
"Germany's multi-billion euro bilateral trade relationship with Iran
continues unabated, even as evidence mounts that the Islamic Republic is
determined to build a nuclear weapons capability. The Jerusalem Post has
obtained an uncensored list from late 2011, showing hundreds of German
and Iranian enterprises in a flourishing trade relationship... One
company named is Baden-Württemberg-based engineering giant Herrenknecht
AG, which appears to be delivering heavy tunneling equipment to Iran -
some of which is promoted as having the capability of 'drilling down to
depths of 6,000 meters.' In response to Post inquiries, an unidentified
representative of the company wrote via email on Friday that it has
'comprehensively ensured that Herrenknecht excavation engineering and
services solely reach projects which clearly pursue civil applications
[metro tunnel construction, sewage pipes and water supply lines].' After
such projects are completed, it cannot be determined if Iran intends to
or already has used the equipment for its nuclear facilities... Late last
month, Germany's Federal Statistical Office said that bilateral trade
with Iran in 2011 totaled nearly 4 billion euros (with about 3b. euros in
German exports and 778m. euros in Iranian imports)." http://t.uani.com/RK95b6
Nuclear
Program
AP:
"A new book claims Israel's spy agency dispatched assassins into
Iran, as part of a campaign to sabotage the country's disputed nuclear
program. Israeli operatives have killed at least four Iranian nuclear
scientists, including targeting them with operatives on motorcycles, an
assassination technique used by the Israeli spy service, the Mossad,
according to authors Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman in their book to be
published July 9, 'Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israel's Secret
Wars'. The Mossad agents 'excel at accurate shooting at any speed and
staying steady to shoot and to place exquisitely shaped sticky bombs' and
consider it their hallmark, Raviv said Friday during an interview with
both authors." http://t.uani.com/ONsx6Y
Bloomberg:
"An Iranian parliament lawmaker said his country is willing to
consider the temporary suspension of 20-percent uranium enrichment as
part of a negotiated accord, state-run Press TV news channel reported. In
return the so-called P5+1 -- U.S., U.K., France, China, Russia and
Germany -- must agree to meet the country's needs for 20-percent enriched
uranium, said Mohammad-Hassan Asferi, a member of the Parliament's
national security and foreign policy committee, according to Press TV.
Iran would be willing to suspend its 20-percent enrichment activity for a
specific period if western powers meet its enrichment needs during this
time, Asferi said, adding that permanent suspension is 'by no means
acceptable.'" http://t.uani.com/MfCrLX
Sanctions
Reuters:
"Iran has reached agreements with European refiners to sell some of
its oil through a private consortium, an official said on Saturday, a
move designed to circumvent sanctions intended to put pressure on Tehran
to halt its disputed nuclear program. The head of the oil products
exporters' union said the agreement between the exporters' union, Iran's
central bank, and the oil ministry would get round a European Union ban
on shipping insurance for tankers carrying Iranian oil, though he gave
few details and did not name the refiners involved." http://t.uani.com/NSEHXf
Bloomberg:
"The head of Iran's executive, legislative, and judicial branches
held a special meeting yesterday to discuss ways to counter Western-led
sanctions against Iran, the state-run Mehr news agency reported. During
the meeting, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Parliamentary Speaker Ali
Larijani, and Judiciary Chief Sadegh Larijani emphasized the need for
cooperation in fighting sanctions, Mehr said. Ahmadinejad and his cabinet
also briefed the country's Expediency Council, which has the final say in
disputes on legislation, on Iran's economic situation and measures to
neutralize sanctions' effects, according to the report published late
yesterday." http://t.uani.com/NhlwXe
Bloomberg:
"Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has designed a one-year plan
to avert the effects of increasing sanctions against the nation,
Donya-e-Eqtesad reported, citing a top official. Ahmadinejad made the
comments in a July 7 meeting when he gave a briefing on Iran's economic
situation to the Expediency Council, which has the final say in disputes
on legislation, Mohsen Rezai, the council's secretary said, according to
the Tehran-based newspaper. The president participated along with the
Central Bank governor, the oil, economy and finance, and industries,
mines and commerce ministers, Donya said. Western-led sanctions against
Iran have created problems in the past 2 years and pressure has
intensified in the last six months leading to 'a drop in the foreign currency
revenues,' 'complications for banking transfers,' and 'restrictions on
ships that bring goods to Iran,' the government said, according to
Rezai." http://t.uani.com/NeFBAy
Bloomberg:
"An Iranian Parliament member rejected an inflation figure of 22.5
percent as given by official agencies, saying the current rate is 33.5
percent, Donya-e- Eqtesad reported. The figure hasn't been officially
released, Gholamreza Kateb, the spokesman for the Parliament's planning
committee, said without giving further detail, the newspaper said. Iran's
inflation rate accelerated to 22.2 percent in the 12 months through the
Iranian month of Ordibehesht, which ended May 20, from 21.8 percent the
previous month, the Central Bank said last month." http://t.uani.com/Nam4je
Commerce
Bloomberg:
"A Chinese company has invested some $500 million for the
construction of a coal-fired power plant in central Iran, Tehran Times
reported, citing Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Mohammad Behzad. Behzad,
who didn't name the company, said the power plant will be located in the
city of Tabas in Yazd Province and will be able to generate 650 megawatts
of electricity. The project requires a total of 7 trillion rials ($570
million) and is planned to start operating within six years, Behzad said,
according to the newspaper." http://t.uani.com/NiChod
Terrorism
AFP:
"A US federal judge has ordered Iran to pay more than $813 million
in damages and interest to the families of 241 US soldiers killed in the
1983 bombing of a Marine barracks in Lebanon. 'After this opinion, this
court will have issued over $8.8 billion in judgments against Iran as a
result of the 1983 Beirut bombing,' Judge Royce Lamberth wrote in a
ruling this week, a copy of which was seen Friday by AFP. 'Iran is
racking up quite a bill from its sponsorship of terrorism,' the
Washington judge added, noting that 'a number of other Beirut bombing
cases remain pending, and their completion will surely increase this
amount.' On October 23, 1983, 241 American soldiers, including 220
Marines, were killed in Beirut when a truck packed with explosives rammed
through barricades and detonated in front of the US barracks near
Beirut's international airport." http://t.uani.com/N8K49c
Human Rights
Fox News:
"A new court date has been set for Youcef Nadarkhani, the Iranian
pastor on death row who has been imprisoned for nearly 1,000 days, but
his supporters remain in the dark about what it could mean for his
ultimate fate, FoxNews.com has learned. Nadarkhani, 35, is scheduled to
appear in court on Sept. 8, according to Jordan Sekulow, executive
Director of the American Center for Law and Justice, which has been
closely monitoring the case. 'We do not know the purpose of the appearance
or the likelihood of new charges,' Sekulow told FoxNews.com. 'We want to
dispel any rumors that his current apostasy charge, for which he was
sentenced to death, has been removed. Until the regime unconditionally
exonerates and releases Pastor Youcef, his apostasy charge stands.'"
http://t.uani.com/LXGa2v
Foreign Affairs
AFP:
"Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Sunday that forcing Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad to step down and go into exile would be a
'joke,' warning an attack on his country would be 'stupid' and
'catastrophic.' 'Iran supports Assad's reform plans and the talk about
forcing him to go into exile is a joke,' Hossein Amir Abdollahian told
reporters in Amman, where he invited King Abdullah II to attend an August
summit of Non-Aligned Movement. 'Military action Syria is unlikely and if
this happens it would be stupid. Syria can defend itself without Iran's
help. Any non-political solution would bring catastrophe to the entire
region,' he said." http://t.uani.com/LBUQqc
AP:
"State prosecutors in Frankfurt say they are investigating a
10-year-old's allegations she was inappropriately touched by an Iranian
diplomat. Spokeswoman Doris Moeller-Scheu said Monday the girl told
authorities employee of the Iranian consulate in Frankfurt approached her
as she was playing and felt her hair, then followed her into her
apartment building and tried to kiss her. She says the girl's mother
immediately filed a complaint with police but didn't know who the suspect
was until the girl recognized him on the street a week later. He was
taken into custody but released after claiming diplomatic immunity. Iran
says the diplomat is the target of a smear campaign of a smear campaign
orchestrated by an Iranian opposition group." http://t.uani.com/MdllNs
JPost:
"Iran's official news agency IRNA announced on Saturday that Iran
had been elected as a representative of the Asian working group and
deputy head of the UN Arms Trade Treaty Conference earlier in the week.
The conference, which started last week, is a month-long effort to put
together the first-ever binding multilateral treaty regulating the
world's massive arms trade. The Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch
responded on Sunday calling for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to
reject and condemn Iran's selection for a key role as part of the
conference." http://t.uani.com/NUrA85
Opinion &
Analysis
Michael Makovsky
and Blaise Misztal in WSJ: "As efforts continue to
prevent Iran from making nuclear weapons, a central Iranian negotiating
demand is acknowledgment of its 'right' to enrich uranium under the
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Although spurious, this assertion has
gone without a forceful public challenge. By categorically refuting the
claim, the United States and its international partners could fortify and
clarify their stance against Iran's nuclear program. The crux of world
concern is Iran's uranium-enrichment program. Enrichment can produce fuel
for electricity-generating nuclear reactors and fissile material for a
nuclear weapon. Iran currently produces 3.5% and 20% enriched uranium,
claiming that it requires the former for electricity generation and the
latter for medical isotopes. While 20% is not yet weapons-grade (which is
above 90%), the larger and more highly enriched Iran's uranium stockpile
grows, the faster it can be turned into a nuclear weapon. Each month Iran
produces enough 20%-enriched uranium to meet its medical needs for a year
(nearly 20 pounds), yet it continues to expand its infrastructure for
enriching uranium to this level. Iran says it is not breaking any rules
and has a right to enrich uranium. Earlier this year, its chief
negotiator demanded that 'any right which is indicated in the
Nonproliferation Treaty should be respected.' During the Moscow talks in
June with representatives of six world powers, AP quoted an Iranian
delegate as saying that, 'Our minimum demand . . . is for them to
recognize our right to uranium enrichment. If this is not accepted by the
other side, then the talks will definitely collapse.' The Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) grants no such right. Its
Article IV merely states: '[N]othing in this Treaty shall be interpreted
as affecting the inalienable right of all the Parties to the Treaty to
develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful
purposes without discrimination and in conformity with articles I and II
of this Treaty.' This raises two problems for Iran's assertion. First,
enrichment isn't specifically enumerated. As the late nuclear strategist
Albert Wohlstetter warned, 'the NPT is, after all, a treaty against
proliferation, not for nuclear development.' Nothing in the NPT implies a
right to possess all, especially potentially military, elements of
nuclear technology. Second, the right to peaceful use of nuclear
energy is based on compliance with Article II of the treaty, which
requires that any country without nuclear weapons 'undertakes . . . not
to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons.' Further, the
country must, under Article III, accept International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) 'verification of the fulfillment of its obligations.' Iran
has consistently violated these obligations." http://t.uani.com/RK5WYU
Michael Singh in
WashPost: "Predictably, last week's 'expert level'
talks between Iran and world powers were no more fruitful than previous
rounds, leaving little optimism for a negotiated resolution to the
nuclear crisis anytime soon. Western policymakers, buoyed by their
success in reducing Iran's oil exports , appear content to give sanctions
more time to work, in the hope that once Tehran feels their full effect
negotiators will return to the table, more ready to compromise. The
evidence, however, suggests that sanctions' effect on oil exports will
not increase over time. First, Western policymakers tend to focus more on
what Iran has lost than what it has retained or gained. That's fine for a
political debate but bad for making sensible policy. It is true that
Iran's oil exports have declined from 2.5 million barrels per day to 1.5
million. But that reduced level is hardly meager: Iran is still one of
the world's top oil exporters, from which it earns billions in hard
currency. And nothing suggests that the drop in earnings has stunted
Iran's nuclear program, which is the target of Western ire. Iran is
enriching uranium faster and to higher levels than ever before. If any
party appears to feel a need to compromise, it is the 'P5 + 1' (the
United States, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany). They have
dropped demands that Iran fully halt enrichment in favor of requesting
that it merely cap enrichment at a low level. Furthermore, the historical
evidence does not suggest that sanctions' effect on regimes grows over
time. Numerous examples - including Moammar Gaddafi's Libya, Saddam Hussein's
Iraq and present-day North Korea - demonstrate that such regimes are
resilient and can hold out for a long time in the face of sanctions - and
can even adapt to or circumvent them. There is also good reason to
believe that states that reluctantly complied with oil sanctions will not
make further reductions and may even increase oil imports from Iran as
economic activity - and thus oil demand - recovers. Recent data suggest
that Chinese oil purchases from Iran have increased despite a dropoff in
the first quarter of this year. So while policymakers may hope that oil
sanctions will continue to pay dividends, it is likely that the full
effect has already taken hold... The most recent sanctions have been so
significant because they seized on Iranian dependence on oil-export
revenue - one of the regime's key vulnerabilities. To meaningfully
increase the pressure, policymakers should identify and exploit the
regime's other vulnerabilities." http://t.uani.com/PxNPqn
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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
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email Press@UnitedAgainstNuclearIran.com
United Against Nuclear
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commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a
regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons. UANI is an
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