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WSJ: "Turkey
on Friday acknowledged that a surge in its gold exports this year is
related to payments for imports of Iranian natural gas, shedding light on
Ankara's role in breaching U.S.-led sanctions against Tehran. The
continuing trade deal offers the most striking example of how Iran is
using creative ways to sidestep Western sanctions over its disputed
nuclear program, which have largely frozen it out of the global banking
system. The disclosure was made by Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister and top
economic policy maker Ali Babacan in answers to questions from the
parliamentary budget committee. Iran provides 18% of Turkey's natural gas
and 51% of its oil. But since U.S. and European Union sanctions ban
Tehran from receiving payments in dollars or euros, Ankara pays Iran for
the gas in Turkish liras. The lira is of limited value for buying goods
on international markets but ideal for purchasing Turkish gold. The
government hasn't specified how it pays for Iranian oil... In Turkey,
state-run lender Turkiye Halk Bankasi AS has been responsible for
processing the payments, since the U.S. adopted a measure in January to
stop dealing with financial institutions working with Iran's central
bank, freezing out private Turkish banks from facilitating payments.
Halkbank raised 4.5 billion liras ($2.5 billion) Monday in Turkey's
biggest offering in a secondary share sale-a 20.8% stake, according to a
statement to the Istanbul Stock Exchange." http://t.uani.com/TcLwqx
Postmedia News:
"The vast majority of Canadians and Americans think that the world
can't accept a nuclear-armed Iran, according to a new poll. Nine out of
ten people polled in both countries said they agreed with the statement
'the world cannot tolerate an Iran with nuclear weapons capability,'
according to an Ipsos Reid survey conducted on behalf of The Munk
Debates. Just over 2,000 Canadians and Americans were polled. The
results, 92 per cent of people in agreement with the statement, were the
same for respondents both north and south of the border. The degree to
which Canada's views on Iran mirrored those polled in the United States
surprised Rudyard Griffiths, co-organizer and moderator for The Munk
Debates - a semi-annual contest of debates on issues facing the world and
Canada... 'Many people I think were assuming that this government was
somehow out of step with public opinion when it comes to its very
hawkish, hard-line stance on Iran. When in fact, I think they're both
shifting public opinion but they're also being led by public
opinion.'" http://t.uani.com/10VkJEI
Bloomberg:
"Iran Air increased the expense of tickets for travel outside the
country by as much as 90 percent after a government decision to stop
subsidizing jet-fuel prices sent costs at the state-owned carrier
soaring. Prices rose on Nov. 22, the state run Iranian Students News
Agency said, citing guidelines issued to local travel agents. An economy
seat from Tehran to London now costs 17.6 million rials ($1,430), versus
9 million previously, with a ticket to Dubai priced at 6.1 million rials,
up from 3.8 million rials, it said. Iran Air is lifting fares after the
rial slumped 40 percent versus the dollar since August, with the cost of
kerosene jumping 83 percent to 22,000 rials a liter, ISNA said. While the
government shields importers of some goods from exchange rates by
granting access to dollars at a central bank level of 12,260 rials, the
Association of Iranian Airlines said in September that members would no
longer benefit... Outside carriers including Qatar Airways Ltd. have
increased services to Iran to fill gaps where the Islamic republic's own
operators are struggling to operate." http://t.uani.com/U6t7gr
Nuclear
Program
Politico: "Sen. Carl Levin
(D-Mich.) singled out Iran on Sunday as a major source of instability in
the Middle East, urging President Barack Obama to marshal world opinion
against the country. '[Obama's] got to point out that behind all of this
is Iran,' the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said on
NBC's 'Meet the Press.' 'Iran's support of Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, and
the way that has then been filtered into weaponry that goes through
Egypt, into Gaza... keep pulling the world together against Iran. That's
the source of the problem.' Levin's sentiment appears to be bipartisan.
'The centrifuges continue to spin in Tehran,' warned Sen. John McCain
(R-Ariz.) ominously earlier on 'Fox News Sunday.' 'The Iranians will
continue unless they see that there is a price to pay...It's time that we
recognized that it isn't just nuclear weapons the Iranians are
doing.'" http://t.uani.com/UVpqJg
Daily Telegraph:
"When the aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis returns to the placid
blue waters of the Gulf with her strike force of 70 jets in the next few
days, she will be ready for action off the coast of Iran. The flagship
$4.5 billion carrier, a 100,000 ton floating city with a crew of 5,000,
was despatched four months earlier than planned to bolster the United
States Navy's already formidable force in the region, the Fifth Fleet.
Its mission is to keep some of the world's busiest shipping lanes open in
its most combustible region; at any moment America's standoff with Iran
could escalate into a crisis. 'Could there be a threat?' asked Rear
Admiral Mike Shoemaker, the man who would command any mission to force
open the sea lanes. 'Yes is the answer. Is it manageable? Also
yes.'" http://t.uani.com/Sklx3x
AP:
"Iran is accusing the U.S. Navy of carrying out 'illegal and
provocative acts' in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman. In identical
letters to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council,
Iran's U.N. Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee said the Navy repeatedly violated
the country's airspace. He cited flights over the coastal areas of
Bushehr on seven occasions in October and most recently a U.S. drone
flight on Nov. 1 which disregarded all radio warnings and penetrated
Iranian airspace." http://t.uani.com/Tllimq
Sanctions
Reuters:
"Iran will build millions of barrels of oil storage facilities in
the Gulf over the next few months in response to international sanctions
on its exports, Iran's Press TV reported on Sunday. 'By the middle of the
next (Persian calendar) year (beginning March 20, 2013), nearly 8.1
million barrels will be added to the crude oil storage capacity of Iran,'
Press TV reported the managing director of the Iranian Offshore Oil
Company (IOOC), Mahmoud Zirakchian-Zadeh, as saying. The International
Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that Iranian oil exports rose to 1.3
million barrels a day (bpd) in October from around 1.0 million bpd in
August and September, but sales are still far below the 2.2 million bpd
it exported in 2011 because of U.S. and European Union sanctions... The
IEA estimates that Iranian crude oil held in floating storage nearly
halved to 13 million barrels at the end of October from as high as 25-30
million in April... Iran has over 20 million barrels of onshore oil storage
capacity at Kharg Island and another 5 million at Lavan Island but these
facilities are believed to have been filled as Iran's exports have slid
over the past year." http://t.uani.com/UWiGe3
Economic Times:
"Basmati rice exports to Iran may take a hit this fiscal.
Information trickling in from Indian rice trade sources indicates that
Iran has just reworked its multiple exchange rate system to circumvent
sanctions and rice importers in Iran will now have access to the open
market exchange rate with a 2% discount. This means that the Iranian rice
importer will now have to shell out Rs 23,000 to Rs 25,000 rials (or
2,300 to 2,500 toman) against one dollar as compared to 12,600 rials
against a dollar a week ago. This will automatically work as a disincentive
to import basmati rice from India as imports will become doubly
expensive." http://t.uani.com/V173mu
Reuters:
"Hewlett Packard Co said in a letter made public on Friday that its
products could have been delivered to Syria through resellers or distributors,
but the world's largest PC maker affirmed it did not sell directly to the
country. The letter was a response to a request from the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission's Office of Global Security Risk that asked
whether HP's products were sold in countries where they would be subject
to U.S. sanctions... HP's overseas subsidiaries ended sales of printers
and related supplies to third-party distributors and resellers with
customers in Iran in early 2009, the company wrote. But because its
products are often sold by others through indirect channels without its
knowledge or consent 'it is always possible that products may be diverted
to Iran or Syria after being sold to channel partners, such as
distributors and resellers,' HP said. Reuters has documented how banned
computer equipment from U.S. companies has made its way to Iran's largest
telecommunications company through China-based ZTE." http://t.uani.com/TYbFIR
AP:
"Spanish authorities have raided a company suspected of exporting
machinery to Iran that could be used in Tehran's nuclear program. The
company is suspected of sending to Iran, via Turkey, machines for the
manufacture of turbine propellers used in energy generation, the Finance
Ministry said in a statement Monday... The machinery was worth almost €1
million ($1.29 million) and officials believe it went to a company in
Istanbul before being sent on to Iran. Those arrested face smuggling
charges, which carry punishments of up to six years in prison and a
fine." http://t.uani.com/V1SMpr
AFP:
"Sri Lanka will sidestep US-led sanctions against Iran by diverting
its oil payments towards a water management project that Tehran is
funding in the island, a senior official was quoted Sunday as saying. Two
billion rupees ($15.38 million) owed to Iran for oil will be used to
finance the Uma Oya irrigation scheme, Sri Lankan Water Resources
Secretary Ivan de Silva told the local Sunday Times. Iran had pledged
some $450 million for the water project in 2008 but implementation had
been delayed due to lack of cash. 'Because of the US sanctions there is a
delay in transferring funds from Iran to Sri Lanka,' Silva said, adding
that both governments had agreed to the deal." http://t.uani.com/Sot7IK
Kuwait Times:
"A Kuwaiti newspaper claims possessing photographic evidence proving
that a local logistics firm could be dealing with an Iranian company
subjected to international sanctions. The photograph published by Al-Rai
yesterday shows a container owned by Iran's Valfajr Shipping Company
(VGC) docked in a no parking zone at the Shuwaikh Port. The paper
explained that the photograph was originally clicked by the Kuwait Ports
Association which sent it to the handling contractor at the port in order
to coordinate for the container's removal. The newspaper further noted
that a notice was sent to a 'Kuwaiti logistics company' to remove the
container within ten days of the receipt of the notice, before pointing
out that the unnamed company is in a partnership with VGC in operating a
Kuwaiti navigation company suspected of helping the Iranian firm use
ports in the Gulf region." http://t.uani.com/UMDBSN
Human Rights
Radio Zamaneh:
"Three Iranian labour organizations have issued a joint statement
urging the government to pursue the case of Sattar Beheshti's death in police
custody so the perpetrators of his death can be brought to justice. The
Kaleme website reports that the Vahed Transit Drivers Union, the Labour
Union Project and the Defenders of Labour Rights Centre issued a joint
statement on Sunday November 25 to challenge the arrest and eventual
death of Sattar Beheshti in prison. Beheshti, a blogger and labour
activist, was arrested on October 30 for 'acting against national
security through activities on social networks on the internet and on
Facebook.' Five days later, his family was informed that they should
collect his remains from prison authorities." http://t.uani.com/10Ew64L
Syrian Uprising
AFP:
"Iran's influential parliament speaker Ali Larijani met Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Friday to discuss a solution to
the conflict in his country's key ally, reports said... In Damascus,
Larijani accused regional powers he did not name of causing 'problems' in
Syria, in an allusion to the principal champions of arming the rebels
fighting to overthrow Assad's regime - Qatar and Saudi Arabia. 'Syria has
played an important role in supporting the resistance [against Israel and
the United States] but some in the region want to carry out actions with
negative consequences, to cause problems in Syria,' he told journalists.
'But Iran appreciates the key role Syria has played in supporting the
resistance,' he added... More than 40,000 people have been killed across
Syria since the outbreak of the uprising against Assad in March last
year, according to the watchdog. The revolt became a bloody insurgency
after peaceful protests were met with brutal repression. Larijani and
Assad also reaffirmed their commitment to resistance against Israel in
light of the Jewish state's recent offensive against the Gaza Strip."
http://t.uani.com/UmWLjO
Reuters:
"Iran said Turkey's plans to deploy Patriot defensive missiles near
its border with Syria would add to the region's problems, as fears grow
of the Syrian civil war spilling across frontiers. Turkey asked NATO for
the Patriot system, designed to intercept aircraft or missiles, last week
after talks about how to shore up security on its 900-km (560-mile)
border. 'The installation of such systems in the region has negative
effects and will intensify problems in the region,' Iranian parliament
speaker Ali Larijani said on returning from a trip to Syria, Lebanon and
Turkey on Saturday evening, according to Iranian state news agency
IRNA." http://t.uani.com/10UZ1kh
Terrorism
Reuters:
"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the head of the Hamas
government in Gaza on Saturday that eight days of cross-border fighting
showed that Israel had no choice but to 'bow' to Palestinian rights,
according to Iran's IRNA news agency. The Iranian-backed Hamas has basked
in what it called a victory against Israel after an Egyptian-brokered
ceasefire on Thursday ended the conflict in which 163 Palestinians and
six Israelis were killed. IRNA said Ahmadinejad, in the rare telephone
call with Ismail Haniyeh, praised the Palestinian 'resistance and
perseverance'. 'Zionists have reached the dead point and have no other
alternative but officially recognizing and bowing to the absolute right
of the Palestinian nation,' IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying, referring
to Israel." http://t.uani.com/V7hafh
Reuters:
"Nonetheless, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar showed how
fragile the ceasefire remained, with defiant remarks to reporters of how
the Islamists would go on smuggling in weapons 'by all possible means',
including via Israel's arch-foe Iran... Zahar said Hamas would continue
to arm itself with the help of Israel's arch-enemy, Iran, though the
truce signed in Cairo calls for a cessation of rocket fire at Israel,
which Israel gave as its reason for launching its attacks in
mid-November. 'We have no choice but to continue to bring in weapons by
all possible means,' Zahar said, adding that he expected Tehran would
'increase its military and financial support to Hamas'. 'We have a right
to take money and weapons from Iran. They (Iran) give to us for the sake
of God, no conditions attached, and I am a witness to that,' Zahar told
reporters." http://t.uani.com/YhBJWW
AFP:
"'Thousands of rockets' will hit Israel if it attacks Lebanon, the
chief of the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah said on Sunday,
reiterating support for Iran and the Palestinian resistance... Meanwhile,
Nasrallah fiercely defended his backer Iran: 'Day after day, it is
confirmed that Iran is an ally of Arabs and Muslims... and this was
confirmed during the recent confrontation in Gaza and before that in
Lebanon.' 'There are Arab and Islamic countries working to offer Israel a
friend and Iran an enemy,' he said, in an apparent reference to Gulf
countries." http://t.uani.com/Qkmf0R
Opinion &
Analysis
NY Daily News
Editorial: "While the world was riveted by Israel's
defensive action against rockets fired by Hamas, Iran has been busy - and
chillingly successful - with its anti-Israel drive to build a nuclear
weapon. Despite economic sanctions that are severely crimping the Iranian
economy, the mullahs are devoting full resources to pursue their dream of
dominating the Mideast with nukes. In fact, the world's chief nuclear
watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency Director Yukiya Amano,
described Iran as enriching uranium at 'a quite constant pace.' The IAEA
reported that the Iranians have installed 2,800 high-speed centrifuges
for enriching nuclear fuel deep in an underground military facility at
Fordow, near Iran's holy city of Qom. Inspectors said Iran has increased
its supply of 20% pure uranium by half in the past three months. The
centrifuges put the country's suicidally messianic Islamist extremists
within ever-shortening reach of enriching enough uranium for a nuclear
weapon to the 20% purity threshold. At the 20% level, uranium can quickly
be further refined to the highly enriched form required for atomic
weaponry. Two months ago at the United Nations, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel could not allow the mullahs to
acquire a quantity of uranium sufficient for a weapon at 20% purity. He
called this a red line that his nation cannot permit Tehran to cross.
That point is fast approaching, and the menace posed by a nuclear Iran
should be clear even to its Hamas cat's-paws. Tehran has been supplying the
terrorists who control Gaza with Fajr 5 missiles that put the civilian
populations of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel's two largest cities,
within range of conventional warheads. Hamas has been letting them loose
with a vengeance. But what would happen if Tehran fired a missile of its
own and nuked Israel? Bye-bye - to Gaza, too. And bye-bye to the
Palestinians who live on the West Bank. Little would Iran care. In 2001,
former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani said using a nuclear bomb
against Israel would leave nothing standing, but that retaliation would
merely damage the world of Islam, not destroy it. Palestinians should
take careful note of the part about leaving nothing standing." http://t.uani.com/10EDUmU
Maseh Zarif in
AEI: "FINDINGS OF THE NOVEMBER 2012 IAEA REPORT:
Additional Centrifuge Installation
* Iran increased its enrichment capacity by installing additional
centrifuges at its declared sites between August and November 2012. The
hardened Fordow facility is now at maximum capacity (2,784 centrifuges).
Of the 2,784, 696 centrifuges are currently enriching at Fordow and 696
are ready to begin enriching immediately. The IAEA also noted the
addition of first-generation and advanced centrifuges, the latter
undergoing testing, at the Natanz facility.
Increasing Enriched Uranium Stockpiles
* Iran continues to produce low- (<5 2012.="2012." 20="20" 40="40" a="a" allocated="allocated" and="and" as="as" at="at" august="august" been="been" br="br" conversion="conversion" core="core" for="for" fraction="fraction" fuel="fuel" has="has" high="high" historically="historically" however="however" into="into" it="it" its="its" material="material" medium-enriched="medium-enriched" nbsp="nbsp" near="near" now="now" of="of" only="only" packaged="packaged" placed="placed" plates="plates" rates.="rates." reactor="reactor" roughly="roughly" small="small" the="the" to="to" uranium="uranium">
Parchin Facility Inspection
* Iran continues to deny the IAEA access to the Parchin facility, where
the agency believes Iran conducted experiments related to nuclear weapons
development. The IAEA noted that, even if it is given access to the site,
its ability to 'conduct effective verification will have been seriously
undermined' by physical disruption and sanitization undertaken by Iran at
the facility in 2012.
Weaponization
* Iran continues to stonewall the IAEA regarding its weaponization
activities. The agency reiterated its assessment of Iran's work on
nuclear weapons development: 'the information indicates that, prior to
the end of 2003 the activities took place under a structured program;
that some continued after 2003; and that some may still be ongoing.'
Arak Reactor Timeline
* Iran told the IAEA that it will begin operating the Arak heavy water
reactor later than previously planned. The reactor, now scheduled for an
early 2014 launch, will provide Iran with a separate pathway to acquiring
fissile material for nuclear weapons in the form of weapons-grade
plutonium." http://t.uani.com/10HhdyA
Behrooz Behudi in
Al Arabiya: "When Obama announces that he is after a
peaceful diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue and that he is looking
towards starting negotiations with Iran, this means that he doesn't have
any new approach during his second term. Obama confirms that his
administration will not limit itself to protocols and diplomacy if Iran
decides to settle the nuclear issue, but he doesn't guarantee Iran's
collaboration in solving this issue. He knows well that this issue
between Iran and the West is subject to the behavior of Iran's
leadership. He also knows that the real problem resides in the
contradiction in the modus operandi of the government in Iran, as the
pillars of the regime are in need for this contradiction in order to
nurture the anti-West feelings so as to carry on. If this wasn't the
case, the Iranians would have to overcome all pending issues with the
United States and its allies more than 30 years ago, so this is the
reason behind Obama's doubts in the sincerity of Iran in dealing with the
international community. In spite of these facts, the Iranian regime
insists on creating additional crises in the Middle East and igniting an
arms race in the region, posing threats to the diverse countries. We have
witnessed in the last years the huge armament deals concluded in the
region for the sake of acquiring a modern arsenal and defense systems to
face the Iranian threats in the region. So even if the world overcomes
the issue of the Iranian nuclear project, what about the 5,000 km strong
Iranian rockets, which Iran claims to develop for peaceful purposes, such
as space exploration projects, although they can literally pose a threat
to all the nations of the world, which means that the problem is bigger
than the nuclear project, as it is within the behavior of the regime
itself. In fact, militarization is a deep rooted policy within the
structure of the Iranian regime, and it goes deeper to reach the
foundation of the regime itself and the thinking of its leadership. The
Supreme Advisor of the Iranian Republic, the Revolutionary Guard and
Security forces control the government of the country and interfere in
every details, no matter how small or big, they hold tightly the key
economic sectors, including smuggling, to support their militarization
based policies, which makes it impossible to seek peaceful and diplomatic
ways to solve the conflict." http://t.uani.com/XTFVNz
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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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