Eye on Iran: Iran's Zarif Rejects Israel 'Lies' Over Gaza Weapons Ship

Join UANI           Top Stories AFP: "Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday rejected as 'lies' an Israeli claim that it intercepted a ship carrying advanced rockets sent by Tehran to the Gaza Strip. 'An Iranian ship carrying arms for Gaza. Captured just in time for annual (pro-Israel lobby) AIPAC anti Iran campaign. Amazing Coincidence! Or same failed lies,' Zarif wrote on Twitter, referring to a pro-Israel lobby group. Israel intercepted the 'Klos-C' in the Red Sea on Wednesday, saying Syrian-made weapons aboard had been shipped overland to Iran and then onward by sea, intended for Palestinian militants in Gaza... 'The claim of sending a ship carrying Iranian weapons to Gaza is not true,' Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian was quoted as saying by official IRNA news agency. 'This claim is merely based on the repetitive and unfounded lies of the Zionist media' aimed at derailing negotiations between world powers and Iran over its contested nuclear programme, he said... Iranian media said the allegation of the 'imaginary ship' was a mutually hatched plot by the United States and Israel to put pressure on Tehran and its allies." http://t.uani.com/1fKPS2h ICHRI: "Mohammad Javad Larijani, Head of the Iranian Judiciary's Human Rights Council, said on March 4 that Iran's increased execution rate is a positive marker of Iranian achievement. Instead of criticizing Iran for its increasing number of executions, he said, 'our expectation of international organizations and the world is to be grateful for this great service to humanity.' Speaking at the Coordinating Meeting of the Human Rights Council, Larijani said, 'Unfortunately, instead of celebrating Iran, international organizations see the increased number of executions caused by Iran's assertive confrontation with drugs as a vehicle for human rights attacks on the Islamic Republic of Iran.' ... Larijani said that the real aim of Western countries for criticizing the rate of executions in Iran is the Islamic Qisas (retribution) Law, describing Qisas as 'a right for the citizens' within which 'right to life' exists. Human rights activists and organizations have increasingly criticized the Islamic Republic of Iran for practices such as executions, stoning, limb amputations, and sentences such as eye gouging, which Iranian courts have been issuing in observation of the Qisas Law. Defending the punishment of stoning and executions in 2011, Mohammad Javad larijani said, 'Qisas is very beautiful and important.'" http://t.uani.com/MQyeDd AFP: "Iran is pinning its hopes on the success of talks with the West about its nuclear programme but insisted it would not scrap a controversial reactor, its foreign minister said Wednesday. Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comments as he ended an official visit to Tokyo which included talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Zarif said Iran would not shutter the unfinished Arak heavy water reactor, a concern to the West because Tehran could extract weapons-grade plutonium from its spent fuel if it also builds a reprocessing facility. This would give it a second route to a nuclear bomb. Zarif said Arak was crucial for peaceful scientific pursuits, and insisted that 'we are not going to close it'. 'We have based all of our calculations on the success of these negotiations' with Western powers, Zarif told reporters in Tokyo." http://t.uani.com/1hPabAA       Sanctions Relief Reuters: "South Korea will transfer $550 million to Iran in its first back oil payment under an interim nuclear deal that eases sanctions on Tehran, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Thursday. The payment on Friday will come after Japan cleared some of its dues as the U.N. atomic watchdog said the Islamic republic is reducing its most proliferation-prone nuclear stockpile as required under a landmark deal signed with six world powers. Under the November pact, Iran won access to $4.2 billion of its oil revenues frozen abroad in eight money transfers scheduled through July, pending confirmation it is carrying out its promises to curb its nuclear program. The second and third payment schedules were due March 1 and March 7, for $450 million and $550 million, respectively. Japan started off the payments with a $550 million transfer on February 1. 'Oil import payment will be made tomorrow,' a source with direct knowledge of South Korea's payment told Reuters by phone, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. 'How the money will be exchanged will be further discussed with Iran,' the source said... The Iranian central bank held up to $5.6 billion in two won-denominated accounts at Woori Bank and Industrial Bank of Korea, both state-owned, as of late 2013, according to a source last month. Another source said: 'It is likely that Woori will transfer the money to Iran after receiving some from IBK.'" http://t.uani.com/1lByrt3 Terrorism AFP: "A ship allegedly carrying advanced rockets from Iran to Gaza that was intercepted by the Israeli navy will reach the port of Eilat on Saturday evening, the military said. 'This ship, which was transporting dozens of M302-type rockets with a range of 150 to 200 kilometres (more than 100 miles) is currently north of Port Sudan and will arrive in Eilat on Saturday evening,' Brigadier General Motti Almoz told military radio Thursday. 'The ship may be carrying other weapons as well but we can only know this when it reaches Eilat,' he said, referring to the resort city at the southernmost tip of Israel. 'There is clear and unequivocal information that this (shipment) came from Iran,' he said, without giving further details. Major General Aviv Kochavi, head of military intelligence, was to give a news conference on the ship later Thursday. The military has said it was carrying rockets 'capable of striking anywhere in Israel.' Israel intercepted the 'Klos-C' in the Red Sea between Eritrea and Sudan on Wednesday, claiming that Syrian-made weapons aboard had been shipped overland to Iran then onward by sea, with the aim of reaching militants in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip." http://t.uani.com/1hPOQGw AFP: "The United States said Wednesday its intelligence services and military worked with Israel to track a ship carrying an intercepted shipment of advanced Iranian rockets for Palestinian militants. White House spokesman Jay Carney said Washington started to work with Israel through intelligence and military channels and at the national security advisor level as soon as it knew the shipment was on the move. President Barack Obama also directed the US military to work out contingencies in case it became necessary to intercept the vessel, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One. 'Throughout this time our intelligence and military activities were closely coordinated with our Israeli counterparts who ultimately chose to take the lead in interdicting this shipment of illicit arms,' Carney said. 'We will continue to stand up to Iran's support for destabilizing activities in the region in coordination with our partners and allies,' he said. 'These illicit acts are unacceptable to the international community and in gross violation of Iran's Security Council obligations.'" http://t.uani.com/P4pCLi Reuters: "Bahrain accused Shi'ite Iran on Thursday of fomenting deadly violence in the kingdom, and a Tehran official accused the Sunni-ruled island state of torturing and imprisoning its critics. The clash at the U.N. Human Rights Council came after three policemen were killed on Monday by a bomb at a protest in Daih, west of the capital Manama, during a procession of mourners for a Shi'ite Muslim who died in custody last week. 'This is terrorism. Premeditated. Pure and simple,' Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed al-Khalifa told the Geneva forum, adding that 11 were injured in the incident... 'The violence we see in Bahrain is directly supported by elements of the Islamic Republic of Iran,' Khalifa said. 'Governments have repeatedly assessed Iran's active involvement in: indirect training of violent actors in Bahrain through proxy groups based outside Bahrain; emergence of insurgent groups directly linked to the Al Quds Force, a special unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard; arrests across the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) of individuals being directed by Iranian operatives; and seizures of large amounts of deadly weaponry,' he said. Khalifa called on Iran to 'respect the principles of non-intervention, peaceful coexistence and good neighborliness enshrined in the U.N. Charter.'" http://t.uani.com/1f1engg Human Rights ICHRI: "A source close to the family of imprisoned student Maryam Shafipour, who was just sentenced to seven years in prison, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that Shafipour received the heavy sentence on strange and irrational charges such as 'membership in Facebook,' 'applying for a student visa,' 'existence of a satellite TV receiver at her father's house,' and 'contact with the Heads of Sedition [Mousavi and Karroubi] during their house arrest.' 'Unfortunately, Maryam's interrogator's wish was implemented in her sentence. During those first few days of her detention, her interrogator told Maryam that if she doesn't confess to her charges, she will get more than five years in prison,' said the source... A student activist and member of Mehdi Karroubi's 2009 election campaign, Maryam Shafipour was arrested on July 27, 2013, when she appeared at Evin Prison Court after being summoned. She was transferred to Evin Prison, where she spent 67 days in solitary confinement and nearly eight months in 'temporary detention,' while her case judge refused to release her on bail. Shafipour's lawyer was informed of her conviction by Branch 28 of Tehran Revolutionary Court under Judge Salavati on March 1, on charges of 'propaganda against the regime' and 'assembly and collusion against national security,' and sentenced to seven years in prison and two years' ban on 'cyberspace, media, and press activities.'" http://t.uani.com/NAFJPP Opinion & Analysis David B. Rivkin Jr. & Lee A. Casey in WSJ: "The Obama administration on Feb. 20 began negotiations for a permanent deal to stop Iran's nuclear-weapons program. There are reasons to worry about where this will lead. If the administration is serious about avoiding a strategic disaster, it should negotiate a formal treaty (involving the Senate from the start), broaden the agenda and strengthen our allies' role in the negotiating process. For decades, America's policy-supported by U.S. allies and the United Nations Security Council-has been that Iran cannot be allowed either operational nuclear weapons or the capability to acquire them rapidly. Therefore, any permanent agreement with Iran must ensure that all elements of Tehran's current nuclear infrastructure are dramatically scaled down to a level of a legitimate civilian nuclear program. This restructuring must be permanent, verifiable and include a full accounting of Iran's past nuclear activities. The Obama administration is not headed down this path. This is clear from what we know about the six-month interim agreement signed in December between Iran and five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany, which the administration negotiated largely single-handedly. That deal remains secret-even from most members of Congress-but it implicitly legitimizes Tehran's uranium enrichment. Meanwhile, the administration no longer even pays lip service to a military option as a fallback to diplomacy. The White House also opposes additional standby economic sanctions if negotiations fail. The administration even appears willing to accept a permanent agreement that doesn't eliminate Iran's capability for a quick nuclear breakout. A deficient agreement with Tehran would come with a steep price, beyond the risk that it would effectively pave the way for nuclear breakout. If the administration chooses to negotiate it largely in secret from Congress, and with only perfunctory engagement by U.S. allies, it will destroy America's already tattered credibility abroad. Engaging Congress and U.S. allies during the negotiations offers the best chance of avoiding such damage. With its current negotiating strategy, the administration might be unable to comply with its own obligations. For instance, the sanctions that Iran's nuclear ambitions have spawned over decades cannot be swept aside by an executive agreement with Iran, nor can the president simply waive their requirements, however fond he may be of unilaterally rewriting statutes. Unless there is a self-executing treaty that by definition becomes supreme law of the land (which is politically unlikely given sentiments in the Senate), Congress would have to pass new legislation to lift the U.S. sanctions regime, and new Security Council resolutions would be needed. If the administration cannot convince Congress to pass such legislation, Tehran could portray the U.S. as the agreement breaker, giving the mullahs an excuse not to comply. Even if the administration continues to sideline Congress, the type of major agreement the White House has in mind can only be constitutionally accomplished as a treaty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Presidents have used executive agreements from time to time to settle monetary claims between the U.S., its citizens and other countries. Precedents include the 1933 'Litvinov Assignment' with the Soviet Union that resolved monetary claims arising out of Moscow's repudiation of czarist-era debts, and the 1981 Algiers accord settling claims from the Iranian Revolution and hostage crises. But major arms-control agreements limiting nuclear capabilities have properly been accomplished as treaties... Congress should pass 'sense' of the Senate and House resolutions making clear that any Iranian agreement must be a treaty and must stipulate that Iran relinquish its nuclear breakout capabilities. Congress should also participate in the treaty negotiation, which in past arms-control negotiations has meant Senate observers. The Iranians can hardly object to such Senate involvement, since Tehran has included several parliamentarians in negotiations and indicated that Iranian lawmakers would have to ratify any agreement... All of this suggests that the administration needs to revise fundamentally its approach to nuclear-arms talks with Iran. If negotiations fail, having Congress and U.S. allies engaged would be useful for rebuilding the domestic and global consensus for revitalizing economic sanctions against Iran and putting the military option back on the table." http://t.uani.com/1cEQRBd Sohrab Ahmari in WSJ: "'We were just doing our jobs.' To hear German officials say this usually recalls the total moral collapse that gave rise to the Third Reich. But when Alexander von Stahl and Bruno Jost say these words, they signal their quiet courage and integrity. As prosecutors, Messrs. Von Stahl and Jost investigated the 1992 assassination of four Iranian-Kurdish dissidents by agents of the Tehran regime in Berlin. The Mykonos trial, as it came to be known-Mykonos was the name of the Greek restaurant were the murders took place-would last five years and result in the conviction of three Lebanese terrorists and an Iranian businessman who coordinated their activities. The court also indicted Iran's intelligence minister, Ali Fallahian, and declared the killing to have been carried out at the behest of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. (The latter is a close ally of current President Hasan Rouhani, who was secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council at the time.) This sent shock waves throughout Europe; almost every European state halted diplomatic relations with Tehran, albeit temporarily. The Mykonos story was recounted in thrilling fashion by the Iranian-American journalist Roya Hakakian in her 2011 book, 'Assassins of the Turquoise Palace,' and last week the Federal Bar Association of New York City honored Messrs. Von Stahl and Jost for upholding the rule of law despite intense political pressure from a German government eager to do business with the mullahs. Mr. Von Stahl, the chief federal prosecutor for Berlin, lost his job for persevering in the case; Mr. Jost faced similar career pressures. Today, two decades since the events in question, the law men are still seen as heroes by Iranian exiles in Germany. Yet, as both told me in New York, neither saw anything extraordinary about his actions. Then again, isn't that precisely the definition of courage?" http://t.uani.com/1hPQRmj 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.