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Top Stories
JPost:
"Iran continues to arm and finance a terrorist network that extends
from South Asia to the Horn of Africa, from Iraq to Yemen, and across the
Palestinian territories, the US State Department reported on Wednesday,
acknowledging US willingness to nevertheless engage directly in talks
with the state over its nuclear program. Much of the report, released
annually by the State Department to outline threats of terrorism around
the world, focuses on Iran's expansive efforts to fund and funnel arms to
Islamist organizations, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah, which is
based in Lebanon but operates worldwide. 'Iran has historically provided
weapons, training, and funding to Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist
groups,' the report details, 'although Hamas's ties to Tehran have been
strained due to the Syrian civil war.' In its efforts to bolster
Hezbollah, Iran considers Syria 'a crucial causeway in its weapons supply
route' and has taken an active role in supporting embattled Syrian
President Bashar Assad, the US report claims." http://t.uani.com/1kmlttW
Fars News (Iran):
"A prominent Iranian legislator deplored the recent sanctions by the
US treasury against several companies and individuals who have worked
with Iran as a puzzle designed by the Zionist lobby to make idle the
ongoing talks between Tehran and the six world powers (the US, Russia,
China, France and Britain plus Germany). The remarks by Rapporteur of the
parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Seyed
Hossein Naqavi Hosseini came after the US Treasury on Tuesday in a
statement added several people and companies to its sanction list for
their cooperation with the Iranian government. 'The US Treasury's
addition of the names of several people and companies to the sanctions
list is part of a Zionist puzzle to make the negotiations between Iran
and G5+1 fruitless,' Naqavi Hosseini said. The senior lawmaker noted the
G5+1 intends to leave the negotiating table through such negative moves,
and a puzzle with many different parts has been designed by Israel to
this end... 'The Zionists and the westerners know that they will not gain
anything in the talks, because the Islamic Republic of Iran will not
withdraw from its inalienable right and Iran's negotiating team does not
have the right and authority to cross Iran's redlines by any means,' he
added." http://t.uani.com/1u8M8m4
VICE:
"A woman in Iran faces public execution for that most heinous of
crimes: defending herself against a rapist. Rayhaneh Jabbari, a
26-year-old from Tehran, was scheduled to be hanged two weeks ago for
killing her attacker in self-defense. However, after pressure from
Iranian human rights groups, the Supreme Court is now reviewing her case
for a second time. Rayhaneh, who was an interior decorator before
her arrest, was 19 when Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi-a former intelligence
officer and, at the time, a high-ranking member of Iran's
government-invited her to his home to discuss a decorating job. When she
arrived, she was offered a fruit juice, which forensics later confirmed
contained sedatives, that she refused to drink. After blocking a number
of aggressive sexual advances, she took a knife from her bag and stabbed
Sarbandi in the shoulder in an 'act of self-defense.' Her attacker died
from blood loss." http://t.uani.com/1kr0Q0U
Nuclear Program & Negotiations
Reuters: "Senior diplomats from six world powers met in Brussels on
Wednesday to fine-tune negotiating strategy towards Iran with talks on
its contested nuclear program entering a crunch stretch before a July 20
deadline... Diplomats have signaled some progress may have been made
during three rounds of talks since February on one of the most thorny
issues - the future of Iran's planned Arak heavy-water reactor, which
Western states worry could prove a source of plutonium for nuclear bombs
once operational. But talks so far have made no headway on other major
issues, with the sides laying out their broad positions rather than
negotiating solutions. Western diplomats warn that gaps between the two
sides remain significant and possibly insurmountable. The six nations now
must decide what they want to achieve specifically in the next three
months to allay their concerns that Iranian nuclear work has underlying
military purposes." http://t.uani.com/1rSdJ96
Sanctions
Relief
WSJ: "As the U.S. on Tuesday targeted a Chinese businessman accused
of selling missile parts to Iran, it also quietly lifted sanctions from a
Greek shipping company it said last year had helped conceal Iranian oil
sales. The U.S. Treasury Department said in a notice filed by its Office
of Foreign Assets Control that it removed sanctions from Libra Shipping,
a company based in the suburbs of Athens. Treasury said in March 2013,
when it designated the company for sanctions, that Libra Shipping
operated vessels bought by Dmitri Cambis, a Greek businessman it targeted
for helping Iran evade international oil sanctions. A Treasury
spokeswoman said OFAC removed sanctions only from Libra Shipping, 'based
on a determination... that circumstances no longer warrant' its
blacklisting. '[Mr.] Cambis, as well as other entities and vessels
previously blocked in connection with [Mr.] Cambis, remain blocked,' she
said, without commenting further." http://t.uani.com/1rQZx01
Trend: "Iran plans to supply 4 million tons of fuel to ships sailing
through its neighboring seas in the current Iranian solar year, which
began on March 21, 2014. Managing director of the National Iranian Oil
Products Distribution Company, Mostafa Kashkouli said some 2.85 million
tons of fuel oil were supplied to ships in the past year, Iran's Shana
news agency reported on April 30. Supplying fuel oil and gas oil
increased by 31 percent and 7 percent, respectively, compared to the year
ended in March 2013, he noted. The value of the supplied fuel amounted to
$1.5 billion, he added." http://t.uani.com/1mhmAC7
Fars News (Iran): "Iran and Italy have decided to increase the
number of their direct flights, a senior aviation official announced on
Wednesday. 'We plan to increase the number of flights (between the two
countries) by singing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the near
future,' Deputy Head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization Mohammad
Khodakarami told reporters on Wednesday. He noted that there are
currently six weekly flights underway between Iran and Italy. 'A more
suitable atmosphere will be created for the operation of the two
countries' airlines through updating the air transportation MoU between
Iran and Italy in the near future,' Khodakarami said. He recalled that a
meeting attended by high-ranking officials of Alitalia Airline, Italian
Embassy officials and officials of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization was
held to facilitate aviation cooperation between the two countries." http://t.uani.com/1n1YQl3
Sanctions
Enforcement & Impact
The National: "Shipping volumes from Iran at Dubai's Jebel Ali Port
fell by 300,000 standard container units last year as a result of fresh
sanctions imposed on Iran, according to the port's operator. That is
equivalent to 16 of the world's largest container ships... 'It took the
June [2012] round of sanctions from the US and the EU to really choke
trade off in Iran, which fell precipitously,' said Bryan Plamondon, a
senior economist for the Middle East at IHS. Before this, Jebel Ali
and Dubai were conducting a busy trade in so-called 'roll-on roll-off'
cargo, in which vehicles make one leg of a journey by sea, with 50 per
cent of Jebel Ali's roll-on roll-off traffic destined for Iran. 'On the
basis of [roll-on roll-off cargo], Dubai is the gateway to Iran,' said
Dalibor Gogic, a maritime analyst at IHS." http://t.uani.com/R26XQX
Trend: "Since the pull out of giant gas companies from Iran
following the US-engineered sanctions, Chinese firms such as SINOPEC,
SINOC, and CNPCI managed to sign over 10 major oil and gas contracts,
worth some $40 billion, to develop Iranian fields. The contracts were all
signed during the eight-year presidency of Iran's former president
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. North Azadegan, South Azadegan, Yadavaran, South
Pars gas field's Phase 11, a liquid gas (LPG) production unit, and North
Pars development plan were among the mentioned projects. None them have
come on stream so far. Iran cancelled its contract for development of
North Pars gas field with CNPCI in September 2011. A year later, it also
cancelled the contract for development of South Pars gas field's Phase 11
with the same company. The country also cancelled its contract for
construction of a 10-million ton LPG production unit with a consortium of
Chinese companies in November 2011. Iran signed a 2-billion dollar
contract for development of Yadavaran field with SINOPEC Company in
December 2007. The Chinese firm was supposed to double the field's output
to 50,000 barrels of oil per day by 2013, but it has failed to meet its
obligations so far." http://t.uani.com/1kvsmw1
Terrorism
AFP: "Iran rejected an annual US report that keeps Tehran on a list
of state sponsors of terrorism as reflecting double standards, media
reports said Thursday. The foreign ministry was reacting to a State
Department report released Wednesday that kept Cuba, Iran, Syria and
Sudan on its list of so-called state sponsors of terrorism. The report
also highlighted what it said was Iran's role in supporting and funding
the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in its fight against Syrian
rebels. 'Accusing Iran of supporting terrorism is politicised and based
on double standards,' ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said in a
statement reported by the official IRNA news agency. She questioned
Washington's anti-terrorism intentions, recalling 'innocent people who fall
victim' to US drone attacks in the region as well as 'the turning of a
blind eye to Zionist (Israeli) crimes against the Palestinians.'" http://t.uani.com/1ksgtVS
Syria Conflict
WashPost: "The months-long effort to dismantle Syria's chemical
weapons program has ground to a halt because Syria is holding on to 27
tons of sarin precursor chemicals as leverage in a dispute with the
international community over the future of facilities used to store the
deadly agents, according to U.S. officials. Having turned over all but an
estimated 8 percent of its chemical arsenal to the Organisation for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Damascus missed a deadline Sunday to
relinquish the remnants of its arsenal, which are stored in 16 containers
in Damascus, U.S. officials said. The OPCW is insisting that a network of
tunnels and buildings that were used to store the weapons must be
destroyed. The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has argued
that the facilities should be repurposed. 'They're just stalling for time
to hold on to some of these facilities,' said a U.S. official familiar
with the matter who would discuss the issue only on the condition of
anonymity." http://t.uani.com/1fBnFln
Human Rights
FIDH: "On the eve of May 1, 2014, International Workers' Day, the
Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an FIDH-OMCT
joint programme, is drawing attention to the plight of Iranian trade
unionists... On early morning of April 30, 2014, the Iranian authorities
detained two trade unionists, Messrs. Jafar Azimzadeh and Jamil
Mohammadi, and tried to detain Ms. Parvin Mohammadi. All three are
members of the Board of Directors of the Free Union of Iranian Workers.
Last year, they organised a petition with 40,000 signatures protesting
the worsening conditions of workers and were among the unionists who
tried to organise a May 1 demonstration. A number of other unionists were
summoned for interrogations last week when they were warned not to go
ahead with the May 1 demonstration. Moreover, at least 12 other unionists
and labour activists are currently in prison in Iran and a number of
others are facing long-term prison sentences merely for trying to
organise their colleagues in independent unions." http://t.uani.com/1iLlgnV
IHR: "Three prisoners were hanged in the Vakilabad prison of Mashhad
(Northeastern Iran) reported the Iranian daily newspaper Khorasan.
According to this report one of the prisoners was hanged on Monday April
28, while the execution of the two other prisoners were carried out on
Tuesday April 29. All the prisoners were charged with murder and
sentenced to 'qisas' (qesas; retribution in kind)... Three prisoners were
hanged in the prison of Bandar Abbas early this morning, May 1., reported
the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan (HRO)." http://t.uani.com/1pShPR2
Domestic
Politics
Press TV: "Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali
Khamenei says the Islamic Republic's industrial might will make the
world's bullying powers respect the nation. Ayatollah Khamenei made the
remarks during a visit to MAPNA industrial complex in the city of Karaj
ahead of May Day on Wednesday. If 'we stand on our own feet and be
strong, they have to respond respectfully and reasonably,' said the
Leader, referring to the Western powers. Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized
the necessity to depend on the national resolve in an effort to boost the
country's economy. MAPNA is an Iranian group of companies active in the
fields of construction and installation of energy production machinery.
'We should grow... from within (the country), but... we should (also) be
active and influential in global markets,' the Leader added." http://t.uani.com/1fwilQt
Trend: "The Central Bank of Iran announced that the inflation rate
for the 12-month period to the first Iranian calendar month of Farvardin
(ended on April 20) hit 32.5 percent. The consumer price index (CPI) also
stood at 188.5 units in the first month of the current year, which is 0.1
units more than the same month previous year, the IRIB News Agency reported
on April 30. The country's point-to-point inflation rate in the mentioned
month was 17.4 percent. The point-to-point inflation rate statistics
identify the rate of inflation (increase in the of CPI) between distinct
points in time, such as inflation rate at the end of a month compared to
the inflation rate in the end of same month in the previous year. The
Statistical Center of Iran had previously put the mentioned period's
inflation at 32.2 percent." http://t.uani.com/1lBb5CE
Trend: "Iran's president has announced that the government spends
about $1.4 billion per month on the cash subsidies for citizens. The cash
subsidies impose about $392 million (based on the official rate of 25,500
rials per each USD) deficit in budget per month for administration, Hassan
Rouhani said in a live TV interview which broadcasted on state TV Channel
1 on April 29. Rouhani went on to say that the administration decided to
increase the energy carrier prices to eliminate the negative economic
effects of the cash subsidies. The prices increased averagely by 50
percent, Rouhani said, adding that it will not lead to serious increase
of other goods' prices." http://t.uani.com/1fuUb8W
Foreign Affairs
Fars News (Iran): "Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos Lopez
underscored that Iran's logical and constructive role in the settlement
of the regional problem and its eye-catching capabilities in various
arenas have persuaded Managua to put expansion of ties with Tehran atop
its agenda. Speaking at a meeting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali
Larijani in Tehran on Tuesday, Lopez underlined the important role of
Tehran in the establishment of peace and stability in the region and
welcomed promotion of relations in all fields particularly in the field
of economy. Lopez arrived in Tehran at the head of a high-ranking
delegation on Monday morning." http://t.uani.com/1n6ztfp
Opinion &
Analysis
Sohrab Ahmari in WSJ: "For May Day, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei's Twitter feed has been featuring photos of the ayatollah
visiting a factory and tweets like this one: 'Working & endeavoring
are respected by #Islam and Islam's attention to #workers' rights &
their high status is based on this lofty outlook.' Those sentiments would
be jarring to any Iranians whose attempts at organizing labor have run up
against the theocratic regime's hostility to workers' rights. Consider
Mansour Osanlou, who in 2005 founded the Islamic Republic's first
independent trade union, the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Co. Workers'
Syndicate, representing more than 17,000 bus drivers in Iran's capital.
He won better wages and working conditions for his drivers, benefits that
they retain to this day. But the triumphs came at a terrible price: Mr.
Osanlou says he was imprisoned, tortured and lost two family members to
the fight. In 2011, he was released on bail from his latest and longest
jail term, after which he secretly made his way to Turkey and eventually
to America. His story, related to me recently at a Persian restaurant in
Manhattan, is worth hearing as a window on America's current negotiating
partners. Mr. Osanlou was born in 1960 to a working-class family. His
father was a technician at the National Iranian Oil Co. and a union man
while the shah reigned. 'My family had a history of labor struggle,' Mr.
Osanlou says. The shah's regime at various points repressed and tolerated
trade unionism. The revolutionaries who overthrew the shah in 1979 were
even less tolerant. The new regime set up 'Islamic workers' councils' to
replace existing unions, which were banned. The councils were led by
regime agents, Mr. Osanlou says, and their rank-and-file members were
street thugs and Khomeini loyalists. During the regime's first decade in
power, some 500 trade-union activists were executed... After his
general-assembly triumph, Mr. Osanlou says, the regime began punishing
him with repeated arrests over the next five years. He spent much of that
time in cramped solitary confinement. In the summer of 2009, Iranian
security forces briefly detained and beat Mr. Osanlou's daughter-in-law,
who was one month pregnant at the time; she miscarried. Last year, Mr.
Osanlou's brother, Afshin, also a labor organizer, died of a heart attack
while serving a prison sentence issued in 2011 for 'assembling to act
against national security.' Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Khamenei tweeted on
the eve of May Day: 'The outlook based on conflict b/w #workers &
employers is shared both by #Marxism & western ideology. #Islam
recommends mutual respect.'" http://t.uani.com/1kvAD2Q
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