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Defense One:
"Just 26 percent of U.S. national security workers believe that the
West's nuclear agreement with Iran is good for America, and even fewer
think it will help Israel or Saudi Arabia, a new Defense One survey
shows. Asked to evaluate the statement 'The Iran nuclear deal is a good
deal for the United States,' some 66 percent of responders disagreed -
and two-thirds of that group 'strongly disagreed.' The group's outlook
was even dimmer about the deal's effect on U.S. allies. Most respondents
said that it would have a somewhat or mostly negative impact on the
security of Israel (71%), Saudi Arabia (67%), the Gulf Arab states (67%),
Jordan (59%), Iraq (58%), and Europe (53%). So what should the U.S. do
about it? Some 62 percent said that the U.S. would be better off simply
rejecting the deal and keeping current sanctions in place. (31 percent
disagreed.) And about half said that the U.S. should compensate by
increasing arms sales to countries in the Middle East. (38 percent
disagreed.)" http://t.uani.com/1LU7lv2
Al-Monitor:
"Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Force, a division of
the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in charge of operations outside the
country's borders, gave what was billed as 'a special speech' to the
Assembly of Experts Sept. 1 to discuss regional matters. Parts of the
speech were shared with Iranian news agencies by members of the assembly
in attendance. In an interview with Tasnim News Agency, Assembly of
Experts member Hojat al-Islam Seyyed Mojtaba Taheri said that Soleimani's
speech focused on 'Iraq, Syria, Yemen, America's roles, the enemies of
Islam and the presence of [the Islamic State] and takfiris in the
region.' Taheri added, 'Gen. Soleimani said that the collapse of American
power in the region has happened. He gave the factors for this collapse,
and one of the most influential reasons for it is the strong logic of the
Islamic Republic of Iran in various arenas.' One of the top headlines in
Iranian news agencies this morning read, 'The collapse of American power
in the region has happened.' Taheri continued, 'Gen. Soleimani said the
spiritual influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the region has
resulted in strengthening the line of resistance and the Islamic
Revolution, and for this, America and Israel and their allies have been
challenged.'" http://t.uani.com/1fV37F1
Philadelphia
Inquirer: "Sens. Robert P. Casey of Pennsylvania and
Chris Coons of Delaware, both Democrats, announced their support for the
international nuclear agreement with Iran on Tuesday, putting President
Obama on the brink of a major victory. The two became the 32d and 33d
senators to support the agreement, one shy of the number needed to
sustain a potential Obama veto of any congressional resolution to kill
the deal... Coons, in a speech at the University of Delaware, expressed
deep skepticism of the deal's flaws - 'Frankly, this is not the agreement
I had hoped for,' he said - but added that he saw no credible
alternative, and real damage from nixing the agreement... In a heavily
footnoted paper that aides say he largely wrote himself, Casey wrote that
he is 'skeptical' that Iran will uphold its end of the agreement, and
that 'one of the most troubling questions' is the idea that billions in
sanctions relief for Iran will finance terrorism. Coons noted that the
deal will freeze but not dismantle Iran's nuclear program, and worried
that Tehran will continue fueling anti-American and anti-Israeli
sentiment... A Quinnipiac University poll released Aug. 24 showed that
Pennsylvania voters oppose the agreement 61 percent to 26 percent.
Nationally, voters are against it, 55 percent to 25 percent, according to
a Quinnipiac survey released Monday. 'The American people are growing
more and more opposed to the deal' as they learn more about it, said Mark
Wallace, chief executive of one of the leading group's criticizing the
deal, United Against Nuclear Iran. He said the president was twisting
Democrats' arms for support and held out hope that votes may change as
more information comes out." http://t.uani.com/1EyBSMb
Nuclear Program
& Agreement
NYT:
"Flexing their muscles, some of the toughest anti-American voices in
Iran said on Tuesday that the United States remains their country's top
enemy, guilty of 'uncountable' crimes... The head of Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corps, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, announced
plans to expand the reach of Iran's missiles and warned that despite the
nuclear deal, America was still the 'same Great Satan.' ... 'We should
not be cheated by the new slogans of this country,' General Jafari said,
referring to the United States, during a speech at the Tehran Sarallah
military base, according to the semiofficial Fars News Agency. His
remarks were echoed by Mohammad Yazdi, the head of an influential
clerical council... 'We should not change our foreign policy of
opposition to America, our No. 1 enemy, whose crimes are uncountable,'
Mr. Yazdi said in a speech opening an annual meeting of the council, the
Assembly of Experts, an 86-member group that in theory has the power to
dismiss the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei... Mr. Jafari said the
range of missiles - now 2,000 kilometers, about 1,242 miles - would be
increased... He also stressed that the Revolutionary Guards would stay
involved in the economy as well. 'After over 20 years of engagement in
civilian projects, the Revolutionary Guards Corps has enough experience
in and we will continue our projects,' he said." http://t.uani.com/1O8pRNE
AP:
"Secretary of State John Kerry will send a letter to all members of
Congress on Wednesday outlining U.S. security commitments to Israel and
the Gulf Arab states in light of the Iran nuclear deal. State Department
officials said Tuesday the letter would be sent shortly before Kerry
delivers what is being billed as a major policy speech on the Iran
agreement in Philadelphia. The officials said the speech, a week before
Congress returns to work, will focus on how the deal makes the U.S. and
its allies safer. Kerry will also attack what the officials said is a
'mythology' of false claims about what the deal will do. The officials
spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to
preview the speech by name." http://t.uani.com/1hyhaS0
Free Beacon:
"Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed that the Islamic Republic
would violate outstanding United Nations restrictions governing the
country's ballistic missile program and that the behavior would not
violate the recent nuclear accord, according to a translation of the
leader's remarks performed by the CIA's Open Source Center. Iran is 'not
committed to the restrictions on its missile program,' according to a
recent comment made by Rouhani, who said a violation of
international restrictions would not impact the nuclear accord recently
reached with global powers. 'We have formally announced that we are not
committed to these provisions [related to missiles] mentioned in [the]
U.N. resolution,' Rouhani was quoted as saying in an Aug. 29 Persian
language speech broadcast on Iran's state-controlled television networks.
It is written into the nuclear accord that a violation of U.N. bans on
Iran's missile program will not impact the deal. Within the deal 'we have
explained that a violation of the U.N. resolution does not mean violation
of the JCPOA,' or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, according to
Rouhani, who bragged that Iran's missile stockpiles have grown under his
tenure as president. Critics of the accord have warned that Iran will
bolster its missile arsenal and develop technology to launch a nuclear
weapon." http://t.uani.com/1N2HbFf
Free Beacon:
"A majority of voters from both parties are concerned about aspects
of the Iran nuclear deal governing inspections of Tehran's nuclear
facilities, according to a survey released Tuesday by the University of
Maryland's Program for Public Consultation. Participants in the national
'Citizen Cabinet' survey were presented with a description of the dispute
regarding Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program and the principal
components of the deal finalized in Vienna on July 14. They were then
briefed on critiques of the agreement and subsequent rebuttals to those
critiques. Those surveyed were polled on the degree to which they found
these criticisms or rebuttals convincing. During a conference call with
reporters Tuesday, Dr. Steven Kull, one of the primary investigators on
the survey, pointed to the share of participants agreeing with criticism
of Iran's nuclear inspections as indicative of the significant concern
regarding the transparency of the deal. Particularly, 79 percent of those
polled-the highest consensus for any question in the survey-found the
following critique convincing." http://t.uani.com/1NXO63f
Congressional Vote
CNN:
"In a major victory for President Barack Obama, Democratic Sen.
Barbara Mikulski of Maryland announced support for the Iran nuclear deal
Wednesday, providing the White House the votes it needs to prevent
Republicans from scuttling the agreement. The announcement means that at
least 34 senators -- the number required by the Constitution to sustain a
veto -- will back Obama in vetoing a Republican resolution to disapprove
of the deal. While majorities of both the GOP-controlled House and Senate
are expected to vote against the agreement, supporters of the
multinational accord that aims to curb Iran's nuclear weapons program are
also hoping to get the 41 votes needed to filibuster the bill and prevent
it from even getting to a final vote in the Senate. Secretary of State
John Kerry said the administration will continue to try and push support
for deal past the 34 votes they now have 'until the last moment.'
'Thirty-four votes are obviously enough votes for the president's veto to
be upheld,' Kerry told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. 'That is not
satisfactory for us. We do want to try to go further. We'll continue to persuade.'
That prospect upsets some Republicans who believe the historic agreement
deserves a final up-or-down vote." http://t.uani.com/1fV6AUi
The Hill:
"Richard Blumenthal is considered one of the Senate's most liberal
Democrats, but the Connecticut lawmaker is wavering on the nuclear deal
with Iran. As most undecided Senate Democrats fall in line behind
President Obama to support the deal, Blumenthal is staying mum. 'I'm
still undecided, but I hope to reach a decision some time in the next
week or so,' he told The Hill in a phone interview Tuesday. Blumenthal is
in a tough spot, caught between opponents of the deal such as former Sen.
Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and backers that include the White House and
every other member of the Connecticut delegation. Adding to the pressure,
conservative talk show host Larry Kudlow pledged over the weekend to run
against Blumenthal next year if the senator votes to uphold the
agreement... Blumenthal told The Hill there are 'a number of downsides'
to the nuclear deal, including the billions of dollars that will flow to
Iran. He also mentioned the potentially cumbersome mechanism for
conducting inspections and 'the potential for nuclear weaponization at
the end of 10 or 15 years.' ... That fact that Lieberman - the Democratic
Party's nominee for vice president in 2000 - is now leading a group
against the deal, United Against Nuclear Iran, is sure to weigh on
Blumenthal. He declined to say whether he had spoken with
Lieberman." http://t.uani.com/1N2Axif
NYT:
"The unease expressed by supporters - including concerns about the
possibility that easing sanctions would end up funneling billions of
dollars to terrorist groups in the Middle East - underscored the
political agony that the nuclear deal has created for lawmakers, particularly
Mr. Obama's fellow Democrats. For the president, however, it mattered
little how many footnotes, asterisks or other caveats come with the
pledges of support... The support from Mr. Coons may prove to be
especially important. 'Frankly, this is not the agreement I had hoped
for,' he said, echoing doubts he has expressed for weeks. He added that
he was troubled by 'different interpretations of key terms' in the
agreement. 'I remain deeply concerned about our ability to hold Iran to
the terms of this deal as we understand them,' Mr. Coons said, pointing
to Iran's 'past cheating' on previous agreements, its support of
terrorist groups and its jailing of a reporter for The Washington
Post." http://t.uani.com/1KrE1Mz
Sanctions
Relief
The Hill:
"Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday that international
businesses are eager for the market opportunities that Iran presents.
'There are countries chomping at the bit to do business,' he told hosts
Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe.' Kerry also
said that critics of his landmark nuclear deal with Tehran are mistaken
when they argue the deal provides American funding to Iran's coffers. 'It
is not our money, it is their money,' he said, noting that any cash
assets Iran receives are its own currently frozen via economic sanctions.
'We don't hold it in American banks.' Kerry argued that this economic
reality makes congressional approval of President Obama's agreement with
Iran essential." http://t.uani.com/1Q8s5xR
Sanctions
Enforcement
Detroit Free
Press: "Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette on
Tuesday issued a letter to governors across the nation asking them to
impose or extend their own economic sanctions against Iran, as the Obama
administration seeks to lift federal ones as part of an agreement for
Iran to scale back its nuclear program. In a letter sent to all 50
governors, Schuette and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt said the
agreement forged between Iran and the U.S. and five other world
powers, which does not require congressional approval, 'cannot bind
the states,' which continue to have authority to impose their own
restrictions on government spending involving Iran or companies with
economic relationships with it. Michigan is one of 25 states to have
imposed sanctions against Iran, which prohibits such companies or
entities from submitting bids for state work or contracts. 'Iran engages
in some of the world's most severe human rights abuses - oppressing women
and persecuting people of nearly all faiths, including Jews, Christians
and Baha'is,' Schuette said. 'I will enforce Michigan law and opposed
lifting any sanctions on Iran.'" http://t.uani.com/1KHZwHs
Terrorism
Reuters:
"Kuwait has charged 26 people with possessing weapons and having
contacts with Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah group in order to plot
attacks against the Gulf state. The case relates to the seizure of an
arms cache in Kuwait last month which local newspapers have reported was
smuggled in from Iran. State news agency KUNA, quoting a statement from
the public prosecutor's office, said that 25 of the suspects were Kuwaiti
citizens and one was Iranian. Three of the suspects were at large and the
others were ordered to be detained indefinitely... The statement said 24
of the suspects were accused of committing acts likely to affect Kuwait's
unity and security. They were also charged with contacting Iran and
Hezbollah to carry out hostile acts and stockpiling explosives, automatic
weapons, ammunition and listening devices. Twenty two suspects were charged
with training in the use of firearms and explosives. An unspecified
number were charged with 'joining and calling to join Hezbollah,' which
it said sought to undermine the ruling system by force." http://t.uani.com/1EyF3Ua
Extremism
Fars (Iran):
"A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
said Wednesday that Iran will continue boosting its military preparedness
until it takes down Israel and sets Palestine free. '...they (the US and
the Zionists) should know that the Islamic Revolution will continue
enhancing its preparedness until it overthrows Israel and liberates
Palestine,' IRGC's top commander in Tehran province, Brigadier General
Mohsen Kazzemeini, told operating units in Tharallah Drills in the
Iranian capital on Wednesday. 'And we will continue defending not just
our own country, but also all the oppressed people of the world,
specially those countries that are standing on the forefront of
confrontation with the Zionists,' continued the General... In relevant
remarks in 2014, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed
Ali Khamenei noted that criminal acts of the wolfish and child-killer
Zionist regime in Gaza had revealed its true nature, and said, 'Only way
to solve this problem is full annihilation and destruction of the Zionist
regime.'" http://t.uani.com/1NXLbHO
MEMRI:
"On August 17, 2015, just over a month after the announcement of the
JCPOA in Vienna, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a speech at
a conference held by the Iranian Shi'ite Ahl Al-Bayt organization that
the U.S. is the embodiment of the enemy of the Islamic peoples and of
Iran. It must be fought with military, cultural, economic, and political
jihad, he said, adding that Islamic Iran is not interested in reconciling
with it. He further claimed that the U.S. is attempting to divide the
Islamic world into Shi'ite and Sunni camps that will wage a religious war
against each other, and in this way gain it will be able to gain control
over the peoples of the region. Iran, he stressed, stands behind the
resistance axis, opposes the division of Syria and Iraq, and will
continue to support anyone who fights Israel. Following are excerpts from
a report on the speech that was posted on Khamenei's website." http://t.uani.com/1JM813j
AFP:
"Iranian police have arrested merchants for selling clothing that
featured the flags of the United States and Britain, two longtime foes of
the Islamic republic, local media reported Tuesday. Garments imprinted
with 'Satanic symbols' were also seized from stores in Tehran, city
police chief General Hossein Sajedinia was quoted by the ISNA news agency
as saying. Sajedinia said reports about the activity had been received in
the past two weeks, leading to surveillance and detentions. 'This morning
we took these clothes off leading distributors,' he said, noting that any
stores that sell such items 'will be closed.'" http://t.uani.com/1O8ssqQ
RFE/RL:
"New 'Death to America' graffiti has appeared, disappeared, and
reappeared on the walls of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran in recent
days, according to reports and photographs published by Iranian media.
Graffiti reading 'Death To America 2015' had appeared recently in the
Iranian capital at a time when hard-liners are emphasizing that the
nuclear deal reached between Tehran and world powers will not end their
hostility toward the United States. The reported removal of the graffiti
from the walls of the former U.S. Embassy and other locations in Tehran
raised eyebrows among many Iranians and Iran watchers who have grown accustomed
to state-commissioned murals and other public art with anti-American
messages. Fardanews.com, which over the weekend posted pictures showing a
man painting over the graffiti, said the move was part of an effort to
keep Tehran clean... Finally, on September 1, Fardanews.com said the
'Death to America' slogans are back on the walls of the former U.S.
Embassy, but this time they did not mention any specific year." http://t.uani.com/1L4YsJm
AP:
"More than a dozen hard-line Iranian students have unveiled an
anti-American plaque at the gate of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
The plaque unveiled Wednesday by the Basij paramilitary forces carries a
list of condemnations of America uttered by the Islamic republic's late
founder, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. During the gathering, the
students set fire to U.S., British and Israeli flags." http://t.uani.com/1Xg2Q1t
Human Rights
AFP:
"Iran's judiciary chief has urged the U.S. not to interfere in cases
of detained Americans, days after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said
a jailed Marine should be freed. Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani's remarks
followed the fourth anniversary of Amir Hekmati's imprisonment in Tehran
on what Kerry called 'false espionage charges.' Hekmati was visiting
relatives in the Islamic Republic when he was arrested. Larijani, quoted
in Iranian media Tuesday, said Iran examined legal cases 'including those
accused of spying for America, with absolute composure and dignity, based
on duty and procedure. 'The judiciary does not need American officials to
write prescriptions for it,' Larijani said. 'Our advice to them is not to
hype [such matters] up uselessly.' In his remarks Friday, Kerry called
Hekmati's detention 'unjust' and also renewed his call for Iran to
release two other Americans." http://t.uani.com/1UmKblC
Al-Monitor:
"Iranians were hopeful when President Hassan Rouhani's
administration came into office. But two years into the government's
term, many civil society organizations have yet to see a change in their
situation. Moreover, some have even received treatment similar to that
experienced under the previous administration of Principlist President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranian Teachers' Trade Association (ITTA) is
one of these organizations. After having staged continuous rallies to
voice its demands for improved conditions, ITTA and its members have
received nothing but rough treatment at the hands of the
authorities." http://t.uani.com/1PLgP9V
IHR:
"One prisoner on death row allegedly charged with kidnapping, armed
robbery and rape was executed in public in the city of Bandar
Abbas." http://t.uani.com/1JNaQwO
Opinion &
Analysis
Robert Satloff in
The Hill: "Congratulations, senators. You have
fended off both advocates and critics of the Iran nuclear agreement and
are among the few remaining 'undecideds.' You have built up leverage. How
will you use it? Since you are undecided, you don't consider the deal
either brilliant or imbecilic. Rather, you recognize its achievements but
also shake your heads at its flaws. You've heard the argument that
scuttling the deal may ultimately leave America more isolated than Iran,
but you also know from your years on foreign relations, intelligence and
armed services committees that the agreement carries huge risks for U.S.
and allied interests. Deep down, you would like to improve the deal by
closing loopholes and strengthening deterrence that has been eroded by
the administration's eagerness to get across the finish line. You have
been impressed by suggestions on how to achieve this goal unilaterally by
the U.S. government or jointly with our European allies, i.e., without
even opening the agreement for renegotiation... The problem is how to get
the president to accept these sensible ideas. So far, he has rejected any
suggestion that he needs to improve the deal. The most likely reason for
this is simply that doesn't have to. After all, the bar for political
success is very low - just one-third-plus-one of either house of Congress
- and the White House believes it is winning. The question for you is how
to use your vote to improve the deal. As you consider this, please beware
of falling into the same trap that the president himself fell into with
the Iranians. How did Iran get an agreement that gives it full
sanctions-relief within a year, ends ballistic missile and weapons bans,
and provides it with a path to near-zero breakout toward a nuclear weapon
down the road? It is all about leverage. The moment it was clear that
Obama feared the repercussions of U.S. or Israeli military action against
Iran more than he feared legitimizing what will ultimately be an
industrial-sized nuclear program for Iran, the die was cast. You are in a
similar position. If you want the president to take you seriously, you
have to retain the leverage that he frittered away. That means convincing
the president your need for a 'better deal' trumps your fear of the
deal's collapse. Only your firm demand for a 'better deal' will force the
president to confront an unpalatable choice: Does he prefer to improve
the deal or watch it fail? If the president believes his own argument
about the catastrophic implications of voting down the deal, he will
choose to improve it. Maintaining this position isn't easy. It means
threatening to vote 'yes' on cloture and, ultimately, threatening to vote
to disapprove the agreement. In the end, you may need to follow through
on these threats. Along the way, you have to give the president
absolutely no reason to think your threat is just a bluff. To paraphrase
an old ad, if you have come this far, then leverage is a terrible thing
to waste." http://t.uani.com/1NXRprl
Patrick Clawson in
WINEP: "The Obama administration has long overstated
the extent to which economic sanctions froze Iranian assets and the
impact these actions had on the regime. Now the administration is facing
the flip side of that overstatement, as critics of the nuclear deal
exaggerate how much will be unfrozen and what that will mean for Tehran's
ability to fund dangerous actors and activities in the region. Some
Iranian assets are frozen, that is, they cannot be used by their owners
(whether the Iranian government or other entities). The Treasury
Department's most recent 'Terrorist Assets Report' cites $1.973 billion
of Iranian financial assets frozen in the United States, and $19 million
of unfrozen assets (e.g., funds belonging to Iran's UN mission, which are
protected by diplomatic immunity). Due to problems evaluating the worth
of real estate, the report's figures do not include tangible property
(e.g., 650 Fifth Avenue in New York City, a building worth at least $800
million, which a court has ordered frozen). Other Iranian assets are
subject to such heavy restrictions that they might as well be frozen.
When the EU adopted tight restrictions on financial transactions with the
Islamic Republic, Iranian banks and companies could not access money they
had in Europe or were owed by Europeans. A prominent example is the $2.3
billion that Shell says it owes the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC)
for crude supplies delivered before the restrictions took effect (oil is
typically paid for thirty or more days after delivery). But the largest
funds often described as frozen are those held in the central banks of
countries to which Iran has recently been selling oil, especially China,
Japan, India, and South Korea. These assets total at least $50 billion,
and by some accounts more. Iranians are learning how to use these funds
to purchase items in the countries where they are being held; that is,
most of the restrictions only prevent use of the money to buy goods from
third countries. Both Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Central Bank of
Iran (CBI) governor Valiollah Seif have stated that $20 billion or more
of these restricted funds are already committed for future Iranian
purchases, arguing that this money should not be included in any
calculation of assets that will become available to Iran once the nuclear
deal is implemented. A different way of interpreting this fact is that
the funds in question were never really frozen in the first place,
illustrating how Iran retained substantial access to foreign markets well
before the nuclear deal was signed. This is especially true in the case
of China: Iranians have been able to spend more than $20 billion of oil
revenues held in Chinese banks, using them to purchase Chinese goods and
services." http://t.uani.com/1VwjJDd
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Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against
Nuclear Iran (UANI) a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear
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email Press@UnitedAgainstNuclearIran.com
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regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons. UANI is an
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