In Case You Missed It: RS "Had Decided to Suspend Its Activities in Iran After Being Urged to Pull Out by U.S. Pressure Group United Against Nuclear Iran"

   

In Case You Missed It: RS "Had Decided to Suspend Its Activities in Iran After Being Urged to Pull Out by U.S. Pressure Group United Against Nuclear Iran"  UANI Campaign Success Profiled by Reuters   Russian firm to halt Iran ship work as pressure grows By Jonathan Saul Reuters September 5, 2012 A Russian firm has decided to stop verifying safety and environmental standards for one of Iran's biggest shipping groups, a letter showed, the latest international company wary of being caught up in Western sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Iran is under growing pressure over its disputed nuclear program and companies are cutting ties with its vital shipping sector, which transports most of its crude oil, for fear of losing lucrative U.S. business. Moscow opposes concerted trade pressure on Tehran by Washington and its allies, making the Russian company's decision unusual. A letter seen by Reuters showed St. Petersburg-based Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS), among the top 13 global ship classification societies, had decided to suspend its activities in Iran after being urged to pull out by U.S. pressure group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). A targeted campaign by UANI, which includes former U.S. ambassadors on its board and is funded by private donations, has already led to other classification societies exiting Iran. Without certification from classification societies, vessels are unable to secure insurance cover or call at most international ports. "The decision has been taken to suspend RS activities in Iran," its chief executive Mikhail Ayvazov wrote in a letter to UANI dated August 31. ... UANI chief executive Mark Wallace said: "It is significant that Russia's leading classification society will now refuse to do business with the IRISL. Iran's friends are becoming fewer." Western sanctions have targeted Iran's oil industry, a vital source of government revenue, aiming to ratchet up pressure on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to halt nuclear work, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes rather than military. "Iran will find ways around it but it's getting harder for them every day," a ship industry source said. ... There are more than 50 classification societies. Members of the top 13, including Germany's Germanischer Lloyd and France's Bureau Veritas, have left Iran in recent months after being targeted by UANI. Others such as Britain's Lloyd's Register have pulled out, citing Western sanctions. ... Click here to read the full article. Click here to visit UANI's Shipping Campaign page. ###                                                                         United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran should concern every American and be unacceptable to the community of nations. Since 1979 the Iranian regime, most recently under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's leadership, has demonstrated increasingly threatening behavior and rhetoric toward the US and the West. Iran continues to defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations in their attempts to monitor its nuclear activities. A number of Arab states have warned that Iran's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to Middle East stability and could provoke a regional nuclear arms race. In short, the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran is a danger to world peace. 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. The Objectives of United Against a Nuclear Iran Inform the public about the nature of the Iranian regime, including its desire and intent to possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran's role as a state sponsor of global terrorism, and a major violator of human rights at home and abroad; Heighten awareness nationally and internationally about the danger that a nuclear armed Iran poses to the region and the world; Mobilize public support, utilize media outreach, and persuade our elected leaders to voice a robust and united American opposition to a nuclear Iran; Lay the groundwork for effective US policies in coordination with European and other allies; Persuade the regime in Tehran to desist from its quest for nuclear weapons, while striving not to punish the Iranian people, and; Promote efforts that focus on vigorous national and international, social, economic, political and diplomatic measures. UANI is led by an advisory board of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of our country.

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