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Tasnim (Iran):
"Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali
Khamenei said the crux of the matter for Muslims is the US vicious
policies towards the Middle East as well as the Israeli regime's
atrocities against Palestinians and frequent desecration of Al-Aqsa
Mosque. 'Today, the US malicious policies in this region (West Asia
and North Africa) - which have caused wars, bloodshed, destruction,
displacement, poverty, underdevelopment and ethnic and sectarian rifts -
in addition to the Zionist regime's crimes... and its frequent
desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque and trampling over the lives and properties
of the oppressed Palestinians, is the main problem of you Muslims,'
Ayatollah Khamenei said in a message to the Hajj Congress on Wednesday.
The Leader also urged the Muslim clerics and political, cultural elites
not to neglect their responsibility to deal with those main problems.
Imam Khamenei stressed that the tragic events in Iraq, Syria, Yemen,
Bahrain, the West Bank and Gaza, and some other countries in Asia and
Africa emanate from the plots hatched by the global arrogance." http://t.uani.com/1G4QJtd
Reuters:
"Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced Israel on
Wednesday for what he called its 'insult' to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque
in connection with Israeli actions at one of Islam's holiest places.
Israeli-Palestinian strife has risen sharply in recent weeks as Arab
states and Palestinians have accused Israeli forces of violations at the
mosque. 'The Zionist regime's crimes in Palestine and repeated insult of
the sacred sanctuary of the al-Aqsa Mosque ... are the foremost problem
for Muslims,' Khamenei was quoted as saying by his official website.
Khamenei described Israeli behavior towards Palestinians as the 'ultimate
degree of ruthlessness and evil.'" http://t.uani.com/1LzsFVN
Fox News:
"The Iranian government is pressing the U.S. and others to give even
more ground to Tehran in the already-sealed nuclear agreement, posing a
new headache as the Obama administration and others try to implement the
deal. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this month demanded that sanctions
be lifted entirely, not just suspended. A top Khamenei adviser reiterated
that demand over the weekend -- ahead of potential informal talks on the
sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Secretary of State John
Kerry plans meet in the coming days in New York with his Iranian
counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. According to Iran's
Fars News Agency, Iranian officials also plan to meet with all members of
the P5+1 group, which negotiated the deal, in New York on Sept. 28. These
reported plans prompted one group, the Middle East Media Research
Institute (MEMRI), to question whether talks were being 'reopened,' in
order to address Khamenei's concerns." http://t.uani.com/1OUI5Vs
Nuclear Program
& Agreement
Free Beacon:
"Multiple senior Iranian officials have vowed in recent weeks to
violate the recently inked nuclear accord that aims to constrain the
Islamic Republic's contested nuclear enrichment program, according to
multiple comments by top Iranian leaders. Iranian leaders, including
President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, have said that
the country has 'no intention' of abiding by a United Nations Security
Council Resolution that encompasses the deal and other restrictions on
Tehran's rogue activities, according to these comments. These officials
said that Iran views the recent Iranian nuclear deal secured in Vienna as
separate from the resolution endorsing the deal and further prohibiting
Iran from developing advanced ballistic missiles and purchasing other
types of arms, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, or
MEMRI, which issued a report compiling recent statements by Iran." http://t.uani.com/1KBHZfc
Fars (Iran):
"Iranian Supreme Leader's top adviser for international affairs Ali
Akbar Velayati underscored that as emphasized by the Islamic Republic
since the beginning of the nuclear negotiations, the sanctions against
Tehran should be terminated. 'The recent emphasis laid by Supreme Leader
of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on the termination
of the sanctions mirrored the same views he has had since the beginning
(of nuclear talks with the world powers) and it should be materialized,'
Velayati told FNA on Saturday. He referred to Ayatollah Khamenei's
remarks that Iran would act upon its undertakings only if the sanctions
were terminated and that if the world powers didn't keep their promises,
Tehran would continue nuclear progress irrespective of the agreement, and
said, 'It is understood from the Supreme Leader's remarks that balance is
necessary in the two sides' measures and in case of imbalance, nothing
will be done.'" http://t.uani.com/1FhGjMg
Free Beacon:
"Gen. David Petraeus spoke before the Senate Armed Services
Committee Tuesday morning, where he delivered his opinion on the
administration's nuclear agreement with Iran and noted key weaknesses in
the deal. 'The nuclear agreement negotiated by the Obama administration
contains many positive elements,' Petraeus said. 'It also contains
problematic elements.' After saying that the deal will put restrictions
on the Iranian regime for the next 10 to 15 years, the retired four-star
general, who served more than 37 years in the Army, warned that the U.S.'s
approach to the Ayatollah's use of his new power and resources as the
deal expires will determine the fate of the agreement. 'It will also,
however, increase considerably the resources available for the Iranian
regime to pursue maligned activities and in the longer term, as
constraints imposed by the agreement expire, the risk of Iranian
proliferation will increase,' Petraeus said. 'The key question going
forward is what will be the relationship of the United States to Iranian
power? Will we seek to counter it, or to accommodate it?'" http://t.uani.com/1Pxg30m
Congressional
Action
The Hill:
"Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is reaching out to America's European allies to
press for unity in enforcing the nuclear deal with Iran. The New
Hampshire Democrat sent a letter to ambassadors from Germany, France and
Great Britain, which were all involved in the international talks with
Iran, asking them to stand together with the U.S. as the pact goes into
effect. '[R]esponding to potential Iranian violations will require our
continued cooperation, particularly regarding possible small-scale
incidents of Iranian non-compliance,' she wrote to the three ambassadors.
'I look forward to the joint efforts of our two governments to develop a
common approach to this challenge.' ... '[A] unified response to any
Iranian violation is the best way to ensure the long-term success of this
agreement,' Shaheen told the ambassadors in her letter. In closing, she
urged the diplomats to keep up the joint pressure on Iran's violations of
human rights and broader meddling in the region, including its support of
the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad." http://t.uani.com/1OUS7pA
Reuters:
"Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz said on Tuesday that Congress
should use legislation funding the government to force President Barack
Obama's administration to hand over more information about the nuclear
agreement with Iran. Days after a deadline passed for Congress to vote on
the nuclear pact, the 2016 presidential hopeful said any legislation to
fund the government after Sept. 30 must require the administration to
hand over information about 'secret side deals' involving inspections of
Iran's nuclear facilities... Any stop-gap funding bill should use 'the
power of the purse to force this administration to hand over the Iranian
side deals,' Cruz told reporters at the U.S. Capitol. Cruz said it would
be Obama, not him, who would force a government shutdown if the president
jeopardized government-wide funding by refusing to detail the Iran side
deals." http://t.uani.com/1Vb8S4O
The Hill:
"Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says the Senate should use its short-term
spending bill to force President Obama to hand over the 'side deals'
between Iran and international inspectors. 'I believe what Congress
should do is a pass a continuing resolution that funds the government,
but that provides two conditions,' he told reporters on Tuesday. 'Number
one, it does not give taxpayer funds to a private organization - Planned
Parenthood - that is under multiple criminal investigations. Number two,
it uses the power of the purse to force this administration to hand over
the Iranian side deals.'" http://t.uani.com/1Ms6bED
The Hill:
"Rep. Paul Ryan is warning the White House not to lift any
unnecessary financial penalties against Iran. The Wisconsin Republican
and chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee told President
Obama in a letter on Tuesday that he has 'serious questions' about
whether the White House will 'keep in place tax rules that discourage
conducting business with Iran' in the wake of the completed nuclear
deal... In his letter this week, Ryan worried whether the administration
is seeking to lay off some of the tax penalties that would be in store
for companies planning to do business with Iran once the initial
sanctions are lifted. Those tax penalties can be lifted by the White
House, if it so chooses. He asked the White House to commit to not
waiving those penalties during the remainder of Obama's term in
office." http://t.uani.com/1L8qrOm
Sanctions Relief
Bloomberg:
"Diplomacy came first, now it's money's turn. Two months after Iran
and six world powers signed a landmark nuclear agreement, foreign
companies are seeking to secure a foothold in an economy bigger than
Thailand's and oil reserves rivaling those of Canada. On Tuesday, Novo
Nordisk A/S, the world's biggest maker of insulin, said it will build a
plant to assemble its FlexPen pre-filled devices in Iran to expand in a
country where millions suffer from diabetes. France, one of the countries
that signed the accord with Iran, opened a trade office in Tehran this
week to boost business ties. With the nuclear accord all but certain to
overcome domestic opposition in Iran and the U.S., scores of foreign
investors are visiting Tehran to scour for opportunities to expand into
one of the largest untapped frontier markets in the world... France sent
a delegation of more than 100 executives to Tehran this week.
Communications Minister Mahmoud Vaezi said Orange SA is interested in
acquiring a stake in a local Iranian phone company, according to the
state-run Fars news agency." http://t.uani.com/1KBDcKR
Bloomberg:
"Executives from some of Europe's biggest companies are aiming to
consolidate their links with Iran as the Islamic Republic prepares to
rejoin the global economy. Some 500 representative from companies
including Alstom SA, RWE AG, the Tehran Stock Exchange and the National
Iranian Oil Co. will meet in Geneva on Thursday and Friday to discuss
everything from trade finance to business diplomacy at the second
Europe-Iran Forum. The event is the first major investment conference to
take place since Iran reached a deal with international powers in July to
ease economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program...
Back in Switzerland, traders at Vitol Group, Glencore Plc and Trafigura
Beheer BV, some of the world's oil-trading champions, are also anxiously
awaiting the lifting of sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the EU that
prohibit dealing in Iranian oil. As Iran and world powers neared a deal
this summer, Glencore executives and Iranian officials held 'exploratory
talks' regarding 'potential business opportunities subject to the removal
of sanctions,' the trading company said in a July statement." http://t.uani.com/1Px9QBG
FT:
"More than 100 top companies from the CAC 40, including Total,
Peugeot and Airbus arrived in Tehran on Monday as part of an economic and
political delegation to forge business links ahead of the lifting of
international sanctions on Iran. But like many of their peers, the large
French banks were nowhere to be seen. 'So far, second- and third-tier
European banks have visited Iran,' said one senior Iranian banker. 'Banks
are the most scared of all European entities and won't take any risks due
to the prices they have paid for violation of sanctions.' The cautious
approach comes as commercial banks avoid being hit by massive fines after
US regulators charged some European banks with money laundering and
terrorist finance and imposed large penalties... 'Banks need to be 110
per cent sure that there is no risk,' said an Iranian business
consultant. 'That means companies are only putting their baskets to keep
a place but cannot sign any contracts at this stage, which is why we see
a lot of smoke but no fire.'" http://t.uani.com/1YDlQaU
Reuters:
"A senior Chinese official has offered Iran help with upgrading its
manufacturing technology to boost its economy, saying that the two
countries are good partners who have weathered many storms together, the
government said on Thursday. Zhang Yi, head of the State-owned Assets
Supervision and Administration Commission, is in Iran on a three-day trip
as a special envoy of the Chinese government. The commission is a
ministry-level body that directly oversees 112 central government
industrial and service conglomerates. In a statement on its Weibo
microblog, the commission said that Zhang had met with Iranian and
Chinese companies in Tehran on Wednesday, telling them that China was
Iran's best partner for infrastructure construction and
manufacturing." http://t.uani.com/1Kx8RjH
Reuters:
Iran has postponed a crucial conference to present new oil contracts to
investors in London to February 2016 from December 2015 as industry
sources said Tehran was still waiting for Western sanctions to be lifted.
The global oil industry has been eagerly watching Tehran's plans for the
conference as Iran, OPEC's third largest oil producer, holds the world's
fourth largest oil reserves and the largest for natural gas... The
conference has been already postponed four times, including the current
delay, because of uncertainty over sanctions and as Iranian officials are
still working on the model for new contracts... The new dates for the
London conference have been tentatively set for February 22-24, the
organisers said on the web site. http://t.uani.com/1L8j0Xl
Reuters:
"India is ready to invest more than $15.2 billion to build projects
in Iran including taking up full-scale development of Chabahar Port if
Tehran offers better terms including cheaper gas, Shipping Minister Nitin
Gadkari said on Wednesday. India is one of the handful countries that
continued trade links with Iran, isolated by Western countries against
its disputed nuclear programme. New Delhi is Tehran's second biggest oil
client after Beijing. 'We are ready to make a huge investment in Iran and
this is mainly linked to gas pricing offered by Iran ... Gas price is a
crucial issue,' Gadkari told a news conference. Days before the historic
nuclear deal between Tehran and the West in July, President Hassan
Rouhani offered India a greater role in infrastructure projects including
overall development of Chabahar port. India hopes to take a decision on
Iran's latest offer by early October after obtaining reports from other
ministries including petroleum, chemical and fertiliser, and steel by
Monday, Shipping Secretary Rajive Kumar said... In May, Gadkari and his
Iranian counterpart, Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi, signed an $85 million deal for
India to lease two existing berths at the port and use them as
multi-purpose cargo terminals." http://t.uani.com/1Kx9No0
Reuters:
"South Africa is considering building an oil refinery that will
process Iranian crude to bolster its petrol supply and reduce its
dependence on foreign companies, a government official said on Tuesday.
Plans for the new refinery were being 'conceptualised' Tseliso Maqubela,
the deputy director general for petroleum and petroleum products
regulation at the energy ministry, said. He could not estimate the cost
or time frame for construction. Pretoria has said it will resume oil
imports from Tehran 'tomorrow' if sanctions are lifted but without its
own refinery, it would have to rely on foreign oil companies who own
refineries in Africa's most developed economy." http://t.uani.com/1NOFNX6
Terrorism
AP:
"Two men found guilty of plotting to derail a passenger train in
Canada with support from al-Qaida were sentenced Wednesday to life in
prison. Chiheb Esseghaier and Raed Jaser must serve a minimum of 10 years
before becoming eligible for parole on their life sentences. A jury convicted
Esseghaier, a Tunisian national, earlier this year of planning to derail
a Via train heading from New York to Toronto and four other
terror-related charges. Jaser was found guilty of conspiring to commit
murder in support of terrorism and two other charges. Jaser, who was born
in the United Arab Emirates to Palestinian parents but is not an UAE
citizen, was living in Toronto when he was arrested in 2013.
Investigators say the men received guidance from members of al-Qaida in
Iran." http://t.uani.com/1Px81oq
Human Rights
ICHRI:
"When Iranian president Hassan Rouhani addresses the United Nations
General Assembly on September 28, 2015, his third trip to the
organization's New York headquarters since his election in June 2013, he
will stand on a record of great success in the nuclear negotiations-and
abject failure in delivering on his pledges to defend basic civil rights
and liberties in Iran. The International Campaign for Human Rights in
Iran calls on all government and UN officials, business and civil society
leaders, and journalists who will be meeting with Rouhani and his
delegation in New York to use every interaction with Iranian officials to
press them to end the repression gripping the country and respect its
citizens' most basic civil liberties, particularly the right to peaceful
dissent. Elected by a large margin over two years ago promising greater
political and social freedoms, Rouhani presides over a country held in a
firm chokehold by repressive security and intelligence organizations controlled
by the Revolutionary Guards, and a Judiciary that ignores Iran's own laws
to suppress all dissent in the country. 'His citizens are being thrown in
prison for peacefully criticizing their government,' said Hadi Ghaemi,
executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in
Iran. 'Rouhani hides behind an 'independent' Judiciary but he is still
head of state. It is indefensible that Rouhani has been silent and
inconsequential on basic human rights.'" http://t.uani.com/1LPSNY5
RFE/RL:
"When reports emerged earlier this month that prominent Iranian
Internet entrepreneur Arash Zad had been arrested in August at Tehran's
Imam Khomeini airport, it was unknown who apprehended him, or why. But
suspicion has since fallen on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps'
(IRGC) intelligence arm, whose increased activities could indicate that
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejuvenated the much-feared
unit so he can gain greater control over the country... The IRGC's
intelligence unit, which falls under the supreme leader's direct
authority, could serve as a useful tool if Khamenei cannot fully trust
the Intelligence Ministry to do as he wishes. There is precedent for the
supreme leader and the hard-line faction of the Iranian establishment to
use the IRGC unit or others as a parallel intelligence apparatus -- Iran
witnessed a surge in the operations of alternative intelligence bodies
under former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, whose attempts at
reform were blocked by hard-liners." http://t.uani.com/1KE1W61
HRW:
"The Iranian authorities should immediately release seven teachers
apparently detained for peaceful union activities. By stepping up the
arrests and sentencing of outspoken teachers in the weeks prior to the
start of the school year on September 23, 2015, the authorities appear to
be sending a message to other educators not to speak out about their
concerns. Since April 2015, security forces have detained five prominent
members of Iran's Teachers' Association, as well as the secretary general
of the Teachers Organization of Iran. Authorities have brought new
charges against another educator who had recently completed a six-year
sentence in connection with his union activities. In all of the cases,
the authorities have cited 'security concerns' to justify the detentions.
'Iran has a clear pattern of arresting and harassing teachers for
speaking out about the problems that they and their students face,' said
Eric Goldstein, deputy Middle East director. 'The government should
encourage those who seek to improve education rather than arresting them
on apparently spurious security charges.'" http://t.uani.com/1FwbCCI
Foreign Affairs
NBC News:
"The NSA will probably spy on foreign leaders like Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani during the UN General Assembly in New York this week,
applying a 'full court press' that includes intercepting cellphone calls
and bugging hotel rooms, former intelligence analysts told NBC News. A
top-secret report on a previous NSA operation against Iran's U.N.
delegation illustrates just how extensive this electronic surveillance
can be. The document, obtained by NBC News, shows the U.S. bugged the
hotel rooms and phones of then-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and
his entire 143-member delegation in 2007, listening to thousands of
conversations and learning the 'social networks' of Iran's leadership.
The three-page document, called 'Tips for a Successful Quick Reaction
Capability,' recounted what happened when the NSA was asked by the Bush
administration for blanket surveillance of Ahmadinejad's September 2007
trip to the UNGA." http://t.uani.com/1KE4YHu
Opinion &
Analysis
WSJ Editorial:
"The current fad of the 'selfie' photograph has a new category with
the news that Iran has been allowed to self-inspect its suspected nuclear
site at Parchin. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed Monday
that Iran had turned over samples that the Iranians had themselves collected
from the military site that IAEA inspectors haven't been allowed to visit
in a decade. The Iranians did take IAEA director Yukiya Amano on a
supervised tour of Parchin on Sunday, and he announced himself well
pleased with what his agency received. 'The agency can confirm the
integrity of the sampling process and the authenticity of the samples,'
Mr. Amano said. But their authenticity and integrity are not the decisive
issues. What matters is whether they provide a complete picture of Iran's
previous nuclear work. On that score Mr. Amano has to settle for whatever
Iran provides him. He also isn't about to say that the self-inspection
process he recently endorsed has produced inadequate results-at least not
if he wants to keep his job. We are a long way from the go-anywhere,
look-at-anything inspections that President Obama promised during
negotiations. The Parchin selfies are especially dangerous because they
are likely to set a new arms-control precedent for inspecting contested
military sites in the future. Gone are the kind of intrusive inspections
that even Saddam Hussein had to tolerate until he kicked out inspectors.
This is now the era of the selfie inspection, when rogue regimes provide
their own samples, and inspectors-at-a-distance announce their gratitude
for the cooperation." http://t.uani.com/1G4H1Hm
Daily Star (Lebanon)
Editorial: "President Hassan Rouhani insisted
Tuesday that the country's forces were the best shield against
'terrorism' in the region: He seems to be forgetting, however, that Iran
has been sponsoring violence and intolerance from Lebanon to Yemen. In
Iraq and Syria, in particular, Iran's military and financial assistance
has been most influential. Across Damascus and elsewhere in the country,
powerful Iranian individuals are reported to be buying up property and
large tracts of land, part of a concerted effort to tangibly change the
demographics of the country in favor of a minority. Were Rouhani's words
to be accurate, that would surely be welcomed by the people and governments
of the Middle East. But it is so far removed from reality that it would
be laughable if the situation were not so tragic. Tehran has shown a
fundamental lack of respect for the concept of sovereignty, continuing to
prop up the governments in Damascus and Baghdad. Syria's war would look
very different in the absence of Iranian support, in terms of widespread
military support, and the helpful recruitment of militia from Afghanistan
and Pakistan. In Yemen it is has shown a determination to back a minority
uprising against a legitimate government, offering a crucial lifeline in
military support, advisers and finance, something Rouhani denied. Further
afield, if not directly involved, Iran continues to sponsor a plethora of
proxy groups, from southeast Asia to South America, taking advantage of
gaps in society, as it does in the Middle East. Offering aid and
assistance where people desperately need it. But such supposedly
benevolent assistance comes with a price. If Iran meant what it said -
that it was committed to combatting terrorism - this would be welcomed.
But this is divorced from reality." http://t.uani.com/1G4KeXv
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Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against
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