|
|
Top Stories
CNN:
"Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif insisted Wednesday
that the Obama administration mischaracterizes concessions by his side in
the six-month nuclear deal with Iran, telling CNN in an exclusive
interview that 'we did not agree to dismantle anything.' Zarif told CNN
Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto that terminology used
by the White House to describe the agreement differed from the text
agreed to by Iran and the other countries in the talks -- the United
States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany. 'The White House
version both underplays the concessions and overplays Iranian
commitments' under the agreement that took effect Monday, Zarif said in
Davos, Switzerland, where he was attending the World Economic Forum...
'The White House tries to portray it as basically a dismantling of Iran's
nuclear program. That is the word they use time and again,' he said,
urging Sciutto to read the actual text of the agreement. 'If you find a
single, a single word, that even closely resembles dismantling or could
be defined as dismantling in the entire text, then I would take back my
comment.' He repeated that 'we are not dismantling any centrifuges, we're
not dismantling any equipment, we're simply not producing, not enriching
over 5%.'" http://t.uani.com/1l1cq7O
Reuters:
"One of the chief beneficiaries of this week's easing of Iranian
sanctions is the country's ruler - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei controls a massive business empire known as Setad that has
invested in Iran's petrochemical industry, which is now permitted to
resume exports. Under a six-month deal between Iran and world powers,
Tehran has promised to scale back its nuclear development program in
exchange for the suspension of certain economic sanctions, including
curbs on the export of petrochemicals. On Monday, the day the suspension
of the restrictions took effect, the U.S. Treasury Department published a
list of 14 Iranian petrochemical companies that previously had been
sanctioned but are now permitted to do business abroad. The list includes
three firms that the department said last year are controlled by Setad -
Ghaed Bassir Petrochemical Products Co, Marjan Petrochemical Co and Sadaf
Petrochemical Assaluyeh Co... Setad stands to profit from the preliminary
agreement in ways besides the export of petrochemicals. The agreement
makes it easier for Iran to import humanitarian goods, including
medicine. Setad controls numerous Iranian pharmaceutical companies. http://t.uani.com/1l1eYTv
Reuters:
"An apparent delay in Iran's building of a nuclear conversion plant
suggests its stockpile of low-enriched uranium (LEU) gas will grow for a
while longer, despite Tehran's deal with world powers to curb its
disputed atomic activity. Among other steps, Iran agreed under the
six-month accord - which took effect on Monday - to limit its LEU
reserve. The new plant is meant to achieve that by turning the material
into oxide powder that is not suited for further processing into
high-enriched - or bomb-grade - uranium. Diplomats and experts said the
matter was of no immediate concern since Iran's commitment concerned the
size of the stockpile towards the end of the deal, in late July, giving
it time both to complete the facility and convert enough material. But
one Vienna-based envoy said Iran's progress in building the conversion
line would be closely watched as part of the implementation of its
obligations under the accord with the United States, France, Russia,
Germany, Britain and China. 'It will be a problem if the facility is not
completed in the next few months,' Mark Fitzpatrick, director of the
non-proliferation program at the International Institute for Strategic
Studies (IISS) think-tank, said... 'Although the immediate attention is
focused on removing the stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium, it is
important not to forget about the much larger stockpile of 3-5 percent
enriched uranium,' Fitzpatrick said." http://t.uani.com/1feQhvS
Nuclear Program & Negotiations
Reuters:
"Iran is determined to negotiate a comprehensive deal on its nuclear
program with major powers so it can develop its battered economy,
President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday, inviting Western companies to
seize opportunities now. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos,
the pragmatic president said Tehran was negotiating with the United
States as part of a 'constructive engagement' with the world and wanted
Washington to back up its words with actions. However, a day after a
chaotic Syria peace conference from which Iran was excluded, he was
unbending in his support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Ending the
'terrorism' that is backed by some of Syria's neighbors was a
precondition for any settlement of the country's civil war, he
said." http://t.uani.com/1eVf5IF
AP:
"The Obama administration expects negotiations on a final nuclear
agreement between world powers and Iran to begin by mid-February. That's
according to congressional aides who were briefed by State Department and
Treasury Department officials Wednesday. They say the U.S. and its
partners are currently consulting among themselves on next steps in the
nuclear talks. The group plans to meet with Iran again next month." http://t.uani.com/1mwR5i0
Sanctions
Relief
Reuters:
"Iran will have a new, attractive investment model for oil contracts
by September, its president and oil minister told some of the world's top
oil executives here on Thursday, part of its drive to win back Western
business. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Oil Minister Bijan
Zanganeh said their new administration was keen to open up to Western
investments and technology, executives who attended the meeting said.
They also stressed the importance of fossil fuel, with global energy
demand rising. 'The fact that the president of Iran came to the meeting
today... is clearly a sign that Iran wants to open up to international
oil companies,' said Paolo Scaroni, chief executive of Italy's Eni, who
was at the meeting. 'It was an impressive presentation,' said one of
three further oil executives who were at the meeting and spoke with
Reuters on condition of anonymity. 'They said they are working on a new
model to work with investors and are happy to see us,' he added. 'They
not only need money but technologies. They are happy to have
consultations about how new contracts shall work. They want to decide on
the model by September.' ... Along with ENI, France's Total, Britain's
BP, LUKoil and GazpromNeft from Russia, and several other companies were
present. Royal Dutch/Shell had said its new chief executive Ben van
Beurden would not be there. It was not clear if the meeting, which was
held behind closed doors amid tight security, was attended by U.S. oil
executives from companies such as Exxon Mobil or Chevron." http://t.uani.com/1asxdgc
AP:
"France is sending business executives by the planeload to Iran.
German and Dutch entrepreneurs are taking courses on how to close a deal
in Tehran, and car makers are drawing up plans for investment. Europe's
business community is abuzz with preparations to rush back into Iran, an
economic powerhouse in the Middle East, as some sanctions are suspended.
And the interest is welcome - Iran is desperate to revive its economy
after years of international isolation... More hand-shaking will take place
soon thereafter in Tehran, when France's business lobby group flies in
executives representing about 100 firms for 'exploratory' talks to take
advantage of the sanctions' suspension, an official with the organization
said. Competitors are doing the same, so firms from the oil and gas
sector, carmakers and other manufacturing companies want to move quickly,
added the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the
subject remains sensitive within governments. 'Everyone is in the same
state of mind,' she said... Among the first signs that business is ready
to resume is the surge in demand for flights. Austrian Airlines last week
announced it will resume five weekly flights to Tehran, and its parent
company Lufthansa said it's thinking about adding more seats to its daily
flights. Turkish Airlines, which serves six Iranian destinations, is
seeking permission to increase frequencies. Even though there are fears
that sanctions could go back up when the current deal expires in six
months, companies are upbeat. 'Optimism is predominating that there has
finally been something of a relaxation in political relations and
therefore in business possibilities,' said Volker Treier, head of trade
relations at the Association of German Chambers of Commerce. The association
last week held an event on doing business in Iran and executives 'filled
the room very quickly,' Treier said. The sectors represented included
machinery, vehicle production, food, medical technology and
pharmaceuticals." http://t.uani.com/KL8uXL
AFP:
"Iran's oil minister will hold a 'face-to-face' meeting at Davos
with major oil companies to try to coax them back to the sanctions-hit
Islamic republic, media reported Wednesday. 'We have designed a gigantic
volume of investments and technical activities to recover and produce
more oil and gas from our fields ... and giant international oil
companies can play a role in this regard,' Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh
was quoted as saying by state broadcaster IRIB's website. 'At the oil and
gas industry meeting in Davos, which will be attended by Iran's
president, I will hold a face-to-face meeting with the high-ranking
managers of major oil companies to explain (their roles),' said
Zanganeh... 'Our efforts at the oil ministry have been focused on the
post-sanctions era,' Zanganeh said." http://t.uani.com/1iqj1qp
Free Beacon:
"Iran has been granted absolute control over more than $4 billion
that will be unfrozen and returned to Tehran under the recently enacted
nuclear accord, causing concern that the cash will be used to fund
terrorism. The billions in cash come with no strings attached, meaning
that Iran has complete authority over how the funds are spent-and the
U.S. government cannot ensure that it will not go toward terrorism... The
White House is staying quiet on the issue. When asked last week 'what
safeguards will be in place to make sure that money is not funneled to
terror groups by Iran,' White House Press Secretary Jay Carney declined
to answer. Congressional insiders say that the White House dropped the
ball by not mandating oversight of the unfrozen funds. 'It's really
unconscionable to think America is now funding both sides of the war on
terror,' said one senior congressional aide working on sanctions... 'Can
you imagine being an American solider fighting in Afghanistan learning
the Iranian IED that just killed their friend was funded by U.S.
sanctions relief?'" http://t.uani.com/1l1nbqL
Sanctions
Enforcement
CNN:
"Sanctions against Iran are illegal and are undermining
international law, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in an exclusive,
wide-ranging interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria. 'When it comes to
sanctions, have they been successful so far? Sanctions first and foremost
are illegal,' he told Zakaria on Wednesday on the sidelines of the annual
World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. 'And a Congress which claims
to be making laws should not contravene international laws.' 'These
sanctions translate into the weakening of the NPT (Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons), the weakening of international
laws and regulations. No other country can decide for another country.'
... 'We are not afraid of threats,' Rouhani said. 'And the language of
threats is ineffective when it comes to Iran. The language they need to
choose should be a legal one, a respectful tone of voice when addressing
the Iranian people. ... It benefits our region and the interests of other
countries.'" http://t.uani.com/1cYZCF8
Syria Conflict
AFP:
"Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Thursday that elections would
be the best way of ending the civil war in Syria and warned the West it
could not impose a political solution on Tehran's neighbour and ally...
'The best solution is to organise free and fair elections inside Syria,'
Rouhani told the World Economic Forum in Davos. 'No outside party or
power should decide for the Syrian people and Syria as a country.'
Describing a conflict that has been raging for nearly three years as a
'major catastrophe', Rouhani said Iran was deeply concerned by the influx
of foreign fighters he described as 'terrorists' into Syria. 'Millions of
innocent people have been killed, maimed or made homeless - it is a
miserable situation and very sad,' Rouhani said." http://t.uani.com/1dRISW8
Reuters:
"U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday left the door open
for Iran to participate in Syrian peace talks, saying Tehran could make a
difference in ending the conflict. 'Iran certainly does have an ability
to be helpful and make a difference,' Kerry told a news conference at the
end of an international conference seeking to resolve the Syrian crisis.
'We hope they will decide to be constructive and make a decision to
operate in a way going forward that can allow them to do so,' Kerry said,
adding: 'There are plenty of ways that that door can be opened in the
next weeks or months, and my hope is they will want to join in a
constructive solution.'" http://t.uani.com/LYrNOR
Trend:
"A member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Akbar
Shahriari who was killed by Syrian opposition this week, was buried this
morning in Tehran, Iran's Fars news agency reported on Jan. 23. Fars
called Shahriari a 'defender of Zeinab shrine' in Syria. On Jan. 19,
Mohammad Reza Beyzaie, who was also a member of IRGC, was killed in
Syria, IRGC`s Sepahe Ashura news portal reported. Military officials were
present at Beyzaie's burial in Tabriz on Jan. 22. On Nov. 4, Iran's Mehr
news agency reported that a high-ranking IRGC general Mohammad
Jamalizadeh Paghaleh was killed in Syria. Reportedly, the general, who
was the member of IRGC's Qods force, did not go to Syria officially, but
voluntarily. Jamalizadeh was killed by the Syrian opposition, which Mehr
cited as Takfiri groups." http://t.uani.com/1hmVLGe
Human Rights
ICHRI:
"In a statement released today, several UN Special Rapporteurs
called on Iran to urgently halt the surge in executions that has been
ongoing in Iran since the beginning of 2014. According to the website of
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran Ahmed Shaheed, 'At least 40
persons have been reportedly hanged in the first two weeks of January, of
which at least 33 executions were carried out in the past week alone. 625
executions, including at least 28 women and a number of political
prisoners were reported to have been carried out in 2013.' 'The
persistent execution of individuals for exercising their rights to
freedom of assembly, association, and affiliation to minority groups
contravenes universally accepted human rights principles and norms,'
Shaheed said... 'We once more urge the Government of Iran, as an active
member of the international community, to heed the calls for a moratorium
on executions, especially in cases relating to political activists and
alleged drug-offences,' the Special Rapporteurs said in their statement."
http://t.uani.com/1hOnYGB
NYT:
"Advocates for a former Marine imprisoned in Tehran more than two
years ago are seeking to use a diplomatic window created by the temporary
nuclear agreement with Iran to gain his release. In a letter to President
Obama released on Wednesday, four top former American defense and
security officials urged 'immediate action' to expedite the release of
the Marine, Amir Hekmati, who has been held in Evin Prison with no
publicly disclosed charges against him. 'Mr. Hekmati has committed no
crime,' read the letter, signed by William S. Cohen, a former secretary
of defense; Gen. Peter Pace, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff; Gen. James L. Jones, a former national security adviser; and Gen.
Joseph W. Ralston, a former allied commander in Europe. They wrote that
Mr. Hekmati had 'conducted his life with unyielding honor and
courage.'" http://t.uani.com/1eEJFYB
IHR:
"Seven prisoners were hanged in the prison of Kermanshah (western
Iran) reported the Iranian state media. Five of the prisoners were
convicted of trafficking of 102 kilograms of various narcotic drugs and
two were convicted of murder said the report... According to the official
and unofficial reports received by Iran Human Rights near 50 people have
been executed in different Iranian cities since the beginning of
2014." http://t.uani.com/1aOrfRt
ICHRI:
"After 55 months in prison, most of which has been spent in exile,
Iranian student activist Zia Nabavi was released on bail of approximately
$168,000 for a five-day furlough today, a source told the International
Campaign for Human Rights in Iran... Zia Nabavi was arrested on June 15,
2009, along with several of his friends. The interrogations and the
physical and psychological pressure placed on the student activist during
the initial 120 days of his arrest were repeatedly protested by human
rights activists. A Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge
Pirabassi, sentenced Zia Nabavi to 15 years in prison in exile from his
native Tehran, which was later reduced at the appeals level to 10
years." http://t.uani.com/1mwNRen
Opinion &
Analysis
Frida Ghitis
in CNN: "If you want to see the impact of Iran's
growing power in the Middle East, look no further than Syria. On Monday,
three important developments occurred simultaneously: First, world
diplomats scrambled anxiously to salvage plans for a conference on Syria
scheduled to start on Wednesday. The 'Geneva II' meeting almost went off
the rails before it began, with Syrian opposition leaders threatening to
stay away unless the United Nations retracted the invitation it had
unexpectedly extended to Iran. At the same time, a new report about the
Syrian civil war showed what appears to be convincing evidence of
large-scale 'systematic torture and killing' by the regime of Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad, Iran's top ally. The report's authors said the
new evidence could prove al-Assad and his regime are guilty of
perpetrating crimes against humanity. And in the third major event of
that day, the interim nuclear deal between Iran and world powers went
into effect. Under the deal negotiated in November, Iran suspended some
of its nuclear enrichment operations, and Western governments started
lifting some of the economic sanctions they have used to pressure Tehran.
These three events will be included by historians and analysts when they
write the story of the turmoil of the early 21st century Middle East.
They will note that this was a week that showed the consequences of
Iran's gradually rising influence, as the Islamic Republic moved steadily
toward its goal of becoming the dominant power in the region. Not long
ago, the dictator al-Assad appeared on the verge of losing power to a
popular uprising. President Barack Obama declared he 'must get out of the
way.' But his regime's loyal allies in Tehran sent in reinforcements. At
the urging of its Iranian patrons, Lebanon's Shiite militia, Hezbollah,
moved its forces across the border into Syria, helping to turn the tide
of the war and adding to its increasing radicalization. The war went from
a grassroots democratic movement to a brutal showdown between Sunni
extremists -- whose strongest elements now include al Qaeda fighters --
against Shiite forces loyal to Iran and al-Assad. Now the Syrian war,
which has displaced millions of civilians and has killed more than
130,000, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, is
spilling into Lebanon, Iraq and elsewhere. It has become a proxy war for
regional rivalries, with Sunni states, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar,
supporting the opposition, and Iran, along with Hezbollah, standing
steadfastly with al-Assad by providing him with manpower, ammunition and
intelligence. Iran has not only saved al-Assad, it has changed the
character of the fight. It has turned it into a much more dangerous
regional conflict, all but eliminating the prospects for a positive
outcome anytime soon and adding to the indescribable suffering of the
Syrian people. Where do Iran's nuclear program and the agreement with
world powers fit into all this? The interim deal was meant to freeze the
nuclear program in place for six months while a final agreement is
negotiated. But the announcement of the deal late last year immediately
transformed the landscape. In the eyes of Arab states, the U.S. was
taking the first steps towards capitulating before Iran's aspirations.
The Iranian regime's goal is to spread its version of Islamic revolution
and to make Iran the most powerful country in the region... One reason
Iran signed the interim deal is that it has already achieved a great deal
of what it sought with its nuclear program." http://t.uani.com/KKXhXr
Max Boot in
Commentary: "This is wishful thinking, not a
realistic assessment of U.S.-Iran relations at a time when the mullahs
are more active than ever in backing violent proxies in Lebanon, Syria,
Iraq, Yemen, and Bahrain, among other states. The problem is that the
costs of Obama's Iran gambit are considerable. As Doran and I noted, the
less that the U.S. does to oppose Iranian designs, the more that Sunni
states will do-and in the process they will wind up empowering extremists
of the kind who currently roam freely through western Iran and northern
and eastern Syria. But the president seems blind to the costs of his
outreach to Iran, which is worsening a regional civil war, because he is
so mesmerized by the prospect of an agreement that will secure his place
in foreign-policy history. At one point Remnick, who seems to be
channeling the inner Obama (he claims, echoing the president, that the
GOP is 'fuelled less by ideas than by resentments'), writes: 'A
final pact, if one could be arrived at, would end the prospect of a
military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and the hell that could
follow: terror attacks, proxy battles, regional war-take your pick. An
agreement could even help normalize relations between the United States
and Iran for the first time since the Islamic Revolution, in 1979. Obama
put the odds of a final accord at less than even, but, still, how was
this not good news?' The problem is that this is undoubtedly how Obama
views the issue too-with the biggest threat coming not from an Iran in
possession of nuclear weapons but from the 'prospect of a military strike
on Iran's nuclear facilities.' Because the mullahs know where he stands,
and realize how little they have to fear from Obama now that they have
succeeded in getting him to back off crushing sanctions, he is unlikely
to achieve his ambition of stopping the Iranian nuclear program, much
less his grand design of integrating Iran into a peaceful new equilibrium
in the Middle East." http://t.uani.com/1aOvEnh
Jeffrey White in
WINEP: "Since 2012, the Syrian regime has drawn from
its allies to create a force of foreign combatants that have become
essential to its survival. The presence of these fighters is a major
factor in the conflict and will have significant influence on the
eventual military or political solution. At this point, President Bashar
al-Assad probably cannot decide the regime's course for the war on his
own -- like Rome inviting the barbarian tribes to defend its gates, he
has effectively mortgaged his independence to his Iranian, Hezbollah, and
Iraqi allies, and their withdrawal would likely turn the war back against
the regime. According to Assad's narrative, the Syrian Arab Army is
winning the fight against the rebels, but it is the foreign legions that
have made such claims possible... Iran's role has been primarily as a
coordinator and facilitator of foreign forces in Syria; its direct role
in combat appears to be quite limited. Tehran encouraged -- and perhaps
dictated -- Hezbollah's decision to intervene directly in the war, and it
has helped Iraqi Shiite fighters with training, movement, and arms. In
addition, it provides military assistance, advice, and technical
expertise to the regime, in some cases by deploying military specialists
on the ground. Although Iran does not appear to have committed large
numbers of combat troops, personnel from the elite Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps-Qods Force are operating in Syria, and some have been
killed." http://t.uani.com/1mwTtoV
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment