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NYT:
"As Iranian negotiators spoke in positive tones about their resumed
nuclear negotiations with the big powers, Congressional lawmakers in
Washington introduced legislation on Wednesday that would greatly expand
the sanctions on Iran, amounting to what both supporters and critics said
would be like a commercial trade embargo if fully carried out. The
bipartisan measure, which was expected to pass both the House and the
Senate, would build on existing laws that restrict business dealings with
Iran, widen the list of blacklisted Iranian companies and individuals and
potentially block Iran's access to its foreign bank assets held in euros.
That access has been one of the country's few remaining avenues for
repatriating profits that are not held in dollars, which have been
greatly constricted by other sanctions. The legislation, named the
Nuclear Iran Prevention Act, also would penalize foreign companies and
individuals that violate the American sanctions by threatening them with
restrictions on doing business with the United States, a coercive tactic
integrated into earlier, narrower sanctions." http://t.uani.com/Y72yec
NYT:
"Two days of talks between six world powers and Iran over its
nuclear program ended on Wednesday with specific agreement for further
meetings in March and April over a proposal that would sharply constrain
Iran's stockpile of the most dangerous enriched uranium, in return for a
modest lifting of some sanctions. But the six powers dropped their demand
that Iran shut down its enrichment plant at Fordo, built deep underneath
a mountain, instead insisting that Iran suspend enrichment work there and
agree to take a series of steps that would make it hard to resume
producing nuclear fuel quickly. The six also agreed, in another apparent
softening, that Iran could keep a small amount of 20 percent enriched
uranium - which can be converted to bomb grade with modest additional
processing - for use in a reactor to produce medical isotopes. It was
unclear whether any of these new positions would pave the way for any
kind of agreement. Iran's negotiators must now take the new proposal back
to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, at a time of intense maneuvering
and infighting in Iran." http://t.uani.com/VQ0E1R
AFP:
"Iran on Wednesday unveiled a draft annual budget that envisages a
40-percent decrease in vital oil revenues, heavily restricted by
international sanctions, media reports said. The new budget expects $30
billion (23 billion euros) in oil earnings, down from $51 billion
expected last year, and far below the more than $100 billion of actual
earnings in the year ending in March 2012, the reports said. It asks for
7,305,000 billion rials ($197 billion at the free market rate and $595
billion at the official rate), a rise in rials of 31 percent on the previous
year. But Iran's currency has lost more than 70 percent of its value in
the past year, and the draft did not set the exchange rate used in
calculating the budget... 'The oil price used in the budget has been set
at 95 dollars' per barrel, budget official Rahim Mombeini was quoted as
saying by the Mehr news agency. 'We expect oil prices not to fall below
100 dollars.'" http://t.uani.com/Xd12sh
 Nuclear Program
WSJ: "After weeks of speculation and
an offer from Washington for bilateral discussions about its nuclear
program, Iran did sit down with Western powers this week for one-on-one
talks but it was with the U.K. and German negotiating teams, not the U.S.
The nuclear bilaterals with the U.K. in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest
city, were the first in about three years, according to a British
official. A German foreign ministry spokesman was not immediately
available but a Western diplomat said the German team has had no
bilateral talks with Iran since nuclear talks picked up again in April
2012... The British talks are especially noteworthy. The U.K. has
maintained a strong line on the Iran talks-open to a diplomatic solution
to the nuclear issue but pressing for talks to move quickly. London has
said repeatedly that all options, including a military one, remain on the
table." http://t.uani.com/YBUmj3
Sanctions
AP:
"Iran's top leader told the visiting Pakistani president on
Wednesday that the two countries should ignore U.S. opposition to
construction of a gas pipeline. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
said Iran was the only secure source of energy that can meet Pakistan's
needs. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari was visiting Tehran to
finalize a long-awaited gas pipeline deal with Iran. The U.S. is against
the project because it wants to isolate Iran economically over fears that
the country might ultimately be able to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran
denies the charge, saying its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
'One should resolutely pass these objections,' Iran's state TV quoted
Khamenei as telling Zardari. 'The Islamic Republic of Iran is the only
secure source of energy in this region and we are ready to meet
Pakistan's needs in this field.'" http://t.uani.com/XhFJnV
Terrorism
Reuters:
"Argentina's Congress approved early on Thursday a agreement with
Iran to investigate the 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish community
center that Argentine courts have long accused Tehran of sponsoring.
Jewish leaders say the pact to set up a 'truth commission' risks
undermining the ongoing judicial investigation into the attack, which
killed 85 people, but President Cristina Fernandez says it could shed new
light on the case after years of deadlock... 'This is the chronicle of a
failure foretold,' said opposition lawmaker Eduardo Amadeo, an
ex-ambassador to Washington, accusing the government of putting commerce
before justice and criticizing Iran's record on human rights. 'We're
going to sell out the victims for a barrel of oil.' Others cited Iran's
growing imports of farm goods from the South American nation, one of the
world's top grains suppliers, and said they feared the commission would
undermine the evidence gathered by Argentine prosecutors so far." http://t.uani.com/Xmr6jh
Opinion &
Analysis
FT Editorial:
"Iran has this week held talks with the US and other world powers to
try and resolve the decade-long impasse over its nuclear programme. Once
again, a shaft of light has emerged that will raise hopes that war can be
averted. After two days of talks in Almaty in Kazakhstan, Iran agreed to
hold two subsequent meetings in March and April aiming to reach a deal
that allays western fears it is seeking a nuclear bomb. So a diplomatic
process is once again under way that might lead to peace. Anyone who has
watched the interminable diplomatic dance over Iran in recent years can
be forgiven for being sceptical of success. Twice in the past four years,
Iran has ended major meetings with the six world powers - the US,
Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia - pledging to begin a serious
set of negotiations. Over time, those pledges have been undermined by its
unwillingness to do a deal. Moreover, while Iran set a positive tone in
Almaty on Wednesday, on most other fronts it is taking actions that
suggest it is stalling for time. Last week the International Atomic
Energy Agency reported that the Iranians are installing centrifuge
spinning machines at their main uranium enrichment site at a faster rate
than anticipated. This could put Iran in a better position one day to
begin a final dash for the bomb that cannot be stopped by the US and
Israel. The IAEA also revealed that Iran was pressing ahead with work on
a heavy-water plant at Arak. This could one day give it a plutonium-based
route to a bomb. In the face of this, the world has done as much as it
can to accommodate the Iranians. The US is openly offering direct and
bilateral talks. Western diplomats have pretty much accepted that any
deal could result in Iran ending up with a right to enrich uranium for
its putative nuclear programme. The US and its allies are even prepared
to start peeling back sanctions if Iran makes the first moves to build
confidence. But whether Iran will respond positively is unknown." http://t.uani.com/YJ94ZF
James Blitz in FT:
"The latest meeting between Iran and world powers to try and resolve
the dilemma over the Iranian nuclear programme is over. And once again, a
shaft of light has emerged that will lead some to hope that military action
over the Iranian programme might be averted. After two days of talks in
the freezing city of Almaty in Kazakhstan, Iran has told the US and five
other world powers that it is prepared to hold a couple more meetings in
March and April to try to resolve international concerns that it wants a
nuclear bomb. That said, few will want to overplay the significance of
this move. Here are three reasons why many western diplomats will be
cautious.
1.
Does more meetings just mean stalling
for time? In Geneva in 2009 and in Istanbul last April, Iran made similar
declarations, giving the green light for further talks on
confidence-building measures that went nowhere. So most diplomats will be
pretty neutral about Iran agreeing to follow-on talks again. Plenty will
worry instead that Iran is stalling for time while it develops its
nuclear programme on the ground.
2.
It was the six world powers that came
up with the compromises at Almaty - not Iran. At meetings last year, the
six asked Iran to agree to a list of concessions - namely, to stop
further production of highly enriched 20 per cent uranium; to shut its
Fordow enrichment plant; and to ship its existing 20 per cent stockpile
out of the country. In return for all this, the six offered some specific
economic help but no sanctions relief at all. This time, the
international powers said for the first time that in return for these
concessions, they would peel back sanctions - on the trade in gold and
petrochemicals. Indeed, the six no longer seek complete closure of
Fordow, just a commitment to 'reduce the readiness' of the plant.
3.
Iran is steadily building up nuclear
capability on the ground. The International Atomic Energy agency reported
last week that Iran is installing new IR-1 centrifuges at Natanz at a
faster-than-expected rate. This could allow it to make a faster final
sprint to a bomb than had been thought. Iran is also pressing ahead with
construction of its IR-40 Arak reactor, which could give it a
plutonium-based pathway to a weapon.
The outcome,
therefore, is mixed. The good news is that a chance for a deal to avert
military action has again opened up. The bad news is that the timescale
within which that deal must be reached - if this epic diplomatic
stand-off is not to end in war - has shortened." http://t.uani.com/15Tb70x
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